Magpul Bipod and Crossfire II Riflescope: Perfect Match For The Savage 110 Hunter

I recently reviewed the Savage 110 Magpul Hunter in 6.5 Creedmoor. This has been a great bolt-action rifle but it’s even better with the Vortex Crossfire II scope and the Magpul M-Lok mounted bipod. All the accessories in the world won’t make a gun good. But they can make a good gun even better. Some accessories on a gun just seem to pair well with specific guns and others don’t. Both accessories fit on this gun like they were made for each other.

When I set the 110 Hunter up, I wanted something that looked sporty but would work for hunting deer when I need to re-stock my freezer with summer sausage. There are a ton of scopes and other accessories to pick from when you set up a bolt-action rifle. For the price, however, it’s hard to beat the Vortex Crossfire II. The Magpul bipod is not cheap, but it’s one of the best bipods on the market.

The Savage 110 barrel is 18 inches, but the overall appearance of the gun looks more compact than it really is. Most of my long-range rifles are chambered in .308, 7mm, and other traditional calibers. I have owned 6.5 Creedmoor rifles in the past but don’t currently have one after selling my last rifle. The good deal I found on both the Savage and the Vortex made it too hard to resist adding one to the safe again.

The Vortex Crossfire II Scope

When I bought the Savage 110 rifle, it was on sale so I thought it would be a good project for a budget gun. I got lucky and found the Vortex Crossfire II on sale also, making them a perfect match, at least price-wise. I’ve owned multiple Vortex scopes and optics over the years, and they have always held up great. The good thing about Vortex is their unconditional lifetime warranty.

The model I picked up was the 3-9X40 Dead-Hold BDC. The tube is one inch so standard 1-inch scope rings will work with it. The Savage Magpul Hunter model has a Picatinny Rail mounted on it so I selected a set of Magpul mounting rings that would work for the rail. The adjustment dials on the Crossfire are ¼ MOA which lets you dial it in close. The max windage and elevation is 60 MOA and the eye relief is 3.8 inches.

One of the biggest issues with cheaper scopes is keeping them sighted in. You end up adjusting them constantly and it’s hit or miss if it stays dialed in when you take it out for the hunt. When I sighted in the Crossfire II, it took me six shots to get it within a two-inch diameter at 150 yards. That isn’t impressive for a good long-range rifle, but it’s great for a budget gun to shoot deer with. I hauled it around in the back of my car and even dropped it once without knocking it out of alignment.

Why You Need a Magpul Bipod

A bipod wasn’t something I considered a necessity for most of my life. But once I started using one, I wondered why I never used one before. The Savage Magpul Hunter edition has M-Lok slots on the end of the stock, so I purchased the bipod with the M-Lok attachment.

The spring-loaded legs stay in the folded position until you push them down. When pushed all the way open, they lock in place. Each leg also has a button that allows the leg to extend. At the base of the bipod, a tension knob allows the rifle to turn and tilt side to side. This makes it easy to set up on a hill, tree stand, or anywhere else you want. You can tighten the knob to keep the bipod from moving around. But I found it more helpful to loosen it when being used so I could move the gun around while keeping the feet in place.

There are M-Lok slots on the side of the stock so a sling mount or any other attachment can be added if desired. The barrel on the Savage 110 is threaded which allows me to attach a silencer when hunting. This increases the accuracy and recoil of the gun. The bipod was even more helpful when attaching the 10-inch silencer to the end of the barrel.

Are budget bolt-action rifles worth it?

Budget AR-15s are almost a hobby to some people. Finding the best deals that are low-priced but high in quality is a fun task. Bolt-action rifles never really fell into that same category. Of course, there are rifles in just about every price range, but it’s more cut and dried with them.

You can buy a Remington 700 at a reasonable price and depending on the ammo, shoot almost as good as a rifle three times that amount. Part of why I don’t look for good deals more on bolt-action guns is they just aren’t as fun to tinker with. There are some upgrades and accessories for them, but nothing close to the number of upgrades you can do to an AR-15.

The box-fed Savage 110 is what I would call a budget rifle, but within a certain category. There are lots of bolt-action guns cheaper than this one even on sale. But it’s the upgraded Magpul stock, threaded barrel, adjustable trigger, and detachable box magazine that make this a good deal for the price.

Summary

Shooting a long-range gun takes more patience than most other guns. When shooting a bolt-action gun, you must do a little math and track the types of bullets you shoot at each distance. Some like this and some don’t want to mess with it. If you want a long-range gun that has some options but isn’t on the super high end, the Savage Magpul Hunter is a great option.

Pair it with the Vortex Crossfire II scope and Magpul bipod, and you have a great setup. It will get the job done for just about any type of hunting you need it to. This modern-looking rifle and accessories would make a great gift for anyone looking to score a new trophy. It would also make a nice addition to your own gun collection should you decide you’re the one who needs a new gift.