Savage Mark II FV review.

[Axis II]

I figured I would put this out there for anyone interested.

I started off with a Savage Mark II GXP. This model comes with a very thick trigger that breaks at about 5lbs. I despised the gun and always wanted the accu trigger model but couldn't justify $200 for another 22lr. Black Friday rolls around and a local shop put the Savage Mark II FV which is the heavy barrel, accu trigger model on sale for $150. I was torn between another standard barrel with accu trigger but it didn't balance well and just felt like a pellet rifle so i went with the heavy barrel. I was a little concerned about its balance and weight walking around the woods but 8hrs of squirrel hunting yesterday in some pretty steep terrain the gun was just perfect. It balanced well for leaning against tree shots, carried very well on a sling and shoots amazing. 2 grey squirrels with single head shots at 45-50yards and the night before I was sending cci standard velocity through the same hole. I absolutely love the accu trigger also!

My only con for this rifle is the stock has a very weird dip in the heal. I had to find the lowest, medium rings possible to get a good cheek weld. I topped this rifle with a Bushnell 3-12-40 SF Rimfire. I was a little concerned for the weight of the scope and the crosshairs being duplex and being too large but everything was absolutely perfect! If your looking for a tack driving, well balanced rifle. I would have no hesitation on recommending this rifle.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Cool love a good review. Thanks

 

[d2wing]

Thanks for posting.

 

[red rick]

I had one , but I didn't like the synthetic on it , so I sold it .

 

[If1HitU]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[BigBL87]

They really are more accurate than they have any right to be at their price. I bought one for around $180 a few years ago and topped it with a Mueller APV 4.5-15. I ended up replacing the polymer stock with one of the Boyd's laminate stocks. The stock didn't make it any more accurate but it is much more comfortable for me to shoot now (I had the same issue with the stock/cheek weld), and it looks really nice too. My love of the Accutrigger ended up making me insist on it when I got my .308. It's also heavy barrel, basically the big brother to my Mark II.

 

[morcey2]

My biggest gripe with lots of the savages (including the Mark II FV) is that they synthetic stock is designed for iron sights, but they don't have them. When you put a scope on them, you can't get a cheek weld at all. My dad has a Savage in 17HMR and I ended up putting on a cheek riser. Worked great, but someone at Savage needs to have a random encounter with a clue in this regard.

Matt

 

[berettaprofessor]

As I've said multiple times, mine wasn't accurate with any 22LR I tried it with...and I tried a lot of different loads. I finally grew disgusted with it and sold it.

 

[Axis II]

Well I got some more trigger time with it tonight and 5 shots of CCI standards it put 3 in the same hole and 2 fliers. It was 730pm with a 20mph wind so that's an issue. I ran other types of ammo through it also and it prints at worse baseball groups with HV ammo and 1/4'' groups with CCI segmented subsonic and subsonic HP.

I may do a Boyds thumbhole but im gonna try the cheek riser first.

 

[red rick]

I kind of wish that I would have kept mine and changed the stock , it was pretty accurate .

 

[BigBL87]

CCI Standard Velocity is what mine likes best by far. Doesn't really like HV rounds, but I save those for my Marlin 795 anyway.

 

[BigBL87]

I may do a Boyds thumbhole but im gonna try the cheek riser first.

If you want an extra stock to experiment with risers/etc. at some point, feel free to shoot me a message. I still have the old one off my FV that I'd sell cheap.

 

[<*(((><]

My FVSR I dropped into a Boyd’s hunger stock is very accurate and a superb suppressor host. I knew going in that I was going to change out the stock.

The one downside is the extractor. One has to rebend pressure into the spring metal extractor every so often. Wish there were an aftermarket bolt/extractor solution for them.

 

[Axis II]

My FVSR I dropped into a Boyd’s hunger stock is very accurate and a superb suppressor host. I knew going in that I was going to change out the stock.

The one downside is the extractor. One has to rebend pressure into the spring metal extractor every so often. Wish there were an aftermarket bolt/extractor solution for them.

Can you share more details on how to do that?

Thanks

 

[Axis II]

50 yards at 730pm with 20mph crosswind

 

[Mowgli Terry]

50 yards at 730pm with 20mph crosswind

My BSEV (second hand...did not order) gives excellent accuracy. No problem with the rifle. The best accuracy is with CCI Standard Velocity. This Savage will hold its own with my CZ452. Not out shoot the CZ but is respectable competition.

In reading reviews this is pretty average. One person says the Mark II runs very well. The next person sells the rifle to his worst enemy by the dark of night. It would be great to get a dozen of these rifles to run a test using various brands of cartridges in relays. On balance my feeling is these Savages are pretty good rifles. All I can say is I'd buy another.

Addendum: If I fire very long strings the extractor does not work reliably. This problem can be solved with a tooth brush and Hoppe's #9. To me, this is a Mowgli problem.

 

[<*(((><]

Can you share more details on how to do that?

Thanks

I’m assuming you mean about the extraction fix?

What I do is remove the bolt assembly and take a small screwdriver to remove the black c-clip that holds the extractors in. Once the extractors are out you will notice how gunked up it can get, so a good cleaning in the extractor slots will help a lot. Then taking a diamond file and just make sure there are no machining burrs on the extractor edges and extractor slots will help, they should slide in and out with ease. Then I take the c-clip and bend it together slightly, just to provide more spring tension on the extractors. Pretty easy to do, it only takes me a couple of minutes in the field if I need to do.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

it only takes me a couple of minutes in the field if I need to do.

Thanks Luke. The solution makes a ton of sense. I will follow with one addition. Doing this fix in the field I'm gonna order an extra C clip. This is another Mowgli problem.

 

[d2wing]

We had a prove it thread a while back, also there are tests on another forum. Savages are decent accuracy wise especially for the money. Like all brands they vary a little.

 

[Axis II]

Well I played around with my bushnell rimfire 4-12 with target turrets tonight at 100yards and came up with this tonight. I can’t remember how many rounds it was but I’m impressed for federal auto match ammo at 100 yards.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

Well, since that last post The BSEV 22 had done very well in the thumb tack game. Thumb tacks@50 yards. I feel comfortable that this and less fancy models are great for the money. My shooting partner also has a Mark II. Thee guns give very good performance with CCI standard velocity cartridges. Would I buy another? In a second! Keeping gun clean has made most of the extractor problem go away.

 

[Axis II]

Well, since that last post The BSEV 22 had done very well in the thumb tack game. Thumb tacks@50 yards. I feel comfortable that this and less fancy models are great for the money. My shooting partner also has a Mark II. Thee guns give very good performance with CCI standard velocity cartridges. Would I buy another? In a second! Keeping gun clean has made most of the extractor problem go away.

Cci standard looked like buckshot at 100yards. I kind of expected that due to the lower velocity

 

[ZGunner]

I’m assuming you mean about the extraction fix?

What I do is remove the bolt assembly and take a small screwdriver to remove the black c-clip that holds the extractors in. Once the extractors are out you will notice how gunked up it can get, so a good cleaning in the extractor slots will help a lot. Then taking a diamond file and just make sure there are no machining burrs on the extractor edges and extractor slots will help, they should slide in and out with ease. Then I take the c-clip and bend it together slightly, just to provide more spring tension on the extractors. Pretty easy to do, it only takes me a couple of minutes in the field if I need to do.

Just make sure you put the C-clip back in the proper orientation. I made that mistake once and will never make it again.

Even with this, I'll still have extraction issues sometimes in my FV-SR. Its gets aggravating because the gun shoots so incredibly well.

 

[<*(((><]

Just make sure you put the C-clip back in the proper orientation. I made that mistake once and will never make it again.

Even with this, I'll still have extraction issues sometimes in my FV-SR. Its gets aggravating because the gun shoots so incredibly well.

Yeah, I still have issues with mine, I've about given up on it, even though like you mine shoots very well. It's a shame Savage put such a crappy extractor system in them. I hope one day someone will put forward an aftermarket bolt assembly that fixes the issue.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

I have been feeding my Savage a steady dies of CCI Standard Velocity rounds. Seems like the tooth brush and Hoppe's #9 has mostly done the trick. Last time out it hung up once after a hundred or so rounds. Here, the problem was not keeping the gun clean. On chronic stuff I'd suggest calling Savage. They have treated me well resolving problems and getting the right parts for project guns.