  The Savage Model 10 FCP – SR topped with a Vortex Razor HD riflescope and sitting on an Atlas BT10 bipod. As a .308 Winchester sniper rifle with a detachable box magazine, you really couldn’t ask for much more.  Even with a Savage we never take accuracy for granted. Ben wasn’t able to shoot this gun, but even without our best shooter the Savage Model 10 FCP – SR performed at under MOA.  Savage may have cherry picked this .86 group for the test target that came with the gun, but we were able to to repeatedly shoot into just a little more than that with Hornady Superformance Match in the 165 grain bullet. Just as important, our long string groups with a hot rifle measured about 1.5″ consistently. This is a true heavy barrel sniper rifle that performs over sustained fire.  The barrel is free floated above the stock to avoid pressure points that would throw off the harmonics and accuracy.  The slightly recessed crown of the barrel is pre-threaded for a suppressor so you don’t wake up the neighbors shooting squirels after dark.  The magazine is a little bit jiggly, but once we got the feel of the bolt down for the length of the throw, we had no failures to pick up a round. You’ll see if you buy the gun that smoothness of the bolt can make you short stroke it.  The magazines and probably the bottom metal are made by Accurate-Mag, which is the most popular OEM company in the American rifle market.  The are closer to a single stack than a double stack, which is why the 10 round magazine is almost as big as a 20 round P-Mag, but for a bolt gun reliability can be tricky from a box magazine and this works great.  The Savage Model 10 FCP – SR comes with a 20MOA rail pre-mounted, and our AccuTrigger measured under a pound and a half.  There are two sling studs in the front to accomodate a Harris style bipod like this Caldwell, or a stud adapter for rail mounted bipod like you see here from Atlas.  When the first shot means everything you need a rifle that performs. Savage has bundled a lot of high end features into a rifle that is selling around a thousand bucks. The Model 10 FCP – SR isn’t easy to get right now, but if you are in the market for an out of the box complete sniper solution, see if you can get your hands on one. It’s a great gun. |
(CARLOS HATHCOCK SCOPE ARTICLE IS HERE. Sorry there was a mistake in the email.)
Savage Arms
https://www.savagearms.com/
If you stop by just about any outdoor gun range in America on a Sunday, you will find any number of tricked out tactical rifles driving tacks at 100 yards and more. Generally these are custom rifles and some have a detachable box style magazine along with other high end, law enforcement-type features. Savage Arms, an industry leader known for out-of-the-box accurate rifles, has integrated these and other custom style features into their new Model 10 FCP-SR. It comes in .308 Winchester and has a free-floated heavy fluted barrel threaded for a suppressor, set in a digital camo simplified version of the Savage Accustock . The drilled and tapped receiver is supplied with a pre-mounted 20MOA one piece Picatinny base. It comes with a ten round detachable box magazine and a Savage Accutrigger. This makes for a gun just under 9 pounds that leaves little to be desired. The MSRP is $1213, and if you can find one, the street price is well under that. For an out of the box law enforcement style sniper rifle you couldn’t really ask for much more.
Accuracy at MOA or better is generally a given with all Savage rifles, and our test gun came with a 3 round group target measuring .86 inches center to center. They used Black HIlls 168 grain Match ammo for these results. We were able to replicate close to this .93 inches using Hornady Superformance Match 165 grain. It is splitting hairs, but we were not able to get Ben Becker our resident US Army Sniper out on this gun. He could probably have beaten the factory target. Our five shot groups were just over an inch, which is very good for an out of the box production grade rifle as well, and more rounds generally stayed within that 1.5″ circle. On a heavy barreled gun like this, meant to be a working sniper rifle, knowing that your first shot is going to generally be within less than a the size of a quarter at 100 yards is great, but the rifle also will perform well under sustained fire. We weren’t able to get any of that Black Hills ammo, but you may want to try that round if you buy the gun. All rifles tend to “like” a certain ammo, because of the harmonics in the barrel when it fires, and that 168 grain load may be the best one for this gun. We used a Vortex Razor HD as the optic for our tests.
Our test gun came with a one and half pound pull Savage Accutrigger. If you aren’t familiar with this device , it is a special safety device on the trigger that allows you to carry a gun with an extremely light trigger without fear of the gun going off by mistake. In the front of the trigger is a little fin that you touch first, before touching the actual trigger. When you depress the fin, it makes the trigger ready to fire. Without depressing the fin you have a special safety on the trigger, keeping it from accidentally discharging from being jarred or brushed lightly. It take a little practice to shoot with a trigger as light as a pound and a half, and you will accidentally touch off some rounds at first, so make sure you head to the range for some serious face time with this gun before you take it into the field.
The magazines on this gun are from Accurate Mag, as is probably the bottom metal. This is one of the few OEM magazine companies making mags for bolt guns, and Savage, Remington, McMillan, and several other companies use Accurate Mag magazines for their rifles. It is always better to avoid proprietary magazine designs in tactical weapons. You will want more down the road, and in a duty situation you tend to lose them. I found the 10 round magazine for this gun at Brownells for $69.99, not cheap, but at least you can get them and as many as you need.
Our overall take on this new Savage Model 10 is that it is an extremely well thought-out and executed firearm, and that it will be difficult to beat in its class. The action is smooth and the magazine system works very well. You do have to be careful loading the magazine as it is almost really a single stack in a double stack box, most likely made that way for reliability, but it can be a little hard to load. Also, this is a “short action” .308 Winchester, but it is easy to short stroke it and not pick up a shell. Again, can’t stress this enough, take this gun to the range, practice with it, and you will be shooting it in no time like a champ. We shot several types of ammo, including some cheap berdan primed surplus .308, and not one group in dozens of magazines came out to more than an inch and a half. Even when the gun heated up in the South Florida sun she stayed on target. This Savage will serve you as well as a working sniper rifle, and it will double as a hunting or even varmint rifle. We did not find one problem issue with the gun, and though it is heavy with a full mag, scope and bipod (13 pounds), it balances nicely and sets up easily. You can almost never go wrong with a Savage, and this tricked out Model 10 FCP-SR will most likely be judged as best in class among out of the box rifles.
Will this rifle accept the AR-10 10/25 round Pmags?
Recent 1st savage purchase of the 110fcp and after zero of my swfa ss scope it punched the same hole at 100 meters using honady 150gn. I plan on heating things up to 220gn with compressed loads to check the full range of diet this rifle will consume when I junk the accucrap stock But since I have handguns that can dupicate that range to an extent I’ll push the larger loads out to 6oo+ and see exactly where it falls off. .308 is a nice versatile round that flattens hogs deer and Obama’s invading border jumpers soon to attempt southern border tunnel splunking jackwagons AKA bad guys. But that’s what 300 win and barret 416 is for. But at $699 I am very happy with the rifle. Happy safe shooting all
I understand and appreciate the review. I do not envy the author. The massive number of unknowlagable readers and respondents is saddening. No one is born knowing everything. I understand that. To pick this man’s work apart with ignorance and simple stupidity is unacceptable. Argue over nonsense and spread misinformation to everyone around for what purpose?
Yes Savage and others sell lower priced products. Yes out of the box accuracy varies from rifle to rifle, bullet to bullet, scope to scope and liar to liar. Seems that the ignorant are such great shooters that they can buy a cheap rifle and win titles at camp perry. Shoot one hole groups in any environment…..
Ignorance is bliss?
I was a bit worried when I saw the reviewer only getting 1MOA out of this rifle. I bought a 2012 Savage 10 FCP-SR safe queen in 2015. Zero rounds down the barrel…800 dollars. I lappped a set of Seekins rings to fit the slightly larger than 30mm tube Bushnell Tactical Elite 6-24×50, Triad Stock pack, Atlas Bipod. The scope cost more than the rifle. I set the trigger to its lowest point which was 2.2 lbs. I am pretty happy with that.
This was my first ever bolt gun. I shot .6MOA at a lasered (by two Nikons) 101 yards (my gun range is not correct) the first time out after a 40 round break in with PMC ammo. I used FGMM 168gr. I tried some Black Hills 168gr and it shot much hotter FPS wise, but poorly compared to the Federal. I use no muzzle device. I get no harmonic change due to the magazine and changing weight. I did find a dual to single stack polymer mag from MDT in Canada that works awesome after a bit of sanding. It is a lot more compact and lighter and also comes in FDE. I love it. VERY cheap at 40 bux! The conditions were gusting winds on the quarter at 10-15mph. I think this gun can be close to a .25MOA gun with more practice and perhaps some Hornady Ammo. I really see no need to invest in reloading to get incredible accuracy out of this gun. I DID do a super careful barrel break in, polish all the bolt and bolt internals and reset the firing pin depth to .038″ from factory .060″. I use a Holland Precision bubble level and paid attention to precise torque on everything. I think all those little details really helped since I am no expert shot. To attain a 3 round group where two of the three bullets went through the same hole is simply amazing…and quite rewarding. I had several other groups that were slightly larger but all were “clover leafed”. I love my Savage 10 FCP-SR. I think it is the best value out there. Well it was. It has been discontinued and a new lesser model has replaced it.
Don’t normally reply to gun reviews, especially old ones but thought I might have something to add to this discussion. I served in the Marines with STA, and have earned my “hogs tooth”. I have used the M40A3 through A5 versions and have a fondness for the .308 round.
That said, as a civilian shooter all of my long guns are savage model 10’s and all topped with the Vortex PST scope. I have tried other combinations, even custom made rifles, but there is something satisfying about a weapons system that you can put together “out of the box” that runs between $2000-$3000 price range depending upon options that will shoot as well or better than the $10K equivalents.
Yes skill, having knowledge of ballistics, knowing how to make accurate adjustments in dialing up dope, a good spotter and thousands of rounds do make a difference. But I can tell you emphatically that this rifle and scope combo is more than “good enough.” I would have gladly used them in combat.
For an actual out of the box, sniper rifle, I would suggest the FCP with flush fit magazine, H&S stock, and a 6×24 Vortex PST scope. I put mine together with a sturdy Harris bipod for just a shade over $2000. It shoots as good as any .308 I have fired, I love the trigger, and it does not require any custom work to do the job out to 800 meters. PERIOD.
For a lighter, compact, carry version I also like the 20″ version with a simple Hogue stock and the 4×16 PST scope. Mine is an older version with internal mag, but I have never ever had an issue with picking up the next round. Total weight is less than 8lbs. Makes for a good field rifle with dependable accuracy out to 600 yards for about $1500.
I use Federal gold medal ammo, 175grain BTHP Sierra Matchking ammunition exclusively in these weapons, at 100 meters I get sub MOA groups, all day, every day…at 200 meters (which is actually “zero” for this load) I can consistently get MOA groups.
All of my rifles and scopes are hand-painted with spray paint from rattle cans…when the camo chips or wears I just spray on another coat. Cost, less than $3 dollars, functions well and serves the purpose.
I am NOT a fan of box magazines for these weapons, anyone who carries one for any length of time will know why. I have never needed more than four rounds loaded into a mag to get the job done. In most cases I am feeding in single rounds from a shell holder on my off hand arm. or practical ranges of 300-800 yards the .308 is an excellent choice; it offers availability, function, and proven accuracy coupled with the short action it is more than good enough. The .50 BMG, .300 Winmag, and .338 Lapua are good for longer shots out past 1000 yards, but so seldom have I ever needed to engage at these ranges, and inmost cases they were not a threat to those I was covering, and the weight and lack of portability were a very big negative! As a civilian who buys my own ammo the cost is prohibitive.
I would suggest that anyone who is thinking of purchasing one of these weapons systems purchase their ammo in bulk, buy an entire lot, to obtain the most consistency…after some experimentation I chose the 175grain BTHP Federal ammo and purchased 5,000 rounds of a single lot. It costs a lot to do that, but I will be shooting that ammo for years and I have consistent performance. (Plus with the rising ammo prices I have saved a boat-load of money!)
So to anyone who is reading this article I would highly recommend the Savage, there are more expensive alternatives out there, and if pride in ownership is important then you may want one of them…but how will you feel when the guy with the “cheap” rifle out shoots you and your $10-15K marvel? At the end of the day a rifle, ammo, & optics are only a tool, can only be judged by how effective it is in performing its designed function. I don’t care if your scope was handmade by Austrian elves, your rifle cost more than your car…does it do the job? A better question is can you do the job? I have spent a lifetime using these type of weapon’s systems, it comes down to muscle memory, your data book, and learned skill.
I promise…with a few exceptions…this rifle is better than you are!
Thanks Marine for your comments! My model 10 FPS has been a safe queen for some time as I researched scopes ad naseum for it. My price point and capability/tech specs whittled the choice done to three, the Vortex was #1. Your words have clinched it.
Semiper Fi,
MSgt Tang; USMC, Retired
Very Well Written……Thank You Sir for this reply.
I learned plenty.
Haters gunna hate …
And ain’ters gonna ain’t
I bought a 10 fcp-sr and out of the box with a Nikon m308 it hits the same hole @100yds….. I used the advertised 168 bthp the from sierra and federal. ….this gun has already scored me a trophy buck last season, and I’ve put it against “custom” rifles over $5000. I’ll put a brand-new $100 bill that it’ll out shoot any Remy….. I never liked savage before until I got this rifle like I do right now. One major upgrade is the aac muzzle devices I’ve installed. ….all I can say is…..mmmm hmmm……
In the early 70’s I bought a Rem 700 and liked it so well I bought another-and another(you get the picture).So here I am 40+years later and I bought a Savage 10.Haven’t ran 75 rounds through it yet and had 4 misfires.Primers weren’t even touched.took it to a local gun smith he looked at the savage smiled and said”you’re gonna learn to hate it”! I did have a Savage in .17HMR that misfired about 30%of the time so I got rid of it.I can’t imagine a so called tactical weapon having misfires.Can you imagine a police officer on a roof takeing out a bad guy and CLICK!I think it is very accurate as well and if it misfires on coyotes I can live with that I won’t take it elk or Mule deer hunting either.Tactical no way!
this luvto pen dud is doing so hard stuff if he thinks his remingtons will outshoot a Savage riffle,,better go back to your shitty Remington bud,you obviously can\’t shoot for shit,and are just here to justify your crap Remington,
Greg your snorting to much gunpowder Savage Model 10 is one of the best rifles on the market period. Your Remington only wishes it was a Savage.
Correction : At 200 yrds the group was spread on a 2.5″ area….
You may laugh but after I shimmed the action and floated its barrel on my Mosin sniper I shot two 5 round groups at 100 yrds ; both groups were about 1,5 inch off dead center but 5 rounds vere touching each other in an one inch line. The other 5 rounds went basically thru the same spot, 1/2 inch lower than the previous group, about a quarter in size but still being able to distinguish that there were 5 bullets basically going throug the same spot… At 200 yrds I had a .5 inch group off center but in the 10 area…
I have this same exact gun equipped with a Nightforce 3.5-15 x 50 NXS scope. And yes the scope costs double what the gun does….The only thing I can say is that this is no “cherry picked” rifle by savage, but rather a dud. I can shoot around .5 moa on any given day with it from a bipod at any distance. And that is with the same hornady ammo used in this test. For heavens sake, my 12 year old son can shoot quarters with it at 100 yards. This is a terrible review, and does not do savage’s model 10 line justice.
I bought one of these rifles when they 1st hit the shelves and paid $750.00 for it @ Bud’s online. Topped with an SS 10X42 I have no problem ringing the gong @ 1k yards all day long. Just like the rest of the Savage rifles I own this one is accurate, reliable, and has never failed me. I really like the 20″ bbl as it makes for a very handy package to tote for a disabled vet such as myself. Keep up the good work Savage!
Joseph are you talking with me?
I want to buy that gun. How do i get up with you.
It is not a sniper rifle…
10fcp-SR as in Silencer Ready.
This review is a joke… $1200+ pricing? Try $900-$1,000 (ish)
Close to Remington 5R but you get a better trigger, 10 round magazine, bolt knob is better, threaded, 1 piece rail.
5R set up the same way would be $700+/- more and at that point better trigger, better DBM and with handloads the same damn accuracy. YMMV
I have this rifle, it shoots much better than 1.5″ I have had groups down to .4″ at 150 yards with hand loaded ammunition. For out of box ammunition this gun like Nosler custom competition 168gr match grade and Federeal sierra matchking 168gr. both of these loads peform great shooting .6″-.7″ at 150 yards. Previous to this rifle I owned the Remington model 700 .308 vtr tactical with a Bell and Carlson Medalist stock and 5r rifling, the remington cost twice as much and performed half as well with any ammunition I tried. I traded the Remington for this rifle and got all kinds of extra gear in addition due to the price difference.
Well, here we go with another opinion. I have had some nice shooting Savages. But to call this a sniper rifle is a stretch and leans to the side of alarming certain types if you know what I mean. Anyone with some exierience should be able to shoot 1″ groups at 300 yards with this kind of rifle. I had a Savage 112 30-06 Stainless Fluted Bull Barrel and I too was shipped the typical target with the NIB rifle. The first thing I did was checked engagement of the lugs and had the bolt lapped as they “Bit” uneven. After doing so, and with proper breaki -in and cleaning, keeping 3/8″ groups at 300 yards was common fare with my best at 1/8″ groups at 500 yards. I can only imagine the old timers reading this article and shaking their head, while the young bucks slobber and drool at all the pretty words and the loosely thrown around term in this article “Sniper Rifle” Savage, step up please.
After months of searching I was finally able to special order a 10 FCP SR from Hendershot’s in Hargerstown, MD. I haven’t fired it yet because I am still saving money for a decent scope and I had to purchase/install a Picatinny base. Mine did not have one included, but I wanted this rifle so badly, I took it home anyway. Because I haven’t shot it I won’t make like I know how good or badly it shoots …not yet, that will be another post later. I will tell you why I purchased this particular rifle:
1.) this is my first bolt action rifle. All my other guns are of the “black rifle” format
2.) Savage did their marketing homework extremely well because it is the ONLY rifle out of the box with the following features ( I challenge anyone to show me differently for less then $ 1,300)
– free-floated heavy barrel,with heat release machining
– threaded barrel end
– recessed barrel end
– box magazine (…if you are handy you can buy the parts from Savage and make it a top-loader for hunting, they are modular but Savage doesn’t advertise this)
– adjustable trigger down to 1-1/2 lb (most other Savage rifles only go to 2-1/2 lbs.)
– digital camo finish synthetic stock, can double as my first hunting rifle without other folks giving me “the look” ( I will convert to a top-loader for hunting, if I ever go hunting)
– pre-mounted 20 MOA Picatinny base (…although mine did not have one installed, apparently it should have)
– 3-position thumb safety, VERY easy to operate without losing your target acquisition
– large trigger guard for gloved operation
– 2-front sling studs for sling or bi-pod
I searched high-and-low and could not find an out-of-the-box rifle with all of the above features for the price. In fact my price, even special-order, was almost $100 less than the published MSRP.
Although I will never call this rifle my “sniper rifle” (…the ego just isn’t there) I will expect it to accurately reach out and touch things my black rifles are not capable of touching. For the money, I suspect it will serve the intended purpose …for me Savage hit a grand-slam. If availability is any measure of popularity, these rifles are more difficult to find than an Chicago Democrat at a country gun show.
And yes, Savage does make a .338 Lapua with similar features if you take the time to look. Because the 10 FCP SR is so difficult to find in my area, I almost bought one for $1,200 NIB. When I went back, it was gone…!
Save the USA, buy precious metals …gold, silver. lead and brass
Infraponderando la compañia, se trata de los retractores de memoria, tienen vida util de 30 años, salvale la vida a los que van a empezar a Morir, al General le gusta Mandar.
Not bad but certainly not as good as my Rem 700 5R.20″ tube. 5 shot string of 168 gr sierra’s at 100 yards covered with a dime.
Remington out of the box doesn’t even begin to compare with savage! people need to go beyond 100yards with their testing.
My 2 cents. SAVAGE, I want the Fluted Bull Barrel Stainless 30-06/308 Brought Back, as do many other. This thread if I’m not wrong took a few left turns but the core is still there. Assuming all of you that took a NIB Rifle, set it up, cleaned it as it was shot in the correct direction, and at least tried to do some basic windage elevation-temp-humidity-wind direction-speed analysis: I did not notice that anyone had tried to make any observations on how headspace was checked against fired brass, nor did I notice a single person checking lugs for tight and equal bite. I took many years ago a Stainless Savage, cleaning it as I shot for the first box on a non-windy day bench rested 30-06and shot 4 of 5 groups inside a quarter zeroed at 200 yds. This is where I try to get to the point. I needed to find out what could be tweaked. The results told me something that almost every gun has. Bullet whip due to the lugs not biting equally. So on to my resident gunsmith with article in hand from Guns & Ammo if memory serves me correctly. To my surprise after lapping the bolt, I did in fact tighten up my groups keeping my 4 of 5 groups inside a dime at 200 yds. Many years ago, the treasures of today were scoffed at. An entry grade rifle regardless of where it is purchased is only as good as the man and his knowledge behind it. Savage has very rarely let me down. Now,,, what to do with Rugers new 3 lug 308!!!
The magazine looks bulky like the factory mags made for the Ruger Gunsite Scout. Same company, so may be the exact same mag. Loose fitting. A better mag is made by a small company in Fullerton Ca., Alpha Industries. I purchased 4 10 rd mags that are a true double stack. The mags are half the size and fit perfect without the jiggle. So far, no hang-ups or failures associated with the mags. This Savage looks nice and I will look into it, but would go with the Alpha mags.
Well I for one am not getting excited about any “sniper rifle” out of the box or whatever, that only shoots 1.5 MOA!!!
My old hunting rifle, Browning (1963 model Safari) .300 Win Mag shoots 1/2 inch MOA all day long using my hand load 180 grn handloads. Shooing a Sierra BT bullet, in the 190 grn weight, it will shoot .380 from the bench. It will also print under 1-MOA with Factory, Federal 180 grn, Hornady 180 and Winchester Supreme 180 grain weight bullets.
My 6.5/06 model 70 Winchester will shoot .382-MOA at it’s best, however will stay between .450 & .600 all day long from the bench with my handloads and is very much under 1-MOA using A-Square factory ammo. Now a Sniper should shoot at least .500-MOA or better period.
My .475-Magnum in a model 70 Winchester will shoot 1.5 – MOA at 100 yards but this is a mighty big rifle and kicks like a Missouri Mule shooting a 550 grn bullet. Now at 50 yds, it will clover leaf the 3 shot group from a standing position.
I had this rifle and used a Leupold 8-25×50 scope on it. The gunsmith I bought it from laid down and shot a quick 10 rounds in about 15 seconds, using a bipod, and the 10 round group measured 1-5/8″ for the 10 shots, with six shots being less than an inch. Not too shabby. I traded the gun a couple weeks ago for a new Savage 10/110 FCP HS Precision in 300 Win Mag and it shoots just as good, but definitely kicks harder. For out of the box accuracy, you just can’t beat a Savage. I also have a Savage 223 Hog with a Leupold AR scope and it will shoot 1/2 minute groups all day long.
I set up a Remington SPS Varmint in .308 Win with a 26″ barrel & Sightmark 6-24X56 Triple Duty (yes, I, know, cheap) that shot it’s first eight rounds into a sub MOA group at 100 yds using the 168 gr. TAP ammo. The total cost for the entire set-up is less than $600. The action is a bit rough, but it is tight and the reproducibility can’t be questioned. It is not a sniper set-up, per jtr’s critique, but as an accurate hunting rifle the cost vs. usefulness added to the reliability of the Remington 700 action can’t be questioned. I can’t shoot the thing because the trigger is set too tight, at about 5 lb, but my son gets hole-in-hole. We’ve already taken three nice animals with it, including a Red Deer, White-tail and Blackbuck. We are working up handloads and hope to best the TAP & Fed Match rounds.
My Remington 700 Sendero II in 300 RUM topped with a Vortex 4.5-24 PST shoots sub-MOA at 100 and we’ve taken to shooting 16 oz water bottles at 615 yds with it. The trigger is set at 3 lbs. Ditto for my 1989 .270 Win Ruger M77 II with a Teludynetech Straightjacket and Sightmark Triple Duty on it. I use Shooter for a ballistics program and it is dead on… better than Xbal… and cheap.
Not a “sniper” rifle in the bunch. Not an expensive scope in the bunch. Not a top tier “sniper rifle” in the bunch. Just a bunch of meat in the freezer.
They had all the right tools (except ammo maybe) to wring out all the accuracy the rifle was capable of. There is an old saying in match shooting, you run what you brung. If that rifle won’t shoot at least 1/2″ at 100 yds with Federal GMM 168gr. then it ain’t worth what they are asking for it. I don’t like the detachable mag. That’s just marketing making it Tacticool. My Savage Axis/Edge (and I) have shot sub MOA groups and it’s a $300 rifle with a $200 scope on it. There’s lots and lots of sub MOA rifles out there now for less than $1000. It just takes the right shooter, scope, ammo, rest and day to do it. If you haven’t put a 24X or higher power scope on a gun even temporarily and shot it off a mechanical rest with match grade ammo, you don’t know how accurate that gun is.
I have had my FCP-SR for about a year now. It was a little pickey at first when finding amunition that it liked. I finally found one using a Sierra 175 smk out of a Lapua case full of 44.5 grains of Varget and a CCI BR-2 primer. Earlier this fall I competed in a long range rifle match in centrial Kansas. I produced a 100 yard 5 shot group that maisured .239 center to center and a 1000 yard 5 shot group that maisured just over 3.3 inches. This is an excelent gun for the money. It has beeten a lot of rifles that cost 4 and 5 times as much money. I love mine and have had several buddies purchase one after seeing how well mine shoots.
This was my first bolt gun. Mounted a Leatherwood 1200 scope on it and shot Federal Sierra Matchking Gold Medal Match BTHP 175 gr. Spent the day with a former Army trained sinper familiar with the scope. After a few hours, was hitting 10″ steel plates at 1000 yrds. The gun is fine.
I have a similar savage model 10fcp with heavy 20″ flutted barrel, detach mag, same accustock, accutrigger @ 1.5lb and a cheap bushnell 3×9 (Vortex viper pst FFP comming soon!) From a caldwell bipod and some sand bags, shooting Horniday 155gr hpbt steel match ammo my savage is shooting consistant 3 shot groups of 3/4″ at 100yds and 1.25″ at 200yds. Then I tried some remington core-lokt 180gr hunting rounds, well, lets just say the savage did not care for those too much, groups opened to 3.5″ at 100 and over 5″ at 200. The H155hpbt are great for varment but I still need to experiment with a few companies ammo to find a good large game hunting round this rifle likes. Seems everyone else I’ve read is having the same success with there savages so perhaps the auther just needs some different ammo to tighted those groups up.
Oh btw, my savage has the 4rnd flush mount detach mag, not the 10 rnd. I agree the 10 rnd mag is “tacti-cool” and may be needed in competition shooting but for real world use in the field the thing gets snaged on everything and is just a p.i.t.a to work around. besides, no shooter needs 10 rounds in a precision bolt action rifle, if you do, you should swap out for an AR platform.
I have a model 10 FCP, I’m a benchrest shooter, off a bipod I can put 3 rounds inside a dime at 100 yards. I do load my own ammo and it took awhile to find the right dope.
So share the wealth man!
I was planning to order Savage Model 10 FCP – SR .i came across this review post.. was great one. Cant wait to experience the features of it..
CAREFUL and protracted handloading coupled with adequate action bedding and whatever your approach is to barrel floating usually yields some outstanding groupings to 500 yards from most any current rifle manufacturer’s products. It’s 6 to 1, half dozen to the other these days.
Pardon the typos……..havent had my coffee yet
Someone needs to do a review on Hornady ammo. Due to overpenetration issues we no longer use Fed 168 match and went to Hornady TAP. I have been lucky enough to test other limited penetration ammo over the years and Hornady has proven to be the most consistant out to 600yds with our current systems.
I have and will never be a fan of adjustable triggers. If I was a target shooter,I’d have the trigger on any rifle set to a very light setting.
This rifle is Savage’s attempt to keep in the tactical market. I have taken this critiqued this rifle through another venue. If I was in the market for a true sniper rifle I’d get better “Bang” for my buck and buy a real sniper system. If I was looking for a good hunting rifle or range rifle I still wouldn’t buy a Savage becuase their are better built rifles for the value.
This rifle review should have gone away from the term “Sniper” because it never completed the review in my mind. You need to move with it, pak it, use it day and night,shoot from different positions, wear different clothing etc…..then you will see it fail and see why it isnt really a sniper rifle.
Check out Mcmillan rifles. Go check the Tactical Rifle review in G.A. even though that really wasn’t a sniper rifle review, the Tactical Rifle reviewed in that article is a true sniper rifle.
Also, I have not revealed nor am I connected with any rifle builders I just know the art and continue to be active.
Guns America was introduced to me by accident so I chose to jump into the frey.
I have to add that the post I have read throughout G.A. are from a great group of good people that love our country and will always take the fight to protect our freedoms. Guns America is A+ in my book.
I HAVE RECENTLY PURCHASED A SAVAGE 10-FCP-MCMILLAN .308 TOPPED W/4.5x14x50mm. LEUPOLD LR/T,IR,M1,TMR,CUSTOM TURRET FOR FED.168gr.MATCH BTHP.It failed to mention this is an adjustable 1.5-5LB. trigger w/3position tang mounted safety. I am a 26 yr. scout/sniper(RET.) 6 mos. I have no problem @1200 meters, (after only 10 practice rounds) making hits on target 3-5 times consistantly with this firearm set @1.5lbs.Great job SAVAGE teaming w/MCMILLAN TACTICAL. I must also add that I own Weatherby Vangaurd 2.Great hunting firearm w/sub MOA @ well over 300 yards,w/Hornady ammo.(PRACTICE,PRACTICE,PRACTICE,PRACTICE) it truly does pay off.GOD BLESS ALL AND GOD BLESS THE USA!!! Please, keep up the debate.
This was purchased as my first sniper (Quote Un-Quote) rifle. Yeah, I could have done things differently and gotten more information but I love rifles that have the heavy barrels. I’m used to shooting a Remington heavy barrel .22 rifle and I love the thing. I’m no sniper but I do Love Firearms and the Arts involved in shooting at long distances. BTW, that MRAD .338 Lapua by Barret is Un-Believeable. Anyhow, when I got this rifle it was missing the scope mount. I called Savage and they sent me one No questions asked.. They have superior customer service from my own experience. Cant wait to go shoot the rifle and learn some stuff about sniping… Peace, Love and Oreo Cookies.. Hippie with a Gun..
T
i was pretty excited about getting one of these rifles. but im not so sure now i bought a weatherby vangaurd 308 2 months ago and put a 3 group pattern at a 100 yards that was covered up by a nickel and best of all half the price. 1.5 groups is disappointing in my book definitely dont think this gun is worth 1000 bucks after reading the reviews
Savage doesn’t consider the needs of a sniper in the thinking out of this system. I don’t know who they consult but I don’t believe it was a sniper , or someone who has knowledge of the art.
To continue with my critique on this.
Anyone can make a sub-moa gun but not everyone can make a sniper rifle.
The 10 rd. box mag is nothing but problems for a sniper. Main issue here is it sticks out. This makes one more thing the snag on everything you go through to get in position. Also, it’s known that as the mag. empties it changes the over all harmonics of the gun. For you bulls-eye shooters out there. It moves balance and weight to a different point.
If you need to have 10 rds. in your sniper rifle you are either to close or using the WRONG SYSTEM. Use another platform actually built for a higher volume of accurate fire.
I get your point about people bragging and telling fish tales about the MOA accuracy. I have never been to a public range to see this but I have been sent to “shooting schools” that civilians also attended. It was very interesting seeing what people brought to those schools. It helps me see what breaks.
The are definetly a bunch of shooters that have it together in their gear and mindset.Then there are also those that buy everything they can thnk of to help them punch holes in paper. The worse are the unskilled , so called experts who are teaching others how to shoot. Drives me crazy.
You pay for what you get. I save ny money and buy something I know will work ,has good customer support and will last.
Most of the sub minute groups they brag about are just in their minds. I have shot against a lot of braggers like them on the range they have all kinds of explanations why theirs groups have opened up. Keep up the good work Savage.
The term I was looking for is “Cover Safe”
The new Hornady 165 Superperformance is NOT a sniper round and should not be used in this venue. It has proven not to be a very good performer in .308. 168 TAP or match should have been used. HORNADY IS PRODUCING EXCELLENT AMMO BUT NOT THE SUPERFORMANCE.
I am sorry but I have to critque this.
In it’s class and price you couldn’t give me this rifle to use in the field. First the trigger,Glock style. Any excessive movement imparted on a rifle by the shooter , in this review I use the word shooter lightly, will effect the point of impact. The trigger in this rifle is just waiting for inconsistancy by adding yet another hurdle to send a projectile downrange. More movement leads to more problems,especially understress which the designers of this rifle didn’t consider. To add , I guess savage never considered all the dirt and C_R-A-P that gets on your hands and into the trigger while your stalking quickly to save someones life.
1.5# trigger? really ? This isn’t a bench gun. Even so there is a safety that is not mentioned but used among snipers which negates the need for such a messed up trigger the term is ………..lol…i forgot it right now but basicly a sniper keeps the bolt handle up until he’s ready to shoot so even if movement or trigs brush , piece of clothing hits a 3# trigger it will not fire. It helps keep team members alive.
1.5# is dangerous in the field as a sniper rifle. I would not be to pleased if I was a hostage and the sniper under stress, breathing, sweating ,fighting bugs, heat ,hunger, dehydration,radio traffic and a dynamic scene has to take a well thought out precision shot quickly and had to think about a light trigger.If sniper supershooter Ben for example had to abort a shot because the hosage fell or stumbled into the projected bullet path just as he was beginning his press it would not be good.Triiger control is diffucult enough no need add another problem. Maybe if I was a former sniper ( like ole Benny) and I sat on a bench at a range then maybe just maybe a featherwieght trigger will do the trick.
Now lets talk balance. Nobody I saw in the review shot the rifle in any position but prone with a sled. How is that a review?
How bout shooting under some stress and under other than prone scenerios. Hunters don’t shoot prone bypod or sled. So why would you evaluate a rifle that way.
A wannabe Harris Bypod should have been used but was mentiioned and may have been but I didn’t see any docuementation supporting it.
Ben Becker is your ,absent test shooter, but he is not a sniper and this is not a sniper rifle in it’s current condition.
I really take acception to people throwing around the word “sniper” like they actually lived the life for more than a few years.
If your going to review a sniper grade firearm then set it up as a sniper grade firearm. That includes optics , base,trigger settings,sling,and skill to use it.
I have seen Savage rifles in the tactical world here and there but most are purchased by agencies that don’t do their homework and learn the best pun BANG FOR YOUR BUCK. Usually the purchaser isn’t a sniper at all but says I found this great deal on the rifle for you to use when you go to basic sniper school and we make you a TADA! a sniper. A few months of practice and training, make that SNIPER PRACTICE AND TRAINING, then you will be spending more than you thought on that rifle.
Remember the Tactical Rifles ,rifle review. Now That is a sniper rifle.
Selvage not Savage . I wood give the most credit for a tac driver to Weatherby Vanguards . Everyone talks Remington , Winchester as out of the box to be the most accurate , but if you have’nt owned a Vanguard VGX , Sporter , Deluxe , Classic 2 , all having wood stocks in standard hunting form , they will out shoot most Rem. 700’s and Win. m-70’s . Now they have the series 2 Synthetic / Stainless NIB for $650. and a Blued for $500 . I will be buying 1 or 2 blued ones and 3 or 4 of the stainless and the deluxe models. The Sporter I bought 3 years ago for $459 + tax , will shoot back to back to back 5/8″ groups , 3 shots @ 200 yards indoor range , using WBY. factory 115 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips ( 257 Wby. ) . My VGX from the 1990 vintage , in 270 Win. , would group best using the cheap 130 gr. in either Rem. Core-Loc or Win. Super-X , 5 shots @ 100 yards in one ragged hole . So in closing , as long as Savage keeps using that Accu-Trigger , I’ll spend my money on other brands .
I have a SS HB howa in 308 with an axiom stock and Nikon Monarch 5 x 20 that punches 1.5″ groups @ 300 yds for $1200 total. This is a great sniper rifle and has proven itself time and again.
Martin,
“Give me this in 338 and you got a deal savage!”
They already have one but it only holds 5 rounds in the box mag.
http://www.hinterlandoutfitters.com/savage-arms-rifle-18900-lapua-magnum-bolt-black-aluminum-accustock-stock-black-finish-p-28648.html
A shooter with any experience at all should never need more than 5. A sniper would mostly use a bolt action 308,a 338 Lapua,even a 50 so,all of these prissy comments are just opinions better kept to the shooter.
A scope is also personal choice and based for most “regular” shooters on performance but in the high end scopes like Nightforce you’re talking $1500.
I like the Acutrigger and I love my savage 308 and my Savage 30-win mag with 5 round box. The 308 is all bolt but “sweet” so make your case but try and hold the judgements as they are only opinions not facts!
It shoots minute of head at 100 yards, that’s what a sniper rifle is designed to do, so i don’t see a problem.
Wow, some of you ladies sure get your panties in a wad over little things. Thank you to those with respectable comments.
what the buzz about savage? my 700 remington VLS after adjusting slack, creep, pull and overtravel shot a three shot connected group (less than 1/2 moa) at 100 yds with a leatherwood 3×9 art II and remington core lokt 180 grn PSP ammo. The gun cost $600.00 in 2002.
don’t get me wrong savage is a turned out to be a nice gun for the buck after they got rid of their crunchy triggers.
As for the crunchy triggers on earlier Savage rifles, I changed out all of mine with the Rifle Basics trigger that is fully adjustable and tuned to about 1 1/2 lbs on all of my rifles. I really don’t like their Glock like design, even though I like Glocks. When I put finger pressure on it, I want it to go, without the trigger safety.
so when did Savage have “crunchy Trigers” ? my oldest Savage is a 110 in 270 win. it’s about 20 years old and the triger was never bad , when I got it (used) it was about 7 lbs. but broke clean with no creep , it’s about 3.5 lbs now with my RCBS gauge, my 111 savage in 270 win. is about 4 lbs. my 16 in 7mm/08 is at 3 lbs and a real tack driver ,that gun is a first year short action, weather warrier. with a cheep 3X9 40mm scope on it. 1/2 moa all day ! and my mod 11 in 7mm WSM is just under 3lbs , that HAD an AccuTriger , eazy fix take the triger out and leave that flipper out and Ta-da you have a real triger again ! none of my other Savage’s came with it it so it just dont feel right , I just would not go under 3lbs and make sure you used the tang safety , that what it’s there for, as for changing out the triger . why? there eazy to set and if you go to far then your safety wont work right , my first try (many moons ago) I had to take back apart , the safety got stuck at the half way point , fixed that and now some 15 years and a few buckets of brass later that 270 win mod 110 is still at 3.5 lbs . anyway I have over 40 guns and all my bolt guns are Savages for good reason , eazy to tune for that sub-MOA and if you just want to hunt, then just grab a box of ammo and go ! looks like Savage has another great gun out , just keep wishing for a dubble set triger and no AccuTriger!
I have the Rem. R-25 in 308 with a millett scope and after bore sighting and true zeroing I shot 3 shot groups of all inside a dime at 200 yds.
How long before this beauty will come out in other calibers. Don’t get me wrong I love a good 308 but I started out as a sniper in 1969 and have several. Look forward to this weapon in some different calibers from 6mm xc or the 204 up to the 338 lapua. Thanks
I don’t think you will see this in oddball calibers. Maybe we will see a long action 300wm or 338.
I have 110 SS in 7mm Mag Burris 4 x 14 x 40 with Factory Silver Tips 150’s shoots under 2” at 200 and love it I was looking at this gun today wish it had different Calibers like 223 or 204 for Predator hunting.
I own a Mod. 70 Winchester w/ the heavy barrel in 30/06 caliber. At that time approx/ 10 years ago, I was a avid reloader not to mention, so very meticulous , weighing each bullet, casing and of course the powder charge.
The rifle was a standard mod. 70 w/ a heavy barrel and wooden stock nothing more.
All I did was remove some
wood and bedded the receiver, paying particular attention to the lug.
I experimented with different primers, casings, powders and of course a whole bunch of bullets.
. As most shooters/ reloaders know each gun has a appetite for a certain combination of the components mentioned.
Well to get to the point, this very common rifle would continually shoot groups at 600 yards within a spread of not more then 2 and one half inches usually less, and the weather was for the most part calm.
My point is that any gun will shoot only as well as the ammo it is fed. This is at least 90 % true, taking in all considerations of only quality guns , reloading and the the shooter .
If you truly want a nail driver you must RELOAD and find the appetite your rifle loves the best . Believe me this is
no small undertaking , it will be a job but the pay off will be worth the time spent
My opinion of the SAVAGE ARMS COMPANY are tenuous at best .
It is my educated position between the mod. 70 win and the savage there is no contest.
Sorry gentleman, it is only my opinion but I will stick to it.
I got 9/16″ three shot group out of my RAR in .308 with Black Hills 168G BTHP, 11/16″ w/Fiocchi 168GMK on a wobbly rest with a new Redfield $200 scope (that is junk by the way). The best I could get out of my Savage Axis/Edge in .308 was 15/16″ with WW SUP 150GBT. The trigger is awful on those guns. Ruger beat them at their own game on that feature in a $300-$400 gun. Lots of F class shooters using Savage rifles. I have no doubt this gun will shoot sub MOA with match ammo at 100yds. Just for reference I got 3/4″ groups out of my Remy SPS Tac Carbine w/Fed GMM and Fed Fusion .308 ammo. You gotta buy 6-12 factory loads for any of these guns and see what works if you aren’t going to reload. I have been surprised/educated that Fed GMM does not a match rifle make.
Personally, I like the Savage rifles more than the other factory standard bolt guns made in America. However, for $1200 without a scope and getting groups of just a bit shy of an inch at 100 yds, something seems a bit wrong. Hopefully it will shoot better with reloads. I had a 10FP in 308 a few years back. The .308 had a stability problem at 100 yards and never produced a group under an inch at that range. However it regularly shot under an inch at 200 yds and was good for 3″ groups at 500. That said, I only paid about $700 for the rifle, Bauch and Lamb 6-24 scope and Harris bipod. Based upon my experience with this an other rifles, 100yds testing for a sniper rifle is a waste of time as a 2 moa gun is more than good enough at that range. The need to retest at 300 – 500 or more yards and if it does 2-3 inches at those ranges, them it can be called a sniper rifle.
Btw, I have a 10FP in 223 also with a B&L 6-24 and it regularly puts 5 shots that are 3/8-1/2″ at 100yds.
Also have a heavy fluted SS 112 300 mag that will consistently shoot 2-3″ at 500 yds. I have $950 into it including adjustable tactical stock, 20x scope and bipod. Of course in all cases, none of the accuracy of my rifles has ever been attained using any kind of factory ammo. As the article briefly stated, every rifle needs ammo tuned to it and the only way to do that is with reloads.
Hello Bob.
My savage 10 FP was shooting terrible until I changed the scope. I went from 1.5 inch groups at 100 yards down to .250 inch after I changed the scope. Not trying to insult your intelligence or your scope but when a good rifle shoots bad I would look at the scope, mounts and the loads.
Which scope? gee, thanks for the detailed info.
Yeah, i agree about the scope choice. Especially when you are just testing bullet or barrel accuracy and shooting for group size. In the ‘Match Grade’ ammo article, i noticed they were using a cheap 200 Nikon compact tac scope.
The gun barrel manufacturer boasted sub moa accuracy with ANY type of ammo! Not just match. And of course the barrel upper, for 1900. certainly better do that. But for some reason with Fiochi ammo they were getting real bad grouping?
The last time i looked through that Nikon, which is probably not a bad .223 tac scope for its purpose because it’s dotted on the crosshairs for BDC for 5.56, the mil thickness of the crosshairs might be eating too much space on the precision spot focus. Like when you use a 5 moa red dot out to 200 meters and try to do a head shot. the dot covers almost the whole torso at that range.
They should use better target scopes for accuracy and ammo testing with very fine crosshairs and good size objective.
We try to match the cost of the scope to the relative cost of the gun. You could cast a rifle into a block of concrete and get great accuracy. Ultimately the “accuracy” of the gun is how much precision you are capable of with the components you are going to use.
Scope isn’t going to affect groups one bit as long as the scope cross hairs are pointed at the same place on the target each time .It may affect where the group is on the paper but not the groups themselves. That’s all rifling, trigger, bolt and ammunition.
I have this rifle with a leupold 8-25 scope and using a bipod (not a lead sled) it can put 3 rounds of 168 grain Federal Gold Medal Match ammo into a dime size hole at 100 yards.
Just purchased a Ruger American in 308. First time at the range, straight out of the box, it shoot groups equal to or BETTER than this grouping. The final cost of the ruger was 1/3rd of this and shot much tigher groups when finally dialed in. Three shots could be covered with a quarter @ 100 yards.
Not very impessed with this gun report.
Should be able to do dime size @ 100 yards. My 700 SPS can
I think the Savage is a fine factory gun with great rep but I have a couple of old Mausers that do beter than a 1.5 at two hunderd yards, .5 is a standard for tactical rifle! Why is the industry stuck on 7.62X51 the only difference between it and the 7.62x51R is one is a 308 better case desine with no rim and the other a standerd for a 100 years the 30/30.
A real exciting would be some offers a rifle like this with 10 shot clip in a caliber capbale of long range 6.5 Creedmore, 6.5×284 or 300 win mag.
Namvet
10 shot clip? 7.62x51R??
Less Abbreviations, Funny I have done my best target work with most accurate using Hornady in the 165 grain. Anybody that knocks “Hornady” doesn’t know squat.
Hello John.
I was looking around the net and found this site concerning Savage 10xxx and ammo. I have the 10 FP 1:10 twist with a 20 inch barrel. It is my third Savage and is deadly accurate.
After trying several factory rounds I settled with, #1. Hornady Match .308 168 gr BTHP, #2. Black Hills .308 Match 168 gr BTHP, #3. Federal Premium Gold Medal Match 7.62×51, 175 SMK. #4. Hornady .308 Superformance 165 gr SST.
They were listed in order of performance with the Hornady Match at number one on the list. I had sub MOA with all of them but the Hornady gave me .250 in groups at a yards so that is the favorite of all. yes Hornady is a real factory round. When the component shortage lifts a little I’ll be hand loading and trying to emulate the Hornady round as close as I can.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say anything negative about another person’s choice in ammo but I have tried several Factory loads that did not perform out of my rifle. I think the worst ammo I tried was that CBC 7.62×51 M80 ball ammo that was military surplus and it was too hot, the groups were very bad or about 10 inches at 100 yards and it would not eject without tapping the bolt with a mallet.
In my opinion and I would tell people to try the Hornady to see how well it flies from their gun because it seems savages love it.
Take care. Dave
I guess I didn’t push the right keys. All shots were at 100 yards.
With the hard ejecting with 7.62×51 M80 Ball ammo that is the military surplus. If you take a scotch-brite pad to where the bullet and casing come together and clean of the burse from the rounds you will get better ejecting from those round. I have done it with the rounds that I have. I don’t have any problem with ejecting.
Hornady or your own reloads are the best
I’m not enthusiastic about the talent of whomever was behind the trigger and/or the ammo you used. Federal GM308M is *the* standard… and you guys did a test with this Hornady stuff? I’ve got five Savages, only because I don’t have six yet, and they all shot WAY better than this (sub-MOA, all of them) OUT OF THE BOX. They all cost less than HALF of what the MSRP is for this rifle, too. I’m sure Savage, making a rifle like this, would make one that SHOOTS. So maybe you need someone who knows how to shoot *AND* who uses a universally-accepted standard for “test” ammunition.
Quite a disappointing review. By the way, either learn how to punctuate or stop trying to write professional-level articles.
I have to agree with you. They should have waited for their in house sniper to make the shots. As far as ammo I always start with Lake City match 168gr BTHP then move on to what they used and four or five brands after that. Then I try my surplus ammo and see how it does. I have an old Burris scope I use that has target turrets and is in need of a rifle. This just might work. But I really want to spend the money I saved on a three barrel quick change system. First .308, .338 Win Mag, and finally .338 Lapua Magnum. Remington has a weapons system like that but LORDY the price!
Give me this in 338 and you got a deal savage!
I believe Savage has announced a .338 LP on there 110 action. I saw one on there sight but the stock on it looks like you would want to upgrade it to take the .338 recoil
A “sniper” rifle that produces 1.5″ groups at only 100 yards in the hands of an actual sniper? That’s mediocre at best. But in fairness, you guys should have used several types of ammo. Glad I just bought a Remington sps ltr. 3/4″ groups with ball ammo.
Had you read the article you would have realised they wrote “but we were not able to get Ben Becker our resident US Army Sniper out on this gun” That means the sniper did not fire the weapon.
Yea this review had no experimentation, and Ben didn’t shoot for us. If you read the comments several people have come up with cherry loads for this gun and arrived at 1/2MOA and under. Savage makes the most accurate factory rifles period.
Savage has been at the forefront of accuracy for the last several years, I’ve seen several of their 12’s win 600 and 1000 yard matches right out of the box.
Greg got stomped.