CBM when you said you couldn't get a paper down more than part way of the barrel a light bulb went off in my head.
I bought a 25/06 tika t-3 and couldn't get it to shoot very good sometimes it would shoot fair and sometimes it would shoot not at all even at 100 yds.I thought that something was wrong with the crown the way it was acting with different gr bullets.
I sent it back they didn't say what was wrong with it and I couldn't tell they had done anything to it but now it really shoots.
reading your post I remembered that I had tried to get a dollar bill down barrel to check the floating and it wouldn't go but a little more than half way.I just went and checked mine again and now I can slide a dollar bill all the way down.So now I am thinking that was the problem instead of the crown????
All I know is that it has shot a lot of one hole groups since I got it back.
I got a 308 in the t-3 varmit and it was shooting some one hole groups soon as I got the scope set.
Also I have a 270 wsm in browning stalker and after 2 shots it is too hot to shoot untill it cools a few minutes.
I shoot at a range one to three times a week and 300 yds is a long way,it takes practice some days I shoot some very tiny groups and some days I am all over the paper.
tater19,I would try another brand and bullet in your savage,some guns just don't like certain bullets or loads.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/owensby/tikkaaccbond222333.jpg?t=1169953281