Savage 24 30-30 over 20 gauge

[selmerfan]

Back in the early 1980s dad bought one of these as a backup deer rifle that us kids all shot our first deer with. We all hated the rifle. Dad is now in the nursing home and I brought this thing home with me, along with my M70 in .30-06. Tell me why I should like this Savage that we all greatly disliked. We all have frustrating memories of this gun and I might consider selling it, but also suspect that I would regret it down the road.


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[Drm50]

I’ve had several of 24 series. Like other guns there was a point that bean counters got involved and cheapened them. Early 24s were nice guns, triggers could be a little stiff. In the 80s Savage was going down hill. They put out some poor stuff before they went under in late 80s. They got so bad we quit selling them because they weren’t worth the hassle. The older models with solid soldered barrels and select on receiver, in 22 or 22mg / 410 or 20g are still in high demand.
If it had no sentimental value I would off it while gun prices are high.

[cwlongshot]

I have this rifle. Mine is a LASER BEAM outshooting many rifles on the range. My load is 748 powder a LR CCI prim & a 150 Nosler BT seated LONG .010 off rifling. My velocity is high @ 2425 fps

Im a bit of a nut for these guns. My all time fav is the 22Mag/410. But my 222/20 is a close second. I WANT TO like my 357 Maxi/20 more but its not terribly accurate.

CW

[dverna]

They fetch a premium with many people like "survivalists" believing they are ideal.

[txbirdman]

I have the “camper” model .22/.20 ga with the selector on the hammer. It’s pretty cheaply made but serves the purpose I use it for. I carry it on the gun rack of my side by side as a utility gun. I have killed many rattle snakes with it.

[Dunross]

What did you all dislike about it?

[725]

The only thing I dislike is that I don't have one.

[Mk42gunner]

If you even suspect you may regret selling it, keep it. You and your family sound like you all have memories of using that gun. If you don't want it, perhaps see if anyone else does?

If you really decide to sell it, they do go for stupid high prices at live auctions.

I never had one, although I did want one of the .222/20 gauge ones. About 1982, a buddy and I bought one of the double .410's for his dad as a Christmas present. It was a decent rabbit gun, but changing the firing pin striker on the fly was a learning experience.

Robert

[Drm50]

The only one I have left is my original 22/20g deluxe I had since a kid. I thought it the perfect country western squirrel piece. Had a K4 on mine. I had a big fox squirrel running around in a big beech. I would flip it to rifle and squirrel would take off. Flip it back to shotgun, ect.The point was not to waste a shotgun shell on a squirrel. I forgot what I was flipped for and scope top me hard when I was expecting rifle and shotgun cut loose. They make nice guns hunting rabbits too. The occasional grouse would fall to the 20g. I haven’t had a scope on it in 40yrs.Attachment 281003

[beemer]

I have had several different models over the years. The ones with the soldered barrels were rimfire and usually shot great. When I was 14 Dad gave me a 22 mag/20 with Redfield aperture sights, much to the local crow population's regret.

The centerfire barrels were separate and were attached at the muzzle. I have seen three different ones. Some had a clamp, the one I had the clamp would move, it shot wild and would not hold zero. A block was soldered between the barrels on one model, when the barrel warmed up it could not expand lengthways and would walk all over the place. The last ones had a solid figure 8 band that was soldered to one barrel and the other was allowed to float, never shot one of those but it did seem the best solution.

The one I really wanted to work was the 357 mag/20 ga. Everything I tried in the rifle barrel looked more like a buckshot load from the 20 ga. The one I never owned but would really would like is a 22 /410 but a nice one require you to hock your house.

At the very least shoot the rifle, and see what happens. Lead boolits might do well, maybe a cold barrel zero would make it a usable rifles. I would probably regret selling also, I have been sort of in the same place. Hope it works well.

Really hope your Father does well, it is a hard row to hoe.

[Win94ae]

I have one in 22mag/20ga. It used to be my grandpas, that is why I will pass it on to one of the young ones. Wasn't a very good rifle, the sights were goofy and broken. Used as a shotgun, it works fine; using it as a rifle doesn't work all that well, with out a sight and a scope mount that is as goofy as the sights.

[jim147]

This thread made me pull mine out. I need to inlarge the hole in the stock for the 20 gauge. They get stuck if I leave them in there.

[longbow]

I had one of those too!

I got the .30-30 chamber reamed to .30-30 AI and used spire point boolits (wasn't casting .30 cal. back then), Not sure it made a big difference but why not?

Mine had the clamp and yes, the .30-30 barrel would warp off to the right when it warmed up. Oddly it seemed to be reasonably accurate. I didn't sell it because I didn't like it, I sold it because I wanted something else more and couldn't afford it. That and I would have preferred .30-30/12 ga. or even better .308/12 ga. but they didn't make either of those.

I'd keep it or offer it to one of your siblings. You'll likely regret it if you sell it and won't likely get much for it either. Okay, reading back maybe I am wrong on value. If it's worth a stupidly high price maybe it's better to use it to finance a nicer gun. At least you'd remember it as a good investment!

I'm sentimental though so I'd likely keep it just because.

Longbow

[Dimner]

One man's trash is another's....

I have the same sav 24 as the OP. Its my favorite rifle. There isn't anything huntable in michigan that it wouldn't work on. Mine uses irons most of the time but also has a rail for a scope that has detachable rings

If you are the type of guy that needs the newest, flatest fancy magnum 6.5 caliber thingamajig, you will hate the savage 24. If you are interested in just sitting in a deer blind shooting a deer 42 yards at a spinning corn feeder, this probably isn't for you.

But if you like trekking around, or need a truck gun, or one rifle that stays at the cabin or like, hunting all kinds of game, this is what the savage 24 was built for.

[Dunross]

I didn't sell it because I didn't like it, I sold it because I wanted something else more and couldn't afford it. That and I would have preferred .30-30/12 ga. or even better .308/12 ga. but they didn't make either of those.

The frame won't take the sort of battering a .308 gives, but Savage did make a .30-30 over 12ga as I have one that I inherited from MY dad. Kinda heavy. Wouldn't be keen on carrying it on my back all day, but as a truck gun or some such it's good.

[quilbilly]

I have had one since the late 1970's. The only complaint I ever had was the light hammer strike on the 30/30 barrel which I resolved with using only Federal primers. It has taken many deer with either rifled slugs or the 30/30 as well as many ducks, grouse, and a pheasant or two with loads of #4's. Once I equipped it with a shoulder sling, the weight of it also became less of a factor. There are better rifles for deer and better shotguns for birds, of course, but if I am "multitasking" for dinner, it works well for me. There is also a .222 over 20 ga in my cabinet which works well for hunting varmints in close quarters (with #3 buck) and the .222 out to 100 yards.

[Doughty]

I have/had one. Jack of all trades, master of none. Mine had the clamp on the front of the barrels. I clamped it tight to the shotgun barrel and reamed out the top clamp so that the rifle barrel was free floated. I got mine at a really good price because the trigger pull was about 17 pounds. With some judicious reworking I got it down to a solid 4 pounds. I hard chrome the receiver. Cut the front sight down for a lower to the barrel look and put a Williams receiver peep on the back. And a good recoil pad. I've taken dove, quail, grouse and turkey with it. Many snakes. Gray squirrels, gophers and rabbits. Boar and deer. Years ago I told my son I had gotten to the point where I didn't like to eat game that had been taken with a shotgun so didn't see why I should still carry around a shotgun barrel. He said he would help me with that. "Borrowed" the gun and hasn't brought it back.

Bought the grandkids one in .22 over .410. It had a bulge in the .410 barrel near the muzzle. Cut both barrels off to 18+". Dipped the receiver in a Camo pattern. Very handy.

[Hogtamer]

Most fun a fellow can have with a gun in the woods....hear some turkeys? Slip in a 3” #4. No turkeys? Put the buckshot back in. Now you’re ready near and far. The only problem is that my old eyes might not handle the open sights, but the sights were really good.

[richhodg66]

I'd like a .30-30 over 20 gauge. I have only ever had one, a camper .22 over 20, neat little gun.

[Texas by God]

Mine was a .222/ 20 gauge and it was easy with young eyes to put three shots on a quarter at 100yds. It got traded around the family till gone. My nephew sold it for a truck payment, I think. They would be great survival guns but carrying a rifle and a shotgun at the same time gets heavy. I always wanted the 30-30/20 gauge combo but never got one.

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