Savage Model 11 Hog Hunter .223

Good Friday presented an opportunity to skip out of work a little early and head to the range. I was invited to visit the new COOP range that was recently opened in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Cheyenne Mountain Shooting Complex is a joint project between the US Army, El Paso County, the El Paso County Sheriff, and the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife.

Cheyenne Mountain Shooting Complex

Most of the other ranges in the area at least 30 to 45 minutes outside of town. The Cheyenne Mountain Shooting Complex is a quick 5 minutes south of Colorado Springs and right off the main highway making this range a welcome addition to the local options. In addition this range offers distances ranging from 25 to 1000 yards.

Cheyenne Mountain Shooting Complex

I was impressed with the friendliness and professionalism of the staff as well as the overall layout and condition of the complex.  As they say, a bad day shooting beats a good day at the office.

And so as the invitation was extended to visit Cheyenne Mountain Shooting Complex, the Savage Hog Hunter was pulled from the safe and prepped for an informal range report.

Notice the black steel target @ 450 yds. Left of the furthest orange chevron

The Hog Hunter has been somewhat of an interesting build that has taken much longer than originally anticipated. When the rifle was originally dropped off it was new in the box. The initial inspection was, well, not too good. There was visible rust on the action as well as around the scope mount screw holes. After pulling the plugs out of the receiver it was noted that the rust had taken home under the plugs. The owner decided to return the Hog Hunter to Savage since it was brand new. After three-weeks the rifle was returned rust free with the scope mount holes re-threaded and an EGW scope rail mounted.  Savage held true to the statement  ‘it’s not the mistake that’s made but how the mistake is handled’.  In this case Savage went above and beyond to right a wrong. Considering the political climate the turn around time was super fast and the gifting of an EGW scope rail was unexpected.

The next unfortunate mishap happened after the owner dropped off the scope that is to be mounted to this build. The scope was a Falcon Menace 6x18x56. The exterior of the scope looked like it had just been pulled from the box. However, a quick glance through the tube exposed a shattered internal lens. The owner was in shock stating that the scope had been in his safe unused for two-years.  We spent a few minutes discussing other optic options and it was decided he would try to contact Falcon for a replacement. His first attempt was to go straight to Falcon. Unfortunately  their response was to not send it to them but to send it back to the distributor where he originally purchased the scope.  The scope was acquired via a group buy on a forum so he didn’t get his hopes up and figured he had a $400 paperweight at best. He contacted Annie’s Gun Shop in California who had initiated the group buy. Martin, one of the owners responded to his email suggesting he send the scope to him and he would engage with Falcon to fix the issue.  Excited,  but skeptical, he sent the scope to Martin. We again discussed other optic options and started to narrow down a nice replacement.  Less than two weeks after the scope was sent to Martin, a new in the box Falcon Menace arrived at his house. Surprisingly, Martin replaced the 6x18x56 Menace with Falcon Optics new 4-14×44 Front Focal Plane (FFP) scope. “Hats off” to Martin, Annie’s Gun Shop, and Falcon Optics for standing behind the limited lifetime warranty.

Because the goal of this project is to document and test the upgrades specified by the owner we needed a base line to test against. To get an out-of-the box baseline for the Hog Hunter an EGW scope mount, Burris Xtreme Tactical scope rings, the Meanace 4-14×44 FFP scope, and a Harris 6″-9″ bipod were installed on the rifle.

Breaking in the barrel would be a great chance to get a baseline to see how the Hog Hunter will preform out of the box.  A total of 20 rounds were shot which is less than planned only because the range closed and we ran out of time.

To break in the barrel “off the shelf” (pre-political climate statement) Remington 55 grain rounds were used. Because time was short, the Hog Hunter was shot using the bipod and a rear bag. The next range report will include a shooting rest to provide a stable and repeatable shooting platform.

Last three shots of the day. Group was getting much tighter at 100 yds.

As you can see from the target above the last three shots were pretty tightly grouped at 100 yards. With the help of a shooting rest and a better load,  the Hog Hunter should be able to produce great out of the box groups.

The overall sentiment of the Savage Model 11 Hog Hunter at this point is, impressive! The trigger pull needs to be lightened a bit, the “tupperware” stock flexed terribly when simply moving the rifle to get on target, and the bolt handle is a little short and tight to the scope.  The rifle could also benefit from a little higher comb and more of a “pistol grip” style stock/grip.

As seen in photos of the Hog Hunter the Harris bipod legs are fully extended. Just for fun we were engaging the steel target at 450 yds. as “cease fire” was called out by the RSO (range safety officer). With any luck our next range report will hopefully include a report of a few “pings” on steel.

The goal of this project is to build a cost effective accurate training rifle.   The rifle is Chambered in .223 which will allow the shooter to use less expensive ammo and will help the shooter learn more about the basics of hand loading,  ballistics, and comfortably hitting targets at various distances.

The owner of the Hog Hunter will be overseas for the better part of the year therefore has little use for the rifle while he’s gone.  The owner agreed to let us use his rifle to document the installation of the accessories/changes that he has specified.    It was also agreed that the rifle can be shot for range reports as needed.   He mentioned that he was excited to watch from afar as his rifle is built step by step.

For an entry level rifle competitively priced at around $500 the Savage Hog Hunter Model 11 is a great foundation for this project.

Below are the specifications from the Savage Arms website.

What makes the  Savage Model 11 Hog Hunter unique in the Savage line up  is that wears the infamous “Tupperware stock”, iron sights, medium contour barrel, threaded muzzle  and an Accutrigger.  The next closest rifle in the Savage offering is the Model 10 FPSR which is priced at almost $250 more than the Model 11 Hog Hunter but has similar options sans the iron sights and a 22″ barrel vs. a 20″ barrel.

Originally this project was going start with Steven’s 200 chambered in .223.  The Stevens is a great low priced option at around $350 retail however upgrading the trigger and the sporter contour barrel would have increased the total project price by at least $400 to $600 depending on the quality of parts.  The Hog Hunter ships with a medium contour barrel and the Savage AccuTrigger which is a nice upgrade.

The 1:9 20″ barrel also makes the Hog an interesting option.  The 1:9 twist is very common and should stabilize 55 gr. to 69 gr. bullets nicely however since the shooting will be at elevation we may find that the 1:9 can stabilize a heavier bullet.  More on that when we do load testing.

One of the first upgrades for this project is a replacement stock so the “Tupperware stock” as an option helps keep the retail price of the Hog Hunter affordable.  The savings will be used on aftermarket accessories to accurize the rifle.

Remington 700 Short Action

• Choate Tactical Stock for Remington 700 SA inletted for Badger M5 Bottom Metal
• Choate Standard and Tall Cheek Pieces
• Choate Monopod
• Choate Bipod Adaptor
• Badger Mini Tactical Bolt Knob

Tactical Works, Inc. announced today that they will now be inventorying Bill Springfield’s AR15 Fire Control Groups.

Bill has been cleaning up AR-15 Triggers for years and his reputation in the industry speaks for itself.  Tactical Works, Inc. has teamed up with Bill Springfield to offer three AR-15 fire control groups.

The 4lb single stage fire control group is cleaned up and offers a very short, smooth, clean break. In addition all 4lb fire control groups will have the “speed hammer” modification for faster primer ignition. The 4lb fire control group is recommended for duty and field rifles.

The 3lb single stage fire control group is again shortened and cleaned up to provide a crisp break. The 3lb fire control group also includes the “speed hammer” modification for faster primer ignition. The 3lb fire control group is recommended for long range work and target shooting.

The 2.5lb fire control group  lightens up the trigger pull a little further with the help of of a JP Match spring set. The 2.5lb fire control group should specifically be used for target and long range work.

*The Speed hammer modification involves removing the hammer tail and area is refinished. Professional target shooters appreciate this modification for its faster primer ignition and its extra insurance for igniting hard primer military ammunition.

“I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot.” -Gary Hart

Veterans Day November 11th 2012 arrives less than a week after the 44th Presidential election.  As one watched the coverage of the election it seems as if now, more than ever, the country is divided. Divided into the “blue” and the “red”.

After hours of watching the media segment our country,  it’s hard to believe we can stand as one. However, as we think about today, Veterans day, it makes it a little easier.  Our countries flag is made up of three colors coincidentally those colors are red, white, and blue.

“The colors of the pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in the flag of the United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valor  and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice.” Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress.

Red, white and blue are the colors that our men and women of the Armed Forces dedicate their lives to.  They unselfishly volunteer and sacrifice all to protect us, our beliefs, and our country no matter what color the  country is on election day.  It is because of our Veterans that we have been and will remain free, for without them we are divided and divided we fall.

Some may not recognize the true importance of today.  Today we ensure veterans know that we deeply appreciate the sacrifices they have made in their lives to keep our country free.

For those whom do not truly understand why we should raise our flags and thank our Veterans ask someone who’s son, daughter, father, mother, husband, wife, mom, or dad is currently in harms way or is leaving again soon.  It’s a hard conversation that will be filled with heartbreak, fear, anger, sacrifice  and pride.  Ask a 6 year old who’s dad has been gone more that he has been home since he’s he was born.  Ask a wife who has been a single mother and head of household more often than not. Watch a deployment where families say their last goodbyes not knowing if they’ve already had their last hello.  Lastly, ask the Veteran who is gearing up for deployment 4;  ask a Veteran who has just returned from deployment 1 and is meeting his daughter for the first time; ask the Veteran who is learning to adapt to life with one arm, and then say thank you.

To all of our “Veterans” thank you, one day isn’t enough.

Team Tactical Works

Tactical Works, Inc.  announced today we are now a stocking dealer of Flatline Ops rifle scope accessories. Flatline Ops manufactures a Patent Pending bubble level anti-cant device which installs on the rifle’s optic.

Flatline Ops also offers rock solid mounts to attach ADIs (angle degree indicators) and ACIs (angle cosine indicators) to your Flatline Ops rifle level or for any M1913 MIL STD mount.

A 1000 yard shot with the weapon system canted (left or right) 1° from level will move your point of impact 5″.  Additionally, if the weapon system is canted only 8° (horizontally) the same 1000 yard shot will change the point of impact 40″.

With the optional ACI/ADI a shooter can quickly and accurately judge the angle of the shot so that he can compensate for gravity.  A 500 yard shot at a 30° vertical angle (up or down) the shot should be adjusted as if it was a 435 yard shot. Without this adjustment the shot will be high.

Tactical Works is happy to support another US-based manufacturer.

Flatline’s levels are fast, easy to use and are perfect for the bench shooter, precision rifleman, long-range hunter in addition to Police/SWAT sharp shooters and Military Snipers.

We wanted to share some pictures and results from the Hell’s Canyon Long Range Shoot in Whitebird, ID.  Other than the wind, dry conditions, and heat, the shoot was a great success. We also want to thank Caleb of Sportsman’s Challenge for allowing Tactical Works to be part of the shoot. We’re looking forward to the 2013 events.

For more information on the shoot visit Sportsman’s Challenge or visit their Facebook Page

Big Game Results:
1st place Mark Knudson (11.5+ tie breaker winner)
2nd place Quinn Taylor (11.5)
3rd place Todd Dow (11)

Small Game Results:
1st place: David Powers (13.5)
2nd place: Paul Gilmore (13)
3rd place: Mark Knudson (12.5)

Thanks Caleb!

Team Tactical Works

Rick’s 908 Yard Buck

Hi Lisa, Pic of the buck I made a “Long Range shot” on this past  weekend with the Karsten Cheek Piece I ordered from you folks. (908  yards thru the shoulder with a Tikka T3, 300 Win. Mag…..and Karsten  Cheek Piece added) I have three other McMillan stocks I would like to  add the cheek pieces to so I will be in touch. Great job on a great  product that was extremely easy to install myself……and thanks for  getting it mailed to me so fast!

Best regards,

Rick

Tony was nice enough to share pictures of his new build with us for our gallery. Great looking rifle!

For more specs and photos simply click on the photo below.

Tony’s “sage” Savage Short Action