Axis 7-08 youth disappointment !!

Bought my 13 yr old son a axis 7mm-08 youth rifle with 20 in bbl for his upcoming pig hunt

mounted a vortex diamondback 4x12x40 mil dot scope on it and took it to the range to sight in

only thing i have have done to the rifle so far is install a lighter trigger spring other than that the rifles bone stock

here in central ca we are limited to lead free ammo for big game hunting so lead free is my only option for this rifle

got the rifle ore sighted and on paper in around 4 rounds and let the barell cool down to start testing ammo

i shot three different types of ammo in it and the best group I have been able to print is about 2-1/2 inches at lazered 100
Yds
two were factory loads and one was a handload using the 120 gr Barnes Tsx in new Winchester brass

hornady full boar 139 gr ammo shot around 3 in groups

barnes 120 gr vor Tsx shot about 2-3/4 in groups

and my handload using 43 gr of varget shot about 2-1/2 in groups

I'm thinking this can't possibly be the normal for a axis rifle could it ??

I mean I have an axis in .223 and it shoots nickel size groups at 100 with the Tsx so I'm sure there's something going on with it !!

I did clean the barell and check the action screws before shooting the rifle also re checked after shooting along with scope rings and mounts

anything I'm missing ?? Shot all rounds off a bench with Caldwell rock shooting rest and rear sandbag but also tried it in my lead sled with same results

any ideas on what to try next ?? It would really suck if my son missed a 100 yd shot on his pig due to an inaccurate rifle

thanks for any info /ideas I have one more trip to the range this weekend to get it shooting or we're going to the backup rifle (tikka t3 .243 with Swarovski z3 scope )

divr6347

Try the Swaro on the axis.

Wait, Central California? I thought this post was from Upside-Down World where a Tikka T3 with a Swarovski scope is a "backup" rifle for a Savage Axis with a Vortex Diamondback!

It looks like you ran through all the usual suspects. When you sighted it in, what kind of ammo did you use? How did that group?

2.5 MOA at 100 yards should be fine for a pig.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by prdatr

2.5 MOA at 100 yards should be fine for a pig.

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You are right, but I certainly wouldn't be happy with it.


Have you tried heavier ammo? Every savage I have has never liked lighter-end bullets...

Thanks for the replies

heaviest ammo I can get locally is 139 gr hornady full boar It shoots around 3 in at 100 yds

won't do me any good to order any ammo online either as we leave in a week to go hunting I'm out of time to fiddle with it

plus in around 10 weeks online ammo orders will stop being shipped to my lovely state of california so if I order something that works in it and the local stores don't have it or can't get it I can't order online any longer so I get to start over with what's available locally

either way so far the 7-08 has been disappointing to say the least. I'm stuck with lead free ammo if I want to let my son hunt with it and it doesn't shoot anywhere near what I feel even a budget rifle should shoot like

at 100 yds and shooting 2-1/2 to 3 in groups I'm sure he can kill a pig with it but what about at 200 or 250 yds ??
I have no idea whet it shoots like at those ranges and my local range doesn't have a target range longer than 100

Seeing as my .223 axis that's bone stock other than a lighter trigger spring shoots nickel size groups at 100 yds

I'm guessing the 7-08 has a problem somewhere along the line maybe it's the scope ?? I have no idea gonna take it to the range one more time and see if it will shoot a descent group if not I will send it back to savage to have it checked out

divr6347

My first thought is the scope or mounts. I have had bad luck with non viper Vortex scopes. They seem really hit and miss. I'd swap out to some you have that known to be good.

Maybe try a different scope. I had a Weatherby S2 in 243 that was like that until a found some Winchester it liked. Frustrating to say the least.

is this from a bench rest, bipod or offhand? Is the barrel touching the stock? did you level the rifle then level the scope when you installed it?

I have an Axis Rifle in 22-250. No matter what scope I used, no matter what base I used, no matter what I did, It kept shooting in the dirt at a target placed at 25 yards. I sent it back to Savage, they sent it back with a new barrel. Now it is a tack driver. These guns are mass produced at a rate faster than you can build a car at the factory...."Mistakes" happen.

BTW, if you call Savage and they authorize shipping, they will get you everything you need in order to ship it back free. Although their quality control could be better, their customer service is first class.