Savage F/TR and .22 Benchrest Question

Cass

Two queries here lads, hoping some could shine some light on it.

The first is about a new Savage F/tr. The rifle came with a nice few accessories one of which was a rail adaptor for a bipod. Now i have rail adaptors for two other rifles but they have a locking lug/nut/screw so when you place the adaptor in the position you want you tighten it down and attach the bipod. The rail adaptor for the Savage has no tightening screw but i assume you place the adaptor in the rail in the position you want, attach the bipod and as it tightens and the bipod "levers" the adaptor it tightens against the stock and by doing so keeps it in place. Just wanted to ask any other Savage ownrs if this is correct?


The second is about .22 Benchrest shooting. I currently use Eley Match. I have my local dealer getting this in for me and as i mentioned in another thread, since he has done others have started buying the Eley match from him. Lately he has started getting Lapua centre-X. As he has to "special order" (if you will) the Eley for me but gets the Lapua as part of a "standard" order i told him i would try a few boxes and if they perform aswell (or hopefully better) than the Eley i would start using them and he could stop ordering the Eley. My query is has anyone any experience with both types of ammo and what, if any, difference is there between them. I reviewed the specs on the ballistics and the Lapua seems to hold the same values (give or take a few fps) as the Eley. Again any info would be appreciated.

It wasn't me!

With regard to the ammo, I've used both. Both are fantastic ammo. My Anschutz shoots both very well. I've found the Centre-X probably a bit better though, had one batch that shot spectacularly well, as good as anything out there. Would cheerfully recommend it as being worth trying.

rrpc

One advantage of the Eley ammo is that they put the batch speed on the box. Lads I know who shoot BR swear by any of the Match ammo under 1050fps. I've got some 1042fps and it's extremely good indeed. Having said that, I haven't yet tried the centre-x (IRLConor took all the stuff we had and we haven't got any since ).

Cass

Funny you should say that rrpc, I have 2 batches of Eley match. One is 1064fps and the other is 1042fps. The Anschutz loves the 1042 and although the difference between them and the 1064 is nominal the gun shoots that little better with the 1042 (tighter groups).

My only concern with the Centre-X is (as you said) the Eley print the fps on the box for each batch the Centre-X do not. Although the ballistics for each are available from the websites they give an average or maximum velocity but obviously cannot give ballistics for each individual batch. For exampl the Eley state the Match muzzle velocity is 1085fps and the Centre-X is 1073fps. When you buy them though the Match shows (on the box) 1064/1042, etc. The centre-X does not. And if the gun likes the "slower" round i don't want to get the Centre-X if it is indeed traveling at 1070+.

I know the simple answer is to stick with the Match but i'm trying to make life a bit easier on my dealer so he is not bringing in ammo that he normally doesn't stock. Plus i'm always on the look out for a better round that could give me that little extra/edge.




PS - I managed to try the bipod on the savage and it clamps down tight as i thought it would. I think this is right as i cannot see any other way it would attach to the rifle.

rrpc

ezridax wrote: »

Funny you should say that rrpc, I have 2 batches of Eley match. One is 1064fps and the other is 1042fps. The Anschutz loves the 1042 and although the difference between them and the 1064 is nominal the gun shoots that little better with the 1042 (tighter groups).

Yup, I've been getting some very good scores (in the high 580's) using the 1042 Eley match. I've had some 1063 ELey Tenex which although more expensive did not fare so well. The slower round also does better in the wind, so it's better for BR. Lapua is very good, I've used it in the years that Eley was crap, but it was always a bit inconsistent and really required head space gauging to get it batched correctly.

I know the simple answer is to stick with the Match but i'm trying to make life a bit easier on my dealer so he is not bringing in ammo that he normally doesn't stock. Plus i'm always on the look out for a better round that could give me that little extra/edge.

If you can't get the slower stuff in the dealers, it's very difficult to get consistent shooting. We tend to order for the club in batches of 5000, so we can get the right fps if we ask for it (and if the dealers can get it). So far we've been able to, but it all depends on what's been brought in.

When I say the Lapua is a bit inconsistent, I mean that the group at 25 yards may be around 14mm instead of 10mm

It wasn't me!

rrpc, if I'm near a dealership before I see you again, I'll grab you a hundred Centre-X to try if you like and it isn't available near you. It's well worth a try anyway.

Cass

All my BR shooting is done at the Midlands at 50yds. I am very happy with the results. On a calm day i'm getting 244 - 247 (25 bull targets, 250 max). I used to use the 6 ring targets for grouping but found with a bigger bull the precision slipped a little so switched back to the 25 ringer and fired groups of 3-5 at each bull. I'm consistently getting 8 - 12mm (3-5 rounds) groups at 50yds with the 1042 Match (on perfect days with perfect conditions i can tighten this a little) and i love shooting at the midlands because even on a calm day the wind can be testing, so if you can shoot consistently good there you will have little trouble shooting elsewhere.

On a side note i tried Tenex myself (100 rounds) and for the marginal improvement (that was not consistent) i did not think it warranted the extra cost.

I apprreciate the input MS on the Centre-X. I will still get a couple of hundred to try out. All i'm looking for is repeatability. Same round, same position, same results (could be optimistic on the results bit).

It wasn't me!

I've had a batch of Centre-X that when I was on form shot as well as batch-tested ammo of any kind, holding about 10.5 on the NSRA 25 yard target. It also does better in the wind, in my experience. I had a string shooting indoors that went 10.9, 10.7, 10.5, 10.9, 10.4 at a match a while back. Granted, everything after that went a bit funny, but that was my fault. The ammo is superb.

foxshooter243

ezridax wrote: »

Two queries here lads, hoping some could shine some light on it.

The first is about a new Savage F/tr. The rifle came with a nice few accessories one of which was a rail adaptor for a bipod. Now i have rail adaptors for two other rifles but they have a locking lug/nut/screw so when you place the adaptor in the position you want you tighten it down and attach the bipod. The rail adaptor for the Savage has no tightening screw but i assume you place the adaptor in the rail in the position you want, attach the bipod and as it tightens and the bipod "levers" the adaptor it tightens against the stock and by doing so keeps it in place. Just wanted to ask any other Savage ownrs if this is correct?


The second is about .22 Benchrest shooting. I currently use Eley Match. I have my local dealer getting this in for me and as i mentioned in another thread, since he has done others have started buying the Eley match from him. Lately he has started getting Lapua centre-X. As he has to "special order" (if you will) the Eley for me but gets the Lapua as part of a "standard" order i told him i would try a few boxes and if they perform aswell (or hopefully better) than the Eley i would start using them and he could stop ordering the Eley. My query is has anyone any experience with both types of ammo and what, if any, difference is there between them. I reviewed the specs on the ballistics and the Lapua seems to hold the same values (give or take a few fps) as the Eley. Again any info would be appreciated.

correct on the first query EZRI;)

Cass

Cheers Foxshooter. Was having premonitions about drilling the adaptor and breaking out the tap and die set.


Or just buying another one from the internet.