Scoping a shotgun help - Savage 220F 20 gauge rifled slug gun

Squished

Squished

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So I've scoped many rifles before from 22's up to 30-06's, but this is my first shotgun. It's a Savage 220F and I'm finding it very difficult to figure out what to do. I guess the first thing to say is that Savage recommends the Evolution Gun Works 2120 one piece scope rail. I said sure, I'll just get that and be done. Well, needless to say, they aren't being made right apparently as EGW had none available and before their website went down(their account is suspended) it says no estimate on production date. Furthermore, while people said they fit great and you can mount any scope, many people were experiencing ejection issues of 20 gauge shells due to the one piece design over the action.

So, that brought me to do some further investigating. It appears that the Leupold 55742 base and 49901 rings fit great, although you need to put the windage adjustable rail in the front, rather than the rear. It also appears that Weaver 61 rails fit front and back as well. That's all great, but now there is a new issue, because the shotgun has such a long action, normal scopes won't fit correctly, the rings will be far too close to the bells. This leaves me the dilemma of having to find a longer scope. However, long scopes usually mean higher magnification, etc., something that is not needed for a shotgun scope.

So I'm asking NES, what would you guys recommend? I want to do a nice setup, but I certainly don't want anything overkill, and I certainly don't want something that "could" have ejection issues. Do I stick with riflescopes as people recommend? Or do I switch to a shotgun scope? Which scope? Which rails?

I've ordered another Weaver 61, Leupold 55742, Leupold 49901, and if I find the EGW somewhere(not OpticsPlanet, they suck), I'll order that too. I have a Bushnell Banner 2-7x36 I was going to use, but I'm not sure if it's right for this gun.

Here's some pictures of the gun as it sits with one Weaver 61 on it:

IMGP0572.jpg


IMGP0574.jpg


IMGP0575.jpg


Thanks!
 
I would use a 2 piece rail, offset rings, and any scope you wanted. That Bushnell 2x7 is nice scope and would be a great choice. Is it a circle x or multi-x reticle?
 
One more suggestion would be to ask a gunsmith you use if he could make some bases out of a picatinny rail.


Seeing as though Savage uses the same recevier style for all their actions, you could try a base designed for a model 112 rifle with a round recevier. Just another opition to try, may or may not work for you.
 
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MARINE96 said:
One more suggestion would be to ask a gunsmith you use if he could make some bases out of a picatinny rail.


Seeing as though Savage uses the same recevier style for all their actions, you could try a base designed for a model 112 rifle with a round recevier. Just another opition to try, may or may not work for you.
Click to expand...

It's actually matching to a 110. I just got the Leupold bases for a 110 in the mail today, going to try those.
 
Ok, made a little progress. Based off the recommendation on Shotgun World, I put on the Leupold bases with the windage base reversed, it's looking really good:



IMGP0588.jpg


IMGP0589.jpg
 
I'm on dial-up out here in the deep woods, so I didn't check their site, but see if DNZ Products makes a Ded Nutz one-piece scope mount for the 220. I have mounted many of them on everything from Z5's to shotguns and they are stellar. If the set-up you've done, (which looks great BTW), doesn't work out, check out www.dednutz.com

Also, no 3" AccuTips in yet, but a customer who just bought the same gun brought in a 5-shot 100-yard group with 2 3/4 Hornady SST's that looked like it was a target rifle. Five rounds inside a tennis ball sized circle on a paper plate at 100 yards is pretty sweet...
 
Dednutz makes amazing stuff, if this doesn't work as planned I'll certainly give their products a go. I've used them on my 10/22 builds.
 
Squished said:
Dednutz makes amazing stuff, if this doesn't work as planned I'll certainly give their products a go. I've used them on my 10/22 builds.
Click to expand...

Wow - see, I didn't even know they made them for 10/22's - will have to look into that. Are they Appleseed approved? [smile] Whenever anyone comes into Dicks Sporting Goods in Pittsfield looking to mount a scope on a muzzleloader or shotgun, they come to me 99.9% of the time. Ever since I first mounted up a Leupold shotgun scope on a Z5 with one of these units 2 years ago, I recommend them to everyone. I wish we sold them or DNZ had profit-sharing, as I have a steady stream of customers coming in to have me mount their scopes in these mounts. Really nice stuff...

EDIT: Are those the windage-adjustable Leupold bases? I haven't had good luck with those bases on muzzleloaders, (shotgun may be different). Could just be me, but we used them initially on a Z5, (they fit) and that's how I discovered Ded Nutz...Just could not get that set up to hold zero, even though I had no issues on dozens of rifles...
 
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Here's one on my 10/22:

DSC01704.jpg


I had NO idea that they made them for anything other than 10/22's. Based on their site I assume I just need the round receiver, long action one, but I'll call to confirm. The Leupold setup I have on there now is rock solid, although I'm having serious doubts with the scope. Not to mention, I need to find the windage and elevation turret covers for the scope, as I bought it from Dick's on clearance and it didn't have either.
 
Squished said:
Here's one on my 10/22:

DSC01704.jpg


I had NO idea that they made them for anything other than 10/22's. Based on their site I assume I just need the round receiver, long action one, but I'll call to confirm. The Leupold setup I have on there now is rock solid, although I'm having serious doubts with the scope. Not to mention, I need to find the windage and elevation turret covers for the scope, as I bought it from Dick's on clearance and it didn't have either.
Click to expand...

Wow! That looks amazing...I had a father and son bring both their Z5's into Dicks to get scopes mounted up. Both of them had the Leupold adjustables and neither would hold zero. I don;t know if they just got a bad batch or what, but I spotted the Ded Nutz on a hunting show and we ordered them. I have been recommending them, (just tonight actually) ever since.

If you want a nice scope for your gun, let me know. We have a Leupold Vari-X shotgun scope that is really sweet. Also look into the Nikon - cheaper and the glass and reticle is nicer on the Leupy, but both are light-years ahead of the Banner. Old Banner's are great - new ones, not so much...
 
MassMark said:
Wow! That looks amazing...I had a father and son bring both their Z5's into Dicks to get scopes mounted up. Both of them had the Leupold adjustables and neither would hold zero. I don;t know if they just got a bad batch or what, but I spotted the Ded Nutz on a hunting show and we ordered them. I have been recommending them, (just tonight actually) ever since.

If you want a nice scope for your gun, let me know. We have a Leupold Vari-X shotgun scope that is really sweet. Also look into the Nikon - cheaper and the glass and reticle is nicer on the Leupy, but both are light-years ahead of the Banner. Old Banner's are great - new ones, not so much...
Click to expand...

I got this banner at Dick's for $23 and that's with the extended warranty! Do you get pretty heavily discounted on scopes? I really want a Nikon in a realtree pattern.
 
MARINE96 said:
What are your thoughts on scope power? Variable or fixed?
Click to expand...

Being it a shotgun, even though it's a rifled barrel and acting more like a rifle, I'm thinking I don't want a higher lower magnification level than 2x or 3x. 2x is ideal, but 3x would work as well for a good 150 yard shot. Savage as well as shotgun world and other reviewers said the gun is good for 200 yards, but I'm putting it max 150 yards and that's only using the Remington Accu-Tips. I'd say a 2-7x36 or 2-7x40 is ideal, but a 3-9 could work as well if needed. Definitely nothing larger. As for the fixed aspect, I like have flexibility so I'll always use adjustable scopes.
 
Just ordered some more ammo to try:

Winchester Supreme Partition Gold Sabot Slugs 3.0"
Ounces: 280 grains
Muzzle Velocity: 2000 fps


Winchester Supreme Platinum Tip Hi-impact Sabot Slugs 2.75"
Ounces: 260 grains
Muzzle Velocity: 1700 fps


Should be delivered hopefully on Friday so I can take it to the range on Saturday. Those 3" Winchester Partition Gold should be screamers.
 
MassMark:

Just ordered the dednutz rail. The rings are only 5 1/16 apart, so now ANY scope will fit and I don't need to worry about clamping rings down at the bell.
 

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