Just got home from Academy Sports. Got an Axis XP in 243 with Weaver 3x9 scope, Was on clearance, out the door for $256.79. Can't wait to get it to the range! Gotta work up some loads for it this week. Trigger is a bit heavy but, I expected that.
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Just got home from Academy Sports. Got an Axis XP in 243 with Weaver 3x9 scope, Was on clearance, out the door for $256.79. Can't wait to get it to the range! Gotta work up some loads for it this week. Trigger is a bit heavy but, I expected that.
Got one in a 6.5CM last winter. Surprise was the Weaver. Thought it would give it up quick. It did not. Still as good as my Nikon Pro Staff. Go figure.
Good stuff GaCop! Love 243!
Weaver had had an interesting go of things through several decades. They were actually a large supplier in WW2 to the forces. Things got weird when they said bye-bye in ‘84 & then were purchased by Blount ‘88. Blount outdoors was acquired by ATK in 2001 and ATK sold many of its optics lines in 2002 to Meade Instruments. During all of this is when Asian manufacturing was getting better & better. In 2008 ATK bought the Weaver scope line back from Meade. Funny thing...ATK never sold the rights to Weaver MOUNTS & continued producing them during these years. So in 2008 both mounts & scopes were under 1 roof again. Today Weaver scopes are solid lower cost optics.
Well, it was ATK. Now it is Vista Outdoors (since 2015 I think). ATK sold most of their outdoors products a few years ago. Interstingly, Vista also owned Savage until this year when it sold off the Savage line (don't know who the buyer was). Vista had to do that so that REI and some other outdoors stores would continue to buy from them. Their customers petitioned a ban on dealing with any firearms mfgs and REI, as well as a couple others, dropped the Vista Outdoors brands (and there are a lot of brands in their lineup).
FWIW, at least until 2010 there was a guy in El Paso left from the original Weaver plant who would still work on the older model scopes. Have not been able to find out if he is still working or not.
My Walmart special Axis II heavy barrel .223 had a Bushnell scope on it. It worked very well for an inexpensive scope. That rifle is now in a Boyd's stock with a Vortex Diamonback on it and it shoots REALLY well.
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I really don't care for the cheap plastic stock is has, even crappier than the Tupperware on the 10/110s. I too plan on replacing the cheap plastic with a Boyd's. Over the years, I'veQuote:
Originally Posted by charlie b
had good service from Weaver scopes and hope this Weaver will hold up. I'm assuming it's one of the Kaspas? I gave it a good cleaning yesterday after I got home and lubed it. Looking at the box label, it appears to have been made mid 2018.
I must add that my Axis also shot very well with the plastic stock and cheap Bushnell scope. Since it fully broke in (about 200rnds) it has been sub MOA all the time. Much of the time it is 1/2MOA and when I do my job right it is less than that. The Boyd's stock adds enough weight to make it easier for me to shoot better. Same with the Diamondback. Neither has made the rifle that much more accurate.
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It is.Quote:
I'm assuming it's one of the Kaspas?
Bought a Weaver V Series, Japanese, in Fort Smith Arkansas in 1989 and it is still going strong. Really good glass.
Gave it a good cleaning and lubed the bolt lugs and raceway. So far, have Remington 80 grain HPs loaded up with H4350 and Hornady 87 grain HPs over IMR 4064 for a range trip either tomorrow or Thursday to start the break in process. Checking the OAL of various bullets, I find the throat is a bit tight in this rifle.
Mine really likes 75gr V Max's with 36gr Varget COL 2.640" and 85gr Sierra Game Kings with 35gr Varget COL 2.620". 1/2 MOA or better if I do my part. Working with some Berger 95gr Classic Hunters and they look promising.
Years ago I hunted deer here in Georgia with an old Ruger 77 in 243 and the Hornady 87 grain HP. The rifle would put three rounds into an inch at 200 yards consistently so I used that bullet exclusively for years. Every deer taken was usually bang, flop with the occasional run for 10 yards before folding up. I hope it performs as well in my Axis. Time will tell, taking it to the range today for it's first shooting cession. I will give the 75 grain V Max and 85 gr Sierra Game Kings a try to see how they'll do in the Axis.Quote:
Originally Posted by FTGV
Did the same with the 85gr Sierra HPBT on Coues deer for years also. That bullet with H4831 was very accurate and deadly.
Heading out to the range this morning for cession #2. Last cession, a Remington 80 grain HP over H4350/39.1 grains printed three into .628" at 100 yards. This was after some dismal groups prior to it that were caused by loose scope ring clamp screws. Groups tightened up along with the screws. Testing the Hornady 87 grain and Sierra 100 grain SP ProHunter today.
As a side note. A few weeks ago I was visiting my brother in Wisconsin. He lives about 40 miles north west of Green Bay. I've been away from Wisconsin since 1965 and have forgotten how big the northern white tails can get. The smallest white tail I saw there make Georgia deer look like small dogs!
Forgot to add. At the first shooting cession, I put 24 rounds thru the rifle. Cleaning it with KG12 Copper Remover, I noticed I wasn't getting any indication of copper fouling at all just powder fouling, even after letting the solvent sit in the barrel for 40 minutes. That surprised me as Savages, when new, are usually a copper mine.
My .243 Axis really loves Fiocchi 95gr SST rounds if you want something quick and easy. Happy shooting...
Second range trip yesterday. Tested Hornady 87 grain BTHPs and Sierra Pro Hunter 100 grain soft points. Best performance was the 87 gr BTHP over 40.9 grains of H4350 yielding 2987 fps and grouped three into .853" at 100 yards. Best group with the 100 grain over 40.6 grains of IMR 4350 was 1.376". Velocity was 2911 fps. Need more work with the Sierra Pro Hunter. This second cleaning cession was a different story from the first. Got a lot of copper out of the bore this time for what ever reason. It still cleaned up fairly quick.
I'll have to give those a try, thanks.Quote:
Originally Posted by celltech
Just got home. Tested the Sierra 100 grain soft point over H4831 at 200 yards this time. Long story short, 41 grains yielded a 3 shot group of 1.538" at 200 yards. Definitely a load that needs to be played with to see if I can tighten up then grouping even more. Velocity averaged 2750 FPS. Temperature was a cooler 80 degrees with 90% humidity.
I sure don't miss swampy weather like that. It might be 112dgF today but I can live with the 10% humidity because the weather report says it only feels like 111dgF. We might see single digit humidity later today if it ever warms up.Quote:
Originally Posted by GaCop
I hear that! When I was in "Assghanistan" in 2007 at Kandahar AB, day time temps would reach 125 degrees but humidity there in the desert was only 5%. I was a civilian contractor working in Force Protection. Best thing about being there was leaving in Jan 2008 and getting away from the nightly rocket attacks. The money was great but the country suxs, primitive as all get out. The summer weather here in middle Georgia is very similar to what I experienced in Vietnam.Quote:
Originally Posted by prdatr
I recently ordered an Axis trigger upgrade kit from M*CARBO for $16. It arrived yesterday and I immediately installed it. Man, what a difference! Trigger feels like it's breaking at about 3.5 lbs. Much improved from what was about an 8 lb pull.
Turns out this Axis barrel is a "copper mine" just like any other Savage rifle. 100 rounds thru the rifle so far and it still coppers up heavily.
How is the accuracy? I Don't worry about copper but then I just run a half dozen patched down the rifles to get the carbon out.Quote:
Originally Posted by GaCop
As long as it shoots well don't worry about the copper. I've only cleaned the copper out of mine once in 2000 rounds.
I've noticed my accuracy start to fall off after firing 15 rounds. Giving it a good cleaning, the patches come out dark blue. 150 rounds thru the rifle so far. To speed up load testing, I started laying a wet towel over the barrel between shots. I've also noticed the clean cold bore shot is always a few inches away from the following rounds even cooling the barrel with the wet towel. Firing a few fouling shots before testing rounds still doesn't seem to help with the first cold bore shot being away from the others in a group.Quote:
Originally Posted by prdatr
The wet towel works especially well here were the humidity is in the teens and FWIW my 243 barrel, from a Stevens 200, does exactly the same on cold bore shots.Quote:
I've also noticed the clean cold bore shot is always a few inches away from the following rounds even cooling the barrel with the wet towel.
wbm, where in NM are you?
My Axis is a .223 heavy barrel and it changes very little in POI with a hot or cold barrel. It shoots tighter groups when the barrel is hot, as in to hot to hold onto. My BVSS is the opposite, groups open up when it gets hot, even with the big fluted barrel. It also did not like to be loaded with copper where the Axis likes a layer of copper in the bore.
If you haven't tried it, get some KG12 copper remover. It works better than any of the other stuff out there with a lot less work. You can actually watch it dissolve the copper in the muzzle area.
I've got KG12, it never touched copper fouling in my barrel. Initially, when cleaning with the KG, I thought I had a barrel that wasn't going to be a "copper mine" for a change. On a whim, I tried some "Wipe out" Tactical Advantage and, boy, did the patches start coming out dark blue, almost black. I see my accuracy start to fall off after 15 rounds and know it's time to get out the Tactical Advantage.
Interesting that my experience was the opposite. I even tried straight ammonia and it did not work as well as the KG12.
Yes, very interesting. I've used KG 12 in other rifles with great results.Quote:
Originally Posted by charlie b
We live about eight miles north of Ramah on the West side of the Zuni mountains. Sorta just out here in the middle of everywhere.Quote:
wbm, where in NM are you?
LOL yep, that is out in the middle. When we lived in ABQ I used to take nm117 to Quemado and then on into AZ quite a bit. Never went out as far as you are.Quote:
Originally Posted by wbm
I only asked cause there is another guy that shoots here who has a bunch of Savage rifles and travels to the various shoots in the state.
You guys are in "God's Country". I'd give anything to be back out there.Quote:
Originally Posted by charlie b
I think He moved to Arizona after the last election in New Mexico.
lol not here anymore :) This state would be as liberal as CA if they had the money to do it.
Az is getting as bad as California with all the taxes and 'immigrants' from the west coast cities. I grew up in AZ. When I went to buy a fishing license one year the counter guy said "you're a double native!" When I asked what that was he explained that there were so few native born in AZ that anyone who was a resident for more than 10 yrs was considered a native. I guess the smart ones left the state :)
But, the countryside itself is wonderful. AZ, CO, NM, UT are all beautiful if you stay away from the population centers.
That's the truth of it! Reason Kansas had so many floods this year and New Mexico had so many new Californians? Kansas had first choice.Quote:
This state would be as liberal as CA if they had the money to do it.
:smile-new::biggrin-new:Quote:
Originally Posted by wbm
That's sad. Glad I have fond memories of my time there in the early to mid 70s. Even though my wife and I are not NM natives, We probably new more about the state than locals from reading. We were heavily involved in exploring ghost towns and read every book we could get our hands on learning the history of the state. My son is a native New Mexican being born in Curry count in 1977. I did my EMT repelling training in Taos NM in 1975, that is some beautiful country. We were repelling off of the Rio Grande Gorge bridge.
Finally finished my Axis in 270. The 145 Hornady ELD-X shoots really well with H4831SC. The stainless barrel that came from a Weather Warrior was a real surprise...best factory barrel from Savage I have had in several years.Quote:
That's sad
Yep it is. If New Mexico and other states had adopted the same system as the Federal government and gone with an electoral college, then the problem would be mitigated in large part. California and New Mexico are conservative except for large urban areas.
Glad to hear. Nice to have a great shooter in a relatively short period of time.
Short of primer issues and the Weaver scope going belly up, addressed in an other thread, my Axis is an MOA rifle out to 300 yards with 100 grain Sierra Pro Hunters and Speer 100 grain BTSPs. I replaced the Weaver with a Simmons 3X12X40 I had on hand, so far it is doing well.
I've been running into problems with light primer strikers lately. Problem started after about 100 rounds thru the rifle? Not only am I getting light primer streikes from the FP but when rounds do fire I also get pierced primers! Figure that one out! My range trip yesterday was a disaster, 100 grain Interlocks over 7828ssc powder, of the 6 rounds tried, two failed to fire and two had pierced primers. Primer were pretty flat so I didn't try shooting the remaining 6 rounds. Charges are no where near the max of 44.5 grains and bullets were seated .013" OTL.
Next tried were 80 grain Sierra Spitzer BTs over IMR 4461 Max charge being 40.3 grains but my loads were between 37 and 37.6 grains, bullet .009" OTL. Six rounds fired but again showed very flat primers The next six again showed light primer strikes and would not fire. I've had it with this Axis. Talked to Savage about the problem and they said to send it in to be looked at. Did some checking with Fed Ex and UPS. To send it back to Savage is going to cost me another $65 to shipped it insured. I'm not wasting another penny on this POS. On top of all the firing problems the Weaver scope went belly up early on, elevation quit working so had to replace the scope. This will be the last Axis I ever buy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GaCop
You could try just sending the bolt in to them for polishing and any needed new internal parts. I did that with my 2 2012 models. Cost me $5 postage. They were decocking when bolt was pulled to rear. Have worked fine since.
There's an old Dr. adage that a patient with a broken leg can also have measles. You might have two problems, or so much headspace that when it does fire you get pierced primers (excessive chamber pressure). Flat primers is also an indication of overpressure.Quote:
Originally Posted by GaCop
Try a 0.025" jump. But that won't solve light strikes.
IMR 4461? Don't find that as a thing
LOL! That should be 4166!Quote:
Originally Posted by Stumpkiller
I like that idea better than spending another $65 to send the whole rifle to them.Quote:
Originally Posted by farmer44mag
Checked head space with GO and NO GO gauge and head space is just fine. I suspect the FP springs are messed up. What has me stumped is the pierced primers that can occur right after a light primer strike?
I'm going to dig out my old copy of Major Nonte's "Modern Handloading" and check his chapter on primers. He goes into all kinds of causes for various problems.