Savage 16 Lightweight Hunter

[TN Song Dog]

Anyone have experience with this model? Looks similar to weather warrior but shorter barrel and no accustock. Price is a little less, as is weight. I'm thinking one in 243 might make a nice light multipurpose rifle. Looking for feedback from actual use. Thanks

[Handsome Rob]

I don't have the 16 lwh, but I do have the 11 lwh.

Mine's in .308 & it's a great rifle, but it is really, REALLY picky on ammo. It's also not a range gun. 2 shots in rapid succession & it'll throw the 3rd out of the group, 100% of the time.  As purely a hunting rifle, it's fantastic. I bought mine specifically for hunts out west where weight saving is a huge premium. Be aware, it is VERY lightweight. Mine comes in just a hair under 6lb loaded with the scope (Vortex 2-7x35) & the recoil is commensurate. My .308 kicks like a .300 win mag. The average speed rifle weighs around 8-9lb. This feels like nothing!

I reload for it & it took a lot of work to find an accurate load. Federal Gold Medal Match was ok, but no better than 1½" at 100.

The short, ultra slender barrel is kinda 'whippy' Also, be aware that you'll lose a fair amount of velocity over published data due to the lack of length. This is a lot more significant in smaller bore loads than larger (.243 will be much more noticeable)

Honestly, unless you have a very specific need for an ultralight gun, 99% of folk would be happier/better served with a Weather Warrior. Not bashing the gun one iota, it's an awesome rifle, but I haven't touched it this deer season. I couldn't imagine elk or sheep hunting with anything else though.

[huntnkat]

Thanks for posting that Rob. Like the OP, I've been looking at these too. I have a 116 in 300 win mag but have been thinking of going to one of these in 6.5 creed as a do it all kinda hunting gun. Do you think you'd like it more in a lighter cartridge like the 243 or 6.5?

[Handsome Rob]

I think it'd definitely be more pleasant to shoot, but a lighter caliber wouldn't really overcome it's other shortfalls (loss of velocity, barrel heating quickly etc...) It also wouldn't have been suitable for my needs. As unpleasant as it'd be, if I could've bought one in .30wsm or .30saum I would have. I'm literally only using it for elk, mule deer & (fingers crossed...) sheep. I've given serious though to having it re-chambered.

Another thing I should mention, regarding all ultralight rifles really; you've really got to practice with them from field positions. Holding an 8lb rifle on target, offhand, is pretty easy. Holding a sub 6lb gun not so much. It doesn't really 'hang' on the target like a longer, heavier gun does.

 

[dcloudy777]

Lightweight rifles in cartridges like .243Win are handy and awesome.

Lightweight rifles in cartridges like .300WM and 7mmMag are handy and brutal.  Even .308 can sting a bit.  I have a light little Remington 600 in .308 that felt like a really manly gun until I put a Limbsaver on it. 

[Handsome Rob]

Oooh, I love Remmy 600s!
Any chance of a piccy or two?

Sent from a mountain somewhere, using telepathy.

[TN Song Dog]

Rob, thanks for that reply. Not that it would be a bad choice, but it sounds like I'm probably looking for a weather warrior... Just curious, is your estimated loss in velocity due to shorter barrel length only?

[Handsome Rob]

Oh absolutely. Purely the length.
Comparing the same load in a 24" barrel compared to the 20" I've noticed an average difference of 120fps, so 30fps per inch. Not an earth shattering difference in .308, but I do know that in my 20" 6.5x55 I lose nearer 50fps per inch (comparing it to my 32" target barrel)
With lower bullet weights (even though the BC is significantly better) speed will really start to drop off quickly beyond a couple of hundred yards.
I'd have to guess that a Creed would get mid-low 2600s with 140gn bullets from the LWH, at the muzzle (again, comparing it to my Swede which is a little hotter)

Sent from a mountain somewhere, using telepathy.

[Handsome Rob]

Just out of interest, if you're ever near Tullahoma, you're welcome to take mine for a test run!

[TN Song Dog]

Good deal thanks, and thank you for the kind offer. I rarely make it that direction, but I will definately shoot you a message if I do.

[dcloudy777]

On 12/28/2016 at 9:46 AM, robtattoo said:

Oooh, I love Remmy 600s!
Any chance of a piccy or two?

Sent from a mountain somewhere, using telepathy.
 

I don't think I have any pictures of it, but I can bring it by to show you sometime.  It's not as light and handy as it used to be... it wears a suppressor all of the time now.  

[Handsome Rob]

Oooh, that's not a good idea. If you put it in my hands, you'll probably have to gnaw my arm off to get it back!

Sent from a mountain somewhere, using telepathy.

[jwhjwh54]

I picked up the model 11 hunting package in 6.5 creedmoor. 

 

The rifle shoots lights out and out and I love the 6.5 on deer and hogs. Hornady 129 is great and the fusion is good too for ammo. 

Ive never had a budget scope on a rifle so for now I've got the Nikon 3-9x40 that came with it so I'm still nervous about it not keeping zero but so far it's been fine. Any reason to keep worrying that the scope won't hold zero? I usually have Zeiss, leupold, or Swarovski and those are rock solid.

Edited January 1, 2017 by jwhjwh54

[TN Song Dog]

Well, I found a 16 LWH in 6.5CM that I'll have soon. I already have another 6.5, so no new caliber. I was originally thinking about 243, but I'm excited and think it will make a good light weight hunting rifle. All my others are heavy barrel, and I always get tired of lugging around after a while. Hope to find a factory load that shoots well.

[Handsome Rob]

I know you will! 6.5mm 140gn Bergers have been very good to me for the past couple of years. 3 antelope & 8 deer so far.

If you don't already, it would behoove you to look into a simple reloading setup

Sent from a mountain somewhere, using telepathy.

[TN Song Dog]

Thanks Rob, and I DO need to look into reloading further. I was looking at some of the beginner kits, but it's quite confusing exactly what all is necessary to produce loaded ammo. I've never been around any reloading, and I know I'm over complicating a lot of it in my head... I'm not ready to take the plunge into it right now, but I will definately be seeking help when I get ready. I don't want to buy more gadgets than are necessary, but I also don't want to buy junk on the front end. My stash of brass is building, so I may start off slow with a press and set of dies to deprime and size, then look into tumblers... or maybe tumbling/cleaning comes first?? Ha!

[TN Song Dog]

Picked up my new rifle today, and it's nice... and very light. Has DNZ one peice base/rings and a basic Nikon 3x9 BDC. I may swap out the scope later, but I'm liking the weight of this thing. Looking forward to some range time to try a few different loads.

[Handsome Rob]

Cool beans brother!!
I tell you, it'll be really hard going back to a 7lb+ hunting rifle now. The weight saving bug his really hard. I'm trying to sell my .280 to sink into an ultralight .300wsm or .338wm right now!

If you're free Wednesday, I'll be at Strategic Edge, if you wanna out to come play....

Sent from a mountain somewhere, using telepathy.

[TN Song Dog]

I'm surprised your .280AI hasn't sold yet.

[Handsome Rob]

Congrats on the spawn!

Welcome to the rabbit hole of reloading....

Sent from a mountain somewhere, using telepathy.

[Dolomite_supafly]

On ‎12‎/‎31‎/‎2016 at 7:19 PM, jwhjwh54 said:

I picked up the model 11 hunting package in 6.5 creedmoor. 

 

The rifle shoots lights out and out and I love the 6.5 on deer and hogs. Hornady 129 is great and the fusion is good too for ammo. 

Ive never had a budget scope on a rifle so for now I've got the Nikon 3-9x40 that came with it so I'm still nervous about it not keeping zero but so far it's been fine. Any reason to keep worrying that the scope won't hold zero? I usually have Zeiss, leupold, or Swarovski and those are rock solid.

The Nikon should be fine. Most budget scopes will hold zero just fine so long as you do not go too cheap.

I always tell people buy if they have to buy a budget scope buy the one with the least amount of doodads and gizmos. All those doodads and gizmos cost money so if the scope has them the manufacturer has cheapened the scope somewhere else. They might use cheaper adhesives and the thing falls apart or they might use cheaper glass so the scope isn't as clear as it should be. They use cheap materials that make the scope less durable. They might be purged but they often leak down over time. There is a lot of things I have seen with cheap scopes doesn't happen to budget scopes.

So if you MUST buy a budget scope make sure it isn't a cheap scope. Anyone should be able to buy a decent budget scope for under $200 just make sure it doesn't have a lot of features.

 

[jwhjwh54]

2 hours ago, Dolomite_supafly said:

The Nikon should be fine. Most budget scopes will hold zero just fine so long as you do not go too cheap.

I always tell people buy if they have to buy a budget scope buy the one with the least amount of doodads and gizmos. All those doodads and gizmos cost money so if the scope has them the manufacturer has cheapened the scope somewhere else. They might use cheaper adhesives and the thing falls apart or they might use cheaper glass so the scope isn't as clear as it should be. They use cheap materials that make the scope less durable. They might be purged but they often leak down over time. There is a lot of things I have seen with cheap scopes doesn't happen to budget scopes.

So if you MUST buy a budget scope make sure it isn't a cheap scope. Anyone should be able to buy a decent budget scope for under $200 just make sure it doesn't have a lot of features.

 

Cool thanks for the info. This was a package deal and I lent the 6.5 to a friend who's not a shooter or hunter this weekend while we were deer hunting in AL. I sat with him and He shot a doe at 210 yards. I was convinced the scope and rifle were fine after that. He only shoots a gun maybe 4 shots a year if that. This nikon on the savage hunter package is pretty gizmo free and I'm impressed for the price. I'll upgrade it at some point but know now it's not urgent. The rings don't look that great however. 

I normally am one to not buy cheaper scopes. I've got a couple swarovski's and the benefit of great glass is important to me. I know those scopes are going to hold their zero and just check the rifles before the season and they haven't let me down yet. Plus you can see so well when the light starts to fade.

 

[TN Song Dog]

Range Report:
Picked up a 16 LWH a while back, and I just got around to shooting it today. It is consistently around 3/4 moa with hornady match 140gr ELD. Below is a sample group. After I dialed it in to zero, I had fun drilling a mini steel silouette at 300yd. Total weight of rifle and scope is 6lb 12oz. I'm overall happy with a lightweight and fairly accurate rig.



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[KahrMan]

Very nice.

[Handsome Rob]

Go lighter!

With some judicious purchasing, hacksaw & file work, sanding & lots of thought, I'm under 6lb with 4 in the mag & one in the driver's seat!