are savages good guns?

[Oklahoma Rebel]

I have been looking at the savages in 416 ruger,are they good rifles? I remember shooting a 30'06 savage, the bolt seemed pretty rough, don't know if that just means it need to be broken in, or if it means shoddy worksmanship, it was brand new. also, what about the mossbergs in the same caliber? has anyone bought either, I would love some feedback, thanks-Travis

[Oklahoma Rebel]

well, I thought I had seen them in 416 ruger, but it looks like they only have 375 ruger listed

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I like the Savage 110/111 series and own two of them. They are not as nicely finished as some other more expensive brands, but tend to be very durable, very reliable, and often more accurate out of the box than the higher priced competition.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

cool, thanks for the info! what calibers do you have them in?

[Texas by God]

They are excellent although they may not be as pretty as other rifles they will definitely shoot right alongside the more expensive ones. My preference is the older Wood stock models with the staggered feed magazine and the non accutrigger. I have owned a .223 .220 Swift, .243. And a 30-06. All of them would shoot under an inch easily and the 220 Swift would put three bullets in your little finger nail all day everyday. At present all we have in the house is a Stevens 200 243 in a Boyd's thumbhole stock and it is a superstar.

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[Jack Stanley]

The older wood stocked bolt action I had wasn't too bad other than being rough , it would shoot pretty well . I can't say the same about the new Axis , the plastic stock was almost worthless as a gunstock . Metal parts were still a little rough but it was functional , with the new laminated stock from Boyd's it's a much better range toy now .

Both are chambered in .223 Remington .

Jack

[tazman]

I have five Savage rifles in four calibers(223, 243, 308, and 30-06). All are capable of sub minute of angle groups.
They may not be as pretty but they surely do shoot well.
The only rifle I own that will out shoot the Savages is a custom build with a Bartlein barrel and it won't beat them by much.

[MT Gianni]

The 99's are the only collectibles I am aware of that are pursued heavily. I own several and like them. They are accurate, somewhat homely, tough and inexpensive generally. If pursued solely as an investment they may not be the best, as a shooter they are fine.

[Grmps]

SAVAGE MODEL 110 CAL 30-06 SPRG F5539## Twist 1 in 10" 6 grooves BORE 0.307 6/1996
will cut single hole groups if I do my part

[charlie b]

I got one of the Axis XP's in .223 with a heavy barrel and cheap Bushnell 4-12 scope. I do not hunt, just casual paper punching.

Fired 100 of the bulk federal ammo to get it kinda 'broken in'. Groups were 2 to 4".

First reloads with 69gn Matchkings, got .6" with 10 rounds at 100yds. 20 rounds inside 2" at 200yd.

The plastic stock is a bit light but you don't have to change it out if you don't want to. I probably won't since it shoots well as is. I may add some weight to it for off hand shooting.

I'm happy with it.

Those large calibers? I would hope they put a much heavier barrel on it or it will kick like a mule.

[nagantguy]

As for new savages the heavy barreled 308s will sure shoot;as for older 110s the most accurate out of the box rifle I ever owned in a centerfire was in 7mm mag and I still regret selling it as my high priced single shot heavy barreled rifle with synthetic stock and a high dollar scope shots about as well but no better.

[Hogtamer]

I sighted in a Model 11 in .243 for my grandson about a month ago. First off the hood of the truck to get close at 100 yds. Moved to a sled later and first 3 shots at 300 yds were a 2" group with 95 gr jackets. Adjusted windage and did it again. First deer he shot through the shoulders at 75 yds. The second was in the neck at 304 ranged yds. Nikon scope with BDC reticles, 3x9. 2nd ring down was 300 yds. Decided he liked bowhunting better. Accutrigger is outstanding. Hope this helps.

[Bama]

cool, thanks for the info! what calibers do you have them in?

They are a good guns. You may want to read some of the projects in the savage shooters forum. It is easy to change barrels and calibers with the savages. With the relatively inexpensive pre threaded barrels and replaceable bolt heads, if you decide to change calibers it takes less than 30 minutes. I changed two from 7mm rem mag (pawn shop specials) to 6x45 and 7-08 with no issues.

[Texas by God]

I just saw a 110E with blind mag and a 3x9 Tasco in 30-06 and the hardwood stock for $250. I could have left with it, checked zero, and gone hunting with confidence.

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[richhodg66]

I think the 110 series are the best things going anymore in new rifles. I have an '80s vintage plain jane one in .223 that is crazy accurate. Son's deer rifle is a basic one with synthetic stock in .308 that came as a package deal and it was a good shooter right out of the box.

[JSH]

22 Hornet,204, four in 223, F/TR 308, 22-250,358,30-06,35 Whelan
All will shoot MOA @200. The F/TR will cut that in half @800 when all is good.
I have shot cast in a couple of them.

[Eddie Southgate]

Yup !

[lucifers]

Threads like this have me scratching my head. Every Savage gun made today has been the subject of reviews by people who actually had them in their hands. Some people here actually have experience with them, some are just repeating what they heard. Over the years I have owned and still own many Savage guns. Rifles, shotguns and pistols. They all did exactly what they were designed to do. Were they "good" ? Who knows. They did the intended job --- that's "good" in my book.

[Hannibal]

I guess I'm the 'odd man out' here. I've owned 3 Savage rifles. None would shoot under 1 MOA with factory ammo. None would shoot 1/2 MOA even with every reloading trick I know.

A .416 Ruger is gonna kick like a camel with a lobster on his nad sack.

You never said what model of Savage or Mossberg you are looking at, but if they are the 'box store specials' with the flimsy synthetic stock, you're more than likely not going to like the recoil.
It all depends on what you plan to do with it. Either rifle will likely suffice for hunting out to 200 yds. Neither one is going to make a benchrest shooter green with envy.

You might be better served with a more standard cartridge unless you're going after grizzly or other dangerous game. (?)

[charlie b]

Mine shot MOA with good factory ammo, Federal match stuff. Cheap ammo will not do that.

1/2 MOA? I am not that good. If I ever find someone with a machine rest I'll try it.

[lucifers]

Hannibal I'll give you 200 bucks for all 3.

[Hannibal]

I'm sure you would.

One of them went down the road. One got rebarreled. One I still shoot.

[lucifers]

It always interesting how people badmouth brand a, b c, or d BUT when I offer to buy these horrible POSs I never get taken up ?

Guy on another site spent 30 posts crapping on a $1000 Leupold. I offered him $750 and he was insulted. (Of course he could have sent it back for free repair, but as there was probably really nothing wrong, he would have looked the fool)

[swheeler]

Some are rather pleasing to the eye, at least to me and they can shoot well208987.........208987208988

[Hannibal]

It always interesting how people badmouth brand a, b c, or d BUT when I offer to buy these horrible POSs I never get taken up ?

Guy on another site spent 30 posts crapping on a $1000 Leupold. I offered him $750 and he was insulted. (Of course he could have sent it back for free repair, but as there was probably really nothing wrong, he would have looked the fool)

The OP asked for opinions/experiences. I gave him mine. If my experience differs from yours, I fail to understand why that upsets you. (?). There is a reason there are Chevys, Fords, Chryslers and imports just like there are Rugers, Savages, Remingtons and imports. Not everything pleases everybody.

No one is going to sell you a car for a fraction of it's value. The same goes for firearms. I find both your offer and your position to be ridiculous and without merit.

[lucifers]

So---- in spite of being terrible, inaccurate and a *** it has value ? I agree, that's why I made the offer I did.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

well, ok... so basically for a inexpensive gun, it does what it is supposed to do, ( oh yeah, I was looking at the 110's, sorry, shoulda said that) a little rough, and one might wand to see boyds about a wood stock, if it is synthetic. I personally would buy one that came with a wood stock anyways. except for 22's, I like the extra weight of wood. does that about sum it up? thanks for all the replies!-Travis

[keyhole]

I have had several. The only reason I sold any of them was an eye issue which forced me to sell every long gun I have/had which recoils more than a .22 Hornet.

1)112BVSS in .25-06, Heavy barrel. Probably the most accurate rifle I have had. < 1/2" at 100 yds if I did my part. Pre Accutrigger but trigger pull weight was adjustable.
2) 114 in 7mm-08. This had higher grade wood and finish quality. just as good finish quality as Rem or Win, of which I have owned several. The 114 had Accutrigger which I think is wonderful.
3) 16- .250 Savage. has Accutrigger and Accustock. Not a fan of Accustock, mostly due to slick surface which is hard to get a good grip on.
4) 1950 mfg. Model 99 in .300 Savage. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but to me the 99 has the best lines of any lever action. Trigger pull not the best but shot fine.
5) Stevens Model 200 in .308 Win. The Stevens is a lower priced line using the 110 type action, but with no Accutrigger. Trigger pull weight was adjustable and fairly crisp. It shot just as accurate as any other bolt rifle I have priced less than $1000, with possible exception of the 112BVSS.

In the firing of a few thousand rounds total in all the above, I had zero mechanical issues. My opinion and experience is that the Savage rifles shoot just as well, if not better, than competition in the same approximate price range.

[Lloyd Smale]

only savages ive ever bought were 3 243 axis guns for the grandkids. All 3 shot moa with good loads. May be a bit ugly and not fit and finished as well as some but there no doubt shooters.

[charlie b]

The trouble with every conventional firearm up to this point has been how to deal with the projectile/barrel contact and the propellant.

I'm an electrical engineer. Ever hear of an electromagnetic rail gun?

You will.

Yep, seen one fired too. How about a laser? I've fired those too. Even a very large one that could take down a plane.

But, they are way overpriced for their capabilities at the present :)

My Savage Axis is a MUCH better value and far more capable at hunting than a laser or rail gun LOL

[Budzilla 19]

I had a tactical .308 that would shoot VERY well, yeah , it was a little rough on finishing but lord it shot good! Another one in .223 took about 150+ rounds to settle down, but shot very well after that. Just my .02 ,good luck!

[Texas by God]

Speaking of rail guns, This Thread went off the rails long ago.

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[lucifers]

Funny how there is always somebody ready to trot out and badmouth Savage, Mossberg and Remington PF rifles. Nobody badmouths foreign PF rifles like SAKO, Tikka, Steyr, Blaser, etc. Nobody badmouths any CF rifles.

I can only assume that:

a) Critical people can only afford less expensive American PF rifles OR
b) All CF rifles are perfect OR
c) No critics can afford a foreign PF rifle

I also note that the critics can produce no independent evidence such as:

a) Impartial 3rd party reviews.
b) Side by side tests run against sacred icons such as pre 64 M70s.
c) Horror stories of exploding guns, American made PF users killed by animals or the enemy due to failure.
d) All long range matches being won by CF or foreign PF rifles.
e) Examples of the worlds' military avoiding PF rifles.

Also noteworthy is the vast imbalance between those praising and damming inexpensive USA PF rifles.

My conclusion, based on the study of normal distribution curves, is that there will always be some folks who lie at the edge of the curve who have to take exception to the majority experience. Go to an optics blog and you can find people who hate Leupold and so on.

I have been fortunate enough to own/owned everything from a $35.00 M96 from a barrel in Monkey Wards to a very expensive Holland & Holland Super 30. Bottom line is they all work, are more accurate than most can appreciate and will kill just fine with the correct ammo and shot placement.

The average Joe who spends $300 on a rifle, $500 on a scope and $500 on ammo is a lot smarter than his BIL who drops a grand on a rifle to impress the boys and is then broke.

Buy an AXIS in 308, a slightly used VX3 3-9 on Ebay and 500 rounds of surplus German mil-spec 308. By the time you've burned off that ammo in real world practice (not benchrest), you'll be better prepared than 95% of other hunters.

[Jack Stanley]

Hannibal , The reason my Axis shot larger groups was because I tend to put more pressure on the stock than other people . The Axis was somewhat like the Stevens 200 I had Pressure to the stock would flex the action . A laminate stock fixed that for me , glad I spent the money though I wish I didn't have to .

Jack

[lucifers]

You did not have to. Any of the floppy fore end stocks are easy to fix. Cut a groove in the bottom. Put a piece of 3/8" threaded rod in the groove. Fill it up with glass bedding. Reassemble the rifle with shims to center the bbl. before the glass sets up. It won't flop nor put pressure on the bbl.

Four of the many given the treatment.

209067

[azrednek]

You did not have to. Any of the floppy fore end stocks are easy to fix. Cut a groove in the bottom. Put a piece of 3/8" threaded rod in the groove. Fill it up with glass bedding. Reassemble the rifle with shims to center the bbl. before the glass sets up. It won't flop nor put pressure on the bbl.]

I glass bed a cut to length old shotgun cleaning rod. Didn't do the decorative stock work though.

[lucifers]

Plain black is boring !

Those were X7s 223,7mm08,308 and 30-06. All sub moa. Played with and moved to new homes (kept the S&B 4-16x50)

[deerstalkerks]

Yes they are.. I have one of the older composite stock .223 tactical bull barrel,adjustable trigger, have taken more prairie dogs than I could count, and then a 7-08 that is a dream to carry in the deer woods. And yes they are worth the money and shoot right up there with the high $$$$ rifles if not surpass them..

[Jack Stanley]

Tried it and it wasn't enough , Having the action bedded so it couldn't flex worked much better . Still , the Stevens is gone and the Axis stays .

Jack

[18Bravo]

I’m a little late to this party but I thought I’d share my two cents. Savage is like the ugly girl that can cook. For the most part Savage’s are known for their out of box accuracy, ease of barrel swaps and their homely looks. I just went through a Savage vs Remington vs Bergara purchasing decision and settled on the new 10BA Stealth Evolution in 6.5CM. Looking over all the pros and cons in seemed the best fit for my needs (read wants). My experience with Savage has always been good and I hope that trend continues. Once I get a chance to get it to the range I’ll post a review since there are few if any reviews on the net.

[Three44s]

What do I think about Savage rifles?

Well follow the money!

I own five Savage bolt guns and my wife’s high power rifle is also a Savage long action in 7mm Rem Mag.

Also I have the tools as well as a stack of barrels for different calibers for them.

..... and yet I have Rem bolt guns that I cherish as well. Got a pre-64 Win 70 rebarreled to stainless 7 Rem Mag I have not stocked yet (bought already changed) .....so again ... follow the money!

The Savage bolt guns are not “Barbeque guns”, they are tools and yes .... they work!

Three44s

[Von Dingo]

Have a mid '90's heavy barrel .300 Win Mag, with the tupperware stock. With the first box of Remington factory SP ammo, it was shooting into under 2" at 200 yards. Handloads with match boolits are a bit better, never really spent the time to get the most out of it.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

well sounds like the sensible like savages! as far as some complaining of not being able to get better than 2-3" groups, could that just be the limit of you ability? I am not ashamed to say that probably as good as I could do with any gun. I have essential tremors, so I will never be a target shootin champion, but I do fine in the deer woods! thanks again-Travis

[warboar_21]

The only Savage I own is a model 340C in 30-30. When I was younger Savage had the stigma (at least where I lived) as being a cheap quality rifle and for those who couldn’t afford a better gun. Fast forward to today and they are some of the most accurate rifles out of the box.
My friend just picked up a creedmoore and with the Sig Match ammo he proceeded to shoot 3 back to back sub half inch groups.
They still won’t win a beauty pageant but I think they have come a long way.


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[TAC14]

Savage just has announced some new chassis rifles that are very kool !

[GEOMETRIC]

I bought a 110 Savage barreled action in .300 Win. back in the latter 60's. I had nothing but problems with it. I took it to my gunsmith & he gave it to a club member that is left handed (I'm left handed) that he thought was a excellent shot. The guy said, "this gun won't group". Duh, that's why I took it to him! He talked me into re glass bedding the action. There was nothing wrong with the bedding in the first place so that didn't change anything. I was also having trouble with ignition & miss or hang fires. There was definitely something wrong but nobody could figure out what it was. I gave up & sold it. The replacement was a Ruger M77 that I still shoot. I got a Savage 110 for my cousin's son in .270. It is a tack driver & he has killed many, many deer with it. You can get a lemon with anything. Would I buy another Savage 110? Given their excellent reputation for accuracy & value to cost ratio, the answer is a definite "YES". I believe my gun was an unfortunate exception to the rule. As one guy said, "if it were not for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all".

[Jack Stanley]

You got that right Geometric , I bought a used 110 because of that reputation . The new Stevens and Axis changed that reputation just a bit for me . I'm thinking the stock is the issue but I know that all weather plastic sells at a bargain price . Now if they would just make ten round magazines the one I got fixed would be even more fun on range day .

Jack

[tazman]

In the last three years I have purchased 6 new Savage bolt action rifles in various calibers. All but one have been tack drivers although one needed a new stock to make it so..
That one would not shoot up to the standards of the others and was not accurate enough for the use I bought it for so it went down the road. It was good enough for a hunting rifle(3 inches at 200 yards) but I was going to use it for 600 yard shooting, so it had to go. I shot nearly 500 rounds through that rifle trying to get it to group but no luck.
I picked up a Savage 10FCP-SR in the same caliber to replace it that shoots wonderfully(inch and a half or less at 200 yards).

[Fla9-40]

I really like Savage rifles, have had several! The 6mm Dasher and the 7mm-08 pic's below are on an Axis action and a wooden BSA CF-2 "CFT" stock I got from Numrich and hogged it out to fit a Savage Axis. This was back before Boyd's and others had stocks for Axis.

I like the Savage for the ease of barrel swapping, can have one swapped out in about 20± minutes....

Here is some of the results of mine:

210469

210472

210473

[hornet112]

They are ugly but boy do they shoot!

[6bg6ga]

Savage... not the best fit and finish kinda like buying a Monkey Ward when you could have had a Remington.

[jonp]

Savages are good rifles. My wife's Axis in 243 went about .875 first handloads I tried. Talking to our Range's Owner yesterday and by chance his daughter was there reloading ammo. He bought her one for hunting and she said the same thing about her's. Have not played with my 308 a great deal yet. If your buying one for hunting like the Axis you will get your money's worth imho.

The Mossbergs seem pretty good. I have one in 30-06 with the fluted barrel and it's a good shooter. My friend just bought one in 338 Mag, put a Bushnell Bone Collector 3x9 on it and he says it is a sold 1-1.5 in gun with factory ammo which is good enough for him.

[jonp]

You got that right Geometric , I bought a used 110 because of that reputation . The new Stevens and Axis changed that reputation just a bit for me . I'm thinking the stock is the issue but I know that all weather plastic sells at a bargain price . Now if they would just make ten round magazines the one I got fixed would be even more fun on range day .

Jack

The stocks are the downside on the Savages at least the Axis line but something had to give to get the price down I guess. There are many drop in replacements on the web including chassis if your into that sort of thing for it so that is a plus.

"A .416 Ruger is gonna kick like a camel with a lobster on his nad sack. "
If your talking about an Axis you can try one in that caliber first and report back. They are light rifles for sure and I'd want a sled to give it a test run. The plastic Mossberg 338 Win my friend bought "kicks a little" he said.