Why no Savage 340 love?

I've got a 340E in .223 with a 4X32 Tasco scope on it that I bought new about 30 years ago. I've shot ground hogs out to a couple hundred yards with it, still one of my favourites.
 
parts-man said:
I've got a 340E in .223 with a 4X32 Tasco scope on it that I bought new about 30 years ago. I've shot ground hogs out to a couple hundred yards with it, still one of my favourites.
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Your .223, thats the one 340 worth having IMO, the 30-30 is great for a young hunter if you can find one with scope mounts, but as per above, the 94 is almost the same price and funner to handle
 
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As previously stated, there is little to love. They often shot well enough but the capability was often over-rated simply because many were amazed that anything so cheap would work at all. I know one guy who thought he should upgrade a 3030 by chambering it to the 307 Winchester. Worked OK until the single lug broke off.. Plainly, the action was not strong enough for the 307.
 
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mine doesn't get used enough... bought it on here, cleaned up the wood. shot a coyote with it... and haven't shot it since..... id sell it, but i still have 3 boxes of ammo to shoot through it first lol

340D in .222
 
Maybe someone tapered that forearm? Looks trimmer than usual, nice looking gun. If I reloaded I think I'd like one in .222.
wheelin_ca said:
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mine doesn't get used enough... bought it on here, cleaned up the wood. shot a coyote with it... and haven't shot it since..... id sell it, but i still have 3 boxes of ammo to shoot through it first lol

340D in .222
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Hitzy said:
A buddy of mine has a 13 year old 90lb daughter that hunts deer with a .308 '99....not sure "beast" is the best description for a 99 lol
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Well, as a comparison between the two let's then just say it's heavier.
OK. :)
I love both of them but when I took my Son In Law out for his first hunt we narrowed the choice down to the 99 or the Savage.
As we were both carrying our rifles and a small Bunny" gun each, he chose the Savage due to size.
Oh, he's a big boy, probably could've carried both rifles and me. :)
 
Boomer said:
Why no 340 love? The stock is cheap and clunky, balance and handling are poor, single locking lug, stiff bolt cycling, weak magazine retention, difficult to single load without the magazine, spare or replacement magazines tough to find, probably won't feed the last round in the magazine, crummy trigger, weak ejection, the split bridge complicates scope and aperture rear sight mounting, indifferent accuracy, restrictive cartridge selection, and expensive considering what you're getting. Compared to the Remington 788 that was manufactured over the same time period, the 340 makes the 788 look like a premier rifle, just about every shortcoming there can be in a bolt action rifle, is built into the 340.
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Hit the nail on the head.I will have to admit the first thought that came to mind when I say the OP was "Why would someone love a 340?"
 
Deerdr said:
I would sooner shoot a 340 than a Salvage Axle. I don't like either.
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I grew up in a farming community South West of Saskatoon and in the late '50s and 1960s most of the neighbours had at least one Savage 340.
Reason being, a Saskatoon hardware store did their best to compete with Eatons and the Bay for firearms sales, especially regarding the Savage 340.
I believe they sold them for about $ 40 or less including a couple boxes of shells, at that time a good Lee Enfield sold between $12 to $ 20.
And they went through a ton of 340s over a few short years.
 
Accurate, cheap, lightweight small package. My friend had one in .30-.30 with scope and it was very accurate at 100 meters. Low recoil and plenty of power for hunting. There have been many moose taken with the 30-30 in Canada. A lot more accurate than any lever action with the exception of the winchester model 88 lever. which was not offered in that calibre.
 
I got a stevens, no scope or even peep sight holes from factory. Haven't shot it yet, but I like the handling of the rifle, just wish it was in some .22cal rather than 30cal - nothing bigger than yotes here so .30cal is too much(and against the hunting regulations)
Ugly workhorse of a rifle it seems, mine is anyways, wheelin's is really nice looking.
Kind of thinking a micro rds should find a home on it somewheres.

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I don't love any gun. The term I prefer is whether or not I like the gun and this comes in degrees, with points for and against.
I have had 3 or 4 of the Savage 30-30 class bolt action rifles with detachable clip magazines, plus one very similar Savage in 30-06 calibre. I shot a few moose, deer and coyotes with that rifle.
The one I have now is marked CIL Industries, Montreal, Model 830, made in the USA. It is also in the best condition of any of the others I have had and in keeping with Savage tradition, is surprisingly accurate. It has a very well mounted, period correct Bushnell scope and has shot some excellent groups at a 100 yards.
On a one to ten basis I would rate the trigger as a five, but could be increased to a six, or even seven, with proper work on it. I would also rate the trigger of a Winchester Model 94 as a five. The stock is a bit clubby, with the wrist slightly too large, but has a good to the feel front stock, and this one has as good of squeezed in checkering as you will find on any rifle. Drop at the heal and comb is about right for the original iron sights. I would rate the stock at six, well ahead of a 94 Winchester. For handling ability, over all size and barrel length, how well does it come to the shoulder and allow a well pointed first shot is, in my opinion, a seven, with a Model 94 a 6.5 rating.
Thus, I consider there are some great bargains out there in Savage 340 type rifles, for bush hunting of deer and moose.
 
I have a Stevens 325 A. I love this gun. Why? It's short, light and handy. It's a tack driver with Hornady ammunition. No problems feeding. Nice spoon euro style bolt handle and its a tad shorter barrel than 340. Carried it for moose ( We get only a 100-150 yard shots so it's sufficient ) Didn't even feel the weight. Drawbacks? 30-30 has its limits obviously. No factory scope mounting. Overpriced most times as it was made to be an economy class gun in its day. Even cheap post 64 winchester 94 can be found for around the same price. Spare mags can also be found but sometimes aren't reasonably priced. . This gun was first to have stamped parts and barrel nut just like recent guns. Bit ahead of its time.
I only paid $200 for it as it had some home checkering done and has some wear. Nevertheless. I think it's a great gun if you get it for right price...under $300. Excellent for a beat around bush/truck gun in popular calibre.
One thing to watch for when buying is the chamber condition.

 
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I bought a 340 just recently and ordered a scope mount for it so I can say I took a deer with a 30-30. I have a 94 but with iron sights it's a no go for me.
 
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