Savage MKII .22 Long rifle questions/opinions

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

A decent rifle for dirt cheap----got Weaver scope bases out of Brownells for $11($6 + $5 ship)--put a Leupold 3x9x40 Rifleman scope on it----the scope was more than the rifle---both came out of Walmart.

Got it mainly to get the youngsters started out as I didn't want em anywhere near a semiauto---yet.

 

[CB900F]

Bsctov;

I bought a MKIIGL a few years ago & enjoyed working with it. However, it did need work. Now then, do keep in mind that I'm talking about one particular rifle, not the whole Savage bolt .22 lineup. First thing I did was pull the action from the stock with the idea of free-floating the barrel. I found that the wood stock had been inletted with an extremely dull tool. There was enough leftover 'hair' in there make a wig for another gun! Cleaned all that out & floated the barrel, sealed the wood too. Then, just for giggles, I made a pillar out of an old piece of steel tubing I had knocking around the garage & pillar mounted the single action screw. That allowed me to play with torque settings on the screw to see what that did for accuracy. The trigger, pre-accutrigger, got adjusted & played with a bit. Then I had to do some minor fine file work on the bolt root, no big deal, just to smooth out the action. After that, I used a staining wax & toothbrush & worked the goo into the stock. That turned out quite nicely, darkened the wood & brought out a bit of grain in the obviously-not-walnut stock.

When I got done with ammo testing, it was a reliable 75 yard gopher gun for me & worth the time & effort I put into it. I also thought the inexpensive magazines were a great deal, I never had a problem with one. If I were to get one today, it'd be without the accutrigger, even if I had to buy used. You don't want to delve into one for several reasons: Torsion bar springs are a PIA & you can't do a thing about it. Yeah, you can "adjust" the thing, within the limits of Savage's corporate lawyers give you though. The stamped steel construction sure screams cheap to me. Therefore, I'll pass thenkewveddymuch.

If I were going to glass that gun these days, I'd seriously think about the Sightron 3-9X rimfire variable. Without checking, I think there are a couple of places where you can order for something like $125.00 these days. Gotta admit, I'm not going to subject my old eyes to some of the bargain glass out there. The aspirin bills more than make up for the difference in price.

900F

 

[flank]

CB900F

Would you say your accuracy improved after free floating the barrel and using the pillar mount? If you could can you give before and after shot groupings?

 

[CB900F]

Flank;

Yes, the accuracy improved. No, I can't give you the groups. The rifle itself is long gone; I sold it to a friend who wanted it for his son who also shoots from the left shoulder. At best, after extensive ammo testing, it was a reliable 75 yard one-shot gopher gun. A Montana "gopher" is actually either a Cascade or Richardson's ground squirrel. Typical target size of one sitting on it's hole would be 2.5" wide, 8" tall.

It got replaced with a CZ452, which will not get sold. But, do keep in mind that the CZ is in another price range. However, I also feel that I did most certainly get what I paid for. The CZ is a stone-cold-reliable 110 yard gopher gun.

900F

 

[Maverick223]

I agree with your assessment, CB900F, the CZ is a better rifle...and an Annie is better yet. It just depends upon your budget and goals, on the moderate end of the spectrum the Savage is a great deal.

 

[bsctov]

http://www.opticsplanet.net/barska-3-9x32-plinker-22-riflescope-ac10380.html


Will that one fit the bill?

 

[Maverick223]

Will that one fit the bill?

Having owned one, I would avoid Barska...on the very low end Bushnell rimfire scopes are hard to beat.

 

[jpwilly]

The MKII is a very accurate platform. I have both a wally world special MKIIF and the MKIIBV. The F has a diy trigger job that made a huge difference. The BV had a great trigger (Accutrigger) out of the box that was promptly adjusted down as lite as possible. The BV shoots dime size groups at 50yrds with Wolf MT.

 

[teetertotter]

Sounds like the BV and Classic maybe no better than my 4 year old Marlin
39a which is dime size at 42 yds, nickle@ 65yds, but 1.25dia at 107 yds. Will have to search around what the Classic and BV will do with the right ammo at 100yds before I consider buying. I appreciate those that commented.

 

[DavePuzz]

Anyone have experiences with this rifle they are willing to share? I'm thinking about getting one for use with CB and other low-power loads for plinking/pest control.

It says its drilled and tapped but Do I have to buy the scope rings separate and if so, is it very difficult to mount and zero the scope?



Specifically, this rifle http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/24445

A Savage mkii what?
the mark two comes in all sorts of configurations..

 

[wrench]

I got the single shot adapter from a guy on the rimfirecentral forum. His screen name is AzizaVFR. He machines them from aluminum, fits in place of the magazine. Works perfectly.

 

[bsctov]

DavePuzz, The rifle I'm talking about is the one that is linked in the quote you made...

 

[52grain]

I would recommend spending the extra couple of bucks and getting a bull barrel. Shoot it as is for the time being. I would also recommend getting one of the Accutrigger models (comes standard on almost all models except the cheapest Walmart variety). If it trips your trigger (and you're willing to wait patiently for 6-9 months even though the only quote 2-3) you can get a good laminated stock from Sharp Shooter Supply.

 

[Ben86]

I find them to be a pain to load, but that has not been my experience. Perhaps you drew a lemon?

That may have been the case. But, those mags were the worst. They also cut up my thumbs when loading/unloading them to the point were I had to start wearing work gloves. I would file the feed lips back to being dull and then 100 rounds later they were sharp again. It was like pot metal.

 

[bigalexe]

What the heck are you guys doing that causes feeding problems? I have an older Savage MkII (no accu-trigger) that hasn't failed to feed a round yet. I think my round count right now is 1000-1500. The ONLY thing I have done to cause a feed problem is tilting the rifle off-level significantly purely as an experiment.

Scope WAS a Simmons 3x9 until it broke. The gun out-shoots this shooter.

 

[Maverick223]

That may have been the case. But, those mags were the worst. They also cut up my thumbs when loading/unloading them to the point were I had to start wearing work gloves. I would file the feed lips back to being dull and then 100 rounds later they were sharp again. It was like pot metal.

I imagine that your bolt may have been dragging on the magazines (thus sharpening them). Perhaps this same problem, or filing the feel lips, also caused the feeding problems. While they were a pain to load, I don't recall ever having cut myself...sore thumbs, sure.

 

[Ben86]

I probably just got a lemon. I don't think my filing messed anything up. It was very subtle and didn't significantly change the shape of the magazine. It's a shame because that gun sure was accurate. It was the most accurate .22 I have ever shot. I could easily hit clay pigeons at 100 yards, and for a .22 that's a lot to ask.