My Newest Creation. Savage Axis...

CaptnC

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Jun 21, 2017
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1,469
Location
Texas
I shop around every once in a while at pawn shops. To be honest had I knew what I did after I got home with it. It might still be at the pawn shop.

But I have seen actions with this style of design on Bighorn actions and a hunting show I watch all the time "Best of the West ".

20171215_150951.jpg


It's a closed action and I instantly thought of a target action. I'd seen a few pictures of them and the basic design is the same.

At any rate for $200.00 out the door for a complete rifle...how could you go wrong?

When I started breaking it down and found that the recoil lug is in the stock and not on the action my heart dropped! :(:(

Just a few days after I got the gun broken down I seen a deal on another site. Actually a guy mentione he had a barrel, but no other detail. So I contacted him.

Sure enough he had a decent deal on a Savage pull off barrel (6.5-284), Lapua brass (most unfired) and the die set. All $200.00!

The barrel was not as heavy as I would like but for the money is was a decent deal. The cost of dies and brass has kept me from pursuing this caliber...it looks great on paper...until you go to buy brass and dies.

The trigger was the worst I've ever seen on any gun! PERIOD! The worst! But I looked at all the contact areas. It was all stamped steel and it was rough. So out came the wet stones to cure some of that. Also found a spring kit (spring and screw) not much of a kit but guys said it made a big difference.

Well once everything was done all thoughts of replacing it were gone! The trigger now is one of the best I have. It's crazy how easy that was and made wonder why Savage let it out there like that.

Any way the stock was pretty bad too so I started looking around to see what was out there. I found on ebay a guy selling Boyds stocks. His price was better than buying direct so I went that route.

Only draw back was he only has short mag stocks so that mention havin to open that up. Of course that's no big deal so I got one. The trigger didn't fit and the safety wouldn't work because it bound up against the stock. All problems easily solved with a wood carving set.

Picked a head space gauge from EA Brown. It came in this week as well. So it all came together this morning!

My plan for the day was to mount my Aoudad, but the hide needed to be washed and without a drier any more I had to let him hang dry...:D

Perfect opportunity to sneak off to the range! Even though it's been spitting rain all night, but I continued to pack the truck in hope it would break.

Turns out it would come and go...the range was empty:D:D...I know I shouldnt be this way but I like having the 200, 300, 400 and 600 yard ranges all to my self!

Set up the Caldwell Chrony even though it was misty outside. I set up under the covered area. I can reach both 200 and 300 from one bench.

After working up a 200 yard zero, checking my dope for 300. I was off to the 400 yard steel.
Screenshot_2018-02-03-17-09-21.png

First shot center punched the man size silhouette...dope was perfect. I moved over to a 6" lollypop. Bang...it's swinging! Off to 600yds and same thing...set scope again center punch a similar silhouette. Moved over to a left size whitetail that is about the size of a cow elf. It has a flapper plate about the size of your heal.

I put three shots in a small group with the first shot hitting the bottom of the flapper plate! Two more ce about two inches below in the white.

Screenshot_2018-02-03-18-10-24.png


These are screen shots off my spotting scope. I did video all the shots.

And here is the finished product!

2018-02-03 19.37.52.jpg


Rain and all...crazy how good this little Frankenstein shoots! Without a load work up either...stole a load off the Web that is said to be used in competition!
 
Most people call it Zombie...

I let my wife pick the color. Unknown to her it was in my top two.

Even though it was misty at the range and shooter turn out was low, I had positive responses from all the guys there today!
 
That's awesome! What would you ballpark your time and money spent towards the conversion? (Only curious as one day I want to try the exact same thing)
 
I shop around every once in a while at pawn shops. To be honest had I knew what I did after I got home with it. It might still be at the pawn shop.

But I have seen actions with this style of design on Bighorn actions and a hunting show I watch all the time "Best of the West ".

View attachment 90182

It's a closed action and I instantly thought of a target action. I'd seen a few pictures of them and the basic design is the same.

At any rate for $200.00 out the door for a complete rifle...how could you go wrong?

When I started breaking it down and found that the recoil lug is in the stock and not on the action my heart dropped! :(:(

Just a few days after I got the gun broken down I seen a deal on another site. Actually a guy mentione he had a barrel, but no other detail. So I contacted him.

Sure enough he had a decent deal on a Savage pull off barrel (6.5-284), Lapua brass (most unfired) and the die set. All $200.00!

The barrel was not as heavy as I would like but for the money is was a decent deal. The cost of dies and brass has kept me from pursuing this caliber...it looks great on paper...until you go to buy brass and dies.

The trigger was the worst I've ever seen on any gun! PERIOD! The worst! But I looked at all the contact areas. It was all stamped steel and it was rough. So out came the wet stones to cure some of that. Also found a spring kit (spring and screw) not much of a kit but guys said it made a big difference.

Well once everything was done all thoughts of replacing it were gone! The trigger now is one of the best I have. It's crazy how easy that was and made wonder why Savage let it out there like that.

Any way the stock was pretty bad too so I started looking around to see what was out there. I found on ebay a guy selling Boyds stocks. His price was better than buying direct so I went that route.

Only draw back was he only has short mag stocks so that mention havin to open that up. Of course that's no big deal so I got one. The trigger didn't fit and the safety wouldn't work because it bound up against the stock. All problems easily solved with a wood carving set.

Picked a head space gauge from EA Brown. It came in this week as well. So it all came together this morning!

My plan for the day was to mount my Aoudad, but the hide needed to be washed and without a drier any more I had to let him hang dry...:D

Perfect opportunity to sneak off to the range! Even though it's been spitting rain all night, but I continued to pack the truck in hope it would break.

Turns out it would come and go...the range was empty:D:D...I know I shouldnt be this way but I like having the 200, 300, 400 and 600 yard ranges all to my self!

Set up the Caldwell Chrony even though it was misty outside. I set up under the covered area. I can reach both 200 and 300 from one bench.

After working up a 200 yard zero, checking my dope for 300. I was off to the 400 yard steel.
View attachment 90183
First shot center punched the man size silhouette...dope was perfect. I moved over to a 6" lollypop. Bang...it's swinging! Off to 600yds and same thing...set scope again center punch a similar silhouette. Moved over to a left size whitetail that is about the size of a cow elf. It has a flapper plate about the size of your heal.

I put three shots in a small group with the first shot hitting the bottom of the flapper plate! Two more ce about two inches below in the white.

View attachment 90184

These are screen shots off my spotting scope. I did video all the shots.

And here is the finished product!

View attachment 90185

Rain and all...crazy how good this little Frankenstein shoots! Without a load work up either...stole a load off the Web that is said to be used in competition!
If you mentioned it, I missed it....What did you do for the recoil lug ?
 
I don't care for the recoil be housed in the stock. It looks like Boyds hot glued it in place. Which doesn't bother me too much because it will be easier to remove it so i can throw it away if I cut the receiver back to use a normal Savage style lug.
 
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