Savage Accuracy

[Roamin_Wade]

Does Savage deserve the reputation it has regarding world class accuracy at blue collar prices? I grew up shooting a Model 99 F in 243 and it’s always been pretty freaking accurate. I don’t think I’ve ever shot a Savage bolt action but with the really simple and easy system of head spacing and the button rifling they claim to still be very accurate. Any thoughts or testimonials?

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

I sure hope so----just bought a stainless Axis II .308

Went in with the intent of getting a Marlin .30-30-----walked out with the Axis for $50 less

One thing---with the cheapo Weaver bases, you need a really long scope---wanted to put my Leupold 2.5x Ultra light scope on it----the only scope I had laying around that would fit(barely) was a VX-1 3x9x40


Guess I'll have to wait for the .30-30 to put the Ultra light on.

[Scorch]

Savage has made a lot of noise about their accuracy over the past 20 years, and they do have an accurate product. BUT no more so than Remington or Ruger (according to real tests), just that those manufacturers don't blow that horn much. Remington boasts how strong their design is, and Ruger talks about tradition, but it sounds like Savage is the only one talking about what people usually buy rifles for. One thing Savage has going for it is good accuracy in lower-cost models, which Remington has been struggling to match for a couple of decades and Ruger just recently stepped up to. But real-world, Savage is no more accurate than Remington or Howa or Ruger or Weatherby or whatever. Mainly cheaper.

[jpx2rk]

I have 2 Savage FV12's from Cabelas in 223 & 204. With handloads, both shoot consistent 1/2 moa day in/out at 100yd. Both are bone stock, tupperware and all. Lots of people complain about the stocks, but I'm hesitant to change 'em with my results. I'm hoping my 3rd FV12 in 22-250 does as well.

[TJB101]

I bought a used 10PC in .223 and it is the most accurate gun I own. Sub MOA all day long.

[1stmar]

I have a 10T in 223 and it is also 1/2 moa. I dont have any newer bolts to compare it to. Pretty hard to beat for what i paid. From what i have seen, its a reputation deserved

[Mobuck]

Savage has had it's share of "ups and downs" but deserves it's reputation of good accuracy. BTW, the Savage 99 wasn't the platform on which this reputation was built.
I have a re-barreled 110(did it myself on a short budget) that is one of the most stable rifles I've owned. 100, 110, 115 grain bullets all share a common POI which is a BIG plus in my book.
Other Savage 110's I own don't come close. The 110FP in 25/06 I traded for used is one of the most accurate rifles I have. Commonly gives cloverleafs with Remington 100 grain factory loads.

[Art Eatman]

In umpteen years of moderating, I've read beaucoup happy comments about the Savage bolt-action and very, very few negative comments. I gotta go with, "They're good."

[jetinteriorguy]

I bought one of the 12FV's from Cabellas for $220.00 on sale with the rebate. Caliber 6.5 creedmoor. Box stock with factory ammo consistently shot 1/2-1 MOA no problem. Right now with a different stock, Timney trigger, and handloads it shoots 1/4-1/2 MOA when I'm on my game.

[std7mag]

All my Savages have been wholly acceptable accuracy wise. Even the old "budget" Stevens line.
Around here, PA it is getting harder to find a used Savage, especially a Stevens used for a decent price. People here use them to build custom match rifles on.
You can get a new Axis for cost of used.

Mine are not any more or less accurate than the 2 Ruger 77 MKIIs that i own. Or the Rossi R243 for that matter.
But when doing an Ackley Improved, just changing barrels, or going to a different caliber they are hard to beat.

I won't buy a Remington, mostly due to the old trigger/safety issue they had, and refused to do anything about for how many years.

Had a bad Weatherby Vangard, first gen (aka Howa 1500). Only gun i was glad to sell.

Omaha,
Be aware that all Axis rifles are built on a long action. For short action rounds the use a spacer.

[jmr40]

To Savage's credit they developed a design that was every bit as accurate as the competition, but didn't require the precise machining and assembly procedures of the competition. This lead to 2 things, a rifle that could be produced much cheaper, and one that would almost always be accurate.

I'm talking about the floating bolt head and use of a barrel nut to attach the barrel to the receiver. With that design even with sloppy manufacturing the cartridge will always be aligned with the barrel and the barrel can be installed correctly without precision machining.

If a rifle made with traditional designs is manufactured to very close tolerances, and assembled correctly there is no difference in the accuracy potential. But some brands over the years have suffered with spotty QC and let sub par rifles out the door. It is not that Savage is any more accurate than other rifles, it is that because of the design they produce fewer rifles that shoot poorly than the competition.

But within the last 10-15 years modern CNC machines have made it possible for traditional gun designs to be built with a much higher level of precision and have brought the costs down to the same level as a Savage. I don't think that Savage has any advantage over the competition in either accuracy or price anymore.

Also within recent years some design features have completely changed what we think makes for an accurate rifle. Designs with a solid top action that use a DBM, like Tikka, TC Venture, Ruger American, Savage Axis and others are proving to be stiffer, more accurate actions than traditional designs.

I've owned and shot quite a few Savage rifles over the years. Never shot a bad one, and I have shot some bad rifles from several other manufacturers. But I've also never shot a Savage that was as accurate as my current Tikka or Ruger American Predator rifles.

[taylorce1]

I agree with Scorch, I have several Savage rifles and they have proven themselves to be no more accurate than my M700 and M70 rifles. Heck they aren't even blue collar prices anymore, I can usually find a M700, Howa 1500, Ruger American, or T/C Ventuefor less money than the standard 10/110 Savage models. I miss the days when I could pick up a Steven's 200 rifle for around $200.

[Roamin_Wade]

Mobuck, respectfully, which gun gave them that reputation if not the 99? The 10/110 series didn't start until the company was more than 50 years in business and I have read a plethora of articles that declare that the 99 is as accurate as any other bolt action rifle. To what model are you referring? I agree with everything else you spoke about.

The model 1920 was an elegant rifle but it didn't take off like the 99 did. I'd love to own a 1920 in either of the two calibers it came in.

[RC20]

I picked up a couple of Savage actions to build target rifles on. I shot them to see how they would do in their base

One was 30-06, hunting wise ok but nothing special (1.5 inches)

The other was a 270, it was more like 2 inchs.

I won't say I did a lot of load development.

My take was the pencil barrels are not that good.

That said the 12FV in 308 came out of the box shooting sub 3/4 MOA groups.

Keeping in mind the pencils were 3 shot hunting type groups not my 5 shot target groups.

[std7mag]

RC20,
And how did the builds come out?

And your the guy buying up all my Stevens 200s!!

[Dano4734]

They are wonderful rifles but my Weatherby vanguard series 2 is amazing accurate in an 06 and not much more dollar wise from what I saw unless a good sale is on somewhere on savage

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Also have to add---there's a $60 rebate on the Axis models going on right now.

And----the magazine in mine seems to have an improved push button release instead of the folded over plastic tab that I've seen all over the web. Seems like the plastic tab will eventually crack after a while---but this spring loaded push button should last a lot longer.

[Nathan]

Savage has one main advantage...a pivoting bolt head. We can say Remington, Ruger, etc are as good, but bolt fit to action body has always been the weak spot. Custom actions fix this with precision machining and often some cam shape over the trigger. Savage fixes the cause.

All that said, I have seen Savage 12 or Savage 10’s in the McMillan stock shoot 0.75 MOA at 100 yds. The std Savage 10 has not been as good imo. I have shot Ruger’s and they do ok, but not great. Remington’s the same. Sure there are a few good rifles from everybody, but I think the good Savage guns are hard to beat.

I would be willing to try my luck with a Howa too. Looks like a good action.

[reynolds357]

Savage has made a lot of noise about their accuracy over the past 20 years, and they do have an accurate product. BUT no more so than Remington or Ruger (according to real tests), just that those manufacturers don't blow that horn much. Remington boasts how strong their design is, and Ruger talks about tradition, but it sounds like Savage is the only one talking about what people usually buy rifles for. One thing Savage has going for it is good accuracy in lower-cost models, which Remington has been struggling to match for a couple of decades and Ruger just recently stepped up to. But real-world, Savage is no more accurate than Remington or Howa or Ruger or Weatherby or whatever. Mainly cheaper.

It has been my experience that Savage is more accurate than Remington 700, Ruger 77 or Winchester 70. Two main reasons being Savage widely used pillars before Remington, Winchester, or Ruger and Savage has floating bolt head. Remington, Ruger, and Winchester actions are rarely (if ever) square between the bolt face and center line of the action threads. I have had many Winchester actions that were so bad I had to open them up to Remington thread to get them square. I have never seen a bent barrel on a Savage. Can't say that for the other 3. I have never seen a Savage with out of spec head space. I can't say that for the other 3. I have never seen a Savage with a Chamber cut off centerline. Can't say that for the other 3. (When I say Savage, I mean 10, 110, 16 etc. I am not speaking of Edge/Axis. I have limited experience with them.)

[RC20]

RC20,
And how did the builds come out?

They have been great. Lot of fun and getting into 3/8 to 1/4 if I can do my end and the loads are good.

Sadly I often fail to do my end.

[Dufus]

I bought a Savage 308 Win a few years ago. It had the worse barrel than any firearm than any in my history. I am not talking about chatter marks of which there were plenty, but that is common with button rifled barrels.

It shot very good, but the barrel was so rough that 3 shots coppered the barrel with 10" streaks of copper inside.

I sent it back, and it came back with a barrel even rougher than the original.

I had to firelap it with a NECO kit to cut down on the fouling.

Granted, it would do less than an inch 5 shot group, but I think that is the last one I will buy.

In another league of its own, the Savage Fox A grade is definitely a winner.

[Moloch]

I had a Savage 110 VB in 300WM and with my handloads I achieved the same accuracy with my stock Savage as my buddies with their tricked out 4000$ custom rifles. Also the rifle was not every sensitive to bullets, I could get half MOA or smaller groups with any halfway decent match bullet ranging from 190 to 240 grains and a sane load.

[RC20]

Savage is rough but I had no problems with copper build up.

I have an x-caliber thats not a whole lot better.

I just let it cover the rough and it stopped building.

[Roamin_Wade]

Do any of you have an opinion of how accurate the Savage Model 99's were/are compared to the Savage bolt guns or other makes of bolt guns?

[reynolds357]

Do any of you have an opinion of how accurate the Savage Model 99's were/are compared to the Savage bolt guns or other makes of bolt guns?

Not very. A very accurate(rare) 99 would be sub minute.
Savages worst bolt actions are sub minute.