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Conclusions:
It doesn't take a highly educated man with a bunch of letters behind his name to see that the new Trophy Hunter Series of package rifles with their Nikon scope and BDC reticle is a vast improvement over the old models.
As advertised the rifle was on paper at 100 yards right out of the box making final sight-in a breeze. Aesthetically the rifle has a nice sleek look to it and the rough/sharp edges often found on other Savage synthetic stocks are completely absent on the Trophy Hunter. Functionally everything worked as it should. The magazine locked into place and fed rounds smoothly to the chamber, the trigger offered a crisp clean break with no detectable over-travel, and spent cases were extracted and ejected with no problems.
The stock has a nice shape and feel to it and a true man-sized grip rather than the child-like wrists found on several other recent new models (i.e. Axis & Model 42 stocks). The butt pad is a nice soft squishy style that's all but a waste on a .223, but on a larger caliber that generates more recoil you'll be happy to have it.
Some folks curse and condemn the Axis style detachable magazine and it's plastic retaining clip, but personally I've never had one fail on me and don't see why anyone should consider it a reason not to buy the gun (an Axis or a Trophy Hunter).
Accuracy wise I can't complain at all. Between using a borrowed rest the first day and shooting factory ammo and random handloads I think the accuracy is more than acceptable for what this rifle is and what it's intended purpose is. If you're looking for sub 1/2 MOA accuracy you shouldn't be looking at a budget priced package rifle in the first place, and as the third day of shooting proved this rifle will consistently shoot 1/2 to 1 MOA groups all day long with a random handload and a decent rest. That's minute of prairie dog or woodchuck out to at least 400 yards which is where most typical 50-55 grain varmint bullets from a .223 will be running out of steam anyway.
Overall I'd say the Trophy Hunter is a winner, and based on how many Savage has sold over the past two years I'm clearly not the only one. Yes it's $612 MSRP price is more expensive than that of the entry level Axis II Package rifle ($489 MSRP), but that extra $123 gets you a much nicer stock and a very serviceable Nikon optic which in my opinion makes it money well spent.
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