Savage Axis vs Ruger American

I own a couple of Savage rifles and think a lot of them, but the Axis is just barely a Savage IMO. Between the two I think I would strongly prefer the Ruger. It just seems better built.

Changing barrels on the Savage family isn't as simple as you make it sound. You will need an action wrench, maybe an action or barrel vise, and headspace gauges. Then you will need more ammo to sight it in again. For an extra $100 you can just buy another Axis in the caliber you want and not have to worry about swapping barrels.

+1

And the Ruger switch barrel is worse idea then the Axis switch-barrel, which is a worse idea then a Savage 110 switch-barrel.

Which are all a bad idea anyway.

In addition to sighting in each time, and bedding issues each time you switch.

If you had 10 barrels in 10 calibers?
You will never ever have the one you need on the rifle, when you need it.

What you will have is a favorite caliber you use all the time.
And a gun safe full of extra barrels you haven't used in 25 years!!

rc

Under 300 yards?

The .308 will do anything just as well as the .270 or 30-06.

The .270 adds a slight trajectory advantage at 400-500 yards, at the expense of a slightly lighter bullet.

The 30-06 is just a slightly more powerful .308 that will handle slightly heavier 220 RN grain bullets nobody loads or needs anymore anyway.

Back in the day, the 220 RN offered slightly deeper penetration on very large game then the 180 grain Spitzer.
Today, modern bonded bullet construction has made deeper penetration with 220 RN a moot point.
Because the modern bonded bullets with penetrate deeper and shoot through more stuff then the old cup & core 220 RN did.

With that said, I prefer a 30-06 because that is what I have used for over 50 years!

rc

Big JJ, don't do it.I let my Rem 788 go years ago and it was a huge mistake. It was a .308 Win. cal. with 22 inch barrel and was the most accurate rifle I've ever owned. It would print a inch or better with any loads I fed it. I though I needed a semi auto and traded it off. I even tried to find the guy that I traded with to buy it back at any cost but coulden't locate him. KEEP THAT REM.788. hdbiker

the good thing about a switch barrel rifle is that when the G'ment limits ownership of firearms [which is coming] you MIGHT get to own one rec. & then have different cals. with barrel changes....

Keep the 788. Put it in a lightweight synthetic stock to shave weight. Cheaper too.
http://www.ramlinestocks.com/ramlinestocks.html#Remington

I'b buy the Ruger.

Put it in a lightweight synthetic stock to shave weight. Cheaper too.

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Have you actually weighed one of those Ramline stocks, or are you just assuming all synthetics are lighter than wood. I've not actually weighed one either, but I have weighed quite a few others. In extremely rare cases cheap synthetic stocks weigh 1-3 oz lighter than comparable wood stocks. In virtually all cases they are the same and very often are 3-4 oz heavier than wood. The only synthetic stocks that are significantly lighter than wood or plastic are the $600 kevlar stocks. Even the $500 fiberglass stocks are about the same weight

Identical 870's, same exact barrel, the walnut stock is 1/4 lb lighter than factroy synthetic. This is typical of factory and budget synthetic stocks.

I have an Axis in .308 and couldn't be happier. The trigger did/does need an easy mod to get down to a reasonable point but that took about 15 minutes and a $1 spring. I have heard a lot of good things about the Ruger American as well. I doubt you'd go wrong either way and personally would absolutely stick with .308. I just took my first deer with mine at 30 feet. It was almost a hard shot to place because I've never fired it at anything that close before lol.

Good luck.

You made the best choice. The Ruger outclasses the Savage Axis by quite a bit. It has a smoother bolt with easier bolt removal. It has a MUCH better adjustable trigger. The angle of the grip on the Axis also puts my hand too far back to get a comfortable angle on the trigger. Both of the stocks are cheap, so you don't win either way there. The older Savage Stevens 200 had a decent adjustable trigger, but they are now coming with the crappy Axis trigger as well. I have old military surplus rifles with better triggers than the Axis.

Congrats on the purchase! Come back and give us a range report when you get it out there.

Big JJ said:

Team
Thank you all for you advice.
I just went and bought the Ruger American.
You Savage owners are right about your guns they are very good and it was a difficult choice.

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What caliber did you settle on?