My current Savage axis build thread .338-06

[charlie b]

Glad to hear of some success. Would like to see pics of your first shots with this rig.

[Txriflefan]

Success at the range for the most part. I didn't take pictures of the targets this time, but I was very pleased at 100y. I discovered that I goofed and installed the pic rail backwards and was out of elevation adjustment, so I didn't shoot any further.

I'm also back to magazine problems. If I use the factory internal mag retainer, mag is too low to feed. If I don't, recoil pushes it up too high and it hits the bolt. So gonna have to modify mag retainer.

Enough of the bad, this rifle feels great. Trigger pull is awsome and bolt cycling feels smooth/easy. I really like this stock. I have a 300wm 110 T-SR that I just picked up and this thing has less recoil as a comparison. (I'm going to do a review of my experience with that rifle soon).

Next I need to load some more up and finalize my load and fix the mag thing. I will deffinetly take pics of load with chrono results, but with the holidays I don't think that will be for a few weeks.

[Txriflefan]

Still have not completely fixed the magazine issue, but did get out last week to do some load testing. Oddly enough my chrono speed readings did not seem to change a lot with increase in powder charge. Though admittedly I only made it through 2 different loads but speeds were 2,492- 2,530(cold bore) with 56.5gr of H414 and 2,523-2,577(last shot hot bore) with 57.5gr. Bullet was 225gr SST. Obviously there is an increase but even at 57.5gr 5 out of 6 hovered right around 2,530- 2,550 so I'm thinking that last one may have had too much powder.

Now the accuracy was great I felt with the 56.5gr. This was all with the After chrono shots, I went back and confirmed 0 with no real cool down. I shot 2 rounds .650" center to center from each other it was 1 inch low so I adjusted and put another round. It tracked right so I adjusted to center of diamond and put one just barely off center. I followed it up with 2 more with other adjustements. They also measured around .650". I was at this range to qualify for their long range, so this rifle got some cool down time while I was doing that. After I was done I came back and shot 2 more rounds(the last I had loaded of the 56.5) and picked a spot on the target away from any other rounds and stacked them right on top of each other. The holes are overlapping so I figure around .500". I'd like to get more speed out of this, but man I hate to mess up a good thing. Here is the picture link.

http://imgur.com/gallery/p44Y8wd

[sharpshooter]

The trigger pin hole is oval for a reason. It's for ease of assembly on the production line. When the action is bolted into the stock, the stock snugs it up to the receiver. If it is not tight against the receiver, the trigger is out of position, causing a lack of travel in the firing pin. When you relieved the stock for the trigger bracket, you cut it too deep, letting it hang down unsupported by the stock. This is most probably contributing to the bolt removal dilemma also. You will need to shim the relief pocket up until the trigger bracket is tight to the receiver and the receiver is resting on the vee blocks.

[Txriflefan]

I appreciate the info regarding the trigger group, but would like to add this hole was more out of round than my other axis. Your advice is worth knowing for any future projects. As of now though, I have 0 fail to fire and can remove bolt without difficulty. My fix may not have been the correct method (your way would have been much more simple) but it is working.