Left-Hand Savages or Browning BLRs?

[briannmilewis]

I have decided that 223 Rem, 7mm-08 and 358 Winchester are the three most important centerfire calibers I want in my collection to start with. This does not include a wildcat I have been working on with some other GBO members.

I have one son off to the Army in the fall and one teenager at home, they are both righties. I have a thing for Savages and accuracy, and am ultimately prepared to pay for a LH Accustock model (358 Win would be a rebarrel), being selfish, or alternatively, Browning lever-actions in the same calibers so they would be as easy for me and my boys to use. Cost is about the same.

Treat myself now with the Savages, or do the Brownings now and possibly treat myself at a later date? 

[guzzijohn]

The Savage will do all you need. I bought a .243 with the wood stock a couple years ago in left hand. Love it. I have not shot any factory loads through it but it will shoot 55gr, 70gr, and 95gr. all under an inch at a hundred. Average around 3/4.

GuzziJohn

[chutesnreloads]

I'd be suprised if the lever gun gave even near the accuracy of the Savage.You can allways shoot a righthand boltaction lefthanded too.Watch Saving Private Ryan again and notice their sniper was a lefty...he sure worked that righthand bolt fast though.Of course that goes both ways...they can shoot your lefthanded gun righthanded too.

[dstegjas]

I bought a .243 with the wood stock a couple years ago in left hand. Love it. I have not shot any factory loads through it but it will shoot 55gr, 70gr, and 95gr. all under an inch at a hundred. Average around 3/4.

I have been thinking about adding a Savage in .243 to my collection also. I am also a lefty and would like a heavy barrel on the rifle. So I will be watching this thread with some interest.

Jim

[helotaxi]

The only difference between the .358 and the 7mm-08 in the Savage is the barrel and that is something that you can change yourself with minimal tools and expense.  Get a single action in left hand and swap barrels depending on your need.

For the .223, two letters "AR."  There are lefthanded ARs out there, but they are a solution to a non-existant problem IMO.  A standard AR is perfectly lefty friendly and you can get one for a good price that will shoot circles around the BLR.

[av-doctor]

savage 243 question here. sry not trying to hijack,
 i have one of the intermediate actions LA with SA magwell bought new in 97. it has never shot anything well 4 or 5 factory loads a few different reloads 2 different scopes,trips to 3 different smiths (everything checks out) it was suggested to try lighter bullets so i went to 70gr bt w/4350 i tried the full range in my manual in 1/2gr incraments with no luck. after some research i beleive the 70 might not have enough bearing surface so i'm going to try some 90gr if they don't work it might become a 308 after all.

i'm not being picky about accuracy it won't do better than 4in at 100 with anything i've tried.

how are you getting one to shoot such a range of weights out of the same barrel? are they comparable in bearing surface,shape,etc?

this has been a long time project i just can't bring myself to sell it (first rifle i bought) any help is appreciated.

[helotaxi]

I've had a similar Savage 110 in .243 since '94 or '95 (don't remember which Christmas it was given to me).  I've had exactly the opposite experience as you.  Mine has shot everything exceptionally well from 100gn Core locts to 58gn V-Maxs.  Load development was almost splitting hairs because the worst groups were right at an inch.

I put off swapping out the barrel (it came with irons, the front sight ghosted in the scope and removing it left holes in near the muzzle) for several years simply because it shot so well but I found myself with a brand new take off .308 barrel and needed a rifle more suited to larger deer, elk and possibly oryx.  That barrel shoots great also.

It's possible that you just got a bad barrel.  They do escape from time to time.  Did any of the 'smiths borescope the barrel?  One final thing you might try as a last ditch is a fire lapping kit.  If that doesn't get it at least acceptable, Midway and Brownell's both sell kits to rebarrel a Savage that includes just about everything you need to get the job done including headspace gauges.

[av-doctor]

i was talking to chutesandreloads in pm he has one from about the same year (fall 97) same results as mine. he dida rebarrel to 7mm-08 and he says it still shoots about the same. we were wondering the chance of a bad batch being shipped.

in total i've put about 150 to 175 rnds down the tube, bore looks good,crown is good,i've used the copper out foam that shows copper as blue residue (had very little to remove)one smith looked it over but found nothing,another checked barrel to stock clearance and headspace,the other adjusted my factory trigger he also found one of my action screws was a little long (shaved about 3/4 of a thread off)

action is not bedded,trigger is a bit heavy but breaks clean with almost no travel,

like i said its been a long time project

[helotaxi]

Have you checked the length of the front scope base screws?  Many bases come with screws that are too long and bottom out on the barrel thread before the base is actually tight on the action.  A loose base will cause POI to shift with every shot and is a common culprit on Savages that won't shoot.  The fact that it won't shoot with two different barrels points to a problem with something other than the barrel/rifle itself.

[Siskiyou]

I bought a Savage 110CL about 1970 in .270 Winchester.  Years back I use to alternate between it and my Remington 760 in 270 Winchester.  I normally had two deer tags and if I went to Colorado I had a third tag.

I have always considered the Savage my Mountain Rifle because of light weight, long range accuracy and the effective 270 round.

Cannot offer an opinion of the BLR.

The Savage is slick operating, a very good three position tang safety, reliable removable magazine, and gives about 30 fps more velocity over the Chrony then my Remington 700 with the same load.

The only time my Savage changed point of impact was when I fell and dropped the rifle.  Put a dent in the scope, and sheared off the two screws holding the rear base.
 

[LHitchcox]

I sold a BLR to get a left-hand Savage in the same caliber. I did not like the weight and balance of the Browning.

[Dixie Dude]

I have a Browning BLR in .308 and love it.  It is as accurate as a bolt.  Quick and easy to lever.  Has iron sights, and can be scoped.  The .358 would be the same size receiver. 

[gordie]

i had a browning lever..358win, could not get the trigger the way i like'em.

i think savage w/ accu -trig. would be a better choice in this area.

[yukondog]

I,m a south paw also, grue up shooting a right hand sav 270 and in 1994 bought a left hand, took some getting used to but know it's one of my best rifle's