Just bought an axis, Now what?

[2300gearjammer]

It hasnt arrived yet but I'm excited regardless. Ive never owned a new rifle let alone been the first person to fire one. Is there a break-in procedure or anything I need to do as far as shooting a certain number of times and then clean it or just clean it at the end of the first day and it'll be fine.

I read the online owners manual and didnt see anything, unless I missed it.

[cranebird]

Congrats on the new Axis,what caliber did you buy ? Here is the Savage site thought on break in procedure (http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/proceduresbarrelbreakin/) that you missed.:pop2:

[FW Conch]

If you do a search here, you will get many answers to your questions. "My" answer is, from day one, I shoot it like I'm always going to shoot it. "And", I make sure I don't wear my barrels out cleaning them, rather than shooting them. JMHO ;-)) and this is just me!

Now my "BIL" has rifles built with "Lilja" barrels, and he shoots up about 100 rounds into an old dynamite safe, breaking them in. "I" think he is just wasting 100 rounds, and putting 100 rounds of unnecessary wear on those pretty barrels, including all that associated cleaning that is involved. And this, after paying top dollar for one of the "smoothest" barrels in the industry. The only thing I can see that can happen as a result of just shooting the barrel normally, is the accuracy will just improve over that period. But that's just me!-"Just Sayin" ;-))

Good Luck-Good Shooting.....Jim

[wbm]

"I" think he is just wasting 100 rounds, and putting 100 rounds of unnecessary wear on those pretty barrels

"I" think you are right!

Clean the barrel and shoot it! When accuracy falls off take some foaming bore cleaner, I use GunSlick, and clean it. Keep bore brushes out of the bore as much as possible.

[2300gearjammer]

Congrats on the new Axis,what caliber did you buy ? Here is the Savage site thought on break in procedure (http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/proceduresbarrelbreakin/) that you missed.:pop2:

Ha, I figured that would have an array of replies. I made it to the manuals somehow and missed the link for maintenance. Wow thats a 50 round break-in. I'll be surprised if I put 50 rounds through this thing in 5 years.

Edit: Caliber is a 30-06

[Rogeritall]

Just be sure to clean it before you shoot it... When I bought mine the bore was a filthy mess.

[Rosco]

Also, throughly check the gun. One of my Actions screws was loose which if you tighten after you mount your scope might cause an issue.

[sixonetonoffun]

Is it an XP? If so I would go a step farther and take the scope off, take the mounts off and take the base screws out 1 at a time put a drop of blue or purple loctite (clear nail polish works fine). Reassemble. Guy from work came over with an XP package rifle to sight in. Was almost done shooting @100 yards when suddenly his new 30-06 started wandering all over. The bases had come loose.

[2300gearjammer]

If the scope is the only difference with an XP then yes. These are the type of tips I'm looking for. Thanks guys!

[2300gearjammer]

Well I finally got it and was able to go out shooting on two separate occasions with varying results. The first trip was a mess and mostly making noise. A combination of me not being very good plus not having a sturdy rest to start on made it tough. It also had a little more kick than I was used to, so theres still a level of getting comfortable with it.

The second trip out was yesterday. I started over trying to sight it in, keeping in mind im a rookie in every sense of the word. I started at about 50yards and shot 9 times. Very frustrating in that I made adjustments slowly knowing that a bunch of shots were off because of me getting jumpy. I was barely shooting in a 2" group there but finally I hit 3 in an inch. I moved it back to 100yards and it didnt change much. I was getting waaay more jumpy so on the few that I could relax the group was back in the 1" range. I took a break and shot a .22 250 a few times to let my brain reset. Then shot once leaning against a vertical post that was 1/2" high and 2" left. Then a final shot on a bag on a solid table the way i had all day and that was 1/8" left and 1/8" low. I was pretty excited by that one and it was easy to tell that i was completely relaxed when i shot.

Now I'm thinking about the best way to deal with such a heavy trigger pull without replacing the assembly or cutting the spring I have. Does anybody make a drop in spring that will help? I want it to be reversible just so i can always go back to square one.

....outside of all of that I couldnt be more excited. I'm really pumped and I feel like it will be a very long wait until deer season.

[2300gearjammer]

One more update... I went out again very relaxed and at 100yd I shot 2" groups a few times. I was able to get that to a 1/2" group and all in the center on a 3/4" target. Is this good, bad or keep practicing?

Now I'm way more excited.

[03mossy]

One more update... I went out again very relaxed and at 100yd I shot 2" groups a few times. I was able to get that to a 1/2" group and all in the center on a 3/4" target. Is this good, bad or keep practicing?

Now I'm way more excited.

Your on the right track that is for sure. You are doing the right thing by practicing now instead of the weekend before deer season. And I don't care who you are a 1/2" group is very much something to be proud of!!!

[2300gearjammer]

I really wanted the cop out excuse of the trigger being hard to pull but I got over myself, calmed down and stayed with it the way it is.

[sixonetonoffun]

I really liked my axis after reworking the trigger. I have it just under 3.5 which seems like a good safe number. I truly despised it prior to that and nearly abandoned it.

[gwtx]

1/2" groups !!!!! Good shootin, especially if you're taking a beating while doing it. Takes me a bit to get settled down with my '06's, and by the time I do, my shoulder is starting to hurt. But I really enjoy shooting them. I just bought an Axis in .223 to do a budget build varmint rig. My trigger was terrible. The sear groove on the trigger had a "ding" in it, and the pull was so heavy it pulled the crosshairs down about an inch at 100yds. I substituted the oem trigger from my Stevens 200,(which now has a SAV2 in it) changed the spring to a much lighter one, and lightly polished the contact surfaces. It's much better, but still not good enough to suit me. I went through the same routine with the Stevens. Finally gave up and went with the SAV2 trigger, it's great, and so are the folks that make/sell them. I just hate to pay 1/2 as mucn for a trigger as I paid for the rifle. I'm going to do a little more work on the sear before I give up. Again, great shooting. I don't shoot competitively, and any time I get under 1 inch group, I'm happy. That will put a pill anywhere on a pig I want to . Good luck