A quick glance at the Savage 110 Ultralite Elite, and it’s easy to think it’s a more expensive chassis rifle made in a boutique gun shop. If it had a Remington 700 footprint, I’d also be inclined to think that it’s just like the others. However, the combination of a Savage action with a Proof Research barrel and MDT HNT26 chassis results in a different approach to producing a lightweight package with exceptional performance. In fact, the Savage receiver has more action screw engagement than any Model 700, meaning fewer unexplained flyers when shooting groups. Anyone spending this kind of money on a rifle needs to consider that.
The Savage Way
The magic of the Savage bolt-action receiver, especially when placed in a chassis, lies in the amount of action screw engagement it offers. Two action screws are all that attach almost all barreled actions to the stock or chassis. The amount of screw engagement, or lack thereof, is frequently startling. The Model 700 footprint, for example, is the worst offender.
Savage’s receiver has about 60 percent more action screw engagement than a Model 700, which is crucial for a chassis rifle because almost no one uses bedding compound when installing a barreled action inside this type of stock. When the rifle fires, the barreled action bucks and snorts and wants to jump around. The higher the chamber pressure, the more it moves. It’s hard for action screws to immobilize the barreled action through the firing sequence, so the shooter sees the occasional flyer and wonders, Why? Increasing action screw engagement results in fewer flyers because more engagement equals better immobilization. The internet may scream when I write this, but bedding a barreled action to a chassis is also a great way to eliminate flyers. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
The receiver in the Savage 110 Ultralite Elite sees the most stringent quality control Savage offers. For the money, that’s unsurprising. Each of these actions is blueprinted, with the bolt head being held to tight tolerances. This ensures the floating bolt head, when the action is closed, sits perfectly perpendicular to the centerline of the bore. This arrangement prevents runout in the cartridge when chambered and that the bullet is pointed straight down the barrel.
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The bolt head is one of my favorite parts of Savage rifles. This particular 110 model has dual ejectors for positive ejection. The use of dual ejectors means the load placed on each ejector is minimal, creating a long and trouble-free service life. The extractor is a sliding plate that sits in the outboard bolt lug. I’ve spoken with numerous rifle manufacturers on the subject of extractors and they all agree that this type of sliding plate is — by far — the strongest. As more high-pressure rifle cartridges hit the market, we should expect to see more extractors like this one; rifle manufacturers are realizing its superiority.
Attached to the receiver is a Proof Research carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel in the Sendero Light contour. The barrel is 18-inches long, threaded 5⁄₈-24 at the muzzle, and comes with a radial muzzlebrake attached. Lightweight performance is the goal for the 110 Ultralite Elite, and this barrel fits that bill perfectly. It’s also an accurate barrel, with Guns & Ammo’s test rifle printing the smallest 7mm Backcountry group I’ve fired using the flagship round: Federal Premium’s 170-grain Terminal Ascent. A .43-inch group for three shots at 100 yards off a bipod with a rear bag from a rifle that weighs 6 pounds is no small feat.
The chassis is another key component in creating the rifle’s great accuracy while still minimizing weight. MDT’s HNT26 folding chassis uses a magnesium center section that has been skeletonized for light weight while maintaining rigidity. The adjustable stock, pistol grip and forend are all made from carbon fiber, too, to keep weight down. The length of pull adjusts through the use of spacers, and the chassis includes an adjustable comb for height behind the scope, and to ensure the rifle fits the shooter. It’s a thoughtful consideration on a light-but-powerful rifle.
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The Backcountry
The 7mm Backcountry is about the size and shape of the .280 Remington, but it was designed to be loaded to a maximum pressure of 80,000 pounds per square inch (psi). The high pressure allows the Backcountry to generate 7mm Magnum performance in a smaller package while still using a shorter barrel. The rule to use when thinking about the 7mm Backcountry is “20, 170, 3,000”; a “20-inch barrel” will push a “170-grain bullet” at “3,000 feet per second” (fps). Getting that kind of performance took a lot of engineering and testing to achieve.
The secret sauce is the case material, a substance Federal calls “Peak Alloy.” It’s a high-performance steel that should not be confused with the cheap steel cases that have been around forever.
An important consideration when upping the chamber pressure is the impact it will have on pressure put against the bolt’s face. Pressure in the chamber will likely never be high enough to rupture the barrel, but it can push the bolt back towards the shooter enough to allow the case to rupture. Manufacturers measure this phenomenon and call it “lug setback.” The 7mm Backcountry solves this problem in two ways. The first is to limit the diameter of the cartridge case head that pushes against the bolt face. By staying to the standard .473-inch diameter, the cartridge (at 80,000 psi) can only push against the bolt as hard a magnum cartridge with a .532-inch case head at 64,000 psi.
The second way to limit lug setback is through shear transfer, which occurs when the cartridge case pushes against the chamber wall. The more the cartridge pushes against the chamber wall and sticks temporarily to it, the less force it can put on the bolt face. Since steel doesn’t deform like brass under pressure, it’s much more difficult for the Backcountry to generate unsafe lug setback than it is for a high-pressure brass competitor.
Increasing the pressure certainly increases muzzle velocity, which means recoil and muzzle blast increases also. Just as the math shows that the bolt thrust generated by the 7mm Backcountry is almost identical to the bolt thrust generated by a magnum cartridge, the recoil is almost identical. My scale has this test rifle weighing in at 6 pounds, 1 ounce, which is about as light as I’d ever want to go for a 7mm Backcountry rifle.
As of this writing, Savage offers five models that chamber 7mm Backcountry, including the 110 PPR, 110 Timberline, 110 Ultralite, 110 Trail Hunter Lite, and the 110 Ultralite Elite tested here. The 110 Trail Hunter Lite presents the lowest barrier to entry at just $669. Being able to fit the stock of the 110 Ultralite Elite to my body, though, made it easy to manage recoil — but know for sure that there will be recoil! The radial brake does a decent job of taming it without being abusive to others on the firing line. The recoil is far from abusive. I think an 8-pound .300 Winchester Magnum hurts more than this rifle does.
While there is the ever-elusive 195-grain Berger EOL projectile slated for 7mm Backcountry, I’ve yet to see a box of it. I was able to test the other three loads containing the 170-grain Terminal Ascent, 175-grain Fusion Tipped and 168-grain Barnes LRX. If I had to choose my favorite Backcountry projectile for hunting, it’s the Terminal Ascent. It’s also the bullet I’ve had to work the hardest to get to shoot well with other rifles. Three-shot groups usually hover 1 MOA. This 110 Ultralite Elite, however, loves the Terminal Ascent bullet. The best group with G&A’s test rifle measured a scant .43 inch for three shots at 100 yards! That cartridge-bullet combo in this rifle is ideal for anything in North America.
I was surprised at the absence of punishing recoil when shooting it. The chassis is comfortable and handles it well. Savage also spent time to ensure this is its best effort in regard to the shooter’s experience. Savage purchased new broaching machines and cutting lubricants so that the internal cuts on the receiver are smooth. Hence, bolt cycling was effortless. Savage also did a lot of testing on coatings and learned that the Elite Series Cerakote offers identical corrosion resistance as a nitride finish, and some lubricity. The bolt body is also finished in Elite Series Cerakote to enhance an already improved bolt cycle. Savage included a 11/2-pound trigger to make it as easy as possible to shoot this lightweight rifle accurately.
North America’s One-Gun
The 110 Ultralite Elite and 7mm Backcountry are a great choice for most hunters. Mountain climbers will enjoy the light weight; travelers will appreciate the ability to fold the rifle for transport. I can think of no other package that offers more flexibility for the ballistic horsepower.
Savage 110 Ultralite Elite
- Type: Bolt action
- Cartridge: 7mm Backcountry (tested)
- Capacity: 3+1 rds.
- Barrel: Proof Research, 18 in., 1:8-in. twist, Sendero contour
- Length: 39.1 in.
- Weight: 6 lbs., 1 oz. (tested)
- Stock: MDT HNT26 chassis, adj.
- Grip: MDT, carbon fiber, pistol
- Length of Pull: 13.5 in., adj.
- Trigger: 1 lbs., 10 oz. (tested)
- Finish: Cerakote Elite Series
- Sights: None; 20-MOA optic rail
- Safety: Lever, three position
- MSRP: $3,299
- Manufacturer: Savage, 800-370-0708, savagearms.com
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