My rant on Savage
- Thread starter bundj
- Start date
- Location
- Saskatoon Saskatchewan
I used to be a savage fan (hence my username) but the last one I had (7mm08 trophy hunter) really turned me off. I broke the bottom bolt release in about the first 5 mins of ownership and really didn't like the plastic dbm where the release was part of the mag. It also didn't shoot that well at all compared to others I've owned. I had it at the range the same time as my ruger American. Both left hand 7mm08's and the ruger outperformed it in every way. Also the savage wouldnt properly eject spent rounds. It just lazily dumped them out back onto the mag. The American throws them well clear and shoots sub moa as well.
prairie lover
CGN Regular
- Location
- southern MB
I've owned about most all of the makes out there. All the light barrel savages moved on. They dont compare in my eyes to a sako or browning x bolt or even a tikka. Yes they shot well. So do the 3 brands mentioned above. There is WAY more to a nice rifle than the groups it makes down range. Tight groups are a given.
I still have and like savage heavy barrel guns like the model 12. Easy to customize. Good action for that but I dislike it on light guns.
The newer savages seem to be leading the race to the bottom. I would take 1 rem 783 over 3 of the new savage 11s. A ruger american is also a lot nicer. The savage stocks just get more flimsy every time they redo them.
Yes all companys make lemons. I have seen and owned a few that just wouldn't shoot no matter what. One was a rem 700 in 204. The other was a savage 12 in 22250. So yes not all savage barrels shoot.
I would say in my experience the average savage will shoot better than the average Remington 700. Although some of the best shooting barrels I've seen on factory guns were a couple of heavy barrel remingtons. I wouldn't put savage above sako and tikka not even a chance accuracy wise. And probably a tie with an x bolt.
Like I said there is way more to a nice rifle than how it shoots.
I still have and like savage heavy barrel guns like the model 12. Easy to customize. Good action for that but I dislike it on light guns.
The newer savages seem to be leading the race to the bottom. I would take 1 rem 783 over 3 of the new savage 11s. A ruger american is also a lot nicer. The savage stocks just get more flimsy every time they redo them.
Yes all companys make lemons. I have seen and owned a few that just wouldn't shoot no matter what. One was a rem 700 in 204. The other was a savage 12 in 22250. So yes not all savage barrels shoot.
I would say in my experience the average savage will shoot better than the average Remington 700. Although some of the best shooting barrels I've seen on factory guns were a couple of heavy barrel remingtons. I wouldn't put savage above sako and tikka not even a chance accuracy wise. And probably a tie with an x bolt.
Like I said there is way more to a nice rifle than how it shoots.
hometownhero
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Toon Town, Sk
In this day and age pretty easy to make an accurate gun. There is more to a gun then accuracy.
A Kia gets you from point a to b just like any car will. Some people want more then just that
Sorry but they’re not. I’ve owned quite a few, the top bolt release rifles are reliable. Have you had a bottom release apart and looked at how it works? Torquing the back action screw to much can disable the trigger. Pretty poor design.
The LRPV and target series are still good rifles, they’re top release though.
The older savages are so easy to make into real tackdrivers that I’ll probably always have a few around.
Here’s a five round group from my latest savage creation. JC custom barrel on an lrpv.
Hardly any load development to get to this point.
View attachment 194699
This has nothing to do with savage.
Really...you find most rifles mass produced are accurate? I really don’t, right now I own 2 centerfire rifles that have factory barrels. Sorry scratch that, I just picked up another old savage that’ll get torn down for the action. Of the other two, one is my fathers old rifles and it’ll stay as is. The other is a kimber montana, it’s barely acceptable but it’s so light I haven’t had the nerve to mod it.
nomad 68
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Well there goes another cup of coffee straight out my nose......thanks for the morning laugh.
Yes , I have. I own 2 bottom bolt release and 3 top bolt release. There's specific torque settings, I'm not at all surprised that exceeding them would cause issues. The engine in a car works the same way. I'm not by any stretch suggesting Savage rifles are the be all and end all, that would be absurd, but so is the idea that a single event altered the course of their products. Interestingly I've been informed of 4 separate events in the last few years in the last few years from different people that are "ever since" moments.
coleman1495
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Whitecourt
I bought my Savage 110 for 450$ ~5 years ago. It has an accustock and an accutrigger. Shot fairly well with the factory barrel. Shoots good with a Benchmark. Hard to call that rifle anything other than excellent value.
I can’t comment on your buddies rifle as I am not familiar with the new models. Has he tried to use it yet? I know oftentimes things that look crappy end up being better than expected.
As for all the Tikka fans circling above, I think you need to go back to playing with your rifle bolts. The only way you are shooting tight groups is if you don’t count the first shot.
I can’t comment on your buddies rifle as I am not familiar with the new models. Has he tried to use it yet? I know oftentimes things that look crappy end up being better than expected.
As for all the Tikka fans circling above, I think you need to go back to playing with your rifle bolts. The only way you are shooting tight groups is if you don’t count the first shot.
I have 2 Savages that do well when shooting.
Bought my .223 Hog Hunter 5 years ago for 469.00, converted it to DBM (110.00 for the metal mag and DBM hardware and 50.00 an Accustock. I upgraded the extractor for 40.00 it really flings the brass now, as the factory extractor was so so.
Old stock and blind mag.
And yes I took the sunshade off.
My ex Army buddy is a 700 guy, but he shot my .223 pretty good at 300 yards in the wind off bags in the grass, that he ended up buying a .17 HMR Savage himself.
And recently a .17 HMR, love the triggers.
Bought my .223 Hog Hunter 5 years ago for 469.00, converted it to DBM (110.00 for the metal mag and DBM hardware and 50.00 an Accustock. I upgraded the extractor for 40.00 it really flings the brass now, as the factory extractor was so so.
Old stock and blind mag.
And yes I took the sunshade off.
My ex Army buddy is a 700 guy, but he shot my .223 pretty good at 300 yards in the wind off bags in the grass, that he ended up buying a .17 HMR Savage himself.
And recently a .17 HMR, love the triggers.
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Similarly, I bought my axis for about $235 after rebate. It has a flimsy stock, a stupid recoil pad and the bolt lift is too damn heavy, but it was still a giant leap forward for a newbie hunter that previously had a Sporter no1mk3 w/irons. Better than a $1000+ winchester or browning? That I doubt (rather I know isn't true), but the value of a rifle with scope, ready to rock, at the price I paid is very high... Besides, none of the deer or bear me or my two buddies have shot with our Axises (Axi?) had much to say about them being cheap guns...
My first 223 was an Axis - shot well kept it all stock ended up selling it after a couple years. I rather spend the extra 2-3 hundred for a decent rifle than to spend that much improving one. It just makes more sense to me in my 51 trips around the sun
