The FV-SR is a short, threaded, fluted, bull barreled version of the standard Savage MkII. The only other change I can see on it is a 'tacticool' oversized bolt handle (which I'd rather not have to begin with since it makes casing the rifle a bit of a PITA)
The barrel is 16.5 inches long, has a straight diameter of 0.800", is fluted (although they seem to be fairly shallow flutes - more likely a cosmetic feature than anything) and is threaded to accept 1/2 x 28 accessories. In the US, most guys are suppressing the rifle; up here, most seem to be installing a linear muzzle break or flash hider of some kind. I've left the threaded muzzle cap on mine and plan to leave it like that - for now anyway. A linear muzzle break sounds like it could be an interesting option to explore down the road at some point.
Mounted on this example is a 2-7 x 32 Vortex Crossfire II with Dead Hold BDC. I (along with others) have found the comb to be quite low for a rifle that does not come with sights. Many are either buying Boyds aftermarket stocks or installing a cheek riser to help alleviate this problem. I opted to remove the high scope rail that comes with the rifle and replace it with a set of #16 Weaver bases. Paired with a set of Buckner low rings, the cheek weld, while not perfect, is completely acceptable for me. Why Savage didn't pair this rifle with a better stock designed for scoped shooting is beyond me.
Accuracy was disappointing at first. I'm used to getting pretty good results with either Winchester DynaPoints or 555 bulk pack ammo. This rifle likes neither of these options - to the point that it was giving me greater than 2 inch groups at 50 yards! I tried all manner of other ammo with slightly better, but still dismally discouraging results. I was getting ready to huck the thing into the woods when a buddy of mine suggested that I try some CCI Standard Velocity. This stuff is as rare as hen's teeth around here but I managed to scrounge up 30 rounds of it.
Well, it was like someone had handed me a completely different rifle. The first five shot group put 4 rounds into a quarter inch (again, at 50 yards) with one shot opening up the group to just under a half inch.
The CCI Standard Velocity group is two inches low and just to the right of the bull. You can see some of the dismal failures up around the bull.
Happy that the gun would actually shoot decent groups with the right ammo, I hit all the local ammo vendors to try and find something else that it liked. The best I could come up with was CCI Blazer. It didn't turn out to be as good as the Standard Velocity, but it would at least consistently print under an inch. Most groups hover around the 3/4 inch mark and some even encroach upon the ever sought after 1/2 inch mark.
The large bull in the above picture shows a pretty typical group. Three or four will generally sit nice and close to each other with one or two just slightly off to the the side. This is just over a half inch. (the grid contains half inch squares)
The smaller bull in the upper left shows a group I shot with my Marlin 795 - still at 50 yards - using Winchester 555 bulk pack ammo. You can see 4 shots easily inside a half inch with a louder than normal shot (possibly a double charge?) opening up the group to just under an inch. Now granted, this is not a typical group for the 795, (it usually produces groups closer to, but still under, an inch at this distance) but the very fact that it's capable of this is absolutely astonishing to me. A semi-auto should not be keeping up with a bolt action like this, yet, here we are.
Shooting paper soon became boring as it often does for me. I spied a lone stick poking out of the snow on the back berm - about 130 yards away. Using the BDC, I applied the appropriate amount of holdover and let loose 5 rounds.
I hit the stick at least once - possible twice - and put the rest of the shots into a hole just under two inches wide with very little vertical separation. I guess I won't huck this rifle into the woods after all.
A picture from the berm to the covered firing point - an attempt to help convey the distance.
The barrel is 16.5 inches long, has a straight diameter of 0.800", is fluted (although they seem to be fairly shallow flutes - more likely a cosmetic feature than anything) and is threaded to accept 1/2 x 28 accessories. In the US, most guys are suppressing the rifle; up here, most seem to be installing a linear muzzle break or flash hider of some kind. I've left the threaded muzzle cap on mine and plan to leave it like that - for now anyway. A linear muzzle break sounds like it could be an interesting option to explore down the road at some point.
Mounted on this example is a 2-7 x 32 Vortex Crossfire II with Dead Hold BDC. I (along with others) have found the comb to be quite low for a rifle that does not come with sights. Many are either buying Boyds aftermarket stocks or installing a cheek riser to help alleviate this problem. I opted to remove the high scope rail that comes with the rifle and replace it with a set of #16 Weaver bases. Paired with a set of Buckner low rings, the cheek weld, while not perfect, is completely acceptable for me. Why Savage didn't pair this rifle with a better stock designed for scoped shooting is beyond me.
Accuracy was disappointing at first. I'm used to getting pretty good results with either Winchester DynaPoints or 555 bulk pack ammo. This rifle likes neither of these options - to the point that it was giving me greater than 2 inch groups at 50 yards! I tried all manner of other ammo with slightly better, but still dismally discouraging results. I was getting ready to huck the thing into the woods when a buddy of mine suggested that I try some CCI Standard Velocity. This stuff is as rare as hen's teeth around here but I managed to scrounge up 30 rounds of it.
Well, it was like someone had handed me a completely different rifle. The first five shot group put 4 rounds into a quarter inch (again, at 50 yards) with one shot opening up the group to just under a half inch.
The CCI Standard Velocity group is two inches low and just to the right of the bull. You can see some of the dismal failures up around the bull.
Happy that the gun would actually shoot decent groups with the right ammo, I hit all the local ammo vendors to try and find something else that it liked. The best I could come up with was CCI Blazer. It didn't turn out to be as good as the Standard Velocity, but it would at least consistently print under an inch. Most groups hover around the 3/4 inch mark and some even encroach upon the ever sought after 1/2 inch mark.
The large bull in the above picture shows a pretty typical group. Three or four will generally sit nice and close to each other with one or two just slightly off to the the side. This is just over a half inch. (the grid contains half inch squares)
The smaller bull in the upper left shows a group I shot with my Marlin 795 - still at 50 yards - using Winchester 555 bulk pack ammo. You can see 4 shots easily inside a half inch with a louder than normal shot (possibly a double charge?) opening up the group to just under an inch. Now granted, this is not a typical group for the 795, (it usually produces groups closer to, but still under, an inch at this distance) but the very fact that it's capable of this is absolutely astonishing to me. A semi-auto should not be keeping up with a bolt action like this, yet, here we are.
Shooting paper soon became boring as it often does for me. I spied a lone stick poking out of the snow on the back berm - about 130 yards away. Using the BDC, I applied the appropriate amount of holdover and let loose 5 rounds.
I hit the stick at least once - possible twice - and put the rest of the shots into a hole just under two inches wide with very little vertical separation. I guess I won't huck this rifle into the woods after all.
A picture from the berm to the covered firing point - an attempt to help convey the distance.
