Ok I'm a wimp. Started off with this thing shooting with group size ok to good a week ago, but it wanted to jump out of my hands every time I pulled the trigger. So I went home put a bunch of 2 part epoxy with 10 or 12 50 cal round balls in the butt stock, helped a bunch, groups seemed to open a bit, could of been me. Came home roughed in the open areas in the forstock (to mech bond the epoxy) added 9 balls and 2 175 7mm bullets and filled it with acru glass. It didn't shoot worth a hoot yesterday but recoil was really decent. Came home free floated the barrel (there was a center barrel support in the stock and the chamber area was binding). OH WOW what a difference. last shots today @ 100 were 2 shots .33" apart 2.5" right, 6 clicks left last 2 shots .25 1/2 right. Most my shooting is @ 50 and these where touching except when I messed up. Oh for the record the gun isn't any heavier than my savage 110 that is in the same caliber. Now all I have to figure out is a good way to get the stock to where it isn't slick and I'll be all happy

Buying a proper weight rifle for the intended cartridge is always the first step of many in recoil management.....

but....a 338 Federal?

Good thing it wasn'tone of the more robust338's....

So what cartridge is the Savage chambered in and what does it weigh (real weight, i.e. scope, rings, sling, and full magazine)?

What does your newly modified Tikka weigh?

Why would you buy a Tikka Lite and then add weight to make it heavier?? Did you get a good dealon it or something? You could have saved a lot of work and just bought a regular Tikka or a 700 or something...

jeepkid, well seeing that only sako/tikka and kimber chamber for the 338 fed that's a start. Tikka hunter is a hardwood stock, I'm properly brain washed that wood stocks tend to wander a bit. They also offer a stainless in a laminate that stock would be fine but I really don't want a stainless at this point and time. I did go to the range with the rifle in the original config, way to much barrel jump for my taste, this way I got to fix it.
EKM I don't dissagree with you and as far as the more robust 338s I wouldn't own one, those things are for people who are into pain. I can handle a 06 pushing 180's all day long, don't care for any more. The savage is a 338 fed, it's a 110 that started off life as a 30 06 and was rebarreled with a adams bennet barrel in "mag" contour I also did away with the tupperware stock and it's in wood, but because of that it will never be a primary hunting rifle. I played with it to decide if I wanted to lay out the money for a rifle in 338 fed, it's recoil is around the same area as a 06. But I have no way to weight it.

I know Remington doesn't, but I know that Ruger does. Better then adding a bunch oflead ballsto a brand new rifle. imo

Didn't know that ruger did, my 1st reaction was "HAVE YOU EVER SHOT A RUGER TRIGGER THEY BITE" but then they say that they have a new better trigger, so that argument went away, however I'm not looking for a stainless rifle at this time, and from what I see on their web site that's all they have, but thanks for the information I learned something today