Why no Savage 340 love?

TheCoachZed

TheCoachZed

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Southern NB, aka "Canada's Bible Belt"
Why doesn't the Savage 340 get more respect?

It had a pretty long production run -- over 25 years, I think. It has a good reputation for accuracy in varmint calibers. The .30-30 version also generally has a good reputation for accuracy, and is arguably easier to shoot than some levers.

I'd say it's because people don't want short, handy "bush carbines" with wood stocks and open sights anymore, but the CZ527 and Zastava M85 always drop quickly off the EE.
 
A bolt 30-30 defeats the Purpose. Lever 30-30 you get a compact fast package with a ballisticly poor round because of the tube mag. In the 340 you still get a poor performing round but a magazine that doesn't feed reliably and a reciever that is hard to mount optics to. Mine in .22 hornet doesn't feed half of the magazine without some help.
 
Humble rifle, chambered for modest cartridges, no flash factor.
Actually does the job but long superseded by better guns.
 
Why no 340 love? The stock is cheap and clunky, balance and handling are poor, single locking lug, stiff bolt cycling, weak magazine retention, difficult to single load without the magazine, spare or replacement magazines tough to find, probably won't feed the last round in the magazine, crummy trigger, weak ejection, the split bridge complicates scope and aperture rear sight mounting, indifferent accuracy, restrictive cartridge selection, and expensive considering what you're getting. Compared to the Remington 788 that was manufactured over the same time period, the 340 makes the 788 look like a premier rifle, just about every shortcoming there can be in a bolt action rifle, is built into the 340.
 
Boomer said:
Why no 340 love? The stock is cheap and clunky, balance and handling are poor, single locking lug, stiff bolt cycling, difficult to single load without the magazine, spare or replacement magazines tough to find, crummy trigger, weak ejection, the split bridge complicates scope and aperture rear sight mounting, indifferent accuracy, restrictive cartridge selection, and expensive considering what you're getting. Compared to the Remington 788 that was manufactured over the same time period, the 340 makes the 788 look like a premier rifle, just about every shortcoming there can be in a bolt action rifle, is built into the 340.
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How do you really feel? :)

I'd like to try a 788 sometime.
 
I love mine. :)
Compact rifle for walking through the woods, nice "truck" gun.
One advantage over my Marlin Lever is that I can develop a broad variety of loads for it using a variety of bullets as you are not limited to round nosers. Can really improve on accuracy.
Magazines are a bit harder than some to source but are usually available at most Gun Shows and are still being manufactured in the US if you can arrange for legal export to Canada.
I stripped and refinished the stock, looks good.
Last year it was my Son In Law's rifle to use when we went out deer hunting on his novice hunt.
 
I have one in 30-30 I bought specifically as a cheap bolt action "trainer" for the kids. I load cast bullits over a light charge of Unique to give them the feel of shooting a "big rifle" with really low recoil. I graduate them to full power loads after a bit. It has helped them get comfortable shooting centerfire without developing a flinch.Best part is loads are cheap so they get lots of trigger time.
 
we had a 340 30-30 yrs ago, one of the boys had a little fun with it, but not a lot, it was just to have a bolt action 30-30 with the DM, sold it, no regrets!
 
I like mine, have a 222 and 30-30...trigger could be better, but small complaint really....they both feed reliable, magazine holds securely (never heard that issue before)....I bought both on a whim, didn't really shop around for them just an impulse thing on the EE but I like them enough to keep them around....good truck guns, fun for plinking and new hunters
 
BRvalley said:
I like mine, have a 222 and 30-30...trigger could be better, but small complaint really....they both feed reliable, magazine holds securely (never heard that issue before)....I bought both on a whim, didn't really shop around for them just an impulse thing on the EE but I like them enough to keep them around....good truck guns, fun for plinking and new hunters
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They certainly don't have the long-range knockdown power/accuracy that most hunters say they need, and they aren't as handy as a Win 94, that's for sure.

I got mine in a trade for a pre-64 Win 94 that needed work. I know most would say that was a terrible deal, but I was very happy. I shoot the new gun much better, and I don't have to worry about it popping primers all the time.

I see a lot of them for sale, there are usually a few dozen on the EE over a year's time, but not once have I ever seen someone say they like them.
 
My first deer didn't seem to mind getting shot with one.

I have had many over the years.

I find they are light enough, fast pointing enough, etc to get the job done. I use leverevolution hand loads and it is fine for what I need in a brush gun.

Also boyds sells the stocks so when you run over one with the quad or truck you don't feel so bad.

Original sights are very good. I found each click was 25 yards of adjustment.
 
I got a 340C in 222, it was on the farm without a mag and tons of surface rust. Cleaned the bore couldn't find any pitting, had a smith check it out and gave the green light. So I bought a box of hornady and had the first 3 shots at 1.5inch measured with the iron sights. This was also hand feeding the rounds in, which is rather difficult with the action being what it is. So picked up a mag and have been using it for yotes on the farm ever sense. Light handy, feeds well. All I did was buff the surface rust off and a shot coat of BBQ paint. It works great! I have been able to shoot 1inch at 100y with the irons and that's more then I can ask out of a rifle that would have just been left to rust away! I would love to get a scope mount for it, but every one I have priced out is way out of my idea to put on this farm rifle!
 
I have a couple. I like them. Light and handy, easy to pack around all day. I use mine with short trimmed brass and the 110 grain TTSX for coastal blacktails. Works great. I'd rather use one of these than an Axis.
 
I had one in 30-30 back in the 90's that I got from Bruce Montague. It was one of my first centerfire rifles but he took it back after it began to fire upon closing the bolt, doing so about 1 in 10 tries.
 
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