A common theme throughout this thread is rifle accuracy, and while worthy of attention, it's importance is often overstated in a big game rifle performance when compared to other considerations. But let's disregard that for a moment and consider accuracy; the guys who seem to be most enthused with the accuracy of their Axis rifles are those who own one in .223, but how accurate is the Axis when chambered in .270, .308, or .30/06? To call the one's I've seen 2 minute rifles, would be charitable, and while sufficient for the application, it takes some of the shine off the premise that an Axis will shoot with a $3000 rifle.
The argument that one shouldn't attempt to improve the rifle he owns rings hollow. For example, upon purchasing the rifle, hopefully with a quality scope, decent mounts, and a sturdy sling, its then to the owner's detriment if he fails to manipulate the stock to fit him, whether by cutting the stock, or adding spacers to it. If you own an Axis because its what you can afford, a few months following the purchase of the rifle, you can probably afford a trigger upgrade. Snipping the spring will indeed make the trigger weight lighter, it can also make it unreliable, and does nothing for creep, over travel, or smoothness. The expenditure of $150 so you can appreciate the accuracy potential of your rifle is money well spent. Next to gun fit, a good trigger is the single most important element towards achieving good marksmanship, which should not be confused with rifle accuracy. Then when once again you have a bit of spare cash to invest in your rifle, you can purchase a stock stabilizing kit from Nathan Foster, and stiffen up the stock, then glass bed it. This will prove beneficial particularly if your Axis is chambered for a big game cartridge, allowing your .30/06 to shoot just a bit better, but more importantly, so it consistently makes 1.25-1.50 MAO groups, rather than just tease you with a nice group once in a while. Now that's an improvement you can use, which in turn improves your confidence.
The greatest cost facing any rifleman is the cost of ammunition. To get the most out of the shooting dollar, handloading spreads price of brass, which is the most expensive component, out over numerous firings. So after making the improvements to his rifle, that allow him to exploit it's potential, and in turn produces a pride of ownership in his rifle, a modest handloading outfit might allow our hero to fire 100 rounds rather than just 20 on each outing. A daily 15-30 minute regimen of dry firing at home will hone his attention to the basics of natural point of aim, position, breathing, sighting, and trigger control, while his occasional live fire outings will, provided he is honest in his self criticism, emphasize the benefits he's acquired from his dry fire practice and point out the areas that need improvement. Here is where consistent performance from the rifle is important, without consistency, the novice rifleman won't recognize his improvement, he will become discouraged believing the failures to be his own, and he will rapidly lose interest in shooting.
