# Savage SOCOM



## Wado (May 15, 2011)

Bird started this and it's his turn now. I got my barrel Tuesday all the way from Kalispell Montana. Almost in Canada, bet it's chilly there. I already had the .243 barrel unscrewed and it took about two minutes to headspace and tighten the new one in. Weight on the barrel is 3.8 pounds and believe it or not it balances pretty good. If I had gotten the barrel done in the Savage Varmint contour it would have almost dropped right in the factory stock. This being a bull took a little work to get it in and I still need to finish free floating it. It still is a little snug not that I think it would matter but I will do it just so there are no arguments. I made a rotary barrel channel tool to speed up cutting the mushy plastic channel out. I also have a hand operated one as well. The magazine I am using is a .300 Winchester Short Mag that I bought from Cheaper Than Dirt but they ain't cheap. I made an extended one that is pictured in the other thread started by Bird that works but I wouldn't want to be in a do or die situation with it. It goofs up if you don't hold everything just right being this is a push feed action and works better if the end of the barrel is pointed down and you work the bolt with some authority. This short, fat round is bow heavy bad and needs gravity to help it chamber. I epoxied a ramp in a three rounder and I believe it will do better mainly because of the leaf spring versus the coil spring in the other mag. I have a 20 MOA rail and no optics so far and will probably not get too carried away with lots of magnification. I believe this is a short range weapon after studying the ballistics of this caliber. Back to the stock, it needs bedding and I don't know if that will stiffen it up. I hate to put any money in it then just buy a Boyd's or something so I am just going to shoot it. I might pour some resin in the cavities to see if that stiffens it up and try to get it where it contacts evenly with the action without glass. Load development is next on the list. I should have saved my money on that bolt handle too. A few pic's.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*Stock Spacer*

There is a sticker on the stock that says youth model and it is a bit short so I made a spacer to lengthen it a bit and also put some weight in the back end. The 1/2" steel spacer weighed exactly a pound and the rifle weighs about an ounce over eight pounds like it sits. It was a little front heavy before but feels good now. It wasn't too much fun making the spacer with just a band saw and a belt sander but it is what it is. Slowly but surely getting there.


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## Navi (Jun 2, 2009)

Badass!


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## coup de grace (Aug 7, 2010)

Awesome.


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

100% 2cool! I. Talked with Tromit the other day and the barrels are in stock. Will be ordering next week. Thanks for the motivation Wado


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*Barrels*

I was shocked when I got the tracking number for my delivery. I think I ordered it around the first of October and got it Tuesday. I talked to Dan at McGowen when I placed the order and he said it might be ten weeks to get a blank if they didn't have one and then get in line for the machining. I guess they had a blank so end of story. The three round magazine works flawlessly so I might get a spare since I screwed up the other one. I hope you don't have any trouble with the AR mag's. I read there is somebody making one for the SOCOM but P Mag's are supposed to work with a little modification. Now to make some rounds................Any loads someone would like to share


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## MrG (Apr 10, 2005)

My Wilson Combat likes the Hornady 325gr FTX. I started with Lil Gun but my loads worked up in February seemed a little hot in July. I found some Accurate 1680 and am much happier with the results. I don't have a chrono but the two powders seem to provide about the same performance according to teppojutsu's data. I get 1.5" 100yd groups with the 1680. 34-35 grains seems to be the sweet spot in the WC 14.5" barrel. CCI 350 primers. Disclaimer: Work this load up carefully.

A Vortex Strikefire 1-6 rides on mine and it's plenty of scope. I was able to bag my first muley a couple of weeks ago with neck shot from 125 yds. Not too big but it was the only buck we had a shot at in four days.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*MrG*

Thanks for sharing and congrat's on the muley. I have some 1680 and Lil'Gun also. I had read where the Lil'Gun was spookey when loaded around max loads so I have written it off. The trouble is the primers don't flatten until around 44,000 psi and the brass is only rated for 35,000 so if you flatten primers you are already over the safe limit. If anyone disputes this please chime in, I am all ears. I downloaded Teppo's load sheet so it's my go to and Nosler has a couple of loads as well. One of the disturbing things I read about sending these heavy pills at something is when they slow down even as little as a 25 fps deviation can cause as much as an inch and a half variation in target impact. In other words expect bad groups at extended ranges especially when the bullet goes subsonic and slower. I don't quite get this because the 45-70 has been known to shoot accurately at long ranges. I guess you can get more velocity out of the 45-70, I haven't compared the two. If I can hit a snuff can at 100 yards that will be good and a 1-6 scope is where I am heading for glass. It will probably be next year before I get to shoot but heck that's just around the corner.


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## MrG (Apr 10, 2005)

Wado said:


> Thanks for sharing and congrat's on the muley. I have some 1680 and Lil'Gun also. I had read where the Lil'Gun was spookey when loaded around max loads so I have written it off. The trouble is the primers don't flatten until around 44,000 psi and the brass is only rated for 35,000 so if you flatten primers you are already over the safe limit. If anyone disputes this please chime in, I am all ears. I downloaded Teppo's load sheet so it's my go to and Nosler has a couple of loads as well. One of the disturbing things I read about sending these heavy pills at something is when they slow down even as little as a 25 fps deviation can cause as much as an inch and a half variation in target impact. In other words expect bad groups at extended ranges especially when the bullet goes subsonic and slower. I don't quite get this because the 45-70 has been known to shoot accurately at long ranges. I guess you can get more velocity out of the 45-70, I haven't compared the two. If I can hit a snuff can at 100 yards that will be good and a 1-6 scope is where I am heading for glass. It will probably be next year before I get to shoot but heck that's just around the corner.


I have all the confidence in the world of this cartridge taking down any North American game inside of 150 yards. It's pretty much the equivalent of a late 1800's 45/70 which was effective on most game on the plains including buffalo. A hog at 25 should be toast.

I'm very curious to see the accuracy in your bolt gut. I'm very satisfied with my AR. I was confident enough with the accuracy of mine to go with the neck shot to save some meat and it delivered.


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

Wado said:


> I was shocked when I got the tracking number for my delivery. I think I ordered it around the first of October and got it Tuesday. I talked to Dan at McGowen when I placed the order and he said it might be ten weeks to get a blank if they didn't have one and then get in line for the machining. I guess they had a blank so end of story. The three round magazine works flawlessly so I might get a spare since I screwed up the other one. I hope you don't have any trouble with the AR mag's. *I read there is somebody making one for the SOCOM but P Mag's are supposed to work with a little modification. *Now to make some rounds................Any loads someone would like to share


Tromix has special followers made for the 458 socom that you can put in metal mags. I've got some 20 and 30 round metal mags for my socom and then Pmags for my 556 and 300blk.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*Scope Mounting*

I decided to go with a Vortex Strike Eagle after looking at a couple of Leupold scopes in the same magnification range and price also. To jump up to a VXR would have been too much and I didn't care for the others Leupold had. I scored a pair of six hole Weaver tactical rings locally and already had a 20 MOA Nightforce rail I got kinda cheap ( aluminum version ) and set it up this morning. I usually don't read the manuals that come with scopes but I read this one first and learned something. The bottom of the section in the center of the scope that holds the knobs is actually parallel to the reticle so to mount it squarely just put a stack of feeler gauges between it and the rail until it is snug and that levels it up. Usually I level the gun then attach a level to the barrel in case it moves and then level the scope off the top of the turret. Anyway, this is a whole lot easier and I don't know if all scopes are built like this so take it for what it's worth. The 20 moa rail causes the barrel to be visible at low power settings but goes away at around 2.5x and I could have used a zero rail most likely but we'll see.


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## MrG (Apr 10, 2005)

I said Strikefire in my post but that(Strike Eagle) is the scope on mine. Excellent optic! Plenty of magnification for SOCOM ranges.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*Range Day*

I got some rounds made last week and yesterday I couldn't stand it any longer and headed to the range before the blizzard hits. I did a ladder test with three powders and the results were as follows:
Five rounds each with I 4227 and 300 Gr. Hornady JHP # 4500 at 50 yards on bags. All loads were primed with Winchester large pistol primers, supposed to be magnum and standard.
First load at 32.5 grains was obviously low pressure and I burned these five up trying to zero the scope. 
Second at 33.0 grains felt a little wimpy but I got zeroed and cleaned the barrel. 
Next load at 33.2-.3 grains put five in about an inch and the primers had just a little bit of the shoulders flattened. Cleaned the barrel again.
Last, 33.5 grains produced an inch and a quarter group and no pressure concerns. Cleaned the barrel again, this gets old.

Next, five rounds each with H4198 and 300 Gr. Hornady JHP # 4500 at 50 yards on bags.
First load at 36.5 grains shot two and a half inches low and somewhat to the right but I had a crosswind left to right so I didn't mess with the scope. I used the hold over marks on the scope and fired the remaining four shots for a inch and three quarter group with a flyer, I over compensated for drop. 
Second load at 37.0 grains shot low as well and seemed to string vertically. No pressure signs for each load. The group was about the same. Again I cleaned the barrel after every five shots. I have read this powder doesn't do too well until it is pressured up so I don't think I will mess with it and it doesn't burn completely, it would make a mess in an AR. After one shot my barrel looked like a chimney. I'm not sure if a CCI 350 primer would stop this from happening and I read also that it caused vertical stringing in groups most likely from poor ignition or incomplete burning.

Last I loaded some rounds with Accurate 1680 and 325 grain Hornady FTX #45015 bullets. 
Starting at 32.5 grains the first shot was three and a half inches low so I held over and got a four shot group to go two inches with a terrible flyer from overcompensating. If I subtract that one I come up with a three quarter inch three shot group







.
I had two other loads so I skipped them and went to my max load of 34.5 grains. Again it shot an inch and three quarter low so I held over a tiny bit and got a four shot one inch group. I think a little tuning on this combination will get me to the same point of impact as my 300 grain load at this range, going out to 100 will change everything I am sure. Neither of these loads showed pressure and I apologize I didn't set up my chronograph, maybe next time. The 1680 burned a little cleaner but felt like it heated the barrel up a bit as well as the 4198. The 4227 hardly changed the temperature but I was cleaning the barrel a lot also.

I did my testing with a Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6 for optics and I will say it's a good piece of equipment for what it is designed to do but for target work even at fifty yards it was hard on my eyes. The longer I stared in this thing the targets distort and you have a fish eye effect and there is some parallax at fifty yards so staying centered is a must. I ended up setting the scope on 4.5 power to do the shooting, it was the clearest at that range. I might put a conventional scope on for 100 yard and further shooting if the 20 moa mount will allow it. I tried one scope in low mounts and it hit the barrel but I have a Nikon in high mounts that should work.

I left out a lot of information on these loads like overall length and case length and so on. I did crimp with a Lee Factory Crimp die but only enough to flatten the flare out and the Starline brass was straight out of the bag, never sized or trimmed and a few were snug but it's a bolt gun. If it was an AR there would have been problems.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*Targets*

My computer started goofing up so here are the targets. It makes big holes. I have to use cheap targets, I've got about a buck seventy five in each one of these loads. Next time won't be so bad.


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

Good stuff Wado! I have all the reload components except the die set. Cases, 325gr Hornady FTX's, CCI350's and a few different powders. I'm having a few issues with tight necks causing the bolt to not go into battery all the way. I was told to shoot it pretty wet while it is breaking in and that it should smooth out. After about 15 rounds, I'm already seeing an improvement with the feeding/ejecting issues.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*100 Yard Load Test*

I finally got to shoot the big bore again, this time at 100 yards. Fifty sure makes it easy but I guess you don't always get that close if it has ears and eyes. One thing for sure if you are sighted in at fifty with this thing you better hold low because I was about six inches high at 100 and wasted my first new load getting dialed in. My last round of 300 grain Ballistic Silvertips hit almost dead center of my target after adjusting the scope. I fired the rest of my other loads and never made another adjustment and none went center either. I might go back and load some more of the Silvertips and bump the charge up a hair. I stopped at 38.5 grains of A1680 on them. The other projectile I used are the Hornady 300 grain jacketed hollow points and every group is 11/2-2 inches. I'm not going to submit pictures because they are just that, boring too. Lil' Gun at 30 grains was so so and H110 at 35.0 grains about the same. The worst was A1680 at39.5 grains printing about two inches, bad. On just about all the loads adding a half grain changes impact about two inches and I was starting to get some good recoil on the heavier loads. I got my cap knocked off a couple of times. The next time I shoot I will have a Nikon Monarch sitting on top instead of the Strikeagle. I am having trouble with the reticle covering the target up, might be why I keep getting nasty fliers. Kind of like shooting with a red dot sight.


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

I know what you mean about shooting with a red dot. I'm using one on my 458 and its at 2" gun at 50. I know it will shoot better but so far its doing the job. I'd like to try a proper scope but just haven't gotten around to actually buying one.


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## MrG (Apr 10, 2005)

Mine hasn't been to the range in awhile but I was getting sub 2" groups with the 325 ftx's. I need to go back to the range soon.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*100 Yard Load Test*

I loaded up some more 300 grain hollow points and 325 grain FTX loads for the SOCOM last week. My last attempt at 100 wasn't all that great and blamed the poor groups on my optics. I replaced the Strike Eagle with a Vortex Viper and gave it a whirl. The 300 grain HP's for some reason want to shoot high if you don't anchor the rifle solidly, and I mean where it can't jump at all. Maybe it's the 4227 powder but the 325's with 1680 just shoot milder and are easier to shoot good groups. I bought three boxes of fifty of the hp's so now it's back to the drawing board on them. I'm going to try some different powder I guess, I have tried a bunch of charge weights and thought I had it at 33.3 grains of 4227 but I keep getting these wild fliers and I'm pretty sure it's the way I am holding the rifle. I only had five of the 325's the other day or I would have shot a back up group to be sure. I got my 243 going on too. I hope that wasn't dumb luck.


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

Thanks for the update. I need to revisit A1680 in my 458. Iâ€™m still shooting Lil Gun and the loads that shoot the best are showing noticeable signs of over pressure.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

Bird said:


> Thanks for the update. I need to revisit A1680 in my 458. Iâ€™m still shooting Lil Gun and the loads that shoot the best are showing noticeable signs of over pressure.


My 300 grain loads with 33.3 grains of 4227 were kicking the snot out of me. The primers are getting flat but still have a little radius and no rings around the firing pin dent yet. I am convinced the fliers come from bad posture and hold on the rifle. The turbo brake directs the rifle straight back, it doesn't do much for recoil. Maybe I'm flinching, who knows. I have a lot better choices of rifles to shoot targets with. This thing has one purpose and it ain't target shooting.


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## Wado (May 15, 2011)

*Update*

Well, guess I will start back over and re shoot the 300 grain loads. I pulled my rifle out the other day to clean it and found the front action screw was backed out and the back one was barely snug. I guess this rubbery stock just won't take a pounding and I was shoving the heck out of the bipod to try and keep a tight grip. If this was the problem I bet the 325 grain FTX group was a fluke. Shooting off of bags from now on too.


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