Savage Axis .223

Sup kids. After falling down a YouTube hole learning about bullet ballistics and long-range shooting, I acquired an Axis .223 (not Axis II or XP) from Academy on the 31st of December. That makes me eligible for a $30 rebate and since I acquired a display model that has the old-style magazine (apparently making it a 2018 or earlier model... I can't even find the model number on the box on Savage's website), I convinced them to sell it to me for $159.99 if I bought $100 worth of ammo and got their credit card (which got me $15 more dollars off the final price... zing!).

It has a few negligible scuffs on the bolt handle (which is going to be replaced, anyway) but, hey, at least the awesome horsepower-adding Savage stickers are still in perfect condition! I haven't fired it yet because I haven't gotten in all the bits and bobs to mount my new scope. Since I have been converting my Visa credit card points into Cabela's gift cards for the better part of 3 years (amounting to a whopping $150, yay me) I decided to set my budget at a maximum of $200 for a scope and ended up with a Burris Fullfield E1 30mm 3-9x40mm which is evidently a "Cabela's exclusive", according to my phone call to Burris after realizing the E1 listed on their website is a 1" tube (and mine is 30mm). Got that for $150 on sale (well, that is if Cabela's doesn't do what Kohls does and just make everything look like it's on sale) and saved the rest figuring I'll need ammo or a case or some new undies later. The scope seems damn clear, I gotta be honest. Especially compared to the poop tubes on the XP models.

Right now my gun experience is with pistols (I can go into a story about my Beretta PX4 Storm .40 cal that's been at Beretta's warranty shop longer than I've owned it), a Ruger AR-15 5.56/.223, and a Mossberg 500 12-gauge tactical 7+1 which I have a 18" and 28" barrel for and tend to use more for trap/skeet (yes, I know... but I only load two rounds, okay... :very_drunk:).

I decided on the .223 to keep my sanity, although there was a .243 also eligible for this little fire sale (and that cartridge could be a little more widely useful, especially for deer if I ever get into that again). But, I decided that, since I'm approaching entering the rifle world in a more "academic" way, I'd get the .223 to be able to learn the same cartridge on two platforms: the rifle and my AR-15. Plus the .223 bullet is far cheaper and I've only ever deer hunted with a 12 gauge and slugs (Michigan rules, unless you go way north). I live in the Atlanta area now, and I figure maybe I'll try my hand at some small game hunting on public land (since I don't have land owner friends anymore... :mad::distant::cower::sour::sorrow:) with this thing in the future but I'm more about learning right now. Plus, my dog will kill squirrels, no problem. He is literally a "treeing breed" and does that naturally without a single instance of being exposed to hunting dogs or training from me... it's really quite remarkable. Quick side story: he chased a squirrel up an light pole in my prior house's backyard once and the only way to shut him up was to either drag him back inside or shoot the fluffy cutie off the top of that pole! My neighbor, who was in the backyard shooting arrows, opted for the shoot it option and pulled out his air gun and then "pop!" that squirrel was caught mid air by the pooch and brought to me in 10 seconds flat. It was promptly handed off by me to a the resident falcon that flew over the lake with the pooch in tow. And so-in began a friendship between my varmint killing dog and a predator bird aptly named "Scrapper". My dog seemed to pick up on that and whenever he got hold of something, he'd bring it to my dock, sit and wait, and soon enough that big bird came swooping down and picked up his gift. Never seen a dog happier in your life, tell you what... but I digress.......... a lot. :noidea:

Anywho, I have a lot to learn. I mean... I didn't realize how f'ing complicated it is just to properly mount a bloody scope! Most I've ever done is a snazzy red dot on the AR and the shotgun has halo sights that have been just fine (if I even look through them). There are so many fuh-reakin' ring and base options that my brain has turned to jelly. I decided on just keeping it "budget" and "hopefully quality" and got me that Weaver base intended for the Axis and some of their 4-hole skeleton rings, which seem to get positive reviews overall and don't cost as much as the bloody rifle.

I've been eyeballing them there Boyd's stocks hard. I've done enough research to know they are now employing plastic parts and aren't pillared and I've found those parts. I'm just waiting on a sale. Other than replacing the flimsy black plastic stock, hopefully I don't have to do much else to the rifle to feel comfortable with it. I'll get plenty of shots through it before I replace the stock but... the stock stock has to go... it's ugly, flimsy, and I've seen enough sweet-looking rifles on YouTube to be convinced I must have a sweet looking rifle myself or I will wither away and die. Damn YouTube...