Anyone have any experience with Savage .22 Rifles?

jaymce · October 6, 2007, 09:30 AM

I am looking at a second .22 rifle and think a Savage may be the way to go. I have been looking at the Savage 93FVSS-XP package. Has anyone had any experience with this gun. I have a Ruger 10-22 and am looking for a bolt action to go along with it and also to get used to operating a bolt action. Will be shooting targets etc.

Also wondering if the Savage models have longer stocks than the Rugers? I hope to get out this weekend and look at a couple although I do not think they will have this model in stock where I will be looking.

Thanks in advance for any help.

rgates · October 6, 2007, 09:59 AM

In my opinion ANY Savage is first class. Sure, I've got other favorites but Savage makes very nice rifles and I, like many others feels you get a lot more high dollar features for your dollar with Savage than any other name. My first Savage was a model 10 in 22-250 I purchased based on research and advise from a trusted gun shop employee and advise from my father-in-law. After using it for years, any time I start wanting a new rifle, Savage deserves first conideration.

jaymce · October 6, 2007, 10:31 AM

Thanks RGates,
Good info. When buying the 10-22 I also considered the Savage but it ended up a coin toss. There were a few features/ short comings that I found once I started to use it. The particular Savage I am looking at is a Magnum 22 version, I missed that at first. In addition to the other questions I now add, how is the .22 magnum round, is it worth 2 times the price of .22LR I could get a similar Savage offering in the Mark II less the stainless construction which I prefer.

Thanks again to all who answer.

tyrajam · October 6, 2007, 11:22 AM

For target shooting, stick with the regular 22 long rifle. I have a 22mag that I like carrying for pests, ground squirrles, wood chucks, raccoons. etc. But for target shooting, the ammo is 10x the price, and you gain nothing in accuracy. The LR is actually more accurate than the mag. The ammo cost is the deciding factor though, stick with the regular 22. And yes, savage is excellent, even though my favorite 22 is a marlin.

jaymce · October 6, 2007, 11:43 AM

tyrajam,
Ammo cost is not the deciding factor, but weekend paper punching would be the main/ only use for the rifle. So if the LR is more accurate than that would be a deciding factor. Thanks for the info I will also check out the Marlins and through them into the mix if price is comparable. (no need for input on price as I can easily look that up).

Please keep the input coming, it is very helpful.

629 shooter · October 6, 2007, 12:34 PM

Not the model you are looking at but a review of a Savage 22lr with Accu-trigger:
http://www.gunblast.com/Savage-MarkIIBV22.htm

For target use I would definitely choose the 22lr over the 22mag.

The only Savage experience I have is with my 12BVSS which is a .223 and it performs very well. The Savage rimfires from what I understand are built in a Canadien factory where the centerfire bolt guns are made in the US plant. For the price I think my 12BVSS was a pretty good buy at the time. I would think the Savage 22lrs offer the same amount of value.

Te Anau · October 6, 2007, 01:36 PM

Savage makes a great gun and whichever model you choose will be a good choice.It will also be more accurate than any stock 10/22.

MerleApAmber · October 6, 2007, 02:22 PM

I love my Mako II - the Accu-trigger is the real deal. Bolt > SemiAuto (straight out of the box) for accuracy most any day of the week.

No Quarter · October 6, 2007, 04:38 PM

If you decide to buy one check it out good. I got two of them and one was good and the other not so good. The one that had problems was a 93FVSS. It had the holes for the bases drilled off center and a burr inside the receiver where the bolt slides. I sent it back and got another one. Another thing to think about is that most of them have plastic trigger guards and you have to use high rings on heavy barrel models because the barrel is the same diameter as the receiver for 4 inches. I do like the accutrigger.

Adventurer 2 · October 6, 2007, 05:50 PM

I have put a few hundred rounds through a Mark II.
Bolt wasn't as smooth as other rimfires and the stock felt thick and blocky.
Keep in mind my next bolt-action rimfire up is more than twice the cost of the Savage.
I love the accu-trigger - I have never bought an after-market trigger or had trigger work done on a rifle.
At 50 yards the Mark II shoots almost as accurately as my CZ. At 25 yards I can't tell a difference. Considering the cost, under $200, I think it is a great buy.

Adventurer 2 · October 6, 2007, 05:59 PM

I just looked up the model you want to get - my above comments were for a lower end model. I also have a centerfire Savage in .243. I had originally wanted to get a synthetic stock for the Savage .243. It is a free-floated barrel and I ended up passing on the synthetic stock because every synthetic Savage I looked at that should have been free-floated wasn't. The sythetic stocks were twisted and made contact with the barrel on every .243 I looked at. So if you are getting the synthetic stock just make sure it doesn't contact the barrel if it is supposed to be free-floated.

Bushido · October 7, 2007, 12:39 AM

I'll go with MerleApAmber.I have a Mako in .22lr and it has been very accurate from day one.I would also go with the .22lr just due to the huge variety in ammo.Most Savage .22lr will shoot sub 1" at 50y with the ammo it likes.Mines shoots under 1/2" at 50y with mediocre priced ammo and getting better as time goes on.I'm hoping to try Eley tenex in it to see what it will do with good ammo.

rgates · October 7, 2007, 01:25 AM

My favorite .22 is also a Marlin. A 53 year old 39A, and no, I didn't buy it new.
I got it used for $25.00 about 6 years ago covered in rust and broken butt plate. Was going to part it untill I cleaned the bore and fired it. After seeing how accurate (the bore was good) it was I had to restore it. Thankfully there was no pitting, just surface rust. Glad I did. There's just something about a lever gun and the 39A is awfully accurate. Marlins are a little pricey but I feel well worth it and they are made very well. Will last several lifetimes with a little care. I also like my sons 10/22 but he too is amazed at the 39A accuracy. Another old favorite is my first rifle I bought new in '72. A Winchester 190. Still looks and shoots beautifully. It's a testament to what good gun care will do.

But again the Savage is I feel one of the best for the money out there today.

jaymce · October 7, 2007, 04:18 PM

Did a little more research myself over the weekend. Seems that the comparable choices are the Marlin 980s vs. the Savage Mark II-FVXP. The price should be about the same. I am kind of discounting the scope as part of the price because something tells me that the scope will be worth what you are paying for it (seems about 20$).

I am going to try and find a place to look at both and compare this week. I also looked at several other makers but the price seems to jump quite drastically. Still open to suggestions and input though.

rgates · October 7, 2007, 07:25 PM

I don't think you would regret either one.

Rob-o · October 7, 2007, 08:08 PM

Even though its a single shot I like the Savage Model 40

rugerdude · October 7, 2007, 10:17 PM

I have a Marlin 925 and my range buddy has a Savage MKII. Both are great .22 rifles and both are quite accurate. The Marlin is more expensive, but it will be a nicer gun. Side by side, my Marlin is a little more accurate than his Savage, even when we switch rifles.

The bolt on the Savage is easier to cycle, but to me it seems like it doesn't quite fit the reciever (it does, but that's just how it feels to me) and the Marlin's stock is MUCH better than the Savage's, but the Marlin's stock is wood.

I would suggest looking at the Marlins, however I'm not going to try to unsell you on the Savage. It's a good gun, and is competetive with other guns costing much more.

kart racer · October 7, 2007, 10:39 PM

I don't have a 22,but have 17hmr which has been a great shooting rifle.

jaymce · October 8, 2007, 08:25 AM

Thanks for the input. I am going to try and get down to the local Dick's Sporting goods and take a look. I believe they have both Savage and Marlin but I do not know if they will have the models I am looking for. Feel free to continue to add info as I am not planing on making this purchase for a week or 2.

October 6, 2007, 09:30 AM	#1
jaymce Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2007 Posts: 269	Anyone have any experience with Savage .22 Rifles? I am looking at a second .22 rifle and think a Savage may be the way to go. I have been looking at the Savage 93FVSS-XP package. Has anyone had any experience with this gun. I have a Ruger 10-22 and am looking for a bolt action to go along with it and also to get used to operating a bolt action. Will be shooting targets etc. Also wondering if the Savage models have longer stocks than the Rugers? I hope to get out this weekend and look at a couple although I do not think they will have this model in stock where I will be looking. Thanks in advance for any help.

October 6, 2007, 09:59 AM	#2
rgates Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2006 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 473	In my opinion ANY Savage is first class. Sure, I've got other favorites but Savage makes very nice rifles and I, like many others feels you get a lot more high dollar features for your dollar with Savage than any other name. My first Savage was a model 10 in 22-250 I purchased based on research and advise from a trusted gun shop employee and advise from my father-in-law. After using it for years, any time I start wanting a new rifle, Savage deserves first conideration.

October 6, 2007, 10:31 AM	#3
jaymce Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2007 Posts: 269	Thanks RGates, Good info. When buying the 10-22 I also considered the Savage but it ended up a coin toss. There were a few features/ short comings that I found once I started to use it. The particular Savage I am looking at is a Magnum 22 version, I missed that at first. In addition to the other questions I now add, how is the .22 magnum round, is it worth 2 times the price of .22LR I could get a similar Savage offering in the Mark II less the stainless construction which I prefer. Thanks again to all who answer.

October 6, 2007, 11:22 AM	#4
tyrajam Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2007 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 467	For target shooting, stick with the regular 22 long rifle. I have a 22mag that I like carrying for pests, ground squirrles, wood chucks, raccoons. etc. But for target shooting, the ammo is 10x the price, and you gain nothing in accuracy. The LR is actually more accurate than the mag. The ammo cost is the deciding factor though, stick with the regular 22. And yes, savage is excellent, even though my favorite 22 is a marlin.

October 6, 2007, 11:43 AM	#5
jaymce Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2007 Posts: 269	tyrajam, Ammo cost is not the deciding factor, but weekend paper punching would be the main/ only use for the rifle. So if the LR is more accurate than that would be a deciding factor. Thanks for the info I will also check out the Marlins and through them into the mix if price is comparable. (no need for input on price as I can easily look that up). Please keep the input coming, it is very helpful.

October 6, 2007, 12:34 PM	#6
629 shooter Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2002 Location: IN , USA Posts: 967	Not the model you are looking at but a review of a Savage 22lr with Accu-trigger: http://www.gunblast.com/Savage-MarkIIBV22.htm For target use I would definitely choose the 22lr over the 22mag. The only Savage experience I have is with my 12BVSS which is a .223 and it performs very well. The Savage rimfires from what I understand are built in a Canadien factory where the centerfire bolt guns are made in the US plant. For the price I think my 12BVSS was a pretty good buy at the time. I would think the Savage 22lrs offer the same amount of value.

October 6, 2007, 01:36 PM	#7
Te Anau Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2004 Location: Somewhere south of the No Posts: 3,824	Savage makes a great gun and whichever model you choose will be a good choice.It will also be more accurate than any stock 10/22.

October 6, 2007, 02:22 PM	#8
MerleApAmber Member Join Date: September 20, 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 23	I love my Mako II - the Accu-trigger is the real deal. Bolt > SemiAuto (straight out of the box) for accuracy most any day of the week.

October 6, 2007, 04:38 PM	#9
No Quarter Junior Member Join Date: October 5, 2007 Posts: 12	If you decide to buy one check it out good. I got two of them and one was good and the other not so good. The one that had problems was a 93FVSS. It had the holes for the bases drilled off center and a burr inside the receiver where the bolt slides. I sent it back and got another one. Another thing to think about is that most of them have plastic trigger guards and you have to use high rings on heavy barrel models because the barrel is the same diameter as the receiver for 4 inches. I do like the accutrigger.

October 6, 2007, 05:50 PM	#10
Adventurer 2 Senior Member Join Date: September 5, 2006 Posts: 696	I have put a few hundred rounds through a Mark II. Bolt wasn't as smooth as other rimfires and the stock felt thick and blocky. Keep in mind my next bolt-action rimfire up is more than twice the cost of the Savage. I love the accu-trigger - I have never bought an after-market trigger or had trigger work done on a rifle. At 50 yards the Mark II shoots almost as accurately as my CZ. At 25 yards I can't tell a difference. Considering the cost, under $200, I think it is a great buy.

October 6, 2007, 05:59 PM	#11
Adventurer 2 Senior Member Join Date: September 5, 2006 Posts: 696	I just looked up the model you want to get - my above comments were for a lower end model. I also have a centerfire Savage in .243. I had originally wanted to get a synthetic stock for the Savage .243. It is a free-floated barrel and I ended up passing on the synthetic stock because every synthetic Savage I looked at that should have been free-floated wasn't. The sythetic stocks were twisted and made contact with the barrel on every .243 I looked at. So if you are getting the synthetic stock just make sure it doesn't contact the barrel if it is supposed to be free-floated.

October 7, 2007, 12:39 AM	#12
Bushido Member Join Date: July 19, 2007 Location: Paradise Posts: 37	I'll go with MerleApAmber.I have a Mako in .22lr and it has been very accurate from day one.I would also go with the .22lr just due to the huge variety in ammo.Most Savage .22lr will shoot sub 1" at 50y with the ammo it likes.Mines shoots under 1/2" at 50y with mediocre priced ammo and getting better as time goes on.I'm hoping to try Eley tenex in it to see what it will do with good ammo.

October 7, 2007, 01:25 AM	#13
rgates Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2006 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 473	My favorite .22 is also a Marlin. A 53 year old 39A, and no, I didn't buy it new. I got it used for $25.00 about 6 years ago covered in rust and broken butt plate. Was going to part it untill I cleaned the bore and fired it. After seeing how accurate (the bore was good) it was I had to restore it. Thankfully there was no pitting, just surface rust. Glad I did. There's just something about a lever gun and the 39A is awfully accurate. Marlins are a little pricey but I feel well worth it and they are made very well. Will last several lifetimes with a little care. I also like my sons 10/22 but he too is amazed at the 39A accuracy. Another old favorite is my first rifle I bought new in '72. A Winchester 190. Still looks and shoots beautifully. It's a testament to what good gun care will do. But again the Savage is I feel one of the best for the money out there today.

October 7, 2007, 04:18 PM	#14
jaymce Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2007 Posts: 269	Did a little more research myself over the weekend. Seems that the comparable choices are the Marlin 980s vs. the Savage Mark II-FVXP. The price should be about the same. I am kind of discounting the scope as part of the price because something tells me that the scope will be worth what you are paying for it (seems about 20$). I am going to try and find a place to look at both and compare this week. I also looked at several other makers but the price seems to jump quite drastically. Still open to suggestions and input though.

October 7, 2007, 07:25 PM	#15
rgates Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2006 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 473	I don't think you would regret either one.

October 7, 2007, 08:08 PM	#16
Rob-o Member Join Date: August 6, 2007 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Posts: 15	Even though its a single shot I like the Savage Model 40

October 7, 2007, 10:17 PM	#17
rugerdude Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 2004 Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Posts: 1,443	I have a Marlin 925 and my range buddy has a Savage MKII. Both are great .22 rifles and both are quite accurate. The Marlin is more expensive, but it will be a nicer gun. Side by side, my Marlin is a little more accurate than his Savage, even when we switch rifles. The bolt on the Savage is easier to cycle, but to me it seems like it doesn't quite fit the reciever (it does, but that's just how it feels to me) and the Marlin's stock is MUCH better than the Savage's, but the Marlin's stock is wood. I would suggest looking at the Marlins, however I'm not going to try to unsell you on the Savage. It's a good gun, and is competetive with other guns costing much more.

October 7, 2007, 10:39 PM	#18
kart racer Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2005 Posts: 175	I don't have a 22,but have 17hmr which has been a great shooting rifle.

October 8, 2007, 08:25 AM	#19
jaymce Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2007 Posts: 269	Thanks for the input. I am going to try and get down to the local Dick's Sporting goods and take a look. I believe they have both Savage and Marlin but I do not know if they will have the models I am looking for. Feel free to continue to add info as I am not planing on making this purchase for a week or 2.