Savage 110 Elite Precision Review – Accurate, Well-Equipped Competition Rifle

Participation in long-range shooting competitions is growing rapidly, and so has the list of products designed to meet the needs of PRS and NLS shooters. Perhaps the most exciting new product for long-range competitive shooting is the new Savage 110 Elite Precision rifle, a gun that’s ready to go the distance the moment you pick it up.

At the heart of this rifle is Savage’s time-tested, dual-lug, push-feed 110 action. The 110 has been around since 1958, and that makes it the oldest continuously-produced American bolt-action rifle on the market. What might be even more impressive, perhaps, is that despite its long history, the Savage 110 is still considered one of the most accurate production rifle actions available, and there are plenty of modern precision hunting and target rifles built on 110 actions.

Part of the Savage 110’s success can be attributed to its floating bolt-head design. Unlike other rifles with fixed-bolt heads, the Savage’s floating-bolt head allows for the locking lugs to bear evenly in the recess of the receiver and for the bolt face to have full contact with the entire head of the cartridge. Combine this with Savage’s bolt-nut system – which allows for very precise headspacing – and you can see why the 110 action is inherently accurate. The Savage 110 Elite Precision rifle comes with a factory blueprinted action that offers class-leading accuracy potential.

Savage reinvented the production-rifle trigger market with the release of the AccuTrigger in 2002. Before the AccuTrigger debuted, production rifles invariable had heavy triggers that prevented accidental discharges under impact but also severely limited accuracy potential. The AccuTrigger bladed design prevents the gun from accidentally discharging yet allows for a light trigger pull. Traditionally, competition rifles have aftermarket triggers to achieve maximum accuracy potential, but Savage’s AccuTrigger is so good that it has made its way into their new competition rifle. The AccuTrigger in the Savage 110 Elite Precision is user-adjustable from 1.5 to 4 pounds and is one of the few production rifle trigger designs that’s good enough for competition shooting.

The stainless steel 110 action used in the Elite Precision rifle comes with a matte-black flash nitride receiver and a striking gold titanium nitride bolt body. The bolt handle is oversize for smooth cycling and the receiver is topped with a 20-MOA top rail that makes mounting optics easy and secure. The 110 Elite Precision is available with either a short or long action. Short action chambering options include .223 Rem, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .308 Win, while the long action version is available in either .300 Win Mag or .338 Lapua.

Elite Precision rifles come equipped with a heavy stainless barrel (26-inch for short action, 30-inch for long action). The short-action models are topped with a self-timing taper aligned muzzle brake that provides a consistent recoil pulse and reduces muzzle rise and all feature twist rates that are designed to glean the most accuracy out of high-BC bullets for each individual caliber. The 6.5 Creedmoor I tested had a 1:8 twist. The 110 barreled action is mated to an MDT ACC aluminum chassis. MDT’s chassis system is designed with serious competition shooters in mind and features CNC machined 6061 construction and a grey Cerakote finish. Comb height and length of pull are dial-adjustable and graduated lines allow you to make minute adjustments and return to your original position. The recoil pad also is adjustable, and there’s an MDT vertical grip with a wide thumb shelf allowing for a comfortable wrist position and superb trigger control from and shooting position. The MDT chassis features an ARCA forend with M-LOK attachment points on all three faces. The chassis design also allows the shooter to add weights to the buttstock and internally or externally on the forend. The MDT chassis features a flared mag well and is designed to accept AICS magazines.

Overall weight of the Savage 110 Elite Precision rifle is 12.6 pounds in short action and 14.95 pounds in long action. The short-action versions have an MSRP of $1,999, which makes the Elite Precision compatible PRS production class guidelines.

Performance on the Range

I topped an Elite Precision rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor with a 2.5-12.5x Trijicon AccuPoint and, after bore sighting the rifle, began testing different loads at 100 yards. Not surprisingly, the rifle was capable of excellent accuracy right out of the box. Average groups sizes with three different loads (two match and one target load) averaged around 0.5 inches with some three-shot groups measuring under 0.4 inches. Bear in mind that those aren’t handloads or hand-picked factory loads, and there’s no doubt that with some tweaking, the Elite Precision rifle would likely produce groups even smaller. That’s the kind of accuracy competition shooters want and demand.

It’s very clear when shooting the Elite Precision rifle that Savage built this gun with input from top shooters. It offers a level of customizability – everything from comb height to mass distribution – that top shooters demand. The MDT grip is superb, reducing shooter fatigue and allowing for excellent trigger control. The three-position safety is, as you might expect from a Savage rifle, located on the tang, an ideal spot to access the safety when firing from field positions. The flared mag well is easy to access, the AICS pattern magazines work well, and the release is located at the rear of the mag well for easy access and maximum control.

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The Savage Elite Precision isn’t just a dressed-up version of a field rifle with a few added features designed to entice a new generation of would-be competition shooters. It’s a dedicated long-range rifle that has the features and accuracy potential to place its owner atop the winner’s podium. Need proof? Shortly after the Elite Precision rifle was announce to the public, Team Savage shooter Scott Satterlee won the Best of Texas Production Class Precision Rifle Series match held February 8 and 9 in Navasota, Texas, with an Elite Precision rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. That’s the first win with the Elite Precision rifle, but you can bet it won’t be the last.

There’s never been a better-equipped production competition rifle for competitive shooters than the Savage 110 Elite Precision. Every detail of the rifle’s design was built with a singular goal in mind – winning matches. Sure, you can purchase a rifle and add aftermarket parts to make it competition ready, but why not save yourself the trouble a buy a gun that’s built to win right out of the box?

Savage 110 Elite Precision Rifle Specs

• Action: Bolt-action centerfire
• Calibers: .223 Rem, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win, .300 Win Mag, .338 Lapua
• Capacity: 10 (short action), 5 (long action)
• Stock: MDT Chassis
• Receiver: Stainless Steel, matte black flash nitride finish
• Barrel: 26 inches (short action), 30 inches (long action)
• Weight: 12.6 lbs (short action), 14.95 lbs (long action)
• Sights: 20 MOA Top Rail
• Muzzle Device: Savage self-timing taper aligned brake
• MSRP: $1,999 (short action), $2,149 (long action)