edelsite

Gunbroker has several sellers auctioning them for around $500. Anyone out there that know where they're cheaper or used? Just thought I'd ask before I make the jump on GB.

rdpettit

Natchez had them but they had a sale and are all sold out currently.

gleason.chapman

I have a Savage, a Christmas gift from last year, via gift certificates from iDcks. I special ordered it and it took until May to get it in. I would not recommend you buy it from D-i-c-ks, they took forever. Natchez is where most folks over on Doug's Savage forum buy from. I paid $550 total for a Savage with a stainless barrel and tupperware stock. I only shoot the Savage now for both CF and MLing. They are truly very accurate great guns and a lot of fun to shoot and get shooting accurately.
Chap Gleason

PS. Best source of info on the Savage is "Doug's Savage Board" here:

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GZAZ_enUS226US226&q=doug%27s+sava ge+board


Especially their "Tips and Hints" first link: http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.cgi?board=Savage&action=display&thre ad=1095595863

Randy Wakeman also has a lot of great info on the Savage, http://www.randywakeman.com/savage3.htm

Best Wishes for getting your Savage. Chap Gleason

rdpettit

Chap,

what powder you using?

Was at the range Sat. with a buddy and two members were there with Savages. One with a ML-I and the other with a ML-II.

Good solid guns. They have my interest!

rem 700

Check midsouth shooter's supply.

driftrider

I've found that the best powder overall for my 10ML-II has been AA 5744. I've used VV N110 and Hodgdon H110 (but not much H110) with mixed results. The N110 was good for velocity, but was really touchy about accuracy especially when the weather (temp) changed a lot. For instance, I could get a 250gr SST to group inside 1.5" with N110 at 2300fps on a 70deg fall day, but by late fall/winter when the deer season would roll around and it got cold, the N110 groups would open up and velocity would drop off and become a little erratic because N110 is kindof hard to light off in cold weather with the fairly low backpressure of a plastic saboted bullet. AA 5744, on the other hand, being a double-base powder with a high 20% nitroglycerine content, is easy to light off in all weather, produces excellent accuracy with just about any bullet I've tried, and is very consistant. It doesn't produce the velocity that the N110 will (about 2000fps with 45gr), but I prefer accuracy and consistancy over raw firepower anyday. You can't miss 'em fast enough to kill them. I've had no problems keeping groups under 1.5" @ 100yards with AA 5744. My current load is a 250gr XTP, MMP black sabot, with 41gr 5744. It's not full tilt, but the recoil is very mild (about like a .25-06) and the accuracy is outstanding (about 1.25" average at 100). My chronograph is busted (put a sabot through the LCD last spring), but I'd estimate the MV at about 1700-1800 range. I worked the load up for my wife to try and found I liked it myself. I'd like to go back to Barnes Spitfire MZ's but they shoot to a different POI and I don't want to fuss with trying to get the POS Burris scope I have on it now re-zeroed. Someday I will get around to putting a nice Nikon Monarch on it that will actually take turret adjustments right away rather than needing 2 shots to get the turrets to settle after making a change. I guess you get what you pay for, right! OUTSTANDING rifle, CRAPPY scope!

I ordered my Savage from Natchez Shooters Supply. Mine is the 10ML-II BSS stainless/laminate with Accu-trigger (I highly recommend splurging for the SS/Laminate version...the Savage plastic stocks are pretty crude even by synthetic stock standards, but they do work). I believe I paid between $525-550 for mine, plus shipping to my door (no FFL required). I've been through a lot of muzzleloaders, and a lot of guns in general, and I'm the type that rarely seems to find what I consider a "keeper", but my 10ML-II is one for sure. Someday I'll hand this rifle down to my son (or, God willing, grandson), but he'll have to wait until I'm dead first before I'll hand it over!

Get the Savage, you'll love it! And after you shoot smokeless powder, you'll wonder why you waited so long to switch.

Good luck,

Mike

edelsite

What Burris scope did you put on you gun? I was thinking about ordering a Fullfield ll for my new ML. It's funny you mention that problem with a burris because I have a Monarch 3-9x40 on my 300 SAUM and I sometimes have the same problem with that scope. Obviously, it's not that big of a deal with a center fire gun, but I could see how that would be frustrating when trying to sight in a ML.

driftrider

Did I say Burris?! I'm loosing my mind...[:@]

I have the Burris Fullfield II on my 30-06, and it is a fine scope. Works perfectly. I have a Bushnell on my 10ML, and it doesn't track adjustments well. I've found that if I smack the recoil pad a couple times as hard as I can (to simulate recoil), it'll settle faster, but it can be frustrating as h*ll. The Bushnell is one of the Wal-Mart special scopes that was packaged in a blister pack. I paid less than $100 for it and it's been on three different ML's. I need to replace it with good glass, but I never seem to get around to it. Sorry for the misleading information above. Don't be worried about getting a Burris, they are a good scope. So are the high-end Bushnells for that matter. My brother has an Elite 3200 on his Remington 750 Woodsmaster that is a fine scope for the money. I like Nikon scopes.

Mike

gleason.chapman

I am using 44g of AA 5744, I have tried some 4198, but had misfires at the range. The bullets I tried are here, all at 44g of AA:

http://www.the-gleasons.com/this_is_my_savage_10_ml_page.htm

I settled on a Parker Ballistic Extreme 275g for this year, but am switching to a Barnes after this season. Chap Gleason