mdt Archives

Preface

Precision rimfire rifles are possibly the most fun you can have outside the house, and they are getting better. I kinda skipped the rimfire rifles in my younger years when most people get good with them. Circling back to rimfire as an adult when you have adult money is more fun anyways. Today I am doing exactly that, and I look forward to sharing the experience with you. Today’s subject is the Savage B17 Precision rifle, a bolt-action .17 HMR in an MDT chassis from the factory.

I’ve played with these Savage rimfire rifles before, and when coupled with a good chassis and scope I was excited for some great results. I was expecting a squirrel-sniper, the next few days would show if I’d garner my quarry for stew.

The Savage B17 Precision

The B Series Precision rifles uses Savage’s unique rimfire action, unique in that the cocking piece rides in the bold-handle raceway. This results in a slightly longer action than some other models. I’ve always preferred the cleaner design that mimics centerfire actions, but this little Savage might change my mind.

The B series uses the very popular Accutrigger from Savage, something I again never cared for aesthetically but have no real problem with. On top of the action, you’ll find an included picatinny scope rail for easy mounting.

The rifle feeds from a curious polymer 10-round rotary magazine. The curious design uses a spring-tensioned rotor with cutouts for each round. The magazine has a spring loaded retention-clip at one end and is canted into the chassis to seat the mag. It is an interesting design, and I looked forward to putting it into action.

The MDT chassis definitely sets this rifle apart from its competition, MDT is one of the biggest names in chassis-guns and competition rifles. Bringing their engineering expertise to this little rimfire rifle could be a match made in heaven. With an adjustable buttstock and cheek-rest, you can make this rifle fit most shooters. The rigid chassis also has M-Lok slots up front for adding any of your favorite accessories.

Specifications

Savage B17 Precision
Caliber	17 HMR
Length	36.6 Inches
Weight	7.3 Pounds
Trigger	1.5-4 Pound Adjustable Accutrigger
Chassis	One-Piece Aluminum MDT
Length of Pull	12.75-13.75 Inches
Magazine	Detachable Rotary 10-round Polymer
Barrel Length	18-Inches
Barrel Twist Rate	1:9 Inches
Muzzle Threads	½-28 with thread protector
Finish	Black Matte
MSRP	$679

Range Ready

Prior to shooting, this little rifle would need a good scope. I happened to have a brand new Bushnell R5 6-18 x 50 which would make a great choice for the little rifle. The illuminated DOA-LRH800 reticle would allow a great many holdover points for the little .17 HMR cartridge. I mounted the scope using a one-inch scope mount, which might have been a touch high. But the adjustable comb of the rifle made short work of that issue.

I’d also add a couple other accessories, first would be a Harris bipod. I would be doing a lot of supported shooting, and its hard to beat a bipod for for that purpose. The last thing would be a suppressor, and for that I chose the SilencerCo Spectre II. It would take the M out of the HMR and make it a little more pleasant to shoot.

On the Range with the Savage B17

My initial trip with the Savage B17 would be to my local range. I’d brought along everything to get the rifle zeroed and tested, what I needed more of was self control due to range squirrels.

I’d brought three types of ammunition to shoot in the rifle, some OG Hornady 17 grain ammo, some CCI TNT 17 grain hollow points, and some Federal V-shock 17 grain. I figured one of those would shoot well enough to match my purposes.

Savage B17, bushnell r5, 6-18, silencerco Spectre II, 17hmr, rimfire, MDT chassis, prairie dog, — we also used the B17 for a prairie dog shoot, it was very effective

I sat down on the bench and started loading the curious magazines. Ten-rounds at a time would be fine for the kind of shooting I do. I boresighted the rifle to get it as close as possible to zero before shooting a shot. After making a correction or two, the rifle was shooting right where I aimed. I tested all three ammunition types, and it seemed the one that shot the best was the original Hornady 17 grain V-max.

Into the Rockies

After getting very comfortable with the B17, it was time to take it into my Rocky Mountain haunt to do some field shooting. And with any luck, get those squirrels that the .17 is just perfect for. Armed to the teeth and with my squirrel hound at my heels, we pursued the distant chirps of our prey.

I laid behind the rifle, the sharp sticks and grass of the parched summer ground dug into my skin. But that’s just part of the game, I watched through the bright Bushnell scope as an adult grey squirrel popped her head above the edge of a rock. The 103 yard distance and some switchy winds might make for a little challenge, but I was ready for it.

I’d zeroed the rifle at one-hundred yards, so I simply held a little bit into the wind coming up the canyon. With the reticle dot level with my target’s nose, I began pressing the trigger. The shot broke just like hundreds before it, perfectly clean release and the rifle barely moved as I focused through the scope. I watched as the bullet impacted the squirrel right through the nut processor and some hair and other material scattered in the breeze. It was simply too much fun not to repeat the process over and over.

The balance and feel of this rifle was fantastic in field shooting. I am used to heavier guns so the seven plus pounds felt light to me. Watching impacts through the scope as this rifle churned through ammo was as close to childhood bliss as I can imagine.

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A typical 5-shot group from the Savage B17

the **Bushnell R5 6-18 scope** was a perfect match

Savage B17, bushnell r5, 6-18, silencerco Spectre II, 17hmr, rimfire, MDT chassis,

Introduction

One of the fastest growing sectors in the sport of shooting is that of precision rifle, organizations like the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) and the National Rifle League (NRL) has rapidly grown the sport worldwide. Today I present to you one example of the rifles that are driving this craze; the rifle is a Savage Elite Precision 110 chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, married to a Modular Driven Technologies ACC chassis.

I say one example because there are so many great examples it would be daunting to list them all. Today’s subject is a great example to start with, precision shooting and long-range were once a rich man’s game using only custom built rifles. This rifle however is every bit as competitive, and is much easier to obtain for mainstream shooters looking for entry to the precision shooting circuit.

The Savage Model 110

Savage has been in the bolt-action rifle business for a long time, and in my opinion they have done a pretty good job of offering an affordable rifle that punches above its weight. Back when it was all custom rifles, Savage model 10’s and 110’s were often the choice for an effective donor action that wouldn’t break the bank.

The model we’re testing today utilizes Savages popular Accu-trigger, floating bolt-head, and tang-mounted safety. These are common and popular features for the Savage, and well tested over the past decade. On top of the tubular action is a 20 MOA scope mounting rail, also very common on long-range rifles. The base gives a canted starting point for your scope, which allows the internal movement of your reticle a wider range of travel, and helps keep it further from the extreme ends of its travel.

A twenty-six inch stainless barrel is mounted in the action, and it features a heavy profile and a one-in-eight-twist. The threaded muzzle carries a dual ported muzzle brake to help reduce recoil. Before the Fudd’s chime in about 6.5 Creedmoor’s being weak and not in need of recoil reduction, let’s make it clear: Recoil reduction in competitive shooting isn’t about weakness, it’s about spotting your own hits and misses. Muzzle brakes keep you on target so you can hopefully see your impact.

The MDT ACC Chassis

MDT has been building precision rifle chassis for quite some time, and their ACC rifle chassis is one of their more popular competition models. The chassis is compatible with many of the more popular rifle actions, allowing users an upgrade.

The chassis is built from aluminum, and features a skelotonized buttstock with completely adjustable positions. An adjustable pistol grip also allows customization for the user, making the rifle as comfortable as possible. MDT’s chassis is also compatible with the standard Accuracy International pattern magazines, which is a must have nowadays. The foregrip of the rifle is M-Lok compatible to allow adding accessories like weights and barricade stops. Or any other ad-on that PRS type shooting utilizes. There is also a built in ARCA rail on the bottom of the foregrip, this allows the rapid attachment of other support accessories and mounting the rifle atop a tripod.

But how comfortable is it?

I wasted no time prepping the rifle to be range-ready, I added a Harris bipod mounted to an ARCA clamp for easy adjustment on the ACC ARCA rail. And for a scope, I wanted something that would match the rifle’s needs, so I mounted my Kahles 318i in a set of Vortex rings. Once everything was together, I laid behind the rifle to adjust everything to my taste and prepared for the range.

Ready for the range with **Hornady Match ammunition**

In the field

As I lay on the firing line, looking through my little Kahles. I couldn’t help but think; this rifle is quite comfortable. And in no time I would produce some great results because of it.

I loaded a magazine with my Hornady Match ammo, closed the bolt and focused on the target. Tightening up my grip against the trigger, I pressed till it broke. It felt great, the recoil was linear and even, I ran the bolt fast and fired another. And continued till the mag went empty.

The TiN coated bolt of the Savage 110 action was smooth as could be. But I did notice there was a slight hitch in the feed as the cartridges went forward. Every so often I would have to pause my push of the bolt and start again to get it to feed right. I think perhap it didn’t like that particular magazine. Because it seemed to go away when I tried it with a polymer magazine from Magpul.

The rifle shot great besides that. It was easy to keep shots on target though the best I could get the rifle to group was around 1/2 MOA but average was more like .75 MOA. Not bad but also not what competitors would look for. Competition rifles often shoot sub .5 MOA and even as small as .4 or .3 MOA.

I ran the rifle through an afternoon of shooting, burning up my ammunition. It was very enjoyable and ended up teaching me a few things. I also added a Accuracy Solutions B ipod extender to see how it affected the rifle and its shooting, the results were steadier.

The MDT chassis played a big part in the comfort and ability to shoot the rifle well. I was quite pleased with how it felt in my shoulder, and adjusted properly it was a perfect fit for me.

Pros & Cons

I guess there are few things I wish were better, first and foremost would be accuracy. The rifle is apparently not new so I have no idea how many rounds it has downrange. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was excessive.

The magazine hiccup was also a little disheartening. Though I don’t think it’d be hard to correct with a little lip adjustment. But other than that I think the rifle is an outstanding piece of work, chassis and rifle both fit very well together.

The chassis is easily and quickly adjusted to fit any shooter. Its forend is easily adapted to accept accessories with its M-Lok slots and ARCA rail at the bottom. The feel of the chassis was excellent with a naturally occuring “gas-pedal” for the thumb (if you don’t know you gotta look that one up).

The Savage action is like every other savage action I’ve ever shot, not exactly tight but still runs like a sewing machine. All these years later I still don’t particularly care for the Accu-trigger. I usually take them off on personal rifles, but I must admit it is not bad. The muzzle brake was very effective at reducing recoil, and keeping the rifle on target.

In Closure

Despite being a little bit let down by this particular rifle’s accuracy, I still overall liked this setup. With a drop in barrel replacement it could be back in sub-half MOA accuracy if needed. Making everything about it helpful to any shooter in a competitive shooting scenario.