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Savage Axis 30-06

iabwhntr

Active Member
I got a new Savage Axis in 30-06 last weekend and took it to the range for the first time today. Now, I've read all the reviews online about how ugly it is but very few people commented on how it shoots. Well, I am happy to say it shoots much better than I would have thought for a $350 dollar gun. It is after all, a Savage.
The paper work with the gun recommended 165 gr bullets. So, I got a box of those and a box of 125s.
My first shot was dead center at 100 yds. Literally. Dead center. Yep, it was probably a fluke since I couldn't do it again but I'm going to blame that on all the clothes I was wearing. It was 14 degrees at the range!
Anyway, the majority of my shots were inside 4". There were a few fliers but I attribute those to rushing the shot and jerking the trigger.
Speaking of, the trigger is pretty stiff so that is getting replaced before too long but for the price that was to be expected.
The 125 grain Remingtons I shot were all high and to the right but at least they were consistant. I figure when I get new glass for it I'll sight it in using 125s for coyote.
It came with a Bushnell 3x9 but I don't care for it on that gun so it's going on top of a .22. I'll probably replace it with a Nikon.
Now I know some of you are thinking, why not just save your money and get a better quality gun? Good point. Had I been saving for a centerfire rifle that's what I would have done. Except, I traded straight across for this and the gun I traded had been a gift so it literally cost me nothing. The only money I'll have in it will be the new trigger and optics.
I would like to say however that for an entry level gun I think this one is worth the money.
If you only had 350 bucks and wanted to get a new gun, this would be the one to get. But if you can afford it, I'd say save a little a more and spring for the TC Venture or Ruger American.
I feel like I should add that Scheels has this gun/caliber for $399 and Bass Pro has it for $320. Not sure why such a price difference but since mine was already home in my safe, I didn't care to ask.
 
Savage is one of the best bolt action rifle on the market in my opinion. I just bought one in 7 remington magnum caliber.
 
Don't let the cheap price tag fool ya! Savage makes a great gun. Most of the time its the operator not the guns fault when poor shooting happens imo.
 
I've been researching rifles for my daughter to begin hunting with. Being a Remington man my whole life, I got talked into researching the Savage youth rifles (Axis youth, specifically). It does look a little ugly to me, but then all of my Rem 700s have been customized. All of the reviews on performance say that the Savage Axis is one of the best low-dollar guns on the market. I'll be picking up my daughter's rifle (Axis youth in 7mm-08) this spring just in time for her 9th birthday! I load my own and my .30-06 shoots sub-1/2-inch groups. Every rifle shoots differently, but I'd be happy to share some data to point you in a direction if you want.
 
AZ,
I personally think that the Axis is really good entry level gun and would recommend it to any one. However, you should be aware that at present there isn't much in the way of aftermarket improvements. Except for the trigger (check Rifle Basix) there are no stocks to be found. This of course may change depending on the amount of requests for such items. So with the Axis, what you see is what you get. I did forget to mention that the recoil pad on this gun is fantastic. I think it has to be though because the gun only weighs 6.5 lbs.
Also, the action is as smooth as butter, I couldn't believe how easy it was cycle it.
So aside from the aesthetics I really have zero complaints.
As for that load data, check your PMs. Thanks
 
Got your PM and will reply in a few. I know there aren't many aftermarket accessories for the Axis, but if we decide to get my daughter a better stock for it, I know a couple of local gunsmiths that make killer custom stocks and will make one for a youth girl hunter for a fraction of the normal price. At 9 and 10 (probably longer), I don't think she needs to worry about a tougher trigger and will do just fine with a factory trigger (certainly not the 2.75 lb triggers I run on mine!). Thanks for the review and vote of confidence. I can't wait to get her set up so she can start hunting elk out here!
 
Dont know bout your gun but I have the older model 30-06 just before the accu-trigger came out and the trigger is adjustable and I believe most Savages are. Didnt know mine was until I took it apart and my buddy pointed it out.
 
Not trying to be negative but 4"+ groups at 100 yards is pretty poor accuracy from a rifle. Might want to try some different ammo and see if it shoots something else better.
 
Another distracting comment/question (sorry)... why do a lot of guns come with stiff & heavy triggers & hardcore dudes always get them "fixed"? Why don't gun companies make them lighter & crisper to begin with? Liability & safety issue?
 
Not trying to be negative but 4"+ groups at 100 yards is pretty poor accuracy from a rifle. Might want to try some different ammo and see if it shoots something else better.

Agreed. I will try Winchester, Federal and Hornady before I settle on to one of them. I also failed to mention that I used my ammo bag (empty) as a rest. That too will be changed to shooting bags next time. I'll let you know how the range session goes.
 
Another distracting comment/question (sorry)... why do a lot of guns come with stiff & heavy triggers & hardcore dudes always get them "fixed"? Why don't gun companies make them lighter & crisper to begin with? Liability & safety issue?

Yes, Skip, its a liability issue and its mostly associated with older guns. All three of my Remington 700 came with factory set triggers somewhere between 4-5 lbs. I had a great gunsmith set the factory triggers to 2.75 lbs which is about the lowest you can go with those Rems without running into issues with the safety not engaging or disengaging and causing misfires or other unintentional discharges. At that point, you have to go with an aftermarket trigger such as Jewell or Timney. When you alter a factory trigger, you void your warranty on the rifle. So now, many rifle companies are putting in self-adjusting triggers that give you the same accuracy as an after-market fix and you get to maintain the warranty.

Hunters and dedicated target shooters set them lower because it actually increases the accuracy by lowering the breaking point of the sear/firing pin and, thus, increasing you not knowing when it will actually fire, which decreases flinching. Heavy triggers with a lot of creep lend themselves to heavy flinching and decreased accuracy. My .30-06 went from 1.5-2" groups to well under 1" groups after I had the trigger set lower and the action bedded and barrel free floated.

Brandt- Look at the Barnes Vor-TX ammo as well. I only load Barnes Triple Shock Bullets for my hunting rifles and they are deadly accurate. You can get Federal and a couple of other types of factory ammo with Barnes TSX (and Tipped TSX) but Barnes started making their own brand (Vor-TX) in response to those who wanted TSX or TTSX bullets, but don't hand load. Since I hand load my own, I've never used Vor-TX, but I know several who have and I've heard nothing but great things about it.
 
Brandt- Look at the Barnes Vor-TX ammo as well. I only load Barnes Triple Shock Bullets for my hunting rifles and they are deadly accurate. You can get Federal and a couple of other types of factory ammo with Barnes TSX (and Tipped TSX) but Barnes started making their own brand (Vor-TX) in response to those who wanted TSX or TTSX bullets, but don't hand load. Since I hand load my own, I've never used Vor-TX, but I know several who have and I've heard nothing but great things about it.

Duly noted sir and I will try them.
Thanks!
 
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