• Savage Mark II-GLV Review in .17 Hornady Mach 2

    The new .17 Mach 2 (L) is based on the .22 Long Rifle rimfire case (right) but is necked down to seat a 17-grain, .17-caliber Hornady V-Max bullet.Hornady has developed a brand-new rimfire cartridge. To announce the new .17 Mach 2, Hornady teamed up with 15 other ammunition and firearms makers for the largest industry-wide product introduction in firearms history.

    Based on the .22 Long Rifle rimfire case, the new .17 Mach 2 (.17M2) is necked to seat a 17-grain, .17-caliber Hornady V-Max bullet and is powered to a nominal 2100 fps velocity from a standard SAAMI-reference 24-inch rifle barrel. From a rifle at 175 yards the .17M2 is still going faster than a .22 LR at the muzzle. The muzzle energy of the .17M2's 17-grain bullet (166 ft-lbs) is 18 percent greater than a 40-grain .22 LR (140 ft-lbs). Its trajectory is flat! Zeroed at 100 yards, the .17M2 has only a 0.7-inch mid-range rise at 50 yards; a .22 LR has a 2.9-inch rise.

    While the overall length of the new .17-caliber load is the same as the .22 LR cartridge, the length of the necked-down .17M2 case is longer than that of a .22 LR case to accommodate the smaller .17-caliber bullet. Still, the matching overall length and case-body dimensions of the .17M2 and the .22 LR will allow the .17M2 to function in standard .22 LR magazine configurations of all types, so any existing .22 LR rimfire firearm manufacturer in the world can adapt any of its existing .22 LR gun models to the new load simply by fitting them with .17-caliber barrels with the .17M2 chamber.


    Enter Savage Arms

    On April 26, 2004 Savage Arms, Inc officially announced that five new models in their Mark II bolt-action rimfire line would be available in the new .17 Hornady March 2 cartridge. Four of the five models to be released feature a heavy varmint contour barrel, while the remaining model is fitted with a standard sporter weight barrel and open sights. As is typical for Savage Arms, they made sure that every taste would be satisfied by offering the choice of both stainless steel and blued finishes, as well as laminated, synthetic, or hardwood stock options. Savage even went as far as to ensure that left-handed shooters were not left out of the mix by offering the Mark II-GLV, which is the rifle to be tested here.

    The Rifle

    At first glance, the Mark II looks to be identical to its magnum 93-Series counterpart. The Monte Carlo style walnut finish stock features cut checkering in both the forend and pistol grip areas, with a length of pull measuring 13.5 inches. The chrome-moly button rifled varmint contour barrel measures 20.75 inches and is free-floated in the stock. The blued steel bolt action is fed ammunition from a detachable 5-round magazine, with the safety lever located just rearward of the bolt handle. Overall, the rifle measures in at 39.5 inches and tips the scales at a very manageable 5.5lbs. Scope bases are included with the rifle, as there are no provisions for open sights.



    Unable to decide upon a scope for this rifle, I opted to use a spare Simmons 3-9x40mm I had lying around for the time being. While not the best in terms of clarity and durability, it has proved to be suitable for the intended use and distance this gun will be used. The scope was mounted using a set of Burris Signature Zee medium height rings on the factory supplied bases.

    At the Range

    All range shooting was conducted using an adjustable front rest and bunny ear sandbag sitting atop a concrete shooting bench. Conditions were average with temperatures in the low to mid 80's, humidity at 60%, and light to moderate winds not exceeding 5mph.

    My first session at the range with the Mark II-GLV provided with less than stellar results. Of five 5-round groups shot using Hornady ammunition, the best group I could conjure up was an unsightly 1.06" @ 50 yards, and an average of 1.244" for all 5 groups. While I had expected the first two groups to be so-so while the barrel fouled up, the lack of any group under an inch left a bad taste in my mouth.

    Not wanting to give in just yet, I proceeded to shoot another series of five 5-round groups. Again, the accuracy was far from what I expected as this second series averaged a measly 1.198". While one group did fall below the one inch mark, I was still far from happy with the results.

    Knowing full well this rifle should be capable of groups half that size, I started looking for the root of the problem. Inspecting the rifle I found that the front scope base had come loose sometime during my testing. While I had checked that the scope bases were properly tightened before mounting my rings, they had managed to work loose after firing 50 rounds. The solution was simple in retightening the screws, this time using a small amount of blue Lok-Tite to make sure they stayed securely fastened.

    Back at the bench I was rewarded with slightly better results. I again fired five 5-shot groups (Series 3), all of which fell into the .75 - 1" range. Averaging 0.864", I was definitely making some progress with a three-tenths of an inch improvement.

    A final series of five 5-shot groups (Series 4) resulted in even better results, with one group just slightly over 0.50". This series averaged just under three-quarters of an inch at 0.724", and is the best yet. Obviously the rifle is starting to come into its own, and hopefully will continue to get better as more rounds are fired.

    In stock trim the .17HM2 Mark II-GLV is above average in terms of accuracy. Handicapped by having the wrong width bag on my front rest, I feel the rifle shot surprisingly well. I do however feel there is still more accuracy to be found, but unfortunately further tinkering would take me away from providing a true review of the rifle in it's stock form.


    Due to the heavy crosshair and poor clarity of the Simmons scope being used for this test, I decided against shooting any distances beyond 50 yards. Even at 100 yards, trying to make out the bulls-eye of a target left me with eye strain and a headache. Needless to say, I will be looking for a better scope for this rifle in the immediate future.

    Comments & Observations

    The one major complaint I have about the Savage Mark II-GLV (along with my 93R17-GLV) is the stock, as the raised Monte Carlo comb is not high enough to allow a proper cheek weld when using a scope. Savage uses the same stock profile for both the Varmint models and the standard Sporter models with open sights, and obviously the comb height is geared for use with the iron sight models.

    Another problem I find with the stock are the overall smallish dimensions. Length of pull is at 13.5", which is .25" less than the usual 13.75" found on full size rifles. While the forend is acceptable, a slight increase in overall width would make it a better fit in ones hand when shooting off-hand. As it sits, I find myself typically sliding my supporting hand back to grip the stock just under the magazine because of the added width.

    My last gripe with the stock is directed towards the pistol grip area. In stock trim, the rather laid back curvature of the pistol grip results in a very awkward feel when shooting from most any position. The angle at which the shooters wrist is placed is uncomfortable to say the least, which makes it extremely difficult for the shooter to get into the "zone" for best accuracy. A slightly more verticle grip area would provide the shooter with a more natural feel and place the wrist at a more relaxed angle. This would also likely take care of a few other nit-picks I found relating to the feel of the stock's ergonomics in the grip area which I will leave unmentioned here.

    The trigger, while not terribly horrible, is another area which could use some attention from Savage's engineering department. The most prevalent problem is that the trigger parts have a very loose fit, so much so that they rattle even with the slightest movement of the gun. While using shim stock to take up the play in key areas works well, it is still a "shade tree" fix that could easily be put to pasture if Savage were to tighten up their tolerances on the trigger group parts.

    Another dislike (and one that has been commented on for several years now) is the use of a plastic trigger guard. While it is understood that plastic is used to help keep the overall cost of the rifle down, I know full well the majority would have no complaints about having to pay a few dollars more to cover the additional cost of using steel. Hypothetically speaking, if Savage were to redesign their stocks as suggested above, they could easily incorporate them to use the same metal trigger guards found on the 110 series rifles and eliminate the need to manufacture a dedicated rimfire trigger guard completely.

    Conclusion

    Overall I found the Savage Mark II-GLV to have an excellent fit and finish in regards to craftsmanship. The bluing was of slightly better quality than I have found on some of my other Savage rifles, and I experienced no functional problems during the course of my testing. The stock fit the barreled action like a glove, with no noticeable gaps and no contact in the barrel channel. The trigger was typical for a factory rifle, weighing in just under 5lbs. and showing a fair amount of both creep and over travel. Bolt travel wasn't near as smooth as that on my Model 93R17-GLV, but the slight roughness diminished after some regular use.

    While I do feel there is room for improvement, I have to say that Savage has a very solid rifle in the Mark II. Out-of-the-box accuracy has come to be expected from Savage Arms, and the Mark II is no exception providing very respectable groups. With a few minor improvements, I fully expect this rifle to be shooting 1/2 M.O.A. or better on a regular basis.



    Savage Arms
    100 Springdale Road
    Westfield, MA 01085
    Phone: (413) 568-7001
    www.SavageArms.com