Savage axis 308 accuracy

[seabreeze133]

Took the new Axis SR to the range today and got 12 surprises. First they closed the 100 yd range recently and are in process of building a 60' berm on 3 sides. So no 100 yd shooting. Rats.

But the 2nd surprise at the 25 yd pistol range a was good one. Shot about 100 rounds of various loads w/following results:

1 = 175 SMK w/42.3 gr Re15 only fair group.

2 - 150 Hornady FMJBT and 41 gr H335 was better. Probably on the order of 2 minutes for 10 shots.

3 - Best load. The NM load from M14 days of 168 SMK, 41.5 gr H4895, WLR primers, LC Match brass, was excellent.

4 - Next to best load was R-P case, WLR primers, 41.5 gr H4895, 150 Hornady FMJBT.

Did not get to check the loads w/168SMK and 4064 or 150 Hornady w/4064, but next trip will see what they will do.

Don't ask for group size as the shooting was at 25 yds. Maybe the 100 yd range will reopen SOOOOON.

Love the 6.5# rifle. Recoil is tolerable. Hot barrel does not do bad things. Just need about 5 mags or 4 plus a good 10 rounder.

cheers

seabreeze

[thermaler]

Took the new Axis SR to the range today and got 12 surprises. First they closed the 100 yd range recently and are in process of building a 60' berm on 3 sides. So no 100 yd shooting. Rats.

But the 2nd surprise at the 25 yd pistol range a was good one. Shot about 100 rounds of various loads w/following results:

1 = 175 SMK w/42.3 gr Re15 only fair group.

2 - 150 Hornady FMJBT and 41 gr H335 was better. Probably on the order of 2 minutes for 10 shots.

3 - Best load. The NM load from M14 days of 168 SMK, 41.5 gr H4895, WLR primers, LC Match brass, was excellent.

4 - Next to best load was R-P case, WLR primers, 41.5 gr H4895, 150 Hornady FMJBT.

Did not get to check the loads w/168SMK and 4064 or 150 Hornady w/4064, but next trip will see what they will do.

Don't ask for group size as the shooting was at 25 yds. Maybe the 100 yd range will reopen SOOOOON.

Love the 6.5# rifle. Recoil is tolerable. Hot barrel does not do bad things. Just need about 5 mags or 4 plus a good 10 rounder.

cheers

seabreeze

My Axis 308 was kinda of a ho-hum shooter--certainly not as good out of the box as my axis 270.

Then I started reloading for it--and that was a game-changer, I started getting far, far better results across the board. This is a great gun to learn reloading on--generous throat, and magazine with more than enough room to take a cartridge with a bullet seated all the way to lands if you want to go that far.

The axis 308 is a tad on the light side for bigger recoil loads in my opinion, and could probably benefit with a muzzle break--which I will get around to eventually.

[mrrabk]

I agree about reloading. Made all the difference. The "generous throat" made me laugh. I just measured my rifles length with a free bore tool and found that factory, and my reloads @ "factory" 2.800 COAL allowed a .072 jump to the lands. Whoa! Sure won't have a problem stuffing factory loads. LOL Now working up .010 & .020 set back testing to see what difference it will make. I was surprised, after finding out about the long jump, that these 2.800 loads were still giving me less that 2" groups @ 200 yards though.