Why do some people dump on Savage?

[Szumi]

I bought a Savage FVT .22LR that put a sour taste in my mouth. I went through a summer of getting sent parts, wasting ammo, and finally getting a replacement rifle that was much better.

I'm really happy with my 10 FCP with the HS stock and the loggerhead mod. Happy enough that I bought a Model 11 in 7-08 and put a boyds stock on it. Still have not shot the 7-08 but I expect good things.

I like the barrel nut system. I like to tinker and DIY, I can do that with a Savage bolt action.

[jonbearman]

One thing I forgot is that they are jealous of the nut. Try telling someone to do a remage swap,some guys go biserk. The other real problem for them is the lousy trigger system that savage has never tried to improve. You cant hang a jewel to a savage and really end up with a good safe trigger.I dont like the triggers but I can live with that.I just use sss,rifle basix and a 3 screw on hunting rifles or even the accutrigger.I have interest in all guns including remmy,winchester,H&R(got a 45/70 with the jap barrel and it really shoots),fn's,colt,rock river,mossberg etc etc etc etc etc . If you love guns you love them allperiod IMHO. I love savages despite the trigger system and I will continue to build them up and have alot of fun.

[Jeremy B]

I couldn't stand shooting my nephew's axis until I installed a Timney trigger, the Savage trigger was far from smooth. The accutrigger models seem to be smoother than the models that don't have it in my experience

[1.618]

Dunno what all the gripes about triggers are about. The only Savage rifle I've ever fired is my 12-F with Target Accutrigger, but I love it just the way it came out of the box!

[Powderfinger61]

Savage 12 6mmBR adjusted trigger to 8oz
Whats not to like.
Forgot to write the powder charge, 28.3 Varget
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q18/Powderfinger04/Savage%20Rifles/Savage%206mmBR/photo-2.jpg (http://s132.photobucket.com/user/Powderfinger04/media/Savage%20Rifles/Savage%206mmBR/photo-2.jpg.html)

[wareagle69]

Not sure why some people belittle Savage. I will offer a couple of comments on Savage vs. custom rigs.

Savage offers excellent accuracy and outstanding value. The ability to do your own gunsmithing provides the average shooter tremendous choice and flexibility.
Custom rifles built for a specific application offer top shelf components and precision workmanship, both of which come with a price tag.

I have two Savages that were home gunsmithed. Both are target actions. One is a 6.5x55 with a Criterion barrel and a Savage FTR stock. The other is a 6br with a Shilen barrel and Centershot adjustable stock. The Swede shoots in the .5s and .6s. The 6br shoots in the .2s, .3s and. 4s.

I also have two Kelbly rifles in 6PPC that were purchased second hand. Both have Stolle Panda actions, one barrel is a Hart and the other a Krieger. Both actions are glued in Kelbly Klub stocks. They shoot in the .1s and .2s with an occasional group in the zeros.

As mentioned by others, the bolt manipulation on the Savage typically lacks something in the smoothness department. If you were shooting competition, this may or may not be an issue for you. The target accutrigger is not bad but can be finicky at lighter pull weights.

The Stolle Panda is so smooth it could be riding on ball bearings when cycling and the Jewell trigger breaks like glass at 2 ounces.

So which is better? To me they are both excellent. The Savages offer the satisfaction of doing things for yourself and having a fine rifle at a good price. The Kelblys are more refined, and their cost reflects this.

I am very happy with both the Savages and the custom rifles. YMMV

[D.ID]

Wareeagle69.......+1
.
On a separate note, I have grown rather fond of the regular accutrigger. Since all my rifles see field use, I have no use or need for a two ounce trigger and find myself totally content with a standard accutriger, making the savage all the more attractive.
While I have no full custom hi dollar guns, I do have several savages I have done ranging from $6-1000 and shoot in the 0.2 and 0.3 moa. I cant say that about my rem 700s or win 70s.
Tikka on the other hand.............If someone comes out with a savage priced tikka prefit and barrel nut.....watchout.

[Tokimini]

Savage 12 6mmBR adjusted trigger to 8oz
Whats not to like.
Forgot to write the powder charge, 28.3 Varget
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q18/Powderfinger04/Savage%20Rifles/Savage%206mmBR/photo-2.jpg (http://s132.photobucket.com/user/Powderfinger04/media/Savage%20Rifles/Savage%206mmBR/photo-2.jpg.html)

That's what I'm hoping my 6BR will do. Do you have a stock or an after market barrel?

[Powderfinger61]

Everything is stock, Sightron S111 8x32x56,Caldwell front rest, Protektor rear bag. I'm not a competitive shooter, but I learned quickly is to slow your pace down and pay attention to the wind.

[eddiesindian]

Everything is stock, Sightron S111 8x32x56,Caldwell front rest, Protektor rear bag. I'm not a competitive shooter, but I learned quickly is to slow your pace down and pay attention to the wind.

right on!........good shooting......It never suprises me as to what a Stock Savage can do with the right load/components...and a shooter that uses common sense.....well done!

[Mach2]

I'm surprised nobody has said it:

MAUSER 98.

The prototypical 98 action seems to be esthetically
perfect. Everything is compared to the 98. The Mod 70, Rem 700 etc are all copies of the 98. Even Savage copies the 98 but in a minimalist way.
Once you get to the bolt handle in the rear of
the action on the Savage the action ends but continues on in the 98. The shroud, safety and cocking piece are all aft of the bolt on a 98 Folks tend to think the Savage lacks the "look" of the 98.
I have a Mauser 98 too and I like it but for accuracy my Savages beat everything else I own but Savage rifles don't look like a 98. I'm surprised some ingenious gunsmith hasn't milled out a fake shroud, safety and cocking piece to stick on the end of a Savage action to mimic the 98 action.
If somebody did that then nobody would say Savages are ugly. Of course then theyd ***** about how heavy it is.

[Jeremy B]

I can't complain about the savage 11 in 223, 77gr SMK at 100 yards, 3 round group was .316" from Norma Match 223. Hornady 55gr Vmax were over 1", not really surprising but some 60 gr Vmax loaded by HPR are MOA or less

If only my BMag shot like that

[Westcliffe01]

The main criticisms against Savage are fit and finish of the bolt/action, the loose shroud on the back of the bolt that a lot of people think is going to fall off and the generally crappy stocks. Savage has introduced better stocks, but a very many rifles are still sold with stocks that are absolute junk.

Things I personally have been dissatisfied with:
The extremely coarse media blast that is now done to the stainless models and the fact that no effort is made to keep the media out of the barrel threads, between the barrel and nut and inside the action. My own personal model 12 rifle was finished much better than one a friend got a few months ago. His had an awful rough finish which was identical to what I got when I bought my 220 slug gun.

On the slug gun, other than the fact that it was so rough that I had to polish the receiver and the bolt to just make it work (bolt was also very loose) the factory forgot to install the extractor, so I had to peel the shells off the bolt by hand when I went to shoot it the first time.

Finally, I got a model 93BVSS in 22 mag and it has been an absolute dog. 3" grouping at 75 yards regardless of ammo. Terrible stock inletting with virtually no proper bearing/recoil lug area. I'm sending it on down the road, will not touch another Savage Rimfire. The magazines also did not fit, nor would the rifle feed from them. I fixed that myself, but that alone should be good for a class action lawsuit. Any weapon that leaves a factory should at least function in the most basic manner, and my model 93 is the second new factory weapon I have bought in the US that simply did not work at all when I took it out the packaging.

In future, I think I will go the full custom route myself because if one sticks to a few good names, at least what you are going to get is likely to be consistent. A custom action is probably only going to add about $500 to the cost of the rifle compared to starting with a factory rifle and tearing it apart to replace everything.

[Mach2]

The main criticisms against Savage are fit and finish of the bolt/action, the loose shroud on the back of the bolt that a lot of people think is going to fall off and the generally crappy stocks. Savage has introduced better stocks, but a very many rifles are still sold with stocks that are absolute junk.

Things I personally have been dissatisfied with:
The extremely coarse media blast that is now done to the stainless model

Finally, I got a model 93BVSS in 22 mag and it has been an absolute dog. 3" grouping at 75 yards regardless of ammo.

1 I have several Tupperware Savage stocks that I like for their light weight. Plastic stocks are not for bench work. You trade off strength for lightness.


2 The finish on all matte rifles today is low quality. Not just Savage. Rem 700s you name it.

3 Your 93 in 22 mag shooting 3" groups? Try a $800 Ruger M77 that does the same thing.

[NotoriousAPP]

I caught a lot of crap on the snipershide forum for mentioning that I would purchase and install a Savage pre-fit barrel. They couldn't believe I would not have the barrel chambered and fitted by a top notch gun smith...oh the horror! They even scoffed at the fact that I wasn't using a specialty reamer to chamber the barrel.

Glad to be a member here at savageshooters.com

[BoilerUP]

I caught a lot of crap on the snipershide forum for mentioning that I would purchase and install a Savage pre-fit barrel. They couldn't believe I would not have the barrel chambered and fitted by a top notch gun smith...oh the horror! They even scoffed at the fact that I wasn't using a specialty reamer to chamber the barrel.

I've you're not running a GAP, SAC, AI or Sako you're generally looked down upon on the Hide. Its fine, a lot of guys have BTDT with a number of types of rifles and can genuinely look at them objectively while a number of others have more time on the internet than shooting, while others form their opinion based off problems with a Savage rimfire and equate that to issues with the centerfire line.

There are also a number of folks there that currently or previously ran Savages alongside others and say their Criterion prefit shoots as good as any smith-chambered & installed Bartlein they've ever ownedd.

If you are happy with your rifle go shoot the thing and don't concern yourself with what somebody on the internet says.

[NotoriousAPP]

If you are happy with your rifle go shoot the thing and don't concern yourself with what somebody on the internet says.

That's how I felt about it as well. When I asked people there to post their results (precision, brass life time) of a pre-fit vs their custom job no one replied, exactly as I expected.

[wbm]

I caught a lot of crap on the snipershide

Hey Notorious don't even try to argue with ignorance you will lose every time. Next time you get some flack about factory Savages just direct them here.

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2009/08/savage-f-tr-team-world-beaters-on-a-budget/ (http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2009/08/savage-f-tr-team-world-beaters-on-a-budget/)

It won't do any good but at least from then on they will be "willfully ignorant"....and that's like stupid, there ain't no fixing that.

[Ol' BW]

My Daddy always said, "A man who knows how to shoot pool can beat you using a boat paddle for a cue stick!". I believe the same is true for rifles. Sure, having a custom rifle set up just for you helps, but it can only do what the person behind the trigger makes it do. If you can set up a rifle to your specs at half the price why not do it? "The suit does not make the man!"

If folks look down their noses at Savage, they horse laugh you if you drag out an H&R Handi Rifle. Yet I know guys who have won some nice rifles in shooting matches betting their Handi against the opponent's gun. ("Shooting for pinks" I think they call it. . . although I have never had a rifle with a "pink slip"). I'm sure if you ask around this forum there are a few guys here who have done or could do the same.

BW

[thermaler]

Relax--it's called "shooter's overactive bladder syndrome." Every rifle, pistol AR and archery forum I've ever been on has at least a few folks who aren't happy unless they are yellow-raining on someone's parade. It's the target grouping or meat in the freezer that counts.

After a while--you'll take special pleasure out of out-shooting there super-guns with your tinkered-Savage. I think that's why most of us love em--it's the chance to fix em up ourselves and maybe beat the pants off the slick boy rigs : )