Ruger American vs. TC Compass vs. Savage Axis

[richhodg66]

When I got the Compass, I was pleasantly surprised it had a three position safety. I ordered it online without ever seeing one. At $200 each, I figured I could not go wrong...and I was correct. It is one of the most accurate rifles I have ever owned and I have owned a number. I cannot get the trigger below 5 lbs but that is fine on a hunting rifle. I looked at cutting or changing springs but decided to leave it as is.

IMHO, guys (especially preppers) buying Mil-surp bolt actions are nuts when guns like this are available.

If they're buying milsurps just to have something to shoot, you're probably right. But milsurps are cool rifles in their own right and generally more fun at the range than one of these would be.

My favorite deer huntimg rifle now is a nicely sporterized 93 Mauser in 7x57. I'm going to give this Ruger I have coming a try, but I highly doubt it'll displace this sporterized Mauser to me.

[Lloyd Smale]

where are you finding them that cheap??

When I got the Compass, I was pleasantly surprised it had a three position safety. I ordered it online without ever seeing one. At $200 each, I figured I could not go wrong...and I was correct. It is one of the most accurate rifles I have ever owned and I have owned a number. I cannot get the trigger below 5 lbs but that is fine on a hunting rifle. I looked at cutting or changing springs but decided to leave it as is.

IMHO, guys (especially preppers) buying Mil-surp bolt actions are nuts when guns like this are available.

[Elroy]

Kentucky Gun Co. used to run specials on them in the fall.I bought one fall before last ,and opted for the deal with the Vortex Crossfire 2 with rings,and paid $350 tax free ,and then got a $50 rebate,which made it $300 plus the $25 that I had to pay the FFL..If I'm not mistaken the deal was $300 for the rifle only,but it may have been $275,so that would have been $250,or $225 after rebate..

[swheeler]

I bought a TC Compass 308 last Spring for 250 from Sportsman Warehouse. It is UGLY but is quite accurate and the barrel is a dream to clean, never gotten much "blue" out of it since day one.

[Norske]

Have you ever considered buying the one whose stock places your eye in line with a scope without having to move your head? That's why I have numerous Ruger M77s and zero Remington 700s.

[northmn]

Got 3 deer with my 6.5 CM Axis and Boyds stock. The Boyds stock tightened groups. I now have a Ruger Predator I got at a very good price because I shoot lefty. I did have an issue with the bolt popping up on a 243 American but that whole incident was a fiasco. I feel the Ruger is a nicer rifle.

DEP

[izzyjoe]

In 2014 my wife bought me a savage axis on a Black Friday sale at Wally World, and if I remember right it was $258. I have a redfield 4x12 scope on it, and I did a trigger job to get it down to 3.5 lbs. It won't shoot cheap ammo into little groups, around 2", but hand loads will do 1" or less. Best load to date was 52gr A-max with blc-2, and that was .740 four shot, the 5 shot went .5 to the right! A friend just purchased the camo axis 2 in 6.5 creed, with heavy barrel. He's yet to wring it out, but it will shoot 1" with a cheap scope. I think with better glass, more trigger time, it will shoot .5 moa! These cheap rifles are amazingly accurate for what they cost, for me the days building my own custom rifles is over, unless I run across a '98,700 dirt cheap! From what I've seen gunshops are starting to fill up with older model rifles, and there asking way to much for them, most younger folks don't care much for looks, as long as it's cheap, and shoot half way decent! So I figure in the years to come the market will be overly flooded with older rifles, and it may be a buyers market on them!

[taco650]

Got 3 deer with my 6.5 CM Axis and Boyds stock. The Boyds stock tightened groups. I now have a Ruger Predator I got at a very good price because I shoot lefty. I did have an issue with the bolt popping up on a 243 American but that whole incident was a fiasco. I feel the Ruger is a nicer rifle.

DEP

Are you happy with the 6.5 CM as a deer cartridge? I've been thinking about getting something in 6.5 (prefer 260 Rem) so I can park my old .30-06. Want something that kicks less but has a little more bullet than a 243

[richhodg66]

Are you happy with the 6.5 CM as a deer cartridge? I've been thinking about getting something in 6.5 (prefer 260 Rem) so I can park my old .30-06. Want something that kicks less but has a little more bullet than a 243

It's been our experience that the .260 Remington works very well on deer. My oldest son's first deer rifle is a Remington Model 7 in .260.

I recently got a Ruger American in 6.5 Creedmoor. Waiting for good weather to mount the scope and shoot it. I collected up a surprising amount of once fired brass and a set of dies easily enough. I decided I wanted to see what the hype was all about both for the rifles and the caliber. Always seemed to me that something like the .260 Remington ought to be about the perfect deer caliber, at least with jacketed bullets, but I use cast on them now pretty exclusively.

[richhodg66]

Last weekend, I shot a box of Sellier and Bellot 140 grain FMJ ammo through it and was quite impressed, this rifle shoots very well, especially considering straight out of the box. A couple of five shot groups out of that box of 20 easily ent under an inch at 100 yards from my wobbly bench and less than optimum light at my range here at the house.

This afternoon, I threw together some loads with some old Hornady (I think) 120 grain bullets and IMR 4320, neither of which seems to be optimal for the Creedmoor. The 36 grain load seems to be the sweet spot, four went almost through the same hole, the fifth, which was probably my fault, brought it out to maybe 3/4 inch or a hair more. This was with a Leupold rifleman series 3x9 set on 4X. All in all, I have to say I'm impressed by both the cheap rifle and the new whizz bang cartridge. I am not the type to jump on fad band wagons, but I like this combo so far. I hope it'll shoot cast bullets well.

[tankgunner59]

+1 on the Axis. I have two, one in 30-06 and a new one in 6.5 Creedmoor and they both shoot 1/2 inch groups easily at 100 yards. Sorry I don't have any pics but I have shot both of them multiple times with these results. I don't own either the Ruger American or the TC Compass so I can't speak to either one. The Axis at a little over 6 pounds is great, and it is very accurate. I would love to take them both out to long range distances but I don't have the option around here. I can get out to 200 yards if I have the range to myself, but that is rare. Check out this video, it's an Axis 2 but it says a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7UYXXuX4l0

[Four Fingers of Death]

I'm the rifle captain and a range officer at our range 2-3 times a week. I have seen plenty of Axis / Edge rifles, quite a few Ruger Americans and a coupe of TCs.

Savage Edge / Axis seem to work ok, but are plug ugly and unbalanced. Not for me.

Ruger Americans look ok, seem well balanced and accurate. My 223 Compact is outstanding, so much so that I have bought a 308 Compact ) I like compact rifles).

The two TCs that I have seen at the range, both 223s, have blown the extractors off. NIce lookn rifle, but I would avoid them.

Remington seem hooked on the look of ugly trigger guards. Their eco rfle work well, look better than the last econo rifle, but still but ugly.

Life's too short to shoot ugly guns.

Go the Ruger I reckon.