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double check, but I think the target actions take a 'large shank' barrel, and the stevens take the standard savage shank. Plus, target actions are stainless, Stevens are blued. Also, target actions are available in various configurations - single shot, left port, etc. Accuracy-wise, I wouldn't expect any real difference.
 
About $630 for target action only vs $289 full rifle for a stevens pre taxes. Accuracy Potential difference low-mod (target action is solid (better), where stevens has mag cut out.) Time: significant difference. If you are a do it yourselfer on a budget go stevens. If you want to get out shooting with least time and possibly money spent buy a savage f classer and burn the barrel out, then rebarrel to your choice down the road. You would come out marginally ahead in cash but with greater personal accomplishment with DIY. However, IMO you would get a better platform for the purpose in buying a pre built now.

To do it again, I would look into the target model pre built then accessorize. My two bits......
 
Talked with a dealer today about the Stevens, he said that although it is labeled by stevens and sold as such, it is not made by stevens ..... anyone concur with this ? And he said that if one were to order one, the delivery would be 6 mos to a year in addition to considerably more dollars CDN than the savage MSRP . Is this H:S: ?



sorry , sorry, i wrote the above all wrong, bad day ........ the dealer said that stevens is marketed under the savage roof and alluded that the stevens is not made by savage . His point was that a stevens is not a savage and not made by savage ... i though that was a buncha bs but more often than not dealers say stuff that is off the wall, and i dont have the time or even want to bother to get into a contest about his claims
 
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Huh! You could order from WSS or even take a cruise up the road or over the pond to the local store. Both are made by the same outfit....Savage..switch dealers. A pile of brown goo is being fed to you.

Even better, pick one up on the EE here and support the folks with like minded ventures.
 
Well as you seem to have found a rock to live under...

WSS = Wholesale Sports. Biggest retailer in Canada with the exception of Cabelas.

Up the road to the local store could mean any of a number of places but I would recommend Reliable Gun on Fraser Street.

Don't be obtuse. If you want a recommendation for a local shop just ask.
 
If the Savage target action is only in the $600 range, I think you're doing yourself a huge dis-service by not buying it. If it has the features you're lookng for, why spend the same amount of money trying to bring the less expensive Stevens up to the same level - only to fall short?

The Stevens sounds like a case of false economy once you start spending money on it.
 
I called 3 dealers today, all of which are listed on the top of the forum. All three said that there would be a 6 month to a year delivery,another said that he would likely not get a delivery date at all . Another of the dealers listed above made the claim that stevens was not made by savage . All said that i would be better off to buy a low end 700 , blueprint the action and go from there and/or buy a higher end savage or 700 .

I made the post looking for info on the stevens action hoping that someone would know if the stevens is or is not a savage and the differences .

.
 
That dealer doesn't understand how his products are supplied.

Stevens IS a Savage. In fact, they are the overrun of ANY Savage blued rifle. Why you can find them in any finish cataloged by Savage. I used to have some high gloss Stevens that must have been part of their American line up. Then others have been matte, and I mean REAL matte finish, likely from their LE line up.

It's a catch all but they are every bit as good as any other Savage which is why I used them for donors.

I am unsure how much longer Savage will continue to offer these as they are in direct competition to their Axis line up which is highly profitable for them. My suspicion is they will up their package rifle format and ditch the Stevens line up.

SWAG on my part...

Jerry
 
2bad4u2 said:
If the Savage target action is only in the $600 range, I think you're doing yourself a huge dis-service by not buying it. If it has the features you're lookng for, why spend the same amount of money trying to bring the less expensive Stevens up to the same level - only to fall short?

The Stevens sounds like a case of false economy once you start spending money on it.
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I dont use these actions because they are actually very limited in support.

They are a larger thread which means you can't source take off barrels easily. Sure custom barrels will be of little diff BUT you can't set back a large shank barrel the way prefits are produced.

If going to a shouldered headspaced barrel, then it really doesn't matter BUT that is not the style of install those using a Savage action would lean towards in the first place.

The factory accutrigger is listed as very light but I have yet to hear anyone actually reaching the lowest limits SAFELY and RELIABLY. Me dont do bang on closing bolt - very bad for scores....

RB2 works better in my opinion.

Why Savage did this is beyond me but the bolt spacing can be unique to this action. I didn't believe it but I have seen proof that some actions have a stand alone bolt spacing. DUMB... Greatly reduces your options for stocks.

Factory recoil lug is the same. Some like a larger heavier lug so you will need to buy that like any other Savage.

There is 1 - 1pc base made for this action. It is a Farrell which is superb but what if you don't like its layout? Yes, you can bolt on any other base from the generic Savage but the scallops for the mag opening look out of place on the small port action.

Does the small port, solid bottom offer any increase in accuracy? Not that I have ever seen. At least, I have never found a loss using a mag fed action.

For what a stripped Stevens costs after selling off parts vs a bare target action, I can install an RB2 trigger (yes, I will be offering these shortly), match ground lug (already produced), bolt timing and an EGW MOA scope base (offering shortly) with Burris Sig ZEE rings.

YMMV.

Jerry
 
Of course the Stevens 200 action is made by Savage. And they do shoot very, very well if your screw on a good target barrel. However you have to factor in upgrading the trigger and the stock.
Having bought a couple of stevens 200s, plus a couple of savages, plus a couple of stocks and triggers, I can tell you if I was starting again I would buy Savage model 10s with either the HS precision stock or Mcmillan stock right off the bat. I'd swap out the barrel as and when I felt it necessary.
But thats just my oppinion based on what I have found I like.

EDIT: oh and I would not feel the need to get a target action, if only because as Jerry said they are not very well supported.
 
Mystic Precision said:
I am unsure how much longer Savage will continue to offer these as they are in direct competition to their Axis line up which is highly profitable for them. My suspicion is they will up their package rifle format and ditch the Stevens line up.

Jerry
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That's the funny thing about Savage, they will offer rifles that directly compete with their own rifles. The Axis SS competes directly with the 16fcss and 14 stainless classic. The FCXP competes directly with the Steven's 200, the Axis, and the model 11/16 series. There was a moderator on the USA Cabelas forum who said that Savage is outselling Tikka and Remington combined simply because they offer so much stuff.

These guys just get it, and it looks like they're forging ahead despite having any plan that makes sense. If it's working for them, I doubt they'll change.

One thing I have learned in business is that you should take any sale you can get, instead of trying to mold the market to your business model to push the higher margin items. Savage just doesn't seem to care if people buy an Axis instead of a Weather Warrior, I think they just want sales.
 
Leakingaz said:
I called 3 dealers today, all of which are listed on the top of the forum. All three said that there would be a 6 month to a year delivery,another said that he would likely not get a delivery date at all . Another of the dealers listed above made the claim that stevens was not made by savage . All said that i would be better off to buy a low end 700 , blueprint the action and go from there and/or buy a higher end savage or 700 .

I made the post looking for info on the stevens action hoping that someone would know if the stevens is or is not a savage and the differences .

.
Click to expand...

Just keep your eyes peeled on the EE. They show up here all the time. Good deal if you can get one for around the 300-340 mark.
And yes, they are made by Savage. And yes, most dealers think they are economy crap, when they are in fact gold for some guys that like to build on the action.
 
Rocket Surgery said:
That's the funny thing about Savage, they will offer rifles that directly compete with their own rifles. The Axis SS competes directly with the 16fcss and 14 stainless classic. The FCXP competes directly with the Steven's 200, the Axis, and the model 11/16 series. There was a moderator on the USA Cabelas forum who said that Savage is outselling Tikka and Remington combined simply because they offer so much stuff.

These guys just get it, and it looks like they're forging ahead despite having any plan that makes sense. If it's working for them, I doubt they'll change.

One thing I have learned in business is that you should take any sale you can get, instead of trying to mold the market to your business model to push the higher margin items. Savage just doesn't seem to care if people buy an Axis instead of a Weather Warrior, I think they just want sales.
Click to expand...

Savage ever since the restructuring has set up their product line to add one or two extra features with each "new" product line. Whether trigger or mag or stock or some combo of the above.

The goal is not to compete against themself but offer an options list like a car dealer. Each box checked is pure profit.

It has kept their production process streamlined and simple. THAT is why they make money and why they can make money selling their rifles for less.

And why it is so easy for them to offer such extreme factory rifles as dedicated competition rifles or full alloy chassis tacticool rigs. Swap a part, give it a new name, increase the price - $$$$$ in the bank.

Modularity, simplicity but solid quality - that's all good for the bottom line.

With the advent of the Axis/Edge, I feel that Savage has drawn a line in the sand re hunting rifles. As sales has shown, the average joe hunter just wants functional, durable and above all CHEAP.

The Rem 710 was the first to test the waters but with such a bad product, it certainly defined what NOT to do.

Savage tooled up to make the Axis as simply and as inexpensively as possible BUT still maintain all the good stuff that makes a Savage shoot so well. The number of parts in the bolt has been cut by 1/3 and the amount of material used is so much less.

You dont have to pay for stuff that isn't there. With a bit of TLC, it sure can turn into a great hunting rifle. That is what I use now. Sub MOA, great trigger (once tuned but replacements are coming), decent stock shape, great recoil pad, very useable det mag, light, durable, etc, etc - all retailing UNDER $400 Cdn.

I showed the rifle to a machinist who has been working with CNC machines for decades and he had a nice chuckle. He could see where each line, hole and scallop was put there to work with CNC mass production.

Simplify, lower costs YET have a very nice useable rifle that outperforms rifles using conventional production techniques. Win Win

Now that Savage has an entry point that is profitable to all in the supply chain, it can upscale its past entry level - Stevens - into something else.

That is why I think the Stevens will dissappear and the package rifles will blossom. For those that want a bit more metal in their rigs, this will fit the need for a few dollars more.

Then you enter the Savage line up with a trigger upgrade or SS or Camo or accustock or heavy barrels or LE whatevers.

Get them in the door, then help them move upscale.

Yaris to Lexus - sound familiar?

Jerry
 
Leakingaz, if you find a digitized number under the tang it means the ation was made on the new CNC centers. These actions, including the Stevens, are straight and true in regards to the alignment of the action lugs, action face and threads. My old Stevens, which I did not true on purpose, has beaten and will keep up with some of the top F Class shooters in the country. $300 for an action and a stock that isnt $1500 can still compee seriously. Most guys that are serious need to spend coin to travel and shoot and therefore can afford top equipment but these can absolutely run well. I did buy a custom action but do not expet better overall performance than what this Stevens action has provided.
 
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