I don't yet own a scoped bolt action rifle. Big 5 has the Savage 111 with synthetic stock and a Simmons scope on sale for $399. I went and checked it out today (in .30-06) and liked the weight and feel. The action could have better, but I imagine it would slick up after some use, or with a little work. So far, the reviews I've read online seem to indicate that it is a good value for the money, and I have a Leupold that would probably go on it should I proceed with the purchase. I don't have much cash which is why this deal is appealing to me. Understand that guns are always more expensive in effin' CA than elsewhere.

Do you have experience with this model? Can you please give me your impressions or thoughts on this rifle? Thank you!

Picked up a 111 in 270 with a synthetic stock last year (not the package gun tho), and it shot sub-moa with the very first handloads I put into it. Their rep is that they consistently very accurate.

Plan on changing the rings and scope. Otherwise a serviceable rifle.

Buy it. I believe it comes with the accutrigger. Pull the scope and rings as said above. Put your luie on with luie bases and rings. Some people are partial to one particular manufacturer. I have always kept an open mind when it comes to new rifle purchase. IMO Savage is producing the best out of the box rifles out there.

I bought a savage model 16 BGH in .243 this last year and it shoots 75gr. v-max in front of some H380 1"or less moa all day long. Once I find an aftermarket stock to put on it, i expect .5 -.75 or better groups. Gun was < $600.

You can make most guns accurate if you have the money. If you want out of the box accuaracy and the best factory trigger available buy a savage. Besides they're made in the USA!

They're not beautiful, but they ARE very accurate. Probably the best buy on today's centerfire market. And you've already got a scope for it!

Thanks you guys. I went into Big 5 thinking I would heft the Puma 92' in .357 (to finally have the 4 pieces needed for CAS) one last time before pulling the trigger on that baby, but that Savage sale seemed good. Now I'm pretty sure I'm gonna put down the cash on the Savage either tomorrow or the next day. Hell, I might even buy both it and the Puma!

Any way, thanks again for twisting my arm, and helping me part with money I didn't anticipate spending.

I picked up an unfired Sav 111, online, with a laminated stock a few years back in .30-06 for about $300. I used it for a .338-06 barrel replacement donor. It's the nicest looking Sav bolt that I have ever seen. I had not even heard of the Mod 111, or of Sav laminated stocks, until I bought it. The barrel just screws in with a barrel wrench and go/no go gauges. Gunsmiths charge about $25 to install. Good luck.

You guys - what would you suggest if one were interested in a bipod for the Savage 111?

I finally took my new 111 to the range yesterday. It's the FCXP3 with the detachable magazine and standard (non-accutrigger) trigger. I only brought one box of ammo with me - 20 rounds of American Eagle .30-06 (150 gr. FMJ). I wanted to see what the factory mounted and bore sighted Simmons Blazer could do, so I left it alone. I started out at about 25 yds - seated position on a bench. I had the stock resting on my lumpy range bag and had my arm in a hasty sling.

I put 4 rounds down range. All shots were on paper. That initial salvo grouped 3 hits within 1" of each other and a fourth "flyer" just a little more than a quarter inch beyond that. Being pleased with this, I switched over to a 100 yd lane (the longest they have at this particular range and set up a silhouette target.

I put 11 rounds into the 9 and 10 round rings, and one "flyer" into the 5 pt shoulder area. My hits were generally 2-3 inches high of center. Does this mean that it should be pretty close to center at 200 yds? BTW - for the 12 shots at 100 yds, I used a block of wood as a front rest (this pretty much sucked). Being a total novice to scoped center fire rifles and long distance shooting, and speaking as someone who has had frustrations with cheap scopes in the past - I am incredibly pleased with this initial outing. It's not stellar shooting, but it aint retarded either. I did it on the cheap, and with no hassles whatsoever. Most importantly, I had lots of fun. I am totally looking forward to finding another range or place where I can shoot still farther. I think with a proper front rest and with a little more practice on my part, I could pull off 1 to 1.5 inch groups at a 100 yds. I'm going to hold off putting that Loopie on at this time.

So now I'm thinking what kind of front rest do I want - a Harris bi-pod? A front rest bag? What are your thoughts?

One day (but not sure when) I want to try my hand at reloading, and this weekend was the first time I've ever saved brass with this purpose in mind). I've got reloading gear on the mind!

I'm also thiking of some other tools that could be useful, such as a chrono, a trigger pull measuring tool, and a range finder.

All in good time I suppose.

Ivan, I dont want to be a jerk, But american eagle ammo and a Simmons scope are not the top of the line equipment, try some remington or federal ammo it will probably help those groups , and if you have access to almost any other scope i'd put that on and try it. Don

I got a buddy shooting one (270) in factory condition with factory loads and it's getting around 3" at hun'erd. It came with a traditional trigger, although it was bought over a year ago and the new ones might come with the accu. I'm not knocking the rifle. I suspect it's the ammo, rings or scope that's causing problems. The rifle seems sound except for the recoil pad that want's to separate.

Thanks loggah. I am definitely going to test some better ammo in this rifle! But I wanna play around with the Simmons for a little while longer.

Ivan
Plus 1 on what Don said about the ammo. That American Eagle is cheap junk,,good for cleaning out the cob webs,or general plinking,,out than that stick with some good premium ammo or roll your own.You'll get far better groups,then change the scope.
Steve

Regarding American Eagle - is it even worth saving the brass?

Guess I'm going to have to buy some Leupold bases and rings at some point.

Something you could add for very little money is a sandbag for a rest. Might make a big difference compared to what you've been using.

Ivan - good on you for having some fun. That's what it's all about and what so many forget about our sport. That brass is probably not worth keeping. .30-06 brass is pretty cheap and can be bought for less than $20 for 50 which will last you a long time. Remington and Winchester sell packages of it in bulk and you can even find it at Walmart.

As far as a front rest, a good sandbag is all you need. A really nice investment for about $50 is one of those cordura bags that cradles your forend - I think they call them bull bags or varmint shooting bags. I have a $200 Caldwell competition rest and always grab my varmint shooting bag when I head to the range as it works just as well. Midwayusa is a great place to get that stuff if you can't find it locally.

And of course, spend all you can on a quality scope and mounts. That's cool you hit your target with the Simmons, but check out the nikons at www.samplelist.com. Great refurbished scopes for less than $250 (I highly recommend the 4.5-14 buckmaster for a good cheap bench scope) and they will make that Simmons look like blurry night vision in comparison. You will find out that good glass is worth it's weight in gold. I've upgraded my scopes over the years from Simmons to leupold to zeiss conquest to Swarovski. And now I'm looking at Docter and Schmidt and Bender. Keep having fun, and good luck.

+100 on dumping the Simmons

Ryan

It is hard for most us to understand how if you have a nice unused Leupold laying around, you would persist with the Simmons.

Boltman - here are some of my hangups: (1) most of you guys insist on going with Leupold bases and rings - I still haven't bought those yet... (2) once I get 'em, I'll have to swap 'em out and get it all dialed in - I've never been very good at this process before (with cheap scopes anyway). The only success story I've had so far was putting a nice fixed 4x Nikon on an autloading .22 Marlin. I just wanted to prove that the set up actually works/worked before I go effing it up!

killertraylor - thanks for the advice on the bull bags - I've already started looking at some similar items and I'm noticing that sometimes the bags come empty. One web site suggests a bag can be filled with "sand, rice, millet, birdseed, etc." I was thinking something synthetic might be a good choice. What do you guys suggest as a good fill for a shooting rest/varmint bag?

I took mine to the beach and used good old sand. I've seen guys use everything from flour to birdseed to plastic bb's like you shoot in airsoft guns (didn't like that bag at all) If you are going to be carrying the bag in the field - like you might do shooting squirrels, it might pay to have something light. Mine is heavy, but I like it that way - very solid and I don't carry it very far.

Putting a scope on is not very difficult. I prefer Warne rings and bases and I think you would find they are easier to install perfectly than leupold where sometimes it's difficult to get the rings perfectly alligned with each other. I have a one inch diameter bar of stainless steel which makes this easy. Warne are the same price as leupold and highly regarded.

Killer - thanks again for your help. Something tells me I'll have the front rest in no time, and I'll be filling it for free at the beach! I'll be sure to look at the Warne stuff as well.

Say Killer (or anyone), please excuse my noobiness - I have many questions about what kind of bases and rings are the correct ones for my set up.

I have a Leupold VX-1 3-9x40mm scope. I see that there are generally 3 heights for rings: low, medium, or high. I've read that the lower the scope, the better. Will low or medium rings provide enough clearance for the bell on this type of scope?

I'm pretty sure my tube diameter is 1"... please tell me if I'm wrong...

Are there any disadvantages to quick release rings?

What are the pros and cons of 1 pc. versus 2 pc. mounts?

Lastly, it I've read that the rear end of the receiver has changed for the Savage over time - something about one style being flat while the other is rounded. My Mod. 111 FCXP3 looks round to my eye but is there a way to verify this?