Model 110 Trail Hunter impressed Con Kapralos
Savage’s Model 110 has been a time-proven stalwart in their rifle line-up since it was introduced back in 1958. It continues to be offered in a multitude of configurations and calibres, testament to its popularity, especially in the US where it has always enjoyed healthy sales and a devoted following. Savage rifles have been available in Australia for many years and Nioa is the current importer and distributor of the marque. They offered Australian Shooter the chance to review one of the latest releases in the 110 Trail Hunter Lite.
This rifle’s a progression of the current Trail Hunter model with some refinements to reduce overall weight. The review rifle came in .223 Remington with a 20” fluted barrel and Hogue over-moulded rubber stock, has an overall length of 1025mm and weighs 3.3kg bare.
Barrelled action
This is the heart of the 110 Trail Hunter Lite and, like all Savage centrefire rifles, shares the characteristic action and bolt profile, especially the rounded-off bolt shroud. The action’s made from carbon steel with a rounded profile, drilled and tapped from the factory to accept scope-mounting systems. Savage supply this one with two-piece Weaver bases, something appreciated by all when it comes to buying a new rifle.
The action is completed in a tungsten Cerakote finish (as is the barrel), which complements the overall look of the rifle nicely, not to mention being superbly resistant to wear and anything Mother Nature can throw at it. The multi-piece bolt with floating bolt-head is finished very nicely indeed, its travel within the action being slick with lock-up from two dual-opposed lugs almost bank-vault solid.
The barrel is interesting and befits the ‘Lite’ nature of this rifle. It’s of a heavy-sporter contour, measuring 20” (508mm) with a series of 10 flutes around its circumference. These flutes, which are 250mm long, appreciably lighten the barrel and aid cooling when shots are fired in quick succession. The barrel’s finished in the same tungsten Cerakote finish as the action.
Internally the barrel is made by the button-rifling process, renowned for excellent accuracy and in the .223 Remington calibre is twisted at 1:9, fairly standard these days for that calibre. Savage use the collet/barrel locking-nut style of attaching the barrel to the action, allowing precise headspace setting as well as making replacement straightforward if ever necessary. At the muzzle end, a ½x28 thread is supplied for attachment of accessories, along with a protective thread cap.
Trigger and magazine
Savage’s Accu-trigger is well known in the gun-making world as highly reliable and easily adjustable down to 2.5lbs. The blade, which is located through the trigger shoe itself, has to be depressed fully before the trigger can be deployed and a shot fired. The trigger’s also mated to a three-position tang safety, perfect for a hunting rifle, easily reached with the thumb and moves almost silently through all positions.
The magazine is of a detachable box style, made of pressed steel with polymer base and ‘Savage’ impressed into the base itself. In .223 calibre it holds four rounds, is easy to load and feeds loaded rounds into the battery without issues or hang-ups. The magazine sits flush with the belly of the rifle and clips into place simply but securely.
Stock
The stock on the 110 Trail Hunter Lite is from Hogue, being a black over-moulded rubber unit with integral aluminium pillars, an excellent stock despite the online ‘experts’ out there rubbishing them. I’ve used these on numerous rifles during the past 20 years and have found them more than adequate and very stable in all conditions, maintaining excellent bedding of the barrelled action thanks to the pillar bedding. As a hunting stock they offer a free-floating barrel and are impervious to climatic challenges, giving excellent grip whatever the weather. The Hogue stock is furnished with a nice Sorbothane-style recoil pad and steel sling swivel studs.
At the range
The rifle came supplied with a nice Bushnell optic fitted, along with a quantity of Federal .223 Remington loads, supplemented by a handful of favourite loads used in my own .223 sporter. Projectile weight ranged from 55 up to 70 grains, which should be easily accommodated by the 1:9 twist barrel. I can happily report the rifle shot all ammunition extremely well, with five-shot groups measuring between 0.75 to 1.25MOA, with many three-shot ‘cloverleafs’ achieved during the five-shot process at 100m. Heavier projectiles in 64, 69 and 70 grains showed best accuracy and repeatability, though overall the rifle certainly wasn’t fussy and shot everything fed to it extremely well indeed.
Who’s this rifle for?
The Savage 110 Trail Hunter Lite would make an excellent rifle for the new hunter looking at a solid and dependable unit with its 20” barrel. Alternatively, it would be just the ticket for the hunter or land manager shooting from a vehicle with the aid of a rest, due to its light weight and compact nature. Accuracy was top-shelf with its button-rifled barrel and it was a pleasure to review and shoot. With a ‘street price’ around the $1200 mark at time of writing, it represents excellent value from a well-respected US manufacturer. More at www.nioa.com.au
Specifications
Savage 110 Trail Hunter Lite
Type: Bolt-action, push-feed
Calibre: .223 Remington (tested)
Barrel: 20”, 1:9 twist, fluted, threaded ⅝-24
Weight: 3.3kg
Magazine: Detachable box, four rounds
Stock: Hogue synthetic
Finish: Tungsten Cerakote
Sights: None, two-piece Weaver-style scope mounts supplied
Safety: Tang-mounted, three-position
Trigger: AccuTrigger, adjustable.
RRP: About $1200 but shop around
Distributor: Nioa