Need Help Selecting My First Savage Rifle

I've been invited on a prairie dog hunt next year with some bosses of mine. Now these guys are big time hunters and precision rifle shooters. I'd like to show up with a fundamentally sound setup. I'll be purchasing a Savage in .22 wmr next week. I will do the bulk of my shooting at 50-100 yards at the range. When I take this rifle out west I'd love to be able to walk in some longer shots on prairie dogs. I've read that the velocity difference between 16", 18", and 21" is more or less negligible for 100 yards. Will I have trouble hanging at 150 yards plus with a 16" barrel?.

I've been leaning toward the B22 Magnum over the model 93. The updated action seems like a no brainer for a first time buyer. I read that the action and barrels on the B22 is a married pair though. I take it I will not be wanting to try to use an aftermarket drop in barrel? This is unfortunate because the B22 FVSR is REALLY doing it for me besides the 16" barrel. Would a muzzle brake improve my velocity a bit to get similar velocity to an 18" barrel? I know their primary function is the dissipation of gases to lighten recoil.

Being as I am so new to rifles in general I could have outright misunderstood a lot of information I've read. The model 93 could be the better option overall. I really look forward to hearing from you guys and seeing some of your builds.

if you are going prairie dog hunting/shooting (the actual prairie dog) up in Montana or the Dakotas' for example... I recommend going with something bigger than that as you will be needing to shoot further than 150 or 200 yards after a few rounds have been sent down range. They get a little skittish after a few of there buddies disappear... Additionally the wind in those areas can be a norm of 15-20 mph... So, think about going to the .223 or 22-250. If you go that route, you will also be able to rebarrel it after you burn up the original one. I use a 22-250 where I am, but our prairie dogs a actually belding ground squirrels (AKA SageRat). I've shot over 300 rounds in one afternoon of shooting... one can go through a barrel pretty darn quick. just my suggestion...

the muzzle brake won't give you any added velocity. It only reduces your recoil.

Thanks for the info SageRat. I've already decided to pick up a .223 Savage with this .22 mag purchase. I don't reload, and I really felt I would not get the most out of .243 or 22-250. However, the .223 seemed like it'd do the trick in a model II xp package out of the box.

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Originally Posted by Cuddlesnitch

Thanks for the info SageRat. I've already decided to pick up a .223 Savage with this .22 mag purchase. I don't reload, and I really felt I would not get the most out of .243 or 22-250. However, the .223 seemed like it'd do the trick in a model II xp package out of the box.

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you got it man... the .223 will be plenty good out to 300 yards or so with good optics... the .22 will work too for up close, but when you need to stretch it further, you'd be really "UNDER GUNNED". no problem with not reloading either... you can find factory loads in .223 everywhere... I would recommend going with the .223 in a 10/110 or 11/111 (older models) or the 12FV model over the Axis, as I found the Axis to need way too much work to make it a tack driver for prairie dogging... just my experience, but others on here may have a different opinion.

Cheers,

SageRat is leading you in the right direction. I would argue that you could take the .223 out to 400 yards with some heavier bullets, 69+ grains. The 22-250 with heavy bullets and a slow twist rate barrel will get you to 600 yards. The 22-250 will be more expensive to shoot.

I would forego the 22 Mag. You can practice with a 22 LR out to 150 yards in good weather. The 22 LR will be inexpensive to shoot, which will allow you to practice a lot. I suggest a lot of practice. If I were going on a hunt with multiple people I would want to look like I knew how to use my rifle.

My perfect setup would be a 22 LR to practice with and a 22-250 to hunt prairie dogs with.

I'd suggest getting the Cabela's 12FV in .223 or 204 Ruger. It would be the most cost effective and comes with a 26" varmint barrel, varmint Accutrigger (1.5 lb pull) and a stiffer beaver-tail forearm stock for shooting off bags or a bipod. Accuracy will be sub MOA out of the box. You won't see many Pdogs within 22 LR or Mag range after the first few shots in a dog town.