Savage 110 vs. Winchester 70 vs. Ruger American?

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I've narrowed it down to these three rifles in 30-06, the Savage and Winchester are used rifles in decent shape, the Winchester is the plain stocked basic model, made in Conneticut, the Savage is a non-accutrigger version, both are wood stocked rifles with iron sights, and blind magazines, the Ruger is new with polymer stock and magazine and no sights, but it does have scope bases premounted

I did try the trigger on the Ruger and it was quite crisp, I didn't try the triggers on the other two as I was pressed for time, but I did like the heft and point ability of the Savage and Winchester

I've used the Savage 110 in the past and enjoyed it, and the Winchester looked pretty decent as well, all three are pretty much the same price

I'm definitely a wood and steel guy, I was a bit disappointed by how cheap the stock and mag felt on the Ruger, but the trigger pull was great, that said, I couldn't get past the cheap feeling of the American, it felt like a toy

I'm basically looking for a general purpose, do-it-all type rifle, and have narrowed my choices down to these three, which would be the best "bang for the buck" as it were?
 
Sounds like it just borrowed it down to the Winny and Savage.....

Both those would be good choices. Which one of the two did you like better?
 
I have owned half a dozen Savages and love them all, even the cheap ones. My new FN Winchester 70 Featherweight shoots every bit as good and feels even nicer but my old (1990s) Model 70 was the worst shooting rifle I ever owned, never could get it to "group" any better then 8" @100yd. If it were a FN Winchester they get my vote, but if it is an older one all bets are off. Never owned a Ruger, so I cannot comment other then to say the American has a good reputation for shooting, and has a nice slim feel, but the finish is kind of cheap, you can scratch the blueing off with your fingernail.
 
How did a Winchester wind up in the same lot as a Savage and Ruger American? Is it one of the push feed models? The Savage sounds over-priced.
 
Take the Winchester and don't look back. I've owned Savage and Ruger, no comparison.
 
I vote for the Winchester also. The 3 position safety, flat bottom receiver and a trigger that's easy to work on make the Winchester an easy choice.
 
Kachok said:
I have owned half a dozen Savages and love them all, even the cheap ones. My new FN Winchester 70 Featherweight shoots every bit as good and feels even nicer but my old (1990s) Model 70 was the worst shooting rifle I ever owned, never could get it to "group" any better then 8" @100yd. If it were a FN Winchester they get my vote, but if it is an older one all bets are off. Never owned a Ruger, so I cannot comment other then to say the American has a good reputation for shooting, and has a nice slim feel, but the finish is kind of cheap, you can scratch the blueing off with your fingernail.
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As I stated in my OP, the W70 was made in Connecticut, according to the barrel stamp, does that make it a less desirable model? it also had the plain birch stock, with the brown stained finish

The Savage had a nicer finished stock with pressed checkering on the grip and fore grip area

The more I think about it, the less I like the Ruger American, I'm sure it's a great rifle with the crisp trigger and free floated barrel, it's just that the stock and mag feel so bloody *cheap* whereas the wood on the 110 and M70 give them a pleasing solidity and heft that just isn't there on the American
 
IMO The only reason to take a Savage over a (FN) Winchester is if you want to be able to easily swap barrels in the future. The Savage allows an easy swap to any short or long action with a .473 head.
 
This is not a FN made Winchster. The older push feed rifles made in New Haven are one of the most undervalued rifles on the market. I "PREFER" the Classic's or FN rifles made with CRF, but that does not make the other rifles a bad choice. For the money, you are getting the most gun with the Winchester in this case.

As I stated in my OP, the W70 was made in Connecticut, according to the barrel stamp, does that make it a less desirable model? it also had the plain birch stock, with the brown stained finish
Click to expand...

Yes, it does make it less desireable, but not less relaible or accurate. It has less monetary value than one made with walnut and a floorplate, not because it was made in Conneticut. It is also a better gun than the Ruger American, and in my opinion better than the Savage. Others would depate that with me.
 
I can't comment on the Winchester.

I chose the Savage 10 over the Ruger American for 3 reasons.

1. Stock: the forend of the Ruger is very flimsy. It touches the barrel if you hold or rest it wrong. The Savage I ended up buying has a plastic stock, but it's much more substantial. It remains free-floating no matter how you hold or rest it.

2. Reloading: I personally prefer to top off a bolt action from the top. I'm not going to invest in 5 rd mags that are a pain to load, keep organized, and to carry around. The 5 in the rifle and the rounds in my pocket are good enough. The smaller opening on the Ruger/Tikka style receivers makes it a little more cumbersome to load from the top.

3. Accutrigger. The Ruger trigger might be really nice and crisp, but you can get the Savage down to the point where it's unsafe. But it's still safe. The Savage accutrigger blocks the sear from releasing. AFAIK, the Ruger trigger dongle just prevents the trigger from being accidentally pulled if it's hit from the side. If the Ruger were to be tuned too light, it would be a liability. If you tune your Savage accutrigger down too light and you bump it or close the bolt too hard, it doesn't fire. The sear is blocked, and you just have to recock the action. It's not for everyone, but I would personally like for all my rifles to have an Accutrigger.

I looked at several Ruger Americans, and I tried really hard to like it. But it wasn't what I hoped it would be.
 
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I've got a Savage 110 and an older Winchester 70 (also have a Winchester 670 just a budget model 70). My dad has a Ruger that I've shot a decent amount though his is a Model 77 Mark 2.

Honestly it'd be hard to go wrong with any of them. Winchester action is smoother. The Savage is more accurate. I really don't like the feel of the Savage stock between them - its very thick in the grip area.

Overall, again, you really can't go wrong with any of them, but if I had to make a recommendation I'd go with the Winchester.
 
Well, I compared the two contenders side by side, both were 30-06, wood stocked rifles with 4 round blind mags and iron sights

The Savage had better rear sights (fully adjustable Williams ramp), the Winchester had a better front sight (brass bead)

The Savage had a fully floated barrel, I could slide a piece of paper all the way back to the barrel nut, the Winchester didn't, I was unable to get a piece of paper between barrel and stock

The Savage ergos fit me better than the Winchester, better cheek weld

Bolt throw and feed smoothness were basically identical
The rifling was strong and clean on both

The Savage trigger was lighter and crisper than the Winchester, the Winchester trigger was heavy, gritty, and full of creep, felt like a factory 10/22 trigger :barf:

The Savage was $40 cheaper, and had been in their inventory for well over a year, so they were willing to negotiate, no wiggle room on the Winchester, as it had been traded within the last month, we came to a deal at $285 that we were both happy with, so I took the Savage home

It replaced a Mosin 91/30 I wasn't happy with, got full return price on that, so end result is the Savage only cost me $100 out of pocket

Needless to say, I'm quite happy with the end result, I think I made the right choice
 
Definitely the Winchester! I love Ruger, their guns, their history and just bought a new Hawkeye RSI .250Savage but don't care for the American at all. I'm sure it's fine for what it is, a cheap entry level rifle but that doesn't appeal to me in the least. Same for the Savage centerfires though I'd choose one over the American. A nice Winchester model 70 is another matter entirely. I've been eyeballing those new stainless/walnut Featherweights at a local shop.
 
Congrats on the Savage. Glad you made a choice on what you wanted and what fit you best.

Now, let us know how she shoots.
 
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