December 16, 2021
By Brad Fitzpatrick
The latest addition to Savage’s Backcountry Xtreme line of bolt-action rifles is the new 110 Timberline . Part precision gun, part mountain rifle, the Timberline is built to offer a high level of durability for tough hunting conditions while producing the same target gun accuracy that has made Savage 110 rifles popular among hunters.
“Our team at Savage is enjoying developing the new models in the Backcountry Xtreme Series,” said Jessica Treglia, senior brand manager at Savage Arms. “We can test new limits in hunting and grow our product line to build the rifles our customers want—like this new 110 Timberline. This is a versatile hunting rifle that delivers outstanding long-range accuracy, and it can stand up to anything.”
At the heart of the Timberline is Savage’s 110 push-feed action that has been in production for more than 60 years. The floating bolt head allows for complete engagement of both lugs in the receiver, and the Timberline’s blueprinted action is bedded along its entire length thanks to Savage’s innovative AccuStock system.
The Timberline has typical 110 features, such as a three-position tang safety and the Ac- cuTrigger. Detachable box magazines are standard. A reduced ejection port adds structural rigidity and improves the rifle’s accuracy potential, and the Timberline’s fluted, medium-profile barrel is mated to the receiver using Savage’s often-copied barrel nut system that allows for near-perfect headspacing and further enhances accuracy potential. All Timberline rifles are equipped with Savage’s omni-port muzzle brake, and the muzzle is threaded 5/8x24, which makes adding a suppressor or other muzzle device fast and easy.
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The Timberline’s receiver and barrel feature a Cerakote O.D. Green finish that looks good alongside the rifle’s synthetic stock in Realtree Excape camo. Every Savage Backcountry Xtreme rifle comes with Savage’s AccuFit system, which includes five different interchangeable combs and four different length-of-pull spacers. This allows the rifle to be custom fit to the shooter and the conditions. For example, during winter months shooters can remove spacers to make the gun more manageable while wearing bulky clothes.
Savage’s AccuFit stock comes with various comb inserts to adjust comb height and spacers to change length of pull. In typical Savage 110 fashion, the bolt stop release is on the front of the trigger guard, and the flush-fit detachable box magazine with the release is located the at front of the mag well. It has a three-position sliding tang safety. The Timberline comes with Savage’s AccuTrigger, which is user-adjustable down to 1.5 pounds. The receiver is drilled and tapped for scope bases and accepts 8-40 screws.
The new Timberline is currently chambered for 11 different calibers, ranging from .243 Win. to .300 Win. Mag. A left-handed version has been announced, too. The suggested retail on this American-made rifle is $1,165.
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The Timberline is eye-catching. Even though most rifle manufacturers seem fixated on adding Cerakote finishes in shades of tan and brown to their guns, the O.D. green on the Timberline’s metalwork is a stylish alternative to basic brown and looks great with the black oxide bolt and the Realtree stock. Even the base of the box magazine and trigger guard receive the O.D. green treatment.
Fit and finish are good, and the Timberline’s aesthetics are as good as any 110 rifle to hit the market. And, boy, is it a shooter.
Last year, I hunted with Savage’s 110 Ultralite and 110 Bear Hunter rifles in Alaska, and both were accurate. The Timberline outshot them both by a narrow margin, posting average group sizes under an inch at 100 yards and a test-best three-shot group of just 0.32 inch. Overall accuracy ranged from 0.61 to 0.93 inch, which is on par with guns costing much more than the Timberline.
The Timberline’s stock is a good-looking synthetic, and Fitzpatrick especially ap- preciated the overmolded panels. The Timberline isn’t particularly light, weighing in at eight pounds unscoped and almost 10 pounds when loaded. That’s a full two pounds heavier than the 110 Ultralite I reviewed last year, but added weight isn’t always a bad thing. Between the rifle’s weight and the omni-port brake, the recoil generated by the 6.5 Creedmoor Timberline was trivial, and if I were searching for a .300 Win. Mag. or .300 WSM rifle but was apprehensive about the kick those cartridges generate, I’d take a close look at the mild-mannered Timberline.
The rifle handles well, especially if you’ve taken the time to fit it properly, and I’m a big fan of the stock with its overmolded grip surfaces, tang safety, and the AccuTrigger. The AccuTrigger on my sample averaged two pounds.
If I had one complaint with the rifle’s function, it was that the Savage magazines require consistent seating to ensure they are firmly in place, but when I positioned the magazine in place and gave it a solid slap, it always locked into place correctly.
Other than that, it’s hard to find fault with this gun. Model 110 rifles have been around for six decades, and that’s no accident. The Timberline is a fitting addition to the Savage’s Backcountry Xtreme family.
Savage 110 Timberline Specifications Type: push-feed bolt-action centerfireCaliber: .243 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor (tested), .270 Win., 7mm-08 Rem., 7mm. Rem. Mag., .308 Win., .30-06, .300 WSM, .300 Win. Mag.Capacity: 4+1Barrel: 22 in., 1:8 twist; threaded 5/8x24; omni-port brakeOverall Length: 42.4 in.Weight: 8 lb., 2 oz.Stock: AccuStock synthetic w/ AccuFit; Realtree Excape camoFinish: Cerakote O.D. GreenTrigger: AccuTrigger, adjustable; 2 lb. pull (as received, measured)Sights: none; drilled and tappedPrice: $1,165Manufacturer: Savage Arms; SavageArms.com
