There is always some fellow looking for his first rifle and Savages are in that price range.So I thought I add some comments on my new Short Action Stainless. I had bought a SS 308 varmit as a low cost F-class rifle.It works and I liked the action enought to buy a sporting stock and light 260 barrel. Savages barrels are easily switched. I found it a pain switching my match rifle back and forth so when SIR (Cabelas) had a sale ,I bought a 243,I'm no fan of the 243,but it was all they had left.It's a center feed clip,round top,accutrigger,short action stainless,so all my comments are about this one rifle.
The things I really impressed with are:
Safety,this rifle has two baffles,some rifles don't have any to speak of (pre 64 M-70s) and gas vent both sides .This is one of the safest rifles to blow a case with.
Accutrigger,it's great.Nor is it a enclosed in a box.
Center-feed,while a pain to load,I would say it's more reliable feeding than even my mausers.
Bolt head,it's change able,I have 350RM and 6.5mmRM barrels for this rifle as well.
Bolt Head pivots,so both lugs bear. Most rifles have to be blueprinted for this.
The Sear is 90degrees to the release,thus it doesn't push the bolt out of line .This also means the it's 90 degrees to the casehead. Target Remington have their bolts built up just to get around this.
On my SA, the clip button is well protected and stiff. Sakos look like they did theirs the same way.
Three position safety.
Tang safety,the best place for one.
I like nice, evenly round actions,too.
On the down side,looks, The bolt handle,while very handy to the trigger finger looks like a clumsy after thought.
The sear/cocking indicator/bolt release, aka "the wing" is cheap looking.
The lack of bearing suface around the middle screw.It's the back screw on this action.
I'm not bothered by the exposed recoil lug washer,Browning and Remington both do the same,or by the barrel nut. I find the nut just different.
Issues I had with this rifle. The right bolt lug caught on the front and rear bridges.A pass with a file put a chamfer on both. Now it's smooth,slick,and reasonably tight.The action rode on the rear piller in the plastic stock.I think this was the cause of vertical stringing.I switched to my wood stock and got great groups with my,now,260. The wood stock had been glass bedded to get more bearing on the back screw area.
I didn't do much load develoment with the 243 to be able judge the barrel.
I hope this helps.BTW while I was working with the Savage SA, I was also working with Husqvarna 1600,the HVA small ring improved mauser model.
The things I really impressed with are:
Safety,this rifle has two baffles,some rifles don't have any to speak of (pre 64 M-70s) and gas vent both sides .This is one of the safest rifles to blow a case with.
Accutrigger,it's great.Nor is it a enclosed in a box.
Center-feed,while a pain to load,I would say it's more reliable feeding than even my mausers.
Bolt head,it's change able,I have 350RM and 6.5mmRM barrels for this rifle as well.
Bolt Head pivots,so both lugs bear. Most rifles have to be blueprinted for this.
The Sear is 90degrees to the release,thus it doesn't push the bolt out of line .This also means the it's 90 degrees to the casehead. Target Remington have their bolts built up just to get around this.
On my SA, the clip button is well protected and stiff. Sakos look like they did theirs the same way.
Three position safety.
Tang safety,the best place for one.
I like nice, evenly round actions,too.
On the down side,looks, The bolt handle,while very handy to the trigger finger looks like a clumsy after thought.
The sear/cocking indicator/bolt release, aka "the wing" is cheap looking.
The lack of bearing suface around the middle screw.It's the back screw on this action.
I'm not bothered by the exposed recoil lug washer,Browning and Remington both do the same,or by the barrel nut. I find the nut just different.
Issues I had with this rifle. The right bolt lug caught on the front and rear bridges.A pass with a file put a chamfer on both. Now it's smooth,slick,and reasonably tight.The action rode on the rear piller in the plastic stock.I think this was the cause of vertical stringing.I switched to my wood stock and got great groups with my,now,260. The wood stock had been glass bedded to get more bearing on the back screw area.
I didn't do much load develoment with the 243 to be able judge the barrel.
I hope this helps.BTW while I was working with the Savage SA, I was also working with Husqvarna 1600,the HVA small ring improved mauser model.
