Valid point Robin. They both have shortcomings, but I think the Remington action is just easier to make improvements to. Savages biggest downfall of all is the constant changing of their actions layout. Between action screw spacing and bolt release it's hard for the after market to keep up. It's not always just a simple modification to make things work a lot of the time.Originally Posted by Robinhood
For me, they all have their own place. If I want to do something on a small budget and make a DIY project out of it then the Savage action is your ticket as long as you're will to accept a few drawbacks other than accuracy.
If you're on a budget, but don't want to do the work yourself, than the Remington may be a better fit with more options available to it. In the end I believe it will have a few less performance drawbacks than the Savage depending on what items you have upgraded in conjunction (i.e. Sako Extractor ect.)
If your budget is bigger and you want to do most of the work yourself then get a Mausingfield or a bighorn TL2/TL3 and run all your Savage Small Shank barrels on a full custom action that won't have any performance drawbacks and be just as accurate as any Savage you could build on a budget.
If your budget is unlimited buy whatever action you want and tell the Gunsmith what you want it to be when they're done.
As far as the Hide convo that was brought up. If I was starting out all over again knowing the issues I had trying to run the Savage action in high stress competition and some austere conditions I'd pick up the RPR and upgrade it down the road. You drop as much or less on than you would a LRP and don't have any of the tuning that a Savage needs. Not to mention the often noted feeding, extraction, and ejection issues that Savage actions are fond of.
As I stated, you have to respect the limitations of the gear you're running. I got tired of thinking about gear and required tuning, so I went the custom route in order to focus on my competitive shooting. I've done nothing, but improve my scores with my decision. A little more financial stress maybe, but I took out the worry of trying to fix my gear while the clock was running and not getting rounds down range to score points!
Savage actions fill their intended roll very well and honestly, I'd love to see someone come out and win a big tactical match with a built up Savage. However, I've never seen a Savage action go through an entire match, much less a single stage without some type of FTF, FT Extract, or FT Eject. They are always accurate, but you can't score points while the clock is running if you're sitting around trying to get a round in the chamber.
I believe those that say they have never had an issue, have never tried shooting a timed event with multiple stressors that take your focus off of what normally works all the time. I.E. Rifle canted on a barricade and not a perfect level prone position or numerous other items like dust storms or sand in general. The muzzle brake blast of the guy next to you throwing sand in your action. All kinds of stuff that occurs during these matches.
I'll end this rant on this one note. I'm not bashing Savage. I am simply stating where I have had them fail me personally and observed them failing others in similar situations. That to me has identified the limitations of the Savage actions and can respect that for what they are.
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