The new Savage model 11/111 Long Range Hunter

[chowder]

I haven't been able to escape the joys of 'winter time' dairy farming except for some Sunday afternoon ice fishing sessions but I have been able to fit in quite a few shooting sessions on my back forty range. I'm now breaking in one of these new Savage model 11 Long Range Hunting rifles in 308. This new bolt action setup has caused quite a stir in the rifle world with it's adjustable cheek piece, muzzle brake, amazing accuracy and affordable price! I broke down and put some serious glass on this baby so if any body is interested in a real world review of one of these things, let me know. -Andy

[chowder]

I've got this new Savage Long Range Hunter 308 out to 200 w/ close to 1 1/2" groups. I really, really like the muzzle brake it cuts the felt recoil down to near the equivalent of my 22-250 which, truth be told, was a major reason to look at a new rifle- my 7mm mag was just starting to create issues for my shoulder after coming home from the range. Next step will be to start working on the 300-400 yard scope adjustments.

[Chromeslayer]

What glass did you go with?

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[chowder]

Bushnell Elite 4200 mil dot w/ side focus & tactical turrets (spend what you spent for the gun on the glass). I'm sure I should have dug a bit deeper and gone w/ a truly top end scope w/ a FFP reticle but I bought this rifle for doe management & realistically I'm just not going to shoot at a deer much past 400 yds ( I just don't see myself doing the 1000 yd competitive stuff at this point in my life), so I held back a little. The scope dials up & down very consistently and the zero is easy to set and return to after longer shots. -Andy

[Chromeslayer]

What power did you go with? Picked up a Sako 300wsm and having a hard time deciding on what power to go with. Choices are a Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10 or 4.5-14

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[chowder]

The rifle side of my hunting personality has had a very practical face for a long time. I bought these two long range rifles ( Savage model 12 heavy barrel 22-250 and the Savage model 11 Long Range Hunter 308) to sort of 'feel' my way into this long range shooting stuff. Because one of my sons is into this with me I put what I'd really have to call a 'long range predator/varmint scope' on both rifles so we each have something to use for the predator/varmint side of things -obviously the 308 is overkill but I wasn't going to buy another strictly predator/varmint rig and I have wanted a true long range deer rifle for some time. The Bushnell Elite 4200 is a 6-24 X 50 and the Mueller on the 22-250 is a 8.5-25 X 50 and they are fitted with aftermarket scope levels. These scopes are heavy & cumbersome but that's ok because the rifles are set up w/ swiveling bipods and we are shooting them prone, using a rear support.

My stand/ free hand rifle is now a Savage model 11 270 with a 3-9X50 scope, I had a 7mm Mag with a 4-12X50 but the recoil was starting to bother my aging shoulder on the range. I guess I've always kind of thought that something along the lines of a 3-9X50 scope really handles the typical range of White tail rifle shot opportunities in the North East really well. The new Vortex FFP scopes seem like they might be the best value in the high end scope market right now but it's going to be bit before there will be much real customer feed back on what appears to be some amazing technology. I do think it is important to decide how often you will need a truly adjustable scope for shots over 250 yds because it's gonna have so much impact on the choice of magnification, reticle type,etc.

Certainly either one of the Zeiss scopes you mentioned seem like really excellent and very practical choices to me. What kind of reticle choices do you have with either of those scopes?

The thing I'm seeing about the longer range shooting is the need to have rifle and load ballistics etched into your head so you can simultaneously adust the scope's range for parallax, dial in the distance and prepare mentally and physically for the shot. For some reason my 16 year old son, who didn't have any bad shooting habits to get rid of, is doing better than me so far -Andy

[Chromeslayer]

i dont plan on doin any serious long range shooting with the gun but if a shot comes up of 400yds+ i wanna make sure i got the right optics for the job.. which is makin me lean towards the 4.5-14x Zeiss w/Rapid Z 600 reticle... most of my hunting will be here in Ny with the gun but i do have several trips out west booked for elk, mulies, and whitetails where long distance shots can be common.. if i didnt have any planed hunts and was strictly hunting ny i think the 3.5-10 would be plenty

[chowder]

Went & googled it -looks like a great scope! Couldn't quite tell whether the turrets were adjustable/tac type or covered but I see it has side focus so I assumed they are. I mounted the scope on my 308 with a Picatinny rail and HD rings which added to the wallet impact but I figured it was probably worth it. Good luck w/ that nice combo! -Andy

[Chromeslayer]

well i finally pulled the trigger on the scope... went alittle different route than i planed... went with a Swarovski 4-12x50 Z3 instead... should be a great combo

[goin deep]

You wil love the Swarovski scope! They are expensive but when you start using a Swarovski, you will quickly realize they are worth it. When I go out west hunting, almost all the outfitters have Swarovski binoculars and spotting scopes.

Brian