Savage 11 Long Range Hunter 65 Creedmoor Review

Incorporating two of the features for which the company has go near-known in modern times, the AccuStock and AccuTrigger systems, the Fell Model 111 Long Range Hunter is equally at dwelling house in big-game hunting and long-range shooting applications. A mid-weight bolt-activity rifle available in nine chamberings, from .260 Rem. to .338 Lapua Magazine., the subject of this review is a Long Range Hunter chambered in half-dozen.five mm-284 Norma—a cartridge chosen for both its utilitarian appeal and long-range accurateness.

The Long Range Hunter wears a soft-to-the-touch composite AccuStock to which its barreled action is attached. Ii features truly make information technology a dual-employ rifle. One is an adjustable comb on its buttstock that customizes cheek weld so that the shooter's centre aligns with the scope perfectly for every shot, regardless of trunk blazon, scope peak or shooting position. A consistent cheek weld is a primal component of long-range accuracy. Cheekpiece removed, the buttstock becomes a downward-sloping, direct-line rifle stock, but with a couple of 3/8" holes drilled through it. A look through those holes reveals that the stock is not hollow, but rather filled with polystyrene—another name for Styrofoam.

Secondly, and at the other stop of the rifle, the Long Range Hunter comes standard with an adjustable cage restriction. The brake is a 2"-long, 3/iv"-bore steel sleeve that features 36 compatible, i/8"-diameter ports. It'due south partially threaded onto the barrel and pinned in identify by the muzzle's crown. With a elementary quarter twist, the shooter can cull whether to let the gases to pass through the brake or not, effectively turning it on or off.

The Model 111 Long Range Hunter's AccuStock makes use of a monolithic, milled-aluminum chassis (inset) that is epoxied in place to provide consequent and repeatable bedding.

Turned clockwise, the ports in the sleeve do non marshal with the barrel's ports, and therefore gases from the fired cartridge are forced out of the barrel normally. This results in a shot that has a full recoil value, only one that isn't as perceivably loud as a rifle with a muzzle brake. However, if the shooter finds himself in a scenario where recoil mitigation is important, a simple counterclockwise twist aligns the sleeve'southward ports with the barrel's ports, so that gases can escape in a 360-caste design around the barrel, thereby countering the rearward forces of recoil and mitigating them. In testing, turning the brake on and off did not affect point of touch on.

The medium-profile, chrome-moly steel barrel is 1.02" in diameter before tapering to 0.734" at the muzzle. The six.5 mm-284's butt is rifled with a ane:eight" twist and, although listed as 26" long, actually has 24" of rifled bore to which the 2" brake is fastened.

The butt on the Long Range Hunter features 24" of rifled diameter capped past a 2"-long adjustable muzzle restriction. In testing, turning the brake on and off did non affect the rifle'due south point of touch on.

Savage's oft-copied barrel nut can be precisely adapted for headspace by the barrel installer, and the Long Range Hunter takes full reward of the system, which no doubt contributes to the rifle'due south accuracy. Another factor is its bedding arrangement; one recoil lug is sandwiched between the butt nut and the receiver to provide a recoil cake into which the activity is mated with the stock.

Savage'due south proprietary AccuStock features a monolithic, milled-aluminum bedding block that traverses the entire length of the activeness, from the rear action spiral to the fore-end'due south sling hinge stud. The aluminum chassis is epoxied into the stock so information technology will not budge. The barreled activeness is and so screwed down onto the cake, so that the action screw attachment points are unwavering metal on metal. The butt remains free-floated. A slender 9¼" tongue runs most of the length of the fore-end to give it rigidity and so that information technology'south impervious to fore-finish force per unit area. This entire system does away with meticulous mitt bedding because the barreled action and the aluminum chassis to which it is mated are precision-machined, and then bedding is consistent and repeatable via the activeness screws.

The commodities is distinctly Savage: A dual-lug head is backed by a gas-escape baffle, and a plunger-way ejector lies in its recessed confront. A sliding-plate extractor is incorporated within the bolt's right lug. The knurled, round knob of the bolt handle is every bit suitable for target shooting and hunting scenarios.

Attached to the activity is Savage's renowned AccuTrigger. User adjustable, it allows crisp, sub-2-lb. trigger pulls to also remain condom and incapable of misfiring due to drops or jars. In testing, the Long Range Hunter's trigger proved to be highly consistent; the exam unit's trigger had a standard deviation of +/- 0.3 ozs. A simple, forward-to-burn, rear-to-safe, tang-mounted rubber features three positions for locking the commodities closed or allowing it to be cycled while keeping the rifle on condom. An internal magazine with a hinged floorplate holds 3 rounds.

The only complaint generated throughout testing was the pregnant forcefulness required to work the commodities later firing several types of 6.5 mm-284 ammunition. While this is more than than likely a product of hot ammunition and non the burglarize, it'due south worthy of mention. Regardless, the Long Range Hunter was capable of 5-shot, 1" groups at 100 yds. with various types of armament. It seemed to recoil less than expected cheers to its restriction, a generous recoil pad, viii-plus-lb. heft and tailored cheek fit.

The Savage Model 111 Long Range Hunter'southward adjustable rummage, on-off muzzle brake and 1 g.o.a. accuracy potential brand it a existent value at the rifle'due south suggested retail toll of $ane,171. Riflemen attempting to select a practise-all rifle for both target practice and for hunting North American game will likely find it to be a worthy out-of-the-box choice.

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Source: https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/tested-savage-model-111-long-range-hunter/

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