Savage, someone tell me about them

[DeanoBeanCounter]

I've been looking on Cabela's, and Sportman's Warehouse web sights. I've been looking for a 30-06. The problem is that I always thought Savage was top of the line, most accurate out of the box ect. The prices is what surprised me is the prices. Seemingly lower than just about any other brand. Is that just the way it's always been or have they slipped in their quality?
Bottom line here is I want as much rifle as I can get without breaking the bank. I mean function, not looks. Any comments?
Thanks
Dean

[lefty o]

while i wouldn't consider a savage top of the line, they tend to be fairly accurate and reliable. savage's have always been an affordable brand. now if you want something pretty, with an accuracy guarantee, and some sticker shock to go with it, then look at a Cooper or similiar.

[richhodg66]

The 110/111 series rifles I've had have been accurate. Good rifles. A lot of what Savage is selling now is the Axis or Edge, not sure what they call it now, that is a different action and much more cheaply made, but I still hear they shoot well.

[MaryB]

My Savage Axis(first generation) in 223 was sub MOA out of the box. Scope came bore sighted and I was zeroed in 3 shots. Very accurate to 300 yards, longest range I have access to.

[jmort]

I have 4 model 11s
They are as accurate as any gun under $1k
I think I paid around $550
Stocks are cheap and an embarrassment in my opinion
I probably would have gone with Howa or CZ if I did it again
Regardless, they are accurate
Eventually they will all have new stocks so that make the price less of a bargin

[Jniedbalski]

I have a savage axis in 308. It is nicely accurate with cast and fmj's. The stock is cheep but it does shoot really good. Do u want it to hunt with and bang around in the truck or the woods then the stock is fine. Or do u really want a nice looking range gun with a nice looking stock get a Boyd's or other stock. To me the axis is just a tool. A tool for me and my son to shoot deer. It does that fine. It's cheep shoots my light cast loads really good for target practice when I don't want to shoot full power leval loads. Yes I want a nice looking stock one day so I can have a nice looking range gun but for now the cheep ugly stock is working fine.

[Jniedbalski]

The most accurate gun I ever had was a savage single shot bolt action 220 swift I got 20 years ago. They did a special run of very few 220 swifts. I Thank it was the 112 model Varmint bull barrel.bolt gun single shot target action. It had the ugliest cheepest looking stock on it but the gun would shoot. I rember taking it out to the range at 300 yards walking up to my target ,ten shot groups and covering it with a quarter. I had to move and sold the gun.probably will never have another gun that good ever again.

[VinceG]

I love my Savage American Classic in .308. Great shooting rifle. function and looks compare to anything on the market.

[Harter66]

I have 6 .
The 1949 325 30-30 is sub MOA with just about everything I've fed it .
The 1965 110LH 06' doesn't like any of the dozen factory loads I fed it , LC 43 M2 was 3" within lots , but several handloads would shoot 5 touching .
The 84' 110E short action 308 shoots everything so long as the bullet is under 175 gr and lead core .
The 86' 340 in 222 is under an inch with 5 different factory loads and most cast under 2600 fps .
I just snagged 2 new 223 Axis lefties , I expect no less of them .

[Blanket]

the last 2 rifles I have bought this year are Savage rimfires in 17hmr and 22 and both of them are pieces of ****. Magazines wont feed, cases stick in chambers, ect

[CraigOK]

They're reasonably priced and the accutrigger is decent. They do sell some with a better stock, not sure what that puts the price point at. Mine in 243 will shoot better than I can.

[marlin39a]

I have a long history with the Savage 110, 10, and 12 series. Never saw a bad one. Plenty out there in gun racks of gun shops.

[NyFirefighter357]

My buddy bought a couple Axis in 17hmr, 22lr & 22mag. He also had a feeding issue. I know it's a common problem in the rimfired cals. I had to modify the mag. latch for a tight lockup and all feed issues went away. I don't know if the cf rifles have the same problem but I will tell you these guns are very accurate. Fit and finish isn't perfect but we get them at dealer cost so it was worth the little trouble.

[Taylor]

I currently have 2,a M12BVSS and a M99.Of the Savages I have owned,no issues,inexpensive,and shot good.

[jonp]

My Savage Axis(first generation) in 223 was sub MOA out of the box. Scope came bore sighted and I was zeroed in 3 shots. Very accurate to 300 yards, longest range I have access to.

I have 2 of them. .243 and .308. With the first handloads in my wives .243 using 4064 I got a .85 or so group using an old Tasco 4x scope so who knows how small the groups will be when I get a chance to really work with it and put on a Nikon I have. From what I have read this isn't unusual with these rifles. I wouldn't call Savage "top of the line" by a long shot but you will have to work hard to convince me they are not among the best value out of the box. For a hunting rifle that is plenty accurate enough.

I agree the stocks are not the best but they work and are appropriate for a sub $250 rifle I think. Boyd's and a few others make a drop in replacement if you want to dress it up with a laminate. Some go on clearance and are not that expensive.

There is a youtube channel of a guy that shoots and its pretty good. He took an Axis in 7-08 and did a homemade trigger job on it, put a new Boyds on it and is seeing how his sub $500 "Target Rifle" is going to work as an experiment. Promising enough that I'm waiting for Black Friday to roll around again and pick one up to duplicate what he did and give it a shot

[mold maker]

My only experience with Savage was a model 110 in 300 Win Mag, that followed my son home. Way too much power for that weight rifle.
It was very accurate, but after the first shot, you were gritting your teeth too hard to sight correctly. I tried down loading for it but the flinch factor remained.
Nothing against the Savage name, but in my opinion, my Son made a bad choice in caliber.
In 2002, he only gave $300. for it with a scope, box of ammo, and hard case.

[bbs70]

I bought a Savage Hog Hunter in 308 several years ago.
Accurate with about anything I feed it and especially with cast.
I've had no problems with it.

[Rick Hodges]

I own two Savage bolt action rifles...left hand 110 and another short action lh bolt...both in .223 Remington. They are very accurate rifles but they are certainly not top tier. The fit finish and smoothness are crude compared with my late 70's Remington 700 more comparable to my two 788's. They are economy priced rifles that scrimped everywhere except in accuracy. Mine are pre accu-trigger rifles but both triggers adjust nicely to 3-3 1/4 lb. and very crisp.

[Artful]

When I took a precision rifle class the instructor told us that
Savage put their resources into their barrels, hence the good accuracy
out of the box rifles. Remington put their resources into the action
hence why you could find a lot of factory new barrels available as
owners would buy the rifle and order a custom barrel.

When he brought out this Dept. issue rifle it was a Remington
And yes it was modified from standard issue.
when he openned up his personal rifle case it was a Savage.

I would have no fear of a .30'06 in 10/110, 11/111, 14/114 or 16/116 action
No experiance with the new AXIS or AXIS II

[tazman]

I have purchased several Savage centerfire rifles in the last couple of years. All but one have been really excellent shooters. The one that wasn't would hold good enough hunting groups, but needed better accuracy for what I wanted it for.
I have 2-223 varminters, 1-243 standard barrel, 1-308 police style, and 1 30-06 with a factory heavy barrel. All these shoot moa or better(mostly better). Still working up loads for the 30-06 since I haven't had it that long but it already does sub MOA at 200 yards.
These are all 10-11-12 models with one model 25 in 223. The 30-06 is a 110.

[pworley1]

I can't speak about the new ones, but the 100+ year old 1899's and 99's I have will shoot as well as any other lever action I have ever shot.

[pietro]

.

IME, current Savage offerings are:

* Accurate

* Relatively inexpensive

* Fugly (the rear of the bolt/action looks cut off)

Pay your money, and make your choice............


.

[Texas by God]

They can be made to look good. They shoot great usually. Slick and smooth they won't be. I like the old blind mag ones the best. The first modular bolt action; they are a design as old as I am(1958). I don't turn my nose up at them at all.
Best, Thomas.

[fordwannabe]

I have several Savages, all when fed the right ammo will outshoot me every time. Pretty yup...beautiful...when I hit exactly where I was aiming. I regularly shoot mine to 500 yards. Try going over to Savage Shooters.com and look at the good points and the problem area before you decide which one to buy, but do buy one.

[redriverhunter]

my shoots as well as could be expected, the only thing I dislike about mine is it rust easy. I went hunting for a weekend and left my rifle in the car at night, by Sunday it had light rust starting on the outside of the barrel. when I took the stock off more rust.

[18Bravo]

There are a few Savage's lurking in my house also. A 10BA in .223, a 12 in .308 and a .22LR BJR that my wife calls the pimp gun. While I've never considered them "top of the line" I do have to admired them for their affordable accuracy. The accustock is an improvement over their normal plastic wares and the accutrigger is one of the better out of the box factory triggers I've used. Savage is also one of the easiest to re-barrel if needed. The Barrel nut (kind of a Savage trade mark) also makes head-spacing a breeze. My only complaint, which is subjective, are the looks. Ugly or not I like the way all mine shoot.

[buckshotshoey]

Have a pre accu trigger mod 11 in .243. Shoots 1/2 min groups....when I do my part that is. Best load....38 gr Varget, and 80 or 85 grain Matchkings.

The barrel nut design is one of the reasons, along with excellent barrels, they shoot so well. At least that is the opinion of several gunsmith I've communicated with.

A friend recently bought an Axis in .223. As others have stated, the stock leaves some to be desired, but it shoots 1 minute groups with 2 different factory ammos.
One complaint about the Axis is the plastic box magazine. But it seems to function ok. Durability is, IMO, questionable.

[hpdrifter]

They are not the most elegant firearm made, but if you get one that doesn't shoot well or function well, it is an anomaly.

[texasnative46]

To All,

Savage rifles (with the exception of the OLD & very handsome Model 99 LA, of long ago), remind me of my old International Harvester PU: UGLY to look at, CRUDE, long-lived and WORK every time.
(It's been my experience that, IF you buy one, that the rifle will serve you well.)

yours, tex

[Ballistics in Scotland]

All rifles are more accurate than other rifles. The advertisements tell you so. Still, Savage rifles have a good reputation, and when they have built down to a price, I think they have done so at least as sensibly as the others, or more so. There might be a slightly greater availability of ready-made parts and accessories for the Remingtons.

I think really good accuracy at that end of the market is partly luck. There is as likely to be a difference between one Savage and another Savage, as with different brands. You might be more likely to get a rifle, as regards bedding etc., than you would by paying more, but a good one is a good one. Their collar locking system makes it easier to get the headspace right, and at their prices easy is what gets it done.

[KenT7021]

Savage barrels in general are extremely accurate.I used to work for a company that among other products made barrels and rebarreled customers rifles.Most of the rebarreling was done because of a lack of accuracy.We did a lot of Rugers and Remingtons but if we did a Savage it was a caliber or barrel contour change.Not because of an accuracy problem.The rifles were designed to be sold at an affordable price.

[tdoyka]

.

IME, current Savage offerings are:

* Accurate

* Relatively inexpensive

* Fugly (the rear of the bolt/action looks cut off)

Pay your money, and make your choice............


.

that about somes it up.

i have a model 112 in 223 that goes 1/2" or better at 100 yards. but i don't like the accu-trigger so my dad and my son have it. i bought an old m110 in 270 that would go 3/4" at 100 yards. i have a model340 in 30-30 and it will go 1 to 1 3/4" at 100 yards. my son has the axis in 243 and it will go 3/4" at 100 yards. my dad had an old model110 in 30-06 and it shot great too.

if you look at a savage with dim light and your eyes are squinty, then the gun is the best thing ever! but it can shoot!!!

[robg]

Got a 116 blind mag 308 lh will put boolits into an inch at 100 yards with me shooting ,let one of the other shooters at the club try it ,put 3 into a group smaller than my thumb nail.didn't know wether to laugh or cry.the older I get the better I was.

[woodbutcher]

:drinks: A buddy of mine down in Fl is for lack of a better description a"Savageaholic".He has an action in all three sizes.30-06,308 and 223.Not to mention about 8 to 10 bbls for each in different cals.plus one bbl is for jacketed and one for cast.They all shoot very well.
All are MOA or better at 100 yds.He is a very happy camper.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.

[tazman]

A friend of mine described his Savage rifle as boring. The bullet always hit where he aimed so he didn't shoot it much.
He spent weeks trying to get his other rifles to group as well.

[beemer]

I have a Savage Hog Hunter in 223 Rem, no trouble getting it to do under MOA. EL Cheepo stock but the gun was a good bit under $500 otd but it does what I bought it for.

The only thing I really don't like is the center feed or whatever you call it. It does feed good but is hard for me to fill the mag.

One thing I really like is the barrel, It cleans easily and doesn't seem to copper up like some I have. I also like the accu-trigger.

It seems Savage has designed these rifles around the newer manufacturing methods and materials and came up with a good product at a reasonable price.

Dave

[modified5]

I have a Savage 110E long action in 22-250. I bought it in the late 80's.
It puts 5 shots into a dime size hole at 100 yards and will give back change.
This is shot out of a vice. I wish I could shoot that well!!
It has accounted for ground squirrels out to 400 yards.
It has an ugly stock, and I have thought about changing it, but why mess with perfection?
I also never got a date while shooting it, nor did the squirrels ever laugh at its ugliness. [smilie=l:
I would say, find an older 110 and put a nice stock on it if you want, or shoot it as is.
The deer never look at the beauty of a firearm and decide whether it is worthy to be shot by it.

[Texas by God]

About ten years ago I bought a Stevens 200 .243 for $275 new. Gray plastic stock,non accutrigger, staggered blind mag. The bluing is beautiful. I adjusted the trigger to 3# and don't remember ANY group being much over 1". I gave it to my daughter and put a Boyds f'wt thumbhole Sky laminate stock on it.
It's a beautiful accurate rifle and she shoots it well.




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[Texas by God]

And I borrowed it to get Memorial Day dinner!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170711/99466ed6974bc185691727be9dc2e9db.jpg

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[Jack Stanley]

Had a 110 and it was accurate as long as you could get past the rough trigger . More recently an Axis joined the herd It was accurate if you got past the horrid trigger .... it's not the newer Accu-trigger . Also you couldn't touch the plastic stock anywhere with very much pressure or the groups opened up .

Fixed the trigger to my satisfaction with a youtube video and the stock was replaced with a Boyd's laminate . Now it's a cheap rifle in a solid stock and it does shoot well . The low price looks inviting but if it doesn't shoot the way you like it's either sell the rifle or put more money into it . It isn't so inexpensive of a deal if one has to go that route .

Jack