The .350 Legend straight-wall cartridge has become the latest and greatest deer hunting round for those people stuck in a state that only allows deer hunting with a shotgun or a firearm that takes a straight-wall cartridge. I hope someday there will be someone who can explain the thought process of these lawmakers, but I doubt even the people who passed the laws have any inkling of the logic behind it. I just roll my eyes and move on.

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Savage 110 Apex Hunter XP

But the poor hunters in those states aren’t rolling their eyes. They are excited to finally have alternatives when they take to the field, and many of them are looking for the perfect rifle to take on their next deer hunt. Of course the name Savage springs to mind whenever someone talks about high-quality firearms that won’t break the bank. Savage recognized there would be a demand and decided to put together a complete package with rifle, scope and rings, bore-sighted and ready to go right out of the box for a mere $699 MSRP.

The 110 Apex Hunter XP has a free-floated, 18-inch barrel with a 1 in 16 twist, weighs 7.4 pounds, comes with the adjustable Accutrigger, a black Accufit synthetic stock with adjustable length of pull, and a four-round detachable magazine. The Accufit stock bolts to the receiver directly behind the trigger guard and in front of the magazine well. It has a sliding safety and a jeweled bolt that looks very sharp.

The scope, as I mentioned, comes mounted and bore-sighted from the factory. It is a Vortex 3-9x40mm Crossfire II with a Dead-Hold BDC reticle. That reticle has hashmarks to make it easier to adjust for hold over and windage. The scope attaches with Vortex Hunter rings to an EGW 0 MOA Picatinny rail.

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The Package Rifle

The idea behind this package is for the younger or newer shooter who may not know which scope to get, what size, style or height scope rings to buy, which scope will be adequate for which caliber, or myriad other questions. I am a firearms professional and even I sometimes take hours and a few phone calls to figure out exactly which scope rings will work best for me. The Savage 110 Apex Hunter XP package in .350 Legend was designed for the shooter that was forced to use a 12-gauge slug gun their whole life and is finally getting to take out a normal bolt-action hunting rifle.

A person can literally buy the gun and a box of shells, head to the range to do a final sight-in at 100 yards, and be out that evening looking for a trophy buck knowing he has excellent equipment that is well paired and more than up to the task at hand. No guesswork; no wasted time. And while the .350 Legend is not suited for 1,000 yard shots, with the proper hold-over, 300 yards is well within its range. It certainly beats a 12-gauge slug. During testing at the recent Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous, the rifle certainly impressed.

Above all, Savage provides customers with American-made rifles. Savage rifles prove durable, well made, and capable of greater accuracy than a lot of rifles that cost twice as much. The 110 Apex Hunter XP package in .350 Legend will be out in the field this year and helping to fill a few freezers and put a few heads on the wall. Be sure and ask those guys what they think of this package.

For more information visit savagearms.com.