Savage 110 Predator 204 Review

Written by Bill Gabbard

Many hunters, especially predator hunters, want their rifle covered in camouflage to help fool the sharp eyes of their prey. The Savage 110 Predator in Mossy Oak Terra gets the job done right. In 2017 Mossy Oak developed their line of Element patterns to blend with basic elements, Water, Earth, and Air. Terra (Latin for earth) is the pattern Savage chose for their 110 Predator. The Mossy Oak Terra along with the matte black finish on the Leupold Mark 4HD really looked great on the 110 Predator and should go a long way in keeping you invisible.

This was not my first time working with the Savage 110 series and I learned one important trick from my work with the 110 Bear Hunter several years ago. Take advantage of the ACCUFIT and ACCUTRIGGER. After mounting the Leupold, I immediately took the ACCUFIT stock apart and adjusted the length of pull and comb height to fit me. I took the action out of the stock and adjusted the ACCUTRIGGER. These two adjustments will not make the rifle shoot any better, but both adjustments will help you shoot the rifle better. It is hard to shoot accurately with a rifle that doesn’t fit you, and these two features are well worth the trouble if you value accuracy. A third feature, the ACCUSTOCK may be one of my favorite features on this rifle. Instead of securing the action with action screws alone, the stock is connected to the action using a rigid aluminum chassis permanently embedded in the stock. Through this connection even pressure is applied to the bottom and both sides of the action. The aluminum block extends well into the forend to prevent any flexing when shooting from a bipod or any kind of rest. The 110 Predator comes with Weaver style bases, an oversized bolt handle and a button rifled, threaded barrel ready for your suppressor or muzzle brake. The three-position safety that comes on all 110 models is a very desirable feature that allows you to load and unload the rifle safely. The detachable magazine holds four rounds and fits flush with the bottom of the receiver, a nice touch for a hunting rifle.

The factory fitted bases made mounting the Leupold Mark 4HD 4.5 X 18 X52 a breeze. After a short bore sighting and photography session I headed to the range. After initial zeroing and quick cleaning, I was ready to start testing with factory ammo. We evaluated the 110 Predator with Hornady SUPERFORMANCE VARMINT ammo using both 32 gr and 40 gr V-Max bullets, Remington PREMIER ACCUTIP-V, in both 32 gr and 40 gr as well as Nosler’s BALLISTIC TIP VARMIT loaded with 40 gr BTV bullets. Every sample of factory ammo used shot groups of under an inch. While the 110 Predator favored the 32 gr loads as shown by the accompanying chart, the fact that all loads managed to average three, three-shot groups of under an inch is pretty darned impressive.

While working on this article I was starting the preliminary work on another article “Loading for the “204”, and I tried a few test loads through the Savage. The results confirmed what I suspected after my range time with factory ammo. The Savage shot everything we tried into groups under 1 inch.  It also seemed to confirm that it preferred lighter bullets. Due to a limited supply, I only tried two loads using Berger’s 35 gr. Both groups were well under a quarter inch. Of the five loads using four different bullets and powder combinations four were under one-half inch and the other was well under three-quarters. These loads were straight “out of the book” initial test loads -no fine tuning or load development involved.

The Savage 110 Predator in 204 Ruger topped with Leopold’s Mark 4HD 4.5 X 18 checks all the boxes for me when it comes to predator hunting. A manageable weight to carry, yet heavy enough that combined with the generous eye relief on the Leupold that you never lose sight of your target when the rifle fires. Accuracy is not even questionable in a rifle that shoots everything under an inch and most under half inch. The fit and finish are great and the adjustability of the stock makes the rifle fun to shoot. Of course, I might be a little partial but the fact that it is finished in Mossy Oak Terra is just the icing on the cake! With a suggested retail price of $1039 and available from various retailers from $850 to $950, the 110 Predator is worth checking out!