Are the stainless Axis guns proving to be as accurate as the blued?

[farmer44mag]

Havn't really seen any stainless guns on here. I know in some other brands of rifles people say the stainless barrels are less accurate. One other place i read said the stainless barrels were better and longer lived so this is why i ask.

I have a blued .223 that will do .5 inch or less with v-max's at 100yds. Thinking about gettin a stainless in .308 or .30-06. I have been going back and forth between this or a 111/11 fcns or a Ruger American rifle in either caliber.

[rooster57]

I have a stainless model 116 in 30-06 that will drive tacks with handloads. IMHO i would choose the savage all day long over a Ruger. Rugers are nice guns but I had a M77 MII .243 and it took some doing to get it to shoot sub MOA. When I first bought it a 3-4 shot group looked more like a shotgun pattern than a group. I floated the barrel, piller bedded the action, and lightened the trigger and was shooting 1/2 in groups. This already done with the Axis!

[farmer44mag]

Yeah- i have a ruger m77 ultralight all-weather in .30-06 that i can't do much better than 2 inches off my usual makeshift rest. I always assumed it was just the recoil of the light gun but now after owning an axis in .223 that puts them into one hole off the same rest i am thinking otherwise.

I think I am going to go all out and get a savage 14/114 american classic stainless in either .308 or .30-06. They are a beautiful looking gun and i will have my ruger for the crap weather.

[rooster57]

Hello farmer44mag, Have you tried floating the barrel on your M77? It's real easy to do, and that alone took mine from 3-4 in groups down to sub moa. Basicly you just have to sand some of the wood from the barrel channel in the stock expecially on the end where it makes a pinch point.

[farmer44mag]

Mine has the synthetic stock. I am kind of afraid to try floating it as some have had that make accurracy worse. This one has the pencil thin barrel on it if that makes a difference. It's a great deer gun out to 200yds but beyond that i am kinda pi**ing in the wind and hoping to hit something.

[rooster57]

Didn't realize it was synthetic...i seem to have heard that some shooters have bedded these stocks, but that doesn't mean that it would help on a Ruger. It wouldn't be worth making it worse.

[farmer44mag]

I may try replacing the trigger spring on it with something lighter and see if that makes a difference. Sure helped alot on my .223 Axis.

[farmer44mag]

Well- I just ordered a stainless Axis in .30-06. Apparrently the price on the 114 classic stainless has gone up a bunch. As my dealers prices are much higher to order that gun than what i am finding online. That also could be a case of poor wood or old stock they are trying to clear out.

I think i am better off this way anyways. I can afford more for a scope and I won't worry about the gun when i am in the field. I am hoping this one will print .5 inch groups as well as my .223 Axis does.

I am thinking of a Leupold VX3 for this gun- ganna do a little more research on that.

[rooster57]

By the way farmer44mag...Going back to your M77 synthetic...if you want to lighten up the trigger for a little of nothing in cost, i changed the spring in my M77 .243 with the spring from a (Pilot G2 Ball Point Pen). This was the only ink pen i found on hand that had a big enough spring to do it most ink pen springs are too narrow and whimpy. The Pilot spring was almost identical in width and length just a lot lighter. When i first bought the gun the trigger was so bad you literally pick the gun up off the floor with finger on the trigger and it wouldn't trip. The Pilot G2 spring brought it down to around 3 lbs after changing the spring and polishing the contacts on the sear.

Thought you like to know...

[farmer44mag]

Is the ruger M77 MKII easy to work on? I have never had the stock off of mine. I don't want to take it apart and not be able to get it back together properly. The Axis is a snap to work on.

Midway USA has lighter trigger springs for sale but I don't know if they can be used with the factory trigger or if they are just for the aftermarket ones they have for sale.

[gumboot458]

Hi . I just joined the site . A poster on Accurate Reloading posted a link . .

I've had a number of Savages over the years and curently have an Edge that I have No intentions of ever getting rid of .
Since Ruger came out with the M77mk ll . I have been a Ruger guy .
Working on a M77mk ll is easy .
Lightening up the trigger is one of the best things to do .

If you haven't done trigger jobs it is an easy process but you have to keep the trigger #1reliable and #2 safe ...

The trigger spring needs to be long enuf and strong enuf to pick up the sear perfectly and constantly .ie always regardless of the circumstances. Strong enuf that when the rifle is cocked and on fire the gun cant fire until

[gumboot458]

The trigger is pulled .. Do this with the chamber empty

[rooster57]

Is the ruger M77 MKII easy to work on? I have never had the stock off of mine. I don't want to take it apart and not be able to get it back together properly. The Axis is a snap to work on.

Midway USA has lighter trigger springs for sale but I don't know if they can be used with the factory trigger or if they are just for the aftermarket ones they have for sale.


The M77 is about as easy to do the trigger job as the Axis. I don't have mine anymore if i did i would post some pics for you. Once you get the action out, you will see that all is really needed is a lighter spring like Pilot G2 i mentioned before and some polinshing on the sear will make it even smoother. I alway's do the bump sharply on the floor with the recoil pad and haven't had one trip yet.

[gumboot458]

Ya I do all my Rugers . And I did my Edge . I took 2 coils off the spring annd stretched what was left . Its real goodnow .

[rooster57]

You can get the trigger down to 2 lbs or less if desired by also honing the trigger and sear lightly with a fine sharpening stone. Just take a little at a time and check it until it's where you like it. I have done both of mine this way and they are sweeeeeeet!!