Are savage axis any good?

Good enough for my summer trail cam checking truck rifle. It keeps my prestine rifles outta the heavy stuff. I say to each there own who gives a #### what someone else uses lol.
 

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Ahh, the Savage Axis. Everyone hates them. Except the guys that have owned them....even if they won't admit it.

Yes, all of the charges are true your honor. Kinda flimsy, cheap feeling, poor bolt lift, all of that. Plus the magazines are poor. But you know what IS fun? Outshooting the higher end rifles with your cheap, flimsy Axis. Savage makes a very good barrel.

If you get the base Axis, an MCarbo trigger spring kit gives you a 2.5-3.5 pound trigger. Get a cheap Weaver one piece rail (so you can get the scope back far enough).

The only suggestion I'd give is to not get one over a 6.5CM in caliber. They are light, so a larger caliber will give you a good kick. If it's your first rifle, stick with a lighter caliber.

I've had a 223 (incredibly accurate), a 22-250 (very accurate), and a 7.62x39 (pretty accurate, but fussy with ammo). Once you get used to their quirks, just shoot and enjoy. They are great practice rifles and there's always a market to sell into. There's good aftermarket support for rails, trigger kits, stocks, etc. If an when you sell it, you'll be buying another down the road. Hey, it's just true.
 
I bought a used axis probably 8 years ago for around 200 bucks. It's chambered in 25-06. I leave it at the farm and it's darn accurate to kill coyotes at 200+ with 75gr vmax and deer with 120gr partition. It's still pretty mint shape considering I have neglected it mostly. I have no complaints with it. It can't hold a candle to my sako but for the money it kills game...
 
I haven’t shot many other rifles, but I picked up an axis 2 with a heavy barrel. Thought it would be a good entry level gun. Put a scope on it, now just need to find a place to shoot it.
 
wonksy said:
Ol

i remember when it was $250 then $280 ish then $300
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Yeah. Paid $235 taxes in (after rebate) for my Axis XP, about 8 years ago. Still love that rifle, but I love it for what it is - a super cheap hunting rifle that was half the price of anything else I could buy (other than milsurp sporters).

Bolt lift sucks too much for me to buy another. Most other issues - the stock, scope mounting, the trigger- can be addressed, but there is no fix for the bolt lift being so heavy.

When I bought mine used rifles in common calibers like Husqvarnas and Parker Hales were $500, so the Axis was much cheaper than one of those. Today, those same rifles are $500 and so is the Axis, thus I just don't see the value in the Axis these days.
 
Suther said:
Yeah. Paid $235 taxes in (after rebate) for my Axis XP, about 8 years ago. Still love that rifle, but I love it for what it is - a super cheap hunting rifle that was half the price of anything else I could buy (other than milsurp sporters).

Bolt lift sucks too much for me to buy another. Most other issues - the stock, scope mounting, the trigger- can be addressed, but there is no fix for the bolt lift being so heavy.
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For a summer truck/trail cam checking beater I simply over look all of that, like you said no sense in picking apart a cheap gun that serves its purpose just fine for what it is. Cheers.
 
wonksy said:
For a summer truck/trail cam checking beater I simply over look all of that, like you said no sense in picking apart a cheap gun that serves its purpose just fine for what it is. Cheers.
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Yeah, but why get an Axis when you can get a husky from Intersurplus for the same money? At least that's how I see it. When I bought mine the only options at a comparable price was Enfield sporters and Mosin nagants, today there are a lot more options.

I was SO CLOSE to buying another twice in the last few months - first was an Axis stainless for $325, 2nd was an Axis 2 for $420. But i just can't get over that heavy a$$ bolt lift. I'd rather spend my money on something like this:
https://frontierfirearms.ca/husqvarna-1640-light-weight-carbine-in-270-winchester-used/

You can do worse than an Axis. They can be stupid accurate - mine in 270 is half-moa with 150 partitions and sub-moa with 130 ballistic tips. I just don't see them as being the best option available at their regular price these days. Ymmv of course.
 
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I just put a MDT stock on a 6mm ARC Savage Axis II barreled action. Very accurate with handloads. 5 shot groups at 5/8 inch with Sierra #1530 (85gr) just over 3050 fps. Surprising for an entry level firearm. Maybe it's hit and miss, but I'm happy with this one.
 
I was on the same search. I wanted a wood stock axis-II in 223 as I heard about issues with stock flex and wanted the accutrigger as well. I just about bought one but did some reading about the Weatherby Vandguard S2. It comes with a two stage trigger and there is nothing that really needs to be modded except for a spring kit I ordered as I detest a crummy trigger. Its a light rifle that gives great groups from a cold barrel. I am glad I purchased it over the axis. Sure it cost a little bit more but it is much better to me and it’s something I will hold onto. I also own a 110 scout in 223 for mucking around with 3 gun and think the Weatherby beats it. I may actually sell the 110 at some point now.
 
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Local hardware store had the ugliest Axis I had ever seen....Carbine style with open sights. But it was in 3006, and it had sat there for five years, so the price was right. I bought it. Took about six shots to dial the sights in, and then from a standing position I was putting 4 shot groups in the middle of a pie plate at 100 meters. Sure the bolt is no Tikka, and the gun is coyote ugly, but it sits pretty good on the claws on my quad, and it shoots better than my wife's Tikka.
 
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