Surprised Surprised Savage Axis

PanhandlePredators44

PanhandlePredators44

Member
Well I’m a former gun snob that many of times have turned my nose up at cheap rifles and savage in general. Well due to the reality of financial burdens and raising a family I don’t have as much money and live life just getting by most of the time . Well I still wanted to get out the woods and do more hunting when life will let me . So I have been shopping for awhile and the other day I found a like new savage axis in 308win . It has a camo stock so it kinda made aesthetically more pleasing to look at lol . I needed a cartridge that could do multiple kinds of hunts coyotes, mainly bear and Whitetail. So after looking it over, I got the rifle for 300 bucks . I mounted a Vortex copperhead 4-14x44 on it and bought some what I thought would be just get on paper ammo . Well after getting on paper and dialed I shot two groups with what I had left in the box . This is the results . I’m SHOCKED.
 

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Savage builds a good barrel. I’ve had quite a few over the years, and they have all been shooters with all sorts of ammo. Currently have a 22-250 take off barrel that looks like a pitted mess inside, but still shoots a 52 gr BTHP at 3800+ into little tiny holes. It shouldn’t, but it does. Their actions could use some refinement, but not the barrels. Hope you make a lot of lasting memories with it.
 
The only Savages I’ve shot kicked like mules!! One was a .270 and the other a .308. I now know why those folks wanted me to make sure their rifles were on, lol!
 
Ive got lots of buddys that turn their noses up at Savage but they dont have anything that shoots better so i just laugh.
Them cheap Stevens 200 rifles shoot really good for the price.
Never had one in 308 but .223, 243, and 25-06. And a Old savage 110 in 300WM.
 
I rarely buy factory ammo but I also have a couple rifles that shoot quite well with factory ammo. It's nice knowing if out of state hunting, factory ammo can be purchased and have reliable accuracy.
 
It just demonstrates how good the machining is now. CNC has come a long way. Literally entry level rifles like the RAR and the Savage Axis will outperform the capabilities of almost all shooters, and do it with factory ammo. Even 20 years ago, you'd have to buy a custom rifle to get that kind or precision, and it would have cost $15k (adjusted for inflation) to get a custom with a .5moa accuracy guarantee. We live in the good ol days and don't even know it.
 
Nothing wrong with the accuracy of an axis, for hunting and mild benchrest even. Theres some upgrades you can do on the cheap as well. The mcarbo trigger springs if its a standard trigger. And the desh bolt lift kit for all axis.

Dont mid the extra holes, was testing powder weights. Center hit is the sighter and new aim point for the 36.5gr group since the square is too big to aim for groups. Top left is part of other group

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i've been thinking about a savage axis II precision for awhile, comes with an MDT Chassis system. just cant justify it. my 30-06 does everything i need it to do.

my daughter shoots a savage axis in 7mm-08, that thing is really accurate

(oops...my daughter in law shoots one, not my daughter)
 
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BBK said:
Nothing wrong with the accuracy of an axis, for hunting and mild benchrest even. Theres some upgrades you can do on the cheap as well. The mcarbo trigger springs if its a standard trigger. And the desh bolt lift kit for all axis.

Dont mid the extra holes, was testing powder weights. Center hit is the sighter and new aim point for the 36.5gr group since the square is too big to aim for groups. Top left is part of other group

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Wow !!!
 
Nothing at all wrong with an Axis thats for sure
I have one in 6.5 Creedmoor and it will hold a .625 group all the time. Its a heck of a shooter.
My wife has a 7mm-08 I bought her for deer hunting and it shoots a .750 group consistantly.
They are good shooters for sure.
I took both of ours and put in a M-Carbo trigger spring kits and also Bolt lift kits.
My 6.5 has a longer bolt handle added on.
Next thing is to get rid of the cheap plastic stock and go to more of a chassis and it will be done.
 
I have bought two of them over the years. Both now belong to my kids and both were .223's. The first was purchased as a cheapo knock-around to carry in the feed wagon. Mounted a cheapo $35 burris from walmart on top. Perfect pickup gun, falls out, gets knocked around, no big deal. After zeroing that rifle scope combo, I never touched the scope again in the 6 years I packed it around in the pickup and it shot straight every time! I touched up the bluing, polished on the trigger a bit and put it in a Boyd's thumbhole for one of my boys as a gift. He didn't even think it was the same rifle lol. The second was a gen 2. It came topped with a 3x9 Weaver new. Don't know what the trigger was but first time I shot it, I thought the dang safety was on, it was so stiff. Took it apart and polished everything and cut a coil or so off of the spring and turned it into a pretty dandy little trigger for the gun. It shoots exceptionally well also! I was much like you being a "gun snob" but Savage does make a helluva budget gun!
 
champ198 said:
I have one in 6.5 Creedmoor and it will hold a .625 group all the time. Its a heck of a shooter.
Next thing is to get rid of the cheap plastic stock and go to more of a chassis and it will be done.
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If a rifle shoots 3/4 MOA out of the box, I won't touch the stock, even if it is a plastic stock. None are the Axis, but my 3 Savages all still wear the cheap plastic stocks for that very reason. :giggle:
 
hm1996 said:
If a rifle shoots 3/4 MOA out of the box, I won't touch the stock, even if it is a plastic stock. None are the Axis, but my 3 Savages all still wear the cheap plastic stocks for that very reason. :giggle:
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Shooting that on the bench and out in the field are totally different. The axis stock will flex and push on the barrel when a bipod/tripod is attached and you move the gun at all. Your accuracy goes right out the window when that happens.

The mdt, magpul, boyds stock upgrades fix this.
 
BBK said:
Shooting that on the bench and out in the field are totally different.
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Absolutely. Agree that a bipod on a flimsy stock can destroy accuracy, especially if barrel contacts the stock. I've had no issues with any of the 100 series Savage plastic stocks, but I do not like bipods...on any stock. I just never learned to load a bipod correctly. Shooting from good solid position off sticks field accuracy can be pretty darn close to the bench.

BBK said:
The axis stock will flex and push on the barrel when a bipod/tripod is attached and you move the gun at all.
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The stocks on 110 Savage are pretty flimsy, are the Axis stocks any flimsier?
Keeping pressures same from shot to shot is all important to accuracy. That, to me, is the advantage of sticks, as I can grasp sling and sticks w/left hand and pull rifle into shoulder exactly same from shot to shot.
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I have several Savages that I got after market stocks for but have gone back to the plastic stocks and all shoot very well. By well I mean sub MOA as they are hunting guns
 
hm1996 said:
Absolutely. Agree that a bipod on a flimsy stock can destroy accuracy, especially if barrel contacts the stock. I've had no issues with any of the 100 series Savage plastic stocks, but I do not like bipods...on any stock. I just never learned to load a bipod correctly. Shooting from good solid position off sticks field accuracy can be pretty darn close to the bench.


The stocks on 110 Savage are pretty flimsy, are the Axis stocks any flimsier?
Keeping pressures same from shot to shot is all important to accuracy. That, to me, is the advantage of sticks, as I can grasp sling and sticks w/left hand and pull rifle into shoulder exactly same from shot to shot.
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Way, way, way flimsier. Laughable how weak it is honestly. Can easily bend it to touch barrel with two fingers.

The current model axis is better, but its also $500-600 bare rifle.
 
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