Hi Just got and shot my new axis XP today!

[Tygs]

Hi everyone I'm a noob Savage owner..
Got my 270 today and shot the first 5 rounds before the rain come...
I took bolt out and looked through barrel and scope on a 25 yard paper target. 1st shot 1" right and 1 and 1/4" high. That was my first shot in over 20 years.. Gun is loud and kicks hard :D..

Moved on to a 100 yard target!
1st shot completely missed the target I figured it was the hard trigger and my in experience LOL..
2nd shot at 100yards I hit off paper on cardboard and guessed it to be 8 inches high. I felt I had a good shot this one so turned down my scope 32 Clicks!
3rd shot I hit 1 1/4 " right and 1/2" high Not bad at all if I do say so myself..! Turned scope left 4 clicks..
4th and final shot at 100 yards I was 1/4" high and 1" left. I expect i'm close to being dialed in and just need to practice.. :)

I ran a cleaning rod through barrel after each shot and cleaned and oiled when I got home. I plan to continue ths tell I get through a box or 2 of shells to break it in right!

I'm using the Bushnell Sharpshooter scope that came with the gun and was shooting off a coleman camping table with a grocery bag and jacket rest on front and a sweater on butt for a rest lol.. Yes it was pretty wobbly!

Overall I'm very happy with the gun so far except the trigger is tough and the recoil is hard on my 42yr old 145lb skinny frame.. I think I will be very happy with this rifle for years to come once I get a recoil shoulder pad and "maybe" change/tune the trigger... This is a hunting rifle so no plans to bed it or do to much to it.. Was worried about scope but so far its great..

[thermaler]

Hi everyone I'm a noob Savage owner..
Got my 270 today and shot the first 5 rounds before the rain come...
I took bolt out and looked through barrel and scope on a 25 yard paper target. 1st shot 1" right and 1 and 1/4" high. That was my first shot in over 20 years.. Gun is loud and kicks hard :D..

Moved on to a 100 yard target!
1st shot completely missed the target I figured it was the hard trigger and my in experience LOL..
2nd shot at 100yards I hit off paper on cardboard and guessed it to be 8 inches high. I felt I had a good shot this one so turned down my scope 32 Clicks!
3rd shot I hit 1 1/4 " right and 1/2" high Not bad at all if I do say so myself..! Turned scope left 4 clicks..
4th and final shot at 100 yards I was 1/4" high and 1" left. I expect i'm close to being dialed in and just need to practice.. :)

I ran a cleaning rod through barrel after each shot and cleaned and oiled when I got home. I plan to continue ths tell I get through a box or 2 of shells to break it in right!

I'm using the Bushnell Sharpshooter scope that came with the gun and was shooting off a coleman camping table with a grocery bag and jacket rest on front and a sweater on butt for a rest lol.. Yes it was pretty wobbly!

Overall I'm very happy with the gun so far except the trigger is tough and the recoil is hard on my 42yr old 145lb skinny frame.. I think I will be very happy with this rifle for years to come once I get a recoil shoulder pad and "maybe" change/tune the trigger... This is a hunting rifle so no plans to bed it or do to much to it.. Was worried about scope but so far its great..I have one also and I found that putting an after-market lighter trigger in helped immensely. The recoil on that very light flexible stock is a real kicker--I found that reinforcing both the foreend and buttstock areas is worth the time and effort--before that I had a couple of nice scope-eye tattoos. It will only cost you about $100 and a few hours time--but well worth it; especially if it takes away that "anticipatory bang flinch."

[Tygs]

might try a limbsaver recoil pad and / or a shoulder pad LOL I did notice the bang flinch but hope that was more to not shooting in 20 years

[goinssr]

I have one also and I found that putting an after-market lighter trigger in helped immensely. The recoil on that very light flexible stock is a real kicker--I found that reinforcing both the foreend and buttstock areas is worth the time and effort--before that I had a couple of nice scope-eye tattoos. It will only cost you about $100 and a few hours time--but well worth it; especially if it takes away that "anticipatory bang flinch."

How did you reinforce the buttstock? Spray foam or did you use another method?

[thermaler]

How did you reinforce the buttstock? Spray foam or did you use another method?I took a piece of 1" diameter aluminum tubing and flattened one end with a hammer so that the tube could go as far as possible into the stock near the trigger/comb area (the tube extends back to the buttpad). I epoxied it into place, as well as beefing up the area with a big gob of RC7. I then filled the rest of the buttstock area in with a spray concrete gap filler which name escapes me at the moment. The achilles heel remains the thin-walled area of the trigger well in the stock. Both of my axis rifles (270 and 308) shot much better after I did these mods, along with the lighter-pull trigger jobs. I just did the same treatment to my new 300 win mag 111 hunter even though it comes with a much beefier walled stock than the axis (though the stock non-accutrigger is arguable worse than that which comes with the axis). There are plenty of trigger tricks you can do--but I'm of the opinion that you should simply get the rifle basix which in my opinion is the best overall solution for the axis in terms of ease of installation, reliability, adjustability and affordability.

[Tygs]

I bought this to hunt with and I'm far from an expert shooter.. Fact I hit 2 shots in a 2 inch group is great for me for a 100 yard shot. I don't know enough about bedding the stock and reinforcing the butt to try it. Guessing I'm so inexperience I probably won't know the difference. I may work on the trigger and I will try limb savers but guessing that will be the extent of it..

Going on an elk hunt on Saturday wish me luck!

[thermaler]

I bought this to hunt with and I'm far from an expert shooter.. Fact I hit 2 shots in a 2 inch group is great for me for a 100 yard shot. I don't know enough about bedding the stock and reinforcing the butt to try it. Guessing I'm so inexperience I probably won't know the difference. I may work on the trigger and I will try limb savers but guessing that will be the extent of it..

Going on an elk hunt on Saturday wish me luck!I hear ya--it is an adequate hunter--though what most of us here have found is that with a little work and investment the axis can be turned into a great shooter. It's not as hard or technical as you may think--if I can do it I'm sure anybody could! Good luck with your hunt.

[willyp]

Tygs,first of all,the very best of luck on your hunt! The Limb saver or Decelerator recoil pads are a very big help and worth using. I only use them,the slip on style,when shooting from the bench for sight in shots. When setting down,behind the rifle,you get the full thrust of the recoil,but man,when you see that Big Ole Elk,and you are standing there and pull the trigger,you won't even hear that gun go off nor fell it!!!!!!!!!!! When hunting,i don't have the recoil pad on the gun? I find the hunting clothes and standing takes its place! I like the slip on type for this reason.
Don't forget to let us know how you make out,on your hunt.

[thermaler]

My "theory" about lightweight guns like the axis is that much of the perceived recoil force is simply due to the fact that your buttstock is nothing more than an empty shell of plastic and that having weight in there--like a pillar or something solid--will help reduce the felt recoil impact. I could be imagining this, but it works for me.

[LoneWolf]

Before I dropped mine in the nex stock I had filled the old stock with Bondo Body Filler. It adds some weight, gets rid of the nasty hollow sound when the bolt is operated, and adds just enough weight to give it a more secure feeling when you pick it up. It dries harder than spray foam and can be drilled to add more weight or reinforcement down the road if you wanted.

When i filled it, I just dropped a dime in and shook until it sat flat over the little notch for the trigger guard. Worked like a charm!

I'm not sure why more Axis owners didn't follow that route. The buttstock on my factory stock sounds like knocking on a wood stock with the bondo filling.

[fgw_in_fla]

The part I hated was after putting on a fat barrel, it would nosedive / tilt on the bipod.
I've used old brass door hinges, blocks of oak & even sheet roofing lead to ballast it all with a generous dollop of epoxy to hold it in place.

I don't like a rifle that's light. I need something with some mass to it even if it's heavy dragging it thru the jungle. Besides, my wife doesn't mind carrying 2 rifles when we hunt, explore, wander thru the swamps.

PS - Lots of luck with the new toy. Welcome to your new addiction.

[DocNugent]

. . . I don't know enough about bedding the stock and reinforcing the butt to try it. . . .
This is the method I think I'll try someday:
http://www.savageshooters.com/showthread.php?18711

[fgw_in_fla]

This is the method I think I'll try someday:
http://www.savageshooters.com/showthread.php?18711

It's easier than you think Doc.
Have a go of it.
So easy, a Savage Axis owner can do it...