I finally got a chance to take my .300 Win Mag Axis to the range and am happy to report that the rifle and my face are still intact, though some would say the latter isn't anything to be proud of. The weather was crappy, and, comprising sugar, I was concerned about melting. This means that I didn't stretch its legs or shoot groups beyond getting it on paper, but I ran about 20 of 150gr and 180gr hunting ammo with no immediate warning signs of impending failure.




Specs: Savage Axis stainless receiver, used Savage (I think) 26" stainless .300 Win Mag sporter—not magnum—contour barrel, Boyds pepper laminate Pro Varmint stock with 1" Limbsaver recoil pad and homemade pillar bedding, EGW 20MOA rail, Primary Arms 4-14x44mm FFP scope.

I'm hoping to get a heavy barrel from Apache once orders open up again. By the time I get a new barrel, I should have some more rounds through it. Then, once the gun is apart, I'll give it a more thorough examination for setback, but I am cautiously optimistic about this project!