Your Opinions and Reviews of Savage Rifles?

ExpiredMember2019

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While I have a fair amount of experience with Remington tactical rifles, I am seriously considering buying a Savage for long range hunting. I was wondering if you could please give me your opinions of these rifles as a long range shooting foundation. If I did go with a Savage, I would probably alter or replace the factory stock. All advice and opinions are appreciated.

-Model 116FSS (Stainless, internal box magazine)

-Model 116FHSS(Stainless, hinged floorplate)

-Model 116FHSAK (Hinged floorplate, stainless barreled action, Adjustable Muzzle Brake)


Thank you all.

DougD
 
I just did load development on a new 116BSS (lam stock, internal box and SS finish). It is chambered in .300RUM and a Holland QD was installed after purchase.

Overall...the mag box was a little tight to push in the loaded cartridges. A little file dressing of the box lips may smooth this. Also would have liked it a little longer to utilize more case capacity. The 180gr TSX was seated pretty deep to feed reliably.

Installed a Timney trigger...NICE!!

LR accuracy was great...at least I think so. Groups were .5 MOA to 500 yards...the longest formal range I have access to. 100yds was not very impressive...MOA...but as the distance increased the shots stayed tight...under 1.25" at 300yds and 2.5" at 500yds.

The load was a stiff charge of RL-25, Fed 215, RP case and 180gr Barnes TSX. Clean up was also fast...JB'ed the barrel before firing a round, cleaned after each of the first five rounds then after each three. When done with load work I fire five to confirm POI at 500yds then cleaned...three patches w/ Sweets and done!
 
To each thier own, i personally dislike savages. The savage action is clunky, and the overall quality of the rifle to me seems like a very cheaply made made rifle with very little attention to detail. Savage rifles do have the reputation of being shooters the 2 i tried didnt fall into that catagory. The barrels took for ever to break in and still fouled very quickley. To me they seem poorly made. i went down the path you are looking at and came right back to remington.
 
I like the savages for a budget LR rig. Accuracy is great right out of the box. If I were going to customize it later I would buy the remington instead, more aftermarket parts. I own both savage and remington, and my savage wears a 20 MOA rail, a Leupold 8.5-25 Mark 4 scope and a Gemtech sound suppressor. $400 gun with $2100 worth of accessories. That should tell you something!
 
[ QUOTE ]
$400 gun with $2100 worth of accessories. That should tell you something!

[/ QUOTE ]

Tells me you like the accessories better than the gun /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

d-a
 
When I found out how well it shot, I decided to make it into one of my showpieces.
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This rifle will shoot, anytime, anywhere....quietly
 
For long range you want a heavy barrel, and a god stock.
Most of the savages you refered to are not heavy barrels.
And you want a long barrel, so that pretty much wipes out your whole list. Savage stocks suck, Triggers are fine. I would not wast the time buying a new savage just to replace the barrel and stock. Also a smith might try and true your action and time your action.
 
Personally if i wanted a Savage LR rig i'd look closer at the Model 10/110's (Tactical) or 12's (Varmint). The M10's have the cheap plastic stocks and 24" tubes. where the M12's come in both Laminated/Stainless and Synthetic/Blued with a 26" tube. From looking at my 2004 cataloge the biggest round for both of these models is .300 Win Mag.

As has been stated the actions are a bit 'clunky' when compared to Win 70's that i've used, but to me that isn't a major concern. From everything i have found and read, both on here and in shooting mags, Savages are very accurate and cheap rifles (Never thought i'd use those two words together /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif ). ATM i'm shooting 168gr matchkings over 42.6gr of AR2206 in Norma brass for 0.5 - 0.6 MOA groups out to 300y (with the cheap-o plastic stock). Also as Hvyw8t said the barrels take a while to break in, Mine took about 200rnds before it settled down and started shooting sub-MOA.

The Accu-triggers are great IMO but take a bit to get used to, When i first got mine every few shots i wouldn't press the middle trigger right in and i'd have to re-cock the bolt. The best part is if you back the trigger weight right off you don't have to worry about the gun accidently firing when the bolt is slammed closed or the rifle's dropped /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif .

I have no experiance with the laminated stocks but the Synthetics, although flexable and cheap/unfinnished looking are still capable of good accuracy. The major concern for me was LOP, even in .308win with my scope all the way forward it was brushing my eyebrow. If your not going to replace it straight it would probally pay to open the barrel channel up a couple more mils to prevent the fore end flexing and touching the barrel. A 2" LOP spacer could prevent a split eyebrow too, if you go for a magnum /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
DougD,
With a a Savage 12BVSS in 308 Winch., the first two shots at 25 yards went into a single hole. Made some adjustment and took one shot at 100 yards; made quite some adjustment (one time) with the Nikon Buck Master 4.5x14x40. My very next three shots went into 0.645" using factory ammo Federal Power-shock 150 grains.
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DougD,

I can provided some imput on the smaller calibers for what it is worth.

I have bedded 4 BVSS 22-250s with the accutrigger for shooting buddies. 3 of them will consistantly group in the 2s (with handloads) and the forth, owned by my son in law is very accurate with several groups in the teens.

I just got an FV in 204 and with less than 30 rounds through it so far and I have found two loadings for 32 gr. bullets that group in the 3s, and two loads for 39 gr. bullets, one that groups in the 3s and the other in the 2s.

Out of the box I checked the trigger pull with a gauge and it was 1.5 lbs.

My only complaint is that butt ugly "walnut" on the end of the bolt handle. I am changing it to an older and smaller style.

Jim
 
I have a 300 WM 112 BVSS and it shoots great to 1200 yds, with only a break and scope installed. Antelope at 675 yds this last season, dropped it. Took 300 rounds to get the hand load dialed in perfect, different powders and bullets.
You won't be disappointed
 
I have owned/own several Savage/Stevens rifles but only shot two in factory form (rest were donar actions).

Both Savage 110's with side release mags. Adjusted factory non accutrigger in 270, Boyds JRS stock bedded and fitted for mag, Nikon Buckmaster 4X14 SF scope.

sighted rifle with rds 1 to 3. Shot rds 4 to 6 into 1/4" at 100yds. Barrel broken in, load figured out I think.

I used this rifle for LR plinking and even with the rounded sporter forend, it shot sub MOA out to 850yds using 150gr SST's at 3000fps. Copper fouling not an issue.



Second, same rifle in 7RM. Put on a Micaluk brake and with 162gr Amax is a superb LR rifle using Re25 and Fed 215M primers for a little over 3100fps. Sub MOA out to 940yds no problem. This one had the trigger replaced with a SSS adjusted to around 1lb.

Even still wears the orig stock but has been bedded with a hogue prefit recoil pad and foreend opened up a lot.



Both have repeatable cold barrel performance at any range I have drops for.

You don't need a heavy barrel or a mega dollar stock to have superb LR accuracy and consistent first shot hits. You just need a well tuned rifle.

The heavy barrel will help if you need to make multiple shots but for a hunting rifle, I don't intend to need more shots then what is in the mag. The sporter barrel will handle that.

With the muzzle brake, I spot my own shots with the 7RM.

I have yet to find any factory rifle that offered such performance for the same money. If not for the cosmetics (easily solved), they rival the performance of some pricey factory and custom rifles.

make great donor actions too. Building 'custom' rifles with these is easy as the actions are modular and you can do all the work at home.

My most recent project uses a prechambered threaded Shilen SS match in a 7 Mystic. I spun on the barrel at home onto a Stevens 200 action. Rifle basix 2 trigger set around 6ozs. Modified Factory stock.

Very consistent sub MOA out to 1400m (1540yds). Ran out of scope elevation before reaching the mile.



Jerry
 
I personally know of 2 mod 116 SAKs that will shoot sub sub min (300RUM) fartherest group was only 635yds at about 2" with handloads but with run of the mill bullets, several one holers at 100yds and a few at 200yds.I have read and heard of many Savages that shot well but know for sure that the 2 I speak of will perform. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
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