Savage Axis XP

Status
Not open for further replies.
I bought one a while back in 30-06. It shot ok. I think .308 is a great choice. The only problem I had with it is a stock was too flexible. It went on to a hunting buddy. He put a better scope on it and likes it. It's a good buy for the money.
 
I have the Axis II in .25-06. It shoots every factory 100 gr I've tried, very well and I like the Accutrigger. I haven't noticed any issues with the stock, but then the .25-06 is relatively light recoil. The Axis II makes for an accurate, relatively lightweight, affordable rifle. I mounted a Leupold VX-3i 3.5-10x40. It weighs in at 7.5 lbs (no ammo).
 
The XP packages that come with scopes are mounted high enough as to not interfere with the action. As far as beginning rifle shooters, I`m new to it myself, it would appear to me that the Savage XP packages are a great deal, especially for first rifles and those who don`t want to try to mount the first scopes they own. IMHO the Vortex Crossfire that came on my 110 Storm XP in .223 has been more than adequate.
 
The Axis II (no scope) and the Axis XP (with scope) can be found for about the same price. Buying the Axis II gets you the Accutrigger, but you'll have to buy the mounts, rings, and scope. The Axis XP gets you the mounts, rings, and scope, but you'll probably want to upgrade the trigger and the scope. The Weaver Kaspa that came on my Axis II XP wasn't very good. I updgraded to the Leupold when I found one on sale.
 
All things considered I have plenty of small and large rifle primers, powder and brass and bullets for either .223 Rem or .308 Win. including plenty of brass. While I was .308 Win leaning I figure the .223 Rem chambering will be fine. Tomorrow, against my better Black Friday judgement I will venture to Cabela's and look for a .223 Rem for the kid. I'll load him his first 50 rounds. Really for a first rifle and starter rifle it will do fine. I may even get more generous with loading 100 rounds and actually I likely have a few thousand .223 laying around. :) Hopefully they have the .223 Rem in stock.

I do want to thank all of you who have contributed to this thread. Not knowing much about the new Savage manufactured rifles your information is invaluable to me.

Hope all of you out there in THR are having a happy and safe Thanksgiving,

Ron
 
Reloadron after buying my first rifle which was a used Savage Axis in 223 I liked it so much I soon found a purchased a Savage Model 10 (used) also in 223 which is what I am shooting now. And again being so impressed with the Savage I purchased a used Savage Model 11 in 243 that I bought as just a barrel action, the polymer stock was broken in half. That rifle is turning into this; https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/richards-field-trekker-arrived.895346/

The stock is getting close to being finished and I still have not settled on what I am going to rebarrel it with.
 
wombat13 said:
The Weaver Kaspa that came on my Axis II XP wasn't very good. I updgraded to the Leupold when I found one on sale.
Click to expand...

I found that the weaver kaspa ok, it's definitely not a target optic, 9x covered the 2 I. Aim point on my targets at 200 yds, the retical is on the thick side for fine work but would be a decent hunting scope. That being said I did use it out to 550 and it did ok at that range.
 
wombat13 said:
The Axis II (no scope) and the Axis XP (with scope) can be found for about the same price. Buying the Axis II gets you the Accutrigger, but you'll have to buy the mounts, rings, and scope. The Axis XP gets you the mounts, rings, and scope, but you'll probably want to upgrade the trigger and the scope. The Weaver Kaspa that came on my Axis II XP wasn't very good. I updgraded to the Leupold when I found one on sale.
Click to expand...

I believe the Axis II XP now comes with a Bushnell Banner scope. For a budget scope, pretty good reviews.
 
gotboostvr said:
I just found out that Savage is chambering the Axis line in 6ARC.

I'm no great fan of any of the Savage actions, but dang. Between 280AI and 6ARC they really like chambering rifles in cartridges I'm interested in that no one else is doing.
Click to expand...

If you lap the actions and replace the bolt handle they're not so bad. I put a tactical handle from Everglades on mine. It sticks out a bit, but gives plenty of scope clearance.
 
Savage is pushing those Savage XP's hard this year, I've been seeing deals on them left and right. I got the cables flier too and my local gun shop has a few with camo stocks, $325 scoped is a pretty good deal for a decent starter rifle. From what I hear they are shooters and will shoot MOA.

They don't win any prizes in the quality fit and feel department and if you're an old school blued and walnut kind of guy you will hate it no matter how good it shoots. The stocks feel like toy plastic and make the rifle feel light and flimsy and the flexyness of the stock just make it feel, blech..... but, like the ruger Americans they can shoot well and put meat on the table for an extremely good price..
 
Hugger-4641 said:
If you lap the actions and replace the bolt handle they're not so bad. I put a tactical handle from Everglades on mine. It sticks out a bit, but gives plenty of scope clearance.
Click to expand...

You aren't wrong, but by the time I pay for or do that much I'd just as well buy a Model 10/11 instead. If I hadn't gotten my Axis crazy cheap, that's what I probably would have done. That, or get a Ruger American.
 
I like my Axis well enough. Autumn camo wood stock, with the vortex scope I put on it.
Can't give you a range report yet. The bolt is meh for a bolt action ,yes but compared to a Carcano it's steps above. Perfectly doable for a hunting setup.
Dont know how well i'd recommend as a first rifle to someone though. I have yet to see issues. My main purpose for mine will be testing my reloads.
 
I can't help but throw this out there, but if not hunting, a .22lr like a 10/22 would be an excellent starter rifle and something he could plink away with all day cheaply, and if children are in the future, even better.

But as others noted, the .223 Axis would be an excellent place to start and while not quite as cheap as .22lr, still very economical and recoil is very tolerable for a new shooter.
 
Now there have been 44 responses and I have yet to see anyone mention the one widely known issue of Failure to Fire with many Axis rifles, mine included. The issue seems to revolve around the guns firing pin spring and has been well reported on the Savage forum. Mine I tried reloading using CCI #41 primers and ended up with a 50% FTF rate. With all other primers I get about 3% failure with what looks like very light primer strikes. I still refuse to eliminate this gun.
 
kmw1954 said:
Now there have been 44 responses and I have yet to see anyone mention the one widely known issue of Failure to Fire with many Axis rifles, mine included. The issue seems to revolve around the guns firing pin spring and has been well reported on the Savage forum. Mine I tried reloading using CCI #41 primers and ended up with a 50% FTF rate. With all other primers I get about 3% failure with what looks like very light primer strikes. I still refuse to eliminate this gun.
Click to expand...
When you sent the gun back to Savage, were they not able to resolve the issue?
 
kmw1954 said:
Now there have been 44 responses and I have yet to see anyone mention the one widely known issue of Failure to Fire with many Axis rifles, mine included. The issue seems to revolve around the guns firing pin spring and has been well reported on the Savage forum. Mine I tried reloading using CCI #41 primers and ended up with a 50% FTF rate. With all other primers I get about 3% failure with what looks like very light primer strikes. I still refuse to eliminate this gun.
Click to expand...
Not doubting what you say, but I own 2 and have sighted in 6 more this season that I don't own, haven't seen the FTF problem yet, maybe they fixed the issue. Mine and all the others I shot are less than 2yrs old.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

spanky1968
  • Locked
Savage Model 12/112 Vs Axis
Replies
8
Views
4K
spanky1968
spanky1968
J
  • Locked
Savage axis 308
Replies
11
Views
1K
chad1043
C
F
  • Locked
Savage AXIS left hand version with factory threaded barrel.
Replies
1
Views
395
fragout
F
F
  • Locked
Remington 770 or Savage 111 FXP3 or Savage axis???
2
Replies
33
Views
3K
sixgunner455
S
Deanimator
  • Locked
Savage Axis?
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
LoonWulf
LoonWulf
Back
Top