Help Identifying 12FV 22-250 Specifics

[Erazor]

Around mid-June of '09 I bought a Savage Model 12 22-250 at my local Gander Mountain. At the time I was simply looking for a reasonably priced target/coyote rifle in 22-250 and the Savage was a reasonably priced option with the accu-trigger. I didn't pay much attention to the specific model number or anything of that nature and the paperwork I have for rifle doesn't show one either. Due to military obligations I've only recently been able to actually shoot this rifle, however I'm quite pleased with it.

Roll around to present day and I find this forum. Which thankfully has already helped me with one problem: the super touchy factory set accu-trigger I'll be turning up very soon. Now I'm trying find out some specifics on the rifle so I can upgrade from the factory "tupperware" stock to something more suited for bi-pod use and choose the best ammunition for it. I'm hoping some of the gurus around here can help me out.

Accu-trigger
Factory heavy barrel 26"
Synthetic stock
Blued barrel and receiver (glossy not matte)
Stainless? jeweled bolt with blued handle
Blind magazine (not sure how to distinguish center-feed from stagger-feed)
4.25" pillar screw spacing

From the Savage letter dictionary I at least know it's a 12FV. I'm not sure how the jeweled bolt fits into that though since the two catalogs I have access to ('07 and '10) do not show the 12FV with them.

I'm wanting to know the barrel twist rate more than anything right now so I can track down a suitable ammunition. I'm currently using Winchester 45gr JHP varmint rounds for punching paper at 100 yrd, but I've read a heavier round might be better suited to this rifle? I know Savage alternates between a 9" ('07) and 12" ('10) twist on these rifles and I'd like to pin which I have.

I did see Mad Dog's stickied post on DoMs based off the serial number, but my G675xxx is well past his G444xxx cutoff.

I hope you folks can help me out!

[bootsmcguire]

My 12FV 22-250 is serial # G854XXX and is a center feed 4.40 spaced model, and it has a 1-12 twist. Bought mine in Feb. of 2009, dealer said it came straight from the warehouse. Hope that helps.

[racinready300ex]

I think it's a 1-12 twist. I had great results with handloads, 52 gr berger match bullets with varget powder. Shot groups in the .2's at 100m. I don't know why I sold that barrel. lol

[cowboyarcher]

Should be either a 1:14" or a 1:12".

Take a rotating cleaning rod and make a mark on it. I use a small masking tape flag. Push it through the barrel with a tight patch until your mark has rotated on full time. Measure how far in you pushed, and that's your twist rate.

[Erazor]

Should be either a 1:14" or a 1:12".

Take a rotating cleaning rod and make a mark on it. I use a small masking tape flag. Push it through the barrel with a tight patch until your mark has rotated on full time. Measure how far in you pushed, and that's your twist rate.

I've read elsewhere on this site that 45gr rounds tend to do strange things out of 1:9" so I'm inclined to agree that it is probably 1:12". I'll have to see if I have a one piece cleaning rod around to check it using that method.

My 12FV 22-250 is serial # G854XXX and is a center feed 4.40 spaced model, and it has a 1-12 twist. Bought mine in Feb. of 2009, dealer said it came straight from the warehouse. Hope that helps.

This seems to tell me that mine is definitely older than an '09. Well this and the rifle included an '07 catalog with the other paperwork in the box. I have no idea how long this rifle sat on the shelf in Gander Mountain or even in their warehouse for that matter.

I think I narrowed it down to a "stagger-feed" type blind mag since the rounds alternate sides they feed from rather than all feeding from the center. The magazine holds five rounds with the bolt open if that helps with year identification.

Thanks for all the replies so far!

[trappst]

If the mag box is attached to the action it's a staggered feed.....since you said the rounds alternate sides when they feed, I'm guessing that's what you have.

This gives you more options for stocks! Your rifle will be a 12 twist. If it were something other than a 12 twist, it would say on the barrel near the "22-250" markings.

For coyotes, I like the 50g Nosler. For targets, try the 52g Sierra matchking. If you reload, try R-15 and H4895 respectively.

Welcome, btw!

[FieldRatSniper]

its a 1-12 twist. savage doesnt sell a 22-250 in a 1-14 (thats Rem's standard twist for the 22-250).

and unless there is something i dont know, the FV or the FVSS is not offered in anything other than 1-12 for that cartridge. ive been away from the sport for about a year now, but what i remember is that the faster twist rates were an option only with the LRPV (left port action only), VLP, and the target series rifles (non of which are chambered in 22-250).

and if you want to SEE the twist rate, you can put a tight patch on your jag and push it down the tube and measure how far it take for the cleaning rod to make one revolution (mark a little dot on the rod with a sharpie or something to keep track of it). it may not be exact, but you will know for sure whether its a 9 or 12 twist......

take er' easy....

[82boy]

There is some confusion on your post, I would say your rifle is a center feed, made in the last couple of years, the way I know is do to you saying it has a factory jeweled bolt body. Savage started doing this to all the Savage line of guns, (That did not have a black bolt body) in the last couple of years. The center feed guns came out in 2006. You say that the bolt spacing is 4.25, you may want to check again it should be 4.40. If you spacing is 4.27, then you have a stagged feed gun, (Made before 2006) and someone has either taken and jeweled the bolt body or replaced it for a newer one. Does the magazine stay in the stock or is it attached to the receiver? Regardless, any short action stock with the correct magazine style and bolt spacing with work on your gun, but you have to know what you have before you start looking.

You gun is a 1 in 12 twist, savage marks the barrels of the 1 in 9 twist guns, and unless you got it from the custom shop, a 1 in 9 twist was not available in a 12fv. The 1 in 14 twist barrels, Savage has not made them for a few years, (1980's area. This use to be industry standard) and that was on the 110 line of guns.

[Erazor]

You say that the bolt spacing is 4.25, you may want to check again it should be 4.40.

Double, triple, and several more times have I checked it. Every time it's just a smidge over 4 1/4" from the center of the farthest forward screw to the center of the front trigger guard screw. Not enough of a smidge to put it in the 4 3/8 - 4 7/16" range though.

...and someone has either taken and jeweled the bolt body or replaced it for a newer one.

It's definitely a factory bolt body with the Indian head and "Savage" printed on top of the jeweling.

Does the magazine stay in the stock or is it attached to the receiver?

It is attached to the receiver. The magazine itself is just a tube with feed lips at the top that seems to loosely float on its attachment points. The follower and spring rest on the inletting inside the stock.

Sounds like this is at least an oddball rifle from the last of the stagger-feed generation?

At least we got the twist rate nailed down! Thanks for all the help folks.

[bootsmcguire]

I think it might be possible to have a Stagger feed model with the jeweled bolt in factory form. I have a Mod 10 in 243 with a stagger feed mag that is 100% stock and it has a jeweled bolt. Mad Dog gave me a dating of 2003 year of manufacture according to his books (thanks again Mad Dog). I know its original because I bought it from the original owner (whom I have know for years), and he says he bought it new, shot it a few times and thats it. He said it wasn't a special order or anything and never had it worked on. So i don't know but mine is a jeweled bolt - stagger feed, so ...... :-[ . If what 82boy is saying about the jeweled bolts not coming standard on the pre-center feed guns, then that's got me scratching my head. I dunno.

[WaltherP99]

So i don't know but mine is a jeweled bolt - stagger feed, so ......

Same deal here with my VLP!

[Uncle Jack]

All of this very specific technical BS aside, how does the rifle shoot?

Does it kill coyotes?

uj

[helotaxi]

I also have a staggered feed 12FV with a jeweled bolt. Not sure the year of manufacture but I bought it in March of '09 from a Sportsmans Warehouse that opened in November of '08. Pretty sure it was a '08 built gun. It's also a 1:9 twist, but chambered in .223 not 22-250.

[FieldRatSniper]

I also have a staggered feed 12FV with a jeweled bolt. Not sure the year of manufacture but I bought it in March of '09 from a Sportsmans Warehouse that opened in November of '08. Pretty sure it was a '08 built gun. It's also a 1:9 twist, but chambered in .223 not 22-250.

9" twist is standard for savage rifles chambered in .223. 1-7" was that cartridge's fast twist option.....