What's your opinion of Savage Arms rifles and shotguns?

I think that the Savage firearms are probably the biggest bang for the buck as far as quality versus cost for a entry level factory firearm. I own several examples and they are ALL good shooters and even when purchased new the cost is really low compared to most of their competitors equal quality examples. The new Ruger Americans are their closest rivals these days IMHO.

Yep, FROGO207 pretty much covered it.

Don't automatically exclude Savage because of their low prices. Their rifles have won long range F-Class competitions right out of the box. I shot my highest score ever at a silhouette match with a Savage Axis the first time I used it (after sighting it in of course). Their manufacturing techniques and features are now copied by other manufactures. As stated above, best bang for the buck. You can buy prettier rifles for more money if a pretty rifle is important. I also own several examples, and would buy another if I needed it.

Savage action cant compare to a Remington 700 for safety.

No experence with that Savage shotgun. Mossbergs are ok, with after market parts available. Remington even better. Have had both.

I have a Savage Axis 243---the gun is very accurate but the
barrel heats up very quickly.
I have a savage 223 heavy barrel--it is the most accurate
rifle I have ever owned
both rifles bolt action

Savage is a great gun right out of the box. Both my sons picked savage 270's as their first rifle. Both were real accurate out of the box. I wanted a 243 so I bought a savage with a accutrigger. The first reload I tried would shoot around moa at 100 yards and the trigger was really nice and the recoil pad was super soft and it was really good at reducing felt recoil (we compared it to a friends 243 Winchester rifle with the same ammo). And by adding a better scope to the combo package you get a real good rifle for a real good price.

I've a Savage 14 in .223 with the AccuTrigger for several years. It seems extremely well-made and is by far the most accurate rifle I own.



Tinpig

Their rifles are quality budget bolters. All of the new budget hunting rifles like the Ruger American are heavily "inspired" by the design. Nothing wrong with the original.

The shotguns are mostly Chinese knockoffs, although I suspect some of the newer ones are Turkish.

Some of their guns are inexpensive (Axis for example), some are not (I have one of their rifles that retails for $1K).

I find them to be good, solid rifles. Accutrigger works well for me. The shape of the bolt and receiver are a bit clunkier and uglier than some other brands, but that's not the end of the world.

I don't own a Savage myself but it's probably the best bang for your buck. The other nice thing is you can rebarrel the action from say 308 to 243 just by switching barrels. Always thought that Savage rifles looked like it was built in someone's cellar.

Hi...
I have been using a Savage 7mm Mag for quite a few years now and am impressed with it's accuracy.
It will put five shots within an inch at 100 yards off the bench when I do my part with Winchester factory ammunition.
I have killed quite a few animals mostly whitetail deer with it.
My son has a Savage .25/06 that is equally accurate.
Not the prettiest rifles in the world but as someone once said only accurate rifles are interesting.
I suggest quality optics and plenty of practice and you will find that Savage rifles will deliver all the performance required in the hunting world.

Everyone I know who has owned one has been happy with it. My father in law has one that's had a few minor issues but nothing that affected the function or accuracy of the gun.

Wow! Didn't expect to see so many positive reviews on the manufacturer's wares; which begs the question: Why the very low prices on such well-liked guns? Doesn't make any sense...

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If you compare apples to apples their prices are not that low. They make several grades of rifles, their budget guns are in the same price range as many other budget guns. Once you get to their walnut stocked or stainless rifles those are actually more expensive than comparable models.

I think they are a good rifle, but with a fanboy base that over rates them. They have several disadvantages. Their barrels are typically very rough. Copper builds up quickly and they need to be cleaned much more often to maintain accuracy. Their long actions have an unusually long space between receiver bridges which makes scope mounting challenging. There are simply no scope or mount options that I prefer that will fit on one. I can live with the short actions. The Accutrigger has some quirks that will allow the trigger to be pulled, but the gun won't fire. Not good when hunting to hear a click instead of bang.

Their claim to fame is a bolt design that requires much less precision in mating the barrel, bolt and receiver perfectly. In other words these 3 parts can be put together with poor tolerances and still shoot accurately. It also reduces manufacturing costs. You rarely see a Savage bolt rifle that shoots poorly. But as long as any of the other manufacturers rifles are put together correctly Savage is rarely any better. But if the other brands are not perfectly assembled you get a poor shooting rifle. It isn't that Savage is more accurate than other brands, but the design makes it harder to produce an inaccurate rifle.

I think they are the butt ugliest rifle ever made. If they shot better or cost less I might be able to live with that. But I've never found one more accurate than other brands and there are lots of budget rifles today selling at or below Savage prices that shoot as well. Forty years ago you could buy a Savage for quite a bit less than a typical Remchester and expect it to shoot as well. Savage is still living on that reputation while other companies have made advances to beat Savage at their own game.

I have a Savage Model 12 in 204 Ruger and it shot well right out of the box. I have a friend that has one in 22-250 and it also shot well.

I bought two Remington 700s (17 Remington and 221 Remington Fireball) and an XR-100 (223 Remington) about 10 years ago. They required new triggers and stock work to match the accuracy of the box-stock Savage.

Small sample size, but I'm happy with the Savage.

Fanboys get criticism but haters are okay? I have a Savage stainless heavy barrel in .223 (or is it 5.56? Sorry, I just couldn't help myself...) with a laminate stock. I believe it to be both accurate and beautiful. I think the prairie dogs around here don't like it though........

Ledhead686 said:

Are they total "crapola" as their low(est?) prices would suggest, or are they worth the chump change shelled out? Simple enough question.

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The two best rifles I've ever owned are my Savage 10FP Sniper in .308 and my Savage 112BVSS Varmint in .30-06.

I simply can't think of a better value in a bolt action rifle.

"...prices would suggest..." Low prices have nothing whatever to do with quality any more than high prices. Places like Browning, Weatherby, Remington and Winchester have been marketing on the name for eons. All of 'em have or have had QC issues. Savage has not. The Company hasn't changed owners over and over either.

Bought a Savage 110 in 30.06 a few years ago. It shot better than I did. It did have a very stiff bolt though. Can't say I thought it was pretty, but I didn't buy it for looks, I bought it because I could afford it. I sold it to a co-worker because my back problems no longer allow me to shoot most long-arms comfortably. They haven't come back and complained about it.