Why not Savage?

[The smiling swordsman]

I'm thinking that my next gun purchase will be a .243 Savage 11. Are there any arguments against the Savage 11? Are there any models better or as good but cheaper than the Savage?


PS. I am sticking with .243 because I have been told that it will handle anything I am likely to shoot here in West Texas and that it is a good choice for learning technique.

 

[Robert]

Other than I think they are ugly? Nope. They are pretty good rifles right out of the box, or at least that is what the internet says.

 

[mljdeckard]

I've always been a Remington guy, mostly because I'm stubborn, I have had a lot of guys telling me lately to look at a Savage.

 

[RPRNY]

Savage is hot. They've got their game on. They make quality rifles with out of the box accuracy at reasonable prices and there is a huge aftermarket of accessories that allow you to capitalize on their DIY -friendly platforms. They're still ugly, but great value for money.

 

[jmr40]

I could live with a short action Savage, but wouldn't touch a long action. The distance between the front and rear receiver bridges are about 1" farther apart on a Savage than any other action. The loading/ejection port on a short action Savage is almost exactly the same distance as every other rifles long action. On long actons it is insanely long. This makes choosing a scope and mounts a challenge. Not to mention an awkwardly long bolt throw when trying to shoot rapidly. There is simply no way to make the scopes and mounts I want to use work on a long action Savage.

I keep reading on the net how accurate Savage rifles are supposed to be. Enough that I've owned 3 and my brother currrenlty owns 1. None have been good enough to earn a permanent spot in my safe. Because of their unique method of construction I think it is going to be very rare to find a bad Savage. None of the 3 I've owned or the others I've shot were a bad gun. But none were as accurate as other rifles I own made by Winchester, Remington, FN, Tikka, or Kimber. To be honest you will sometimes see those other brands turn out a lemon.

Building an accurate rifle is not rocket science. If you machine everything and screw it together properly it will shoot. Savage uses a foolproof method that allows parts to fit together well without nearly as much precision machining. As long as the other brands are put together right they will be just as accurate, if not more so.

Savage built their reputation by building guns that were just as accurate as other more expensive brands. When I see actual store prices today a Savage is no longer a bargain. Lots of better guns for about the same price of less.

Not saying "don't buy Savage". They make a decent gun, but I just don't like them. Look at all your options and listen to others comments and if you decide on a Savage then you could certainly do a lot worse.

 

[MCMXI]

I have a Savage Weather Warrior which on paper has most of the features I want in a hunting rifle including a large extractor, three-position safety that locks the bolt, a two-stage trigger (kind of) and a detachable magazine. The easy barrel swap is a nice bonus but not essential, particularly on a hunting rifle. The Savage has more of the features that I want compared to a Remington 700 but the build quality isn't anything to brag about and in my experience Remingtons are better in that regard. I've yet to resolve the issue with my Weather Warrior. Even with an aftermarket McGowen barrel this Savage just won't shoot which makes me think that the messed up receiver and subsequent extensive lapping of the Talley rings has resulted in some weird optics issue. I sent an email to Ken Farrel asking him if he'd build me a custom base to account for the fact that the top of the receiver isn't level.

I won't be buying any more products from Savage, particularly after buying Kimber and Winchester rifles this past weekend. Both of those rifles make the Savage look like it was built by a woman named Olga in Russia!! Since the Kimber and Winchester also have most of the desirable features I look for these days, why waste my money and time on another Savage. I won't be buying any more Remington 700s either. I have three of those and it's time to move on. All three of my 700s were very accurate out of the box with the factory barrels and all three were very well built, but the lack of a three-position firing pin safety, lockable bolt and large extractor means I need to look elsewhere. Luckily I don't need to look that hard or far with Kimber and Winchester (and others) making such outstanding products.

For the record, I like the AccuTrigger but the AccuStock is a total POS. It's by far the worst stock I've ever had on a rifle. If I can resolve the accuracy issue and decide to keep the Savage, I will definitely replace the stock with something that costs more than $10.

 

[ms6852]

My first hunting rifle was a savage 110 in 30-06 back in 1982. I would gladly shoot against any $2000 rifle. It's my experience that most rifles are MOA shooters, but not the shooter.

All this years it is still factory and all the years I have venison on my table.

 

[JoeMal]

I have a Savage in .223 and it's a great gun for the money. Shoots better than I can...an MOA gun with several brands of factory ammo. Go for it

 

[The smiling swordsman]

For those of you who don't like Savage, what would you get that is in a similar price range instead?

 

[T Bran]

I bought the cheapest P_S rifle Savage makes the AXIS in .223 youth as a knock around learning gun for a friend who has started hunting hogs with us.
It is very lite and quite accurate even with the cheapo scope that came mounted and boresited [mounted crooked lol had to realign it]. A much more plesant experience than I expected but yeah it is truly ugly. I am biased toward wood stocks and havent seen a plastic one on any hunting rifle that has changed my mind.
All I can say is go for it they are good rifles at a fair price and you dont see that very often these days.
The critter wont know if it died because of an ugly rifle or a pretty one =)....
T

 

[browningguy]

Since the Kimber and Winchester also have most of the desirable features I look for these days, why waste my money and time on another Savage

Considering that you could buy almost 2 Savages for each Winchester, and 3 or 4 for the price of each Montana a lot of people will (and do) consider the Savage.

They are pretty good rifles right out of the box, or at least that is what the internet says.

Actually, you could look up the US F/TR championships and see what the results say. You could probably get a hard copy and not have to rely on the internet.

While I have HK's, Sako's and several customs in my gun safes I consider my Savage 12FV to be a great bargain in hunting rifles. Yes, you can spend a great deal more money to get a rifle with a fancier finish or a little better machining but it probably won't actually work any better.

 

[mnhntr]

Stick with the Savage. You would have to spend more at the gunsmith to get another brand to shoot as well.

 

[243winxb]

None Cheaper than Savage & still Accurate.

Remington has"Three Rings of Steel". Gas during a case head rupture is contained better than a Savage. The extractor can be blow out, releasing gas like in this thread. http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=465482

 

[1948CJ2A]

For those of you who don't like Savage, what would you get that is in a similar price range instead?

I would recommend a Weatherby Vanguard. IMO they are much more "attractive" rifles. Plus they have the factory guarantee of sub-MOA accuracy. Here's the website verbiage: SUB-MOA Accuracy Guarantee ensures .99" or less 3-shot group at 100 yards when used with Weatherby factory or premium ammunition.

I own 3 and have been pleased thus far.

 

[MathurinKerbouchard]

I think Savage rifles are a really good value. My only complaint about them is that the bluing is kinda crappy.

 

[lovethosesooners]

I have 4 Savage rifles (Weather Warrior, 12FVSS, 93R17 BVSS, and a Model 64) in addition to 2 Remington's (700/750), Browning A & X bolt, and a Winchester Model 70.

Love every one of these, but the Savage rifles are VERY accurate, great trigger (accu trigger and accu-stock on all but the 64 .22).think the accu-stock is terrific-excellent rifle right out of the box.

As fas as they're being "ugly", guess that's all personal opinion, but it almost seems to me that it's a bit of an internet thing-IMO, the 3 stainless barrelled one's I have with the accu-stock are as sharp looking as any other sythetic'stainless guns out there.

 

[greyling22]

tikka t3 is nice

 

[BoilerUP]

I've got one R700 and three Savages (10FP, 12FV, 110) in my safe. The 700 is a Mountain LSS which is my primary deer rifle, 10FP has a Criterion 260 Rem barrel, 12FV wears the factory 223 tube, and the 110 long action is waiting on components for a build.

The 110 long action works just fine, despite its length. Burris XTR slotted two-piece bases allow even short tube scopes to work, and EGW among others make picatinny one-piece bases that make scope length moot. My 110 action will end up being a 223 or 260; I'll be running CDI 308 mag box DBM in a Manners MCS-T and with an extended bolt baffle, the bolt throw is only about 1/4" longer than my 10FP short action. And if I decide down the road I want to make it a 30-06 or 7 SAUM, all I need is a barrel, bolt head, CDI 300WM DBM and about 20 minutes to set it up in my basement.

I guess some folks don't like the asthetics of the Savage barrel nut/recoil lug combo, and that's okay.

I was in my LGS today and they had a 700 SPS Tactical in 308 for $649; right beside it was a 10FP in 308 for $579. May not reflect MSRPs or what you see on Bud's, but obviously somebody values the Remmy higher than the Savage...

 

[Tempest 455]

I'm not a trained shooter by any means but just bought a Savage .308 a few weeks ago and 3rd time out, I'm shooting .5 MOA at 400 yards.

 

[mgregg85]

I love my savage 30-06, the last 100 yard/3 shot group I shot would have fit under a quarter.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I would recommend a Weatherby Vanguard.

I will second this. I was faced with a situation where I had $600 total to buy a gun and scope and went with the Vanguard over the Savage and similarly priced Remingtons. Don't regret it for a minute. It's a bit heavy, but I love it.

Another good option is a used Ruger 77. I picked up a tang safety model in .243 right before last hunting season for the wife and it is a great shooter. Good fit and finish too. I forget the exact price tag, but it was in the $450 range. Used but still in great condition.

 

[sixgunner455]

I have a Savage 11 in .243. It is everything you are looking for: accurate, reliable, and well made. The ammo is readily available and easy on the shoulder, and if you want to start reloading, components are available as well, and it's rewarding to load for.

Mine has a Burris Fullfield II on it, and I have to say I'm a pleased owner.

It's not a high-end gun wearing fancy wood. It's a plastic stocked hunting rifle I drag through rough Arizona terrain. I wouldn't dream of carrying something with a nice piece of Claro Walnut on it the places I've taken this thing, looking for deer and coyotes.

I spend afternoons at the range shooting it right along with everybody else's nice rifles, and you'd have to know to be able to tell which rifle shot which group.

I think it looks great, too. I've never understood the whining people make about them being ugleee! *shrug* This one's not.

 

[wickedsprint]

Savage has some nice offerings right now. If I was in the market for a bolt gun they'd be at the top of my list.

 

[Bojangles7]

I have a Savage 10 .243 and it's probably the only hunting rifle I'll ever own. As far as ugly goes, I'm not sure what makes it ugly? It's very accurate and I have 0 complaints about it. I can't imagine a more expensive rifle will kill a deer any better than mine.

 

[JonathanE]

My Model 11 30-06 is sub- MOA out of the box without Accu- trigger or Accu- stock. I love it and it feeds my family.
Dave Petzel can't write the word "Savage" without saying how ugly they are; and I see the "ugly" moniker here, too. I don't understand: what makes a bolt gun more or less attractive?