The 6.5mm Creedmoor cartridge was developed
several years ago for the purpose of punching holes in paper at
long range. In that role, it has succeeded greatly. Those
beautiful, long 264 caliber bullets have a very high ballistic
coefficient, allowing the bullets to fly along with very little
wind resistance, and to hold their velocity out to extended
ranges. For many years, long range competition has been
dominated by 30 caliber rifles, chambered for the 308 Winchester
and 300 Magnum class of cartridges. For target shooting, the 30
calibers are hard to beat, but the 264 is better. Much better,
and the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge case is a very efficient means
of launching those slick little bullets.
For example, in the Creedmoor, the
beautifully streamlined Hornady 140 grain A-Max bullet can be
pushed to over 2700 feet-per-second (fps). It takes a lot of
powder to push a 30 caliber bullet of matching ballistic
coefficient to those same speeds. The 140 A-Max has a ballistic
coefficient of .585. A 140 grain 30 caliber bullet is closer to
.277 BC. Even the long 190 grain A-Max cannot match the BC of
the 140 grain 264 caliber, coming in at .485. It takes a 300
Magnum class cartridge to push that 190 grain bullet as fast as
the Creedmoor pushes the 140, burning twice as much powder and
producing a lot more muzzle blast and recoil. Even the 129 grain
264 caliber bullet shoots flatter than the 190 grain 30 caliber,
and the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge is a very efficient means of
launching that bullet. The ballistic coefficient of the Hornady
123 grain 264 bullet matches the flight path of the 190 grain 30
caliber when pushed to the same speeds, and the 6.5 Creedmoor
pushes that bullet to that speed with less recoil, blast, and
powder.
As a hunting cartridge, the 6.5mm Creedmoor
is pretty much a ballistic twin to the 260 Remington. The
Creedmoor has a slightly shorter case body, but works better in
a short action rifle when those long bullets are used, as
seating the 140 grain class bullets into the 260 case encroaches
upon the powder capacity, when seating to fit a short-action
magazine. Still, there really isn’t much difference between
the two cartridges, and any animal hit with either could not
tell the difference. With the ballistics of the 6.5 Creedmoor
being solidly established, that brings us to the topic of this
piece, the Savage Model 11 Lightweight Hunter bolt-action rifle.
Savage has a well-earned reputation for
accuracy, and the 6.5 Creedmoor has a stellar reputation for
accuracy and high velocity out to extended ranges. However, I
was curious as to the wisdom of marrying a long range target
cartridge to such a light, handy hunting rifle. My first
question to answer for myself was just how much velocity would
be lost by firing the cartridge from a twenty inch barrel, as
opposed to the twenty-six and twenty-eight inch barrels used on
most dedicated 6.5 Creedmoor target bolt guns. My thinking was
that if the short barrel did not sacrifice too much velocity,
and accuracy was as good as I expected, that this combination
would indeed make for a dandy hunting rifle for medium-sized
game, in the whitetail deer and pronghorn antelope class. Before
getting into the chronograph and accuracy results, a closer look
at the rifle is in order.
The Savage Model 11 Lightweight Hunter is
built upon the short-action version of Savage’s time-tested
110/10 series. Depending upon the trim and length, these rifles
are titled Models 10, 11, 12, 14 or 16 for the short action, and
110, 111, 112, 114, and 116 for the long action. Savage catalogs
almost 70 different versions of this bolt action, plus their
economical Axis line, which uses the same basic action, all
chambered for a wide array of cartridges. In addition, some of
their more popular models are sold packaged with a scope,
mounted and bore-sighted at the factory. Savage also offers more
variations and chamberings for left-handed shooters than does
any other bolt action rifle maker. Some of the Savage bolt guns
are built for hunting, some as dedicated target rifles, and
others for law enforcement and other social work.
The Savage bolt action is a ninety-degree
turn bolt with two forward locking lugs. The barrel is threaded
into the receiver, and is locked into place with a collar nut.
The latest versions of the Savage action, including this Model
11, have a smooth locking collar nut that is more aesthetically
pleasing than the original grooved collar nut. Savage
free-floats their barrels for consistent accuracy, and the
receivers are pillar-bedded into the stocks with two threaded
bolts. Most of the bolt guns in the savage line, including this
Model 11, have the excellent Savage
AccuTrigger that was introduced several years ago. Prior to
the AccuTrigger, most rifle makers in the US shipped their
rifles with trigger pulls that were much too heavy for good
practical accuracy. Since the introduction of the AccuTrigger,
every other rifle maker in the US has greatly improved the
triggers on their rifles as well. The AccuTrigger is
user-adjustable from a low of around two and one-half pounds up
to around six pounds. I adjusted the trigger on this Model 11
down to two pounds, fourteen ounces, which is about right for a
hunting rifle. The Model 11 Lightweight Hunter has a detachable
box magazine, which I prefer for hunting. It has a capacity of
four cartridges, giving a total loaded capacity of five. The
safety on the Savage is one of my favorites. It is a
three-position safety, placed in the center of the tang, where
God intended it to be. In its rearmost position, the safety
locks the bolt handle and blocks the trigger. In its mid
position, the safety allows the bolt to be cycled, but still
blocks the trigger. Fully forward allows the trigger to be
pressed to fire the weapon.
The Model 11 Lightweight Hunter has been
pared down where possible, resulting in a light, handy, and
accurate little rifle. Savage lists the weight as five and
one-half pounds, but that weight will vary, depending upon the
caliber and the variations in wood density. The rifle shown here
weighed in three ounces heavier, at five pounds, eleven ounces
empty, but with the magazine in place. Savage shaved an ounce
here and an ounce there by relieving the sides of the action and
by fluting the bolt in a spiral pattern. Even if it had not
reduced weight, I really like the spiral-fluted bolt. It just
look cool. The Model 11 is drilled for scope bases, and it has
sling studs in the stock, as should any hunting rifle. It wears
no barrel sights or other mechanical sights. The walnut stock
has cut checkering where needed for a secure grip, and the
bottom of the forend has relief cuts to reduce weight. The
barrel is slender, tapering from 1.03 inches at the locking
collar to just .559 inch at the muzzle. The lightweight barrel
heats quickly, but also cools quickly, aided by the free-float
design and the vents in the bottom of the forend. The trigger
guard and magazine well are formed in a one-piece design, and
are made of reinforced polymer to further reduce weight. The
magazine box is blued steel, and the magazine floorplate is
polymer. The exposed steel and polymer parts all wear a matte
black finish, and they match very well. The buttstock is of
thick, soft synthetic rubber, and the length of pull measures
thirteen and one-half inches. The pistol grip wears a handsome
grip cap with the Savage Indian Chief logo. The overall length
measures just forty inches from butt to muzzle.
Choosing a scope for the Model 11 Lightweight
Hunter, I had to make a choice. Keeping with the lightweight
theme, I would have normally chosen a trim little 2 to 7 power
with a 28 or 32mm objective lens. However, being as this rifle
is chambered for such a fine long range cartridge, I wanted more
power, without adding too much weight or bulk. The Leupold
3.5 to 10 power VXL is just what I needed. I mounted it atop
the Savage using Leupold Rifleman lightweight vertically-split
rings. This VXL scope has a 50mm objective which gathers a lot
of light for hunting at dusk and dawn, but with its notched
objective bell design, it still sits low atop the rifle,
allowing the shooter to keep his cheek firmly pressed onto the
comb of the stock, where it belongs. The Leupold VXL has
high-tech multiple lens coatings for excellent light
transmission, tracks smoothly and precisely, and is fogproof and
waterproof. The matte black finish matches the rifle well, and
it only adds about one pound to the overall weight of the
package. Like all Leupold Golden Ring scopes, it is backed by
Leupold’s forever warranty, and is made is the USA.
Back to shooting, I set up my chronograph at
twelve feet from the muzzle, and proceeded to clock the speed,
using the same lots of Hornady factory ammunition that I used a
couple of years ago when testing a Ruger
6.5 Creedmoor with a twenty-eight inch barrel. I was using
the excellent Hornady Match ammunition that is loaded with the
120 grain and 140 grain A-Max bullets. These are beautiful
bullets, very streamlined with high ballistic coefficients, and
have always proven to be very accurate in my experience.
Comparing the velocities of the twenty-eight and twenty inch
barrels, I expected to lose more speed than we did. Chronograph
readings were taken at an elevation of 541 feet above sea level,
with an air temperature of 101 degrees Fahrenheit, with high
humidity and a slight breeze. The weapon, ammunition,
chronograph, and thankfully, the shooter were all in the shade
of the shooting shack. The 120 grain A-Max ammunition clocked
2776 feet-per-second from the Savage’s short barrel, and the
140 grain A-Max ammo registered an average of 2624 feet per
second (fps). This is a loss of only 117 fps for the 120 grain
bullet and only 95 fps loss for the 140 grain load, compared to
the previously-tested heavy twenty-eight inch barrel. That is
not a bad loss at all for eight inches of barrel, and is just
barely over 13 fps per inch. The 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge is very
efficient, and losing an average of only 106 fps in the
eight-inch shorter barrel is a good tradeoff for the light
weight and portability of the Model 11 Lightweight Hunter. This
average minimal amount of velocity loss carried over in the
handloads tested as well, and using Hornady 120 and 140 grain
bullets, as well as Barnes 100 grain TSX, Remington 120 grain
Core-Lokt, and Nosler 100 grain Ballistic Tip bullets, Hodgdon
Hybrid 100V, Varget, and H4350 powders proved to be the best.
Accuracy was excellent. The little Savage
turned in a stellar performance, grouping its favorite handloads
and both Hornady factory loads into less than one inch at 100
yards. The Hornady 140 A-Max shot between one-half and
three-quarters of an inch at 100 yards, and the 120 grain A-max
did almost as well. This was using a solid rest and the Leupold
scope set at ten power. I usually test accuracy using a
dedicated 8.5 to 25 power Leupold Mark 4 target/tactical scope,
but tested this Savage with the VXL hunting scope mounted. I was
very well-pleased with the accuracy, and the groups did not
drift as the barrel heated, due to the free-float design.
The trim little Model 11 Lightweight Hunter
proved to be light, handy, accurate, good-looking, and
soft-recoiling. Even after a long shooting session, no shoulder
pain was noticed. This would make for a superb whitetail rifle
that is easy to carry all day, and capable of making a long
range shot across a bean field if necessary. The 6.5 Creedmoor
cartridge is an excellent choice. The little Savage is available
chambered for a variety of cartridges, but this one will be hard
to beat. Like all Savage centerfire rifles, the Model 11
Lightweight Hunter is made in the USA.
Check out the vast array of Savage rifles and
shotguns online at www.savagearms.com.
For the location of a Savage dealer near you,
click on the DEALER LOCATOR at www.lipseys.com.
To order the Lightweight Hunter online, go to
www.galleryofguns.com.
For a look at the extensive line of quality
Leupold optics, go to www.leupold.com.
Jeff Quinn
