Ideal setup for Savage

Eliasbmaxey · November 18, 2019, 11:55 AM

To all Vets and LEOs, thanks for what you do. So I have a Savage Stevens Model 200 chambered in .270 with nothing on it, not even iron sights. I also have a girlfriend who is new to rifles. I was 11B and 31B but have very little experience using glass. I’m not asking for recommendations for better rifles to use. I am simply asking what an inexpensive yet ideal setup would be to start her on this rifle. I’m referring to power and brand of scope (under $200 for her first one hopefully), rings/mounts, bipods and any other furniture which would be helpful for a first-timer. I understand it’s always best to start with iron sights but I have a different rifle to use for that. The purpose of this rifle is strictly target shooting at distances out to probably 600 yards at the furthest. She has plenty of pistol experience and has fired shotguns before but nothing on the long guns. Any advice from Savage owners, .270 owners or shooters in general would be appreciated. Thanks for your time.

jpx2rk · November 18, 2019, 06:09 PM

Price wise, look at Mueller scopes, and Athlon. I have a couple of the Athlon Talos model, a 6x24 is just under $200 each. Good glass on both brands IMO. I use DNZ 1 pc mounts alot.

jmr40 · November 18, 2019, 08:23 PM

The ring spacing on Savage long action rifles is greater than any other brand. You'll have to choose the scope and/or mounts carefully. Many scopes are too short to use with standard mounting systems. And even with that it leaves less room to move the scope back and forth to get it set the correct distance from you eye. Try to choose one of the longer scopes and then choose mounts. The DNZ mounts would work well with a Savage and the longer ring spacing. But they will add about another $50-$60 to the package.

$200 MSRP is pretty much the breaking point where decent scopes start. If you can find something discounted below $200 great, but there aren't many good options much under $200 MSRP.

Burris is my go-to recommendation for budget scopes. If you're going to shoot farther than about 300 yards something with either long range dots, or adjustable turrets will be a big help.

https://www.swfa.com/burris-3-9x40-f....html?___SID=U
https://www.swfa.com/burris-45-14x42....html?___SID=U

If strictly for target use I'd STRONGLY suggest trying to find a way to go with this.
https://www.swfa.com/swfa-ss-10x42-t....html?___SID=U

They make these in fixed 6X, 10X, 12X, 16X, and 20X. The 6, 10, and 12X versions are highly regarded as a very good entry level target scope. The 16 and 20X versions are generally considered too much of a good thing and aren't as good. My brother and I both have 6X versions and have shot them sub MOA out to 600 yards.

I know the listed price is $299, but they run them on sale quite often. I paid $239 for mine and they have a sample list on their website where they sell lightly used scopes. Sometimes you find deals there. I'd bet money they have a black Friday special if you can wait a few days.

The sample list

https://www.samplelist.com/entire-sa...flescopes.html

Here is a used one @ $239 including scope covers and a few other accessories

https://www.samplelist.com/swfa-ss-1....html?___SID=U

std7mag · November 19, 2019, 04:11 AM

Stevens 200 owner. Was 7mm-08. Reamed chamber to "Ackley Improved". Shot out the throat after about 6,000 rounds. Now wearing an E.R. Shaw 24" barrel in 250 Savage.
My wife shoots it quite a bit too.
I like the Vortex Crossfire II 4-12X42 scope ($169)
Fairly light weight, it is long enough to use on my Savage 111 in 7mm Rem Mag, so you'd have no worries. Decent glass without breaking the bank. Will get you out to 500-600 yards no problem. Good hunting scope as it transmits light fairly well.
I use EGW one piece base. Sturdy, but not too heavy. Though they are kinda tall. Due to the height i can use low rings.
If range use only i'd say go with Warne rings.
If your hunting and want to keep the weight down, then Vortex aluminium Viper rings are my go to.

Lately i've been using Sightron scopes. Good quality for good value. I just picked up a 4-12X40 Field Target with MOA reticle. $179.
So far i've just had it to the range on my Rem Mag. Nice and clear. Good light transmission. Was shooting out to 600 yards with no problems.
Reticles on Sightron tend to be finer than others. Some have issues with that. I have had no such issues. Really like the finer reticle actually!

Stevens/Savage stocks are junk! Get a Boyds if you can. The AT-One is comb and length of pull adjustable, which will help fit your girlfriend. She'll appreciate it and shoot much better/be willing to shoot it.
If your gonna stick with the original stock, fill the forestock with lightweight body filler. Sand to free float the barrel.

Action bedding is ok with Acraglass, but better with Devcon.

I use front & rear bags at the range. Even if using a bipod (Green Blob on Amazon! Like a $200 Atlas for $60!) use a rear bag. Amazing the difference it makes!

Good luck, stay safe!

T. O'Heir · November 19, 2019, 02:09 PM

"...not even iron sights..." That's not unusual even for an entry level hunting rifle. The M200 predates the Savage Axis. It weighs about 6.5 pounds with a 22" barrel. Which is light for a .270. It's light for any hunting rifle.
$200 is probably light for a decent scope with mounts.
600 is way too far for a new shooter. The ballistics of the .270 means with a typical 140 grain bullet sighted in at 150, said bullet will drop 13" at 300 and if sighted in at 200 like a brick between 300 and 500 to 5 feet at 500. She can work her way to 600 though.
In any case, it'd be a good idea to let her try the iron sight rifle first. Let her see if she likes it and try on the recoil. That 6.5 pounds won't be exactly pleasant for a new shooter.

Dranrab · November 19, 2019, 10:05 PM

That Stevens 200 is a great gun! Likely to be very accurate The 270 is going to buck good, so I'd recommend starting her on reduced recoil loads. Killer deal on a great scope. It's serve you well as distances begin to increase. I have one. Get it. https://www.natchezss.com/burris-dro...cle-matte.html

std7mag · November 20, 2019, 03:06 AM

T.O. still fails to realize that our shooting isn't like Canada's.
They now make scopes with additional lines called Ballistic Drop Compensators.
And the bumps on the outside of the scope cover elevation and windage adjustments that are available not just to sight the scope in.

And we now have ballistic calculators on our phones.
Not to mention that we can choose bullets with better ballistic coefficients than whats found in a Remington CoreLoc.

PlatinumCore16 · November 22, 2019, 02:57 PM

Firstly, I'm going to disagree, T O.Heir. I had a friend who had been to a range once with a mom's boyfriend, only shooting pistols. Had a terrible experience. I took her to the range and she tried pistol, shotgun, and rifle. She was getting great groups at 100yds with my MVP .223 bolt, so I asked if she wanted to try something fun. Walked her on target, a coyote sillouhette, at 330 yds within 4rds. Had her on in 3rds to an 18in (maybe 24 in? Can't remember) gong at 500 yds (plus a little, maybe 510). If the rifle's good and the shooter has a knack and a good ear for instruction, "longer" targets are not a big deal. And in fact can even be confidence boosting. She left the range with a big ol' smile.

Sorry for derailing.

OP, I own a pair of savages in .308 and while I, personally, am unsatisfied with the Diamondback II 4-12x44 BDC on one of them, that's only because I'm looking to upgrade. For your purposes, the Diamondback would be a great fit. Reticle is on the money with 168s, enough zoom to bring far targets under good scrutiny, but back off a little and you have a great field of view. Glass is not amazing, but perfectly serviceable to 600yds. In fact was hitting at 500yds this past weekend, easily.

hooligan1 · November 22, 2019, 05:52 PM

Great Guns in Liberty Missouri sells a Vortex Diam, ondback4-12 for 159.00 everyday.
Its decent for your application.

Polinese · November 22, 2019, 11:54 PM

I'd really recommend spending a hundred bucks more for the SWFA 6 or 10x especially if you're just gonna target shoot. Can practice using the reticle and or the turrets to shoot farther distances. Great scopes for the money. Can also check their sample list sight for something used to save a few pennies.

Leupold Freedom line is probably also worth looking at.

SWFA also has sales on the Leupold Mark ar scopes right now as I believe they were discontinued by Leupold along with most of their bargain lines.

I also started with a stevens but mine was in .308, great rifle to start on and easy to upgrade if you decide to do so. Savage rifles are pretty modular especially by bolt action standards.

LAH · November 23, 2019, 06:15 AM

That rifle is going to slap her pretty good. Make sure she has enough eye relief. My LGS has a Smith who will let you try a scope/ring combo for fit in store before purchasing.

November 18, 2019, 11:55 AM	#1
Eliasbmaxey Junior Member Join Date: November 18, 2019 Posts: 1	Ideal setup for Savage To all Vets and LEOs, thanks for what you do. So I have a Savage Stevens Model 200 chambered in .270 with nothing on it, not even iron sights. I also have a girlfriend who is new to rifles. I was 11B and 31B but have very little experience using glass. I’m not asking for recommendations for better rifles to use. I am simply asking what an inexpensive yet ideal setup would be to start her on this rifle. I’m referring to power and brand of scope (under $200 for her first one hopefully), rings/mounts, bipods and any other furniture which would be helpful for a first-timer. I understand it’s always best to start with iron sights but I have a different rifle to use for that. The purpose of this rifle is strictly target shooting at distances out to probably 600 yards at the furthest. She has plenty of pistol experience and has fired shotguns before but nothing on the long guns. Any advice from Savage owners, .270 owners or shooters in general would be appreciated. Thanks for your time.

November 18, 2019, 08:23 PM	#3
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,810	The ring spacing on Savage long action rifles is greater than any other brand. You'll have to choose the scope and/or mounts carefully. Many scopes are too short to use with standard mounting systems. And even with that it leaves less room to move the scope back and forth to get it set the correct distance from you eye. Try to choose one of the longer scopes and then choose mounts. The DNZ mounts would work well with a Savage and the longer ring spacing. But they will add about another $50-$60 to the package. $200 MSRP is pretty much the breaking point where decent scopes start. If you can find something discounted below $200 great, but there aren't many good options much under $200 MSRP. Burris is my go-to recommendation for budget scopes. If you're going to shoot farther than about 300 yards something with either long range dots, or adjustable turrets will be a big help. https://www.swfa.com/burris-3-9x40-f....html?___SID=U https://www.swfa.com/burris-45-14x42....html?___SID=U If strictly for target use I'd STRONGLY suggest trying to find a way to go with this. https://www.swfa.com/swfa-ss-10x42-t....html?___SID=U They make these in fixed 6X, 10X, 12X, 16X, and 20X. The 6, 10, and 12X versions are highly regarded as a very good entry level target scope. The 16 and 20X versions are generally considered too much of a good thing and aren't as good. My brother and I both have 6X versions and have shot them sub MOA out to 600 yards. I know the listed price is $299, but they run them on sale quite often. I paid $239 for mine and they have a sample list on their website where they sell lightly used scopes. Sometimes you find deals there. I'd bet money they have a black Friday special if you can wait a few days. The sample list https://www.samplelist.com/entire-sa...flescopes.html Here is a used one @ $239 including scope covers and a few other accessories https://www.samplelist.com/swfa-ss-1....html?___SID=U __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

November 19, 2019, 04:11 AM	#4
std7mag Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2013 Location: Central Taxylvania.. Posts: 3,609	Stevens 200 owner. Was 7mm-08. Reamed chamber to "Ackley Improved". Shot out the throat after about 6,000 rounds. Now wearing an E.R. Shaw 24" barrel in 250 Savage. My wife shoots it quite a bit too. I like the Vortex Crossfire II 4-12X42 scope ($169) Fairly light weight, it is long enough to use on my Savage 111 in 7mm Rem Mag, so you'd have no worries. Decent glass without breaking the bank. Will get you out to 500-600 yards no problem. Good hunting scope as it transmits light fairly well. I use EGW one piece base. Sturdy, but not too heavy. Though they are kinda tall. Due to the height i can use low rings. If range use only i'd say go with Warne rings. If your hunting and want to keep the weight down, then Vortex aluminium Viper rings are my go to. Lately i've been using Sightron scopes. Good quality for good value. I just picked up a 4-12X40 Field Target with MOA reticle. $179. So far i've just had it to the range on my Rem Mag. Nice and clear. Good light transmission. Was shooting out to 600 yards with no problems. Reticles on Sightron tend to be finer than others. Some have issues with that. I have had no such issues. Really like the finer reticle actually! Stevens/Savage stocks are junk! Get a Boyds if you can. The AT-One is comb and length of pull adjustable, which will help fit your girlfriend. She'll appreciate it and shoot much better/be willing to shoot it. If your gonna stick with the original stock, fill the forestock with lightweight body filler. Sand to free float the barrel. Action bedding is ok with Acraglass, but better with Devcon. I use front & rear bags at the range. Even if using a bipod (Green Blob on Amazon! Like a $200 Atlas for $60!) use a rear bag. Amazing the difference it makes! Good luck, stay safe! __________________ When our own government declares itself as "tyrannical", where does that leave us??!! "Januarary 6th insurrection". Funny, I didn't see a single piece of rope...

November 19, 2019, 02:09 PM	#5
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...not even iron sights..." That's not unusual even for an entry level hunting rifle. The M200 predates the Savage Axis. It weighs about 6.5 pounds with a 22" barrel. Which is light for a .270. It's light for any hunting rifle. $200 is probably light for a decent scope with mounts. 600 is way too far for a new shooter. The ballistics of the .270 means with a typical 140 grain bullet sighted in at 150, said bullet will drop 13" at 300 and if sighted in at 200 like a brick between 300 and 500 to 5 feet at 500. She can work her way to 600 though. In any case, it'd be a good idea to let her try the iron sight rifle first. Let her see if she likes it and try on the recoil. That 6.5 pounds won't be exactly pleasant for a new shooter. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

November 20, 2019, 03:06 AM	#7
std7mag Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2013 Location: Central Taxylvania.. Posts: 3,609	T.O. still fails to realize that our shooting isn't like Canada's. They now make scopes with additional lines called Ballistic Drop Compensators. And the bumps on the outside of the scope cover elevation and windage adjustments that are available not just to sight the scope in. And we now have ballistic calculators on our phones. Not to mention that we can choose bullets with better ballistic coefficients than whats found in a Remington CoreLoc. __________________ When our own government declares itself as "tyrannical", where does that leave us??!! "Januarary 6th insurrection". Funny, I didn't see a single piece of rope...

November 18, 2019, 06:09 PM	#2
jpx2rk Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2015 Posts: 387	Price wise, look at Mueller scopes, and Athlon. I have a couple of the Athlon Talos model, a 6x24 is just under $200 each. Good glass on both brands IMO. I use DNZ 1 pc mounts alot.

November 19, 2019, 10:05 PM	#6
Dranrab Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2016 Location: NOLA Posts: 203	That Stevens 200 is a great gun! Likely to be very accurate The 270 is going to buck good, so I'd recommend starting her on reduced recoil loads. Killer deal on a great scope. It's serve you well as distances begin to increase. I have one. Get it. https://www.natchezss.com/burris-dro...cle-matte.html

November 22, 2019, 02:57 PM	#8
PlatinumCore16 Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 424	Firstly, I'm going to disagree, T O.Heir. I had a friend who had been to a range once with a mom's boyfriend, only shooting pistols. Had a terrible experience. I took her to the range and she tried pistol, shotgun, and rifle. She was getting great groups at 100yds with my MVP .223 bolt, so I asked if she wanted to try something fun. Walked her on target, a coyote sillouhette, at 330 yds within 4rds. Had her on in 3rds to an 18in (maybe 24 in? Can't remember) gong at 500 yds (plus a little, maybe 510). If the rifle's good and the shooter has a knack and a good ear for instruction, "longer" targets are not a big deal. And in fact can even be confidence boosting. She left the range with a big ol' smile. Sorry for derailing. OP, I own a pair of savages in .308 and while I, personally, am unsatisfied with the Diamondback II 4-12x44 BDC on one of them, that's only because I'm looking to upgrade. For your purposes, the Diamondback would be a great fit. Reticle is on the money with 168s, enough zoom to bring far targets under good scrutiny, but back off a little and you have a great field of view. Glass is not amazing, but perfectly serviceable to 600yds. In fact was hitting at 500yds this past weekend, easily.

November 22, 2019, 05:52 PM	#9
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,587	Great Guns in Liberty Missouri sells a Vortex Diam, ondback4-12 for 159.00 everyday. Its decent for your application. __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.

November 22, 2019, 11:54 PM	#10
Polinese Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2010 Posts: 950	I'd really recommend spending a hundred bucks more for the SWFA 6 or 10x especially if you're just gonna target shoot. Can practice using the reticle and or the turrets to shoot farther distances. Great scopes for the money. Can also check their sample list sight for something used to save a few pennies. Leupold Freedom line is probably also worth looking at. SWFA also has sales on the Leupold Mark ar scopes right now as I believe they were discontinued by Leupold along with most of their bargain lines. I also started with a stevens but mine was in .308, great rifle to start on and easy to upgrade if you decide to do so. Savage rifles are pretty modular especially by bolt action standards.

November 23, 2019, 06:15 AM	#11
LAH Senior Member Join Date: March 22, 2002 Location: In The Hardwoods Posts: 1,188	That rifle is going to slap her pretty good. Make sure she has enough eye relief. My LGS has a Smith who will let you try a scope/ring combo for fit in store before purchasing.