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Thread: Savage 12 Benchrest – unprofessional review

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  1. #1
    TBass
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    Savage 12 Benchrest – unprofessional review

    I recently purchased the Model 12 as my prairie dog gun. I realize that this is not the rifle’s primary objective and what few complaints that I have might be negated if I simply used it as a benchgun.

    Today was the firearms second outing. The first outing was simply to get the rifle on paper, get used to its functionality & generate some brass to work up some reloads.


    Holy crap am I going bald :-[

    The Hardware:
    Rifle: Model 12 Benchrest
    Caliber: 6MM BR
    Scope: Schmidt & Bender 5X25 X 56
    Powder: 30 Grains of Varget (0.010 off the lands)
    Bullet: Hornady’s 87 grain V-max
    Primer: CCI 450
    Brass: Lapua

    I would appreciate if you would please keep the following in mind:
    1) I am NOT a benchrest guy.
    2) I am shooting a bullet designed for varmint hunting and not super accurate paper punching.
    3) I was shooting from sandbags provided by the range & I just could not get 100% comfortable. I found that the butt of the rifle was
    either too low to get the support under it that I wanted or too high.
    4) I did not clean the barrel after any of the shot strings. I did not do this for a couple of reasons. First and foremost I not a big fan
    of cleaning a barrel until the accuracy starts to slip. Secondly, I really don’t plan to clean the barrel when I go out to shoot prairie
    dogs.

    What I would change/complaints
    1) Trigger is to light for the type of shooting that I normally do
    2) The barrel is very, very, very, very, very long.
    3) The rifle is poorly balanced because it is so front heavy.

    Really liked:
    1) Love the trigger … I know I complained about it being too light from the factory; however, it is a great trigger and I have little doubt
    that when I increase the pressure that I am going to love it.
    2) Love the dual port!
    3) Accuracy out of the box is incredible
    4) No copper fouling.
    5) Minimal recoil

    The numbers:
    15 rounds of virgin brass shot
    Standard dev: 7.17
    Average Velocity 2962

    15 shots of reloaded brass:
    Standard Dev: 8.22
    Average velocity 2965

    The targets



    The three targets above were shot using virgin Lapua brass.
    The first two targets were shot at 100 yards (I actually called the fliers on the second target). The third target was a shot at 150 yards.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



    The targets above were shot at 100 yards after reloading Lapua brass in a Redding full length type “S” bushing die.

    Summary:

    I have to say that I am extremely happy with the purchase of this rifle. Although I do have some minor complaints (they are only personal complaints), I can either fix them personally (ie. The trigger) or with minimal cost and minimal effort have a competent gunsmith alter (ie. The barrel length). I was shocked to see that with roughly 150 rounds down the tube that the barrel’s velocities are very consistent and there is almost no copper fouling. Additionally, the fact that the rounds loaded from virgin brass vs. the rounds loaded from once fired brass are so close in velocities & standard deviation I should not have to make any minor adjustment to my long range dope regardless of which I am shooting!

    And the dual port… initially I thought it was kind of gimmicky; however, I have to say that I love it. By the end of the day loading had become second nature and the fact that your empties weren’t being tossed off the bench was greatly appreciated.

    I did take the rifle out to 400 yards today & suffice to say I think every round would have sent a prairie dog to its maker.

    If you have been tossing around the idea of purchasing this rifle, I would recommend that you pull the trigger (pun intended) and buy it.

    If you are looking for a more in depth review become a paid member and read the article written by Pat Kennedy. That review alone is worth the price of membership.

  2. #2
    mbabc
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    Re: Savage 12 Benchrest – unprofessional review

    Good read - Thanks for the review.

    Mark B.

  3. #3
    Team Savage pdog06's Avatar
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    Re: Savage 12 Benchrest – unprofessional review

    Thanks for the report on your 6br....

    My 6br also LOVES the 87gr vmax and Varget(30.3-30.5gr). Shoots them so good I ended up selling the 500+ 105amax I had for it. My longest kill shot with it to date was a prarie dog at 875 yards, but have shot many in the 500-700 range. I was really surprised how well the 87gr vmax shoot at the longer ranges, and they do a number on prarie dogs ;D.

    Congrats on a nice rig, and one AWESOME scope!!!
    ”I have a very strict gun control policy: if there’s a gun around, I want to be in control of it.”
    ~Clint Eastwood

  4. #4
    dcloco
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    Re: Savage 12 Benchrest – unprofessional review

    At your next garage sale adventure, buy some women's long legged jeans. Cut the legs off to make EIGHT sandbags with. Works VERY well.

    If you can get money out of the daisy dukes you have left over.....well....more power to ya! :)

  5. #5
    Tracer
    Guest

    Re: Savage 12 Benchrest – unprofessional review

    Hello Folks! I am new to this Savage Forum but not to Savager rifles. I saw this thead right off and just wanted to add my 2-cents worth on the Savage 12 rifle. The wife and I own 4 of those model 12 rifles and for us, they are for stationary use mostly. The calibers we have are two of the .204-Ruger's, .223 Remington, 22-250. I also shoot a Ruger model 77 in the 25-06 for longer ranges and the wife has a .243 model 70 Winchester.

    The remarkable thing about the Savage model 12 we purchased last year, was the fact they all shot under 1-MOA with factory ammo. The .204-Ruger cal. shot .700 and the other shot .650 MOA. I have not as yet worked up any handloads yet but since the weather is changing for the better, that is on our go to list. I am very pleased with the Savage line of rifles. Yesterday I shot with a fellow who was using a $3,500 dollar rifle and we were neck and neck for shot groups fired, me using factory ammo mind you and him using his reloads.

  6. #6
    Basic Member
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    Re: Savage 12 Benchrest – unprofessional review

    I went to a local sports shop where I saw this 28" ss barreled savage I asked to see it It was a Model 12 with a 6BR barrel 1-12 twist with an aliuminum bedded stock not your average carry around gun. But shooting off a rest It's the cats meow. Very accurate have only shot it at the range once with lapua reloads and it shot better than anything I have ever had. I scoped it with a sightron 8X32X56 sightron scope. The first loads and groups were 1/2" or less @ 100 yds Unbelievable. Then I developed Blood clots in my legs and am grounded and have been for 2 years. The problem is starting to get better but slowly to a point I may be able to shoot some more. By the way I pais $1000.00 for the rifle Right bolt, left eject single shot Savage has come a long way. Lou
    A great civilization is not conqured from without,until it has destroyed itself from within. In God We Trust

  7. #7
    TBass
    Guest

    Re: Savage 12 Benchrest – unprofessional review

    I've got to say that this rifle has now officially joined an elite few in my primary gun safe. This rifle has Officially gained the status of a "Firearm that I will never sell or trade". There are only two other firearms that have met such high standards, an Accuracy Internatioanl Arctic Warefare rifle and my JP Enterprise AR-15.

    Ourway77 - I hope you can get out to throw some lead soon. Any ETA when you will be able to get back out there?

  8. #8
    Team Savage
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    Re: Savage 12 Benchrest – unprofessional review

    Unprofessional review? I'd say better than most any gun magazine I've read lately.
    Good job and who cares how much hair you have? "Almost" Bald is beautiful. Save $$ on haircuts. ;D
    Oz never gave nothing to the Tin Man, that he didn't already have.

  9. #9
    Basic Member
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    Re: Savage 12 Benchrest – unprofessional review

    Yes thank you for your review. To match custom guns out of the factory box, and at about 1/3 the cost is sweet.
    "Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth." ~ George Washington

  10. #10
    Samdweezel05
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    Re: Savage 12 Benchrest – unprofessional review

    I agree. That was the most professional unprofessional review I have ever read.

  11. #11
    TBass
    Guest

    Re: Savage 12 Benchrest – unprofessional review

    Thank you very much for the positive feedback. Due to the fact that I was so impressed with this rifle ;D, I opted to purchase yet another Savage… The Model 12BVSS in .223. I expect to do a similar review in the weeks to come, as well as an update to the 6MM BR. It looks like Savage has done the unexpected and has earned my business and moved me away for the old standby (the Remmy model 700).

    I can give you a little hint with respects to the 6mm BR update… this rifle is really turning out to be a dynamite rifle. The more I shoot it, the more that I like it. Additionally, the barrel seems to be breaking in nicely & the groups have shrunk dramatically. The groups have shrunk so dramatically that I feel as though if I don’t post a video of me shooting a 200 yard target (with a camera on both me & the target) that people will find it hard to believe how small of a grouping this rifle can shoot.

    Happy shooting to all & I hope to see you at the range.




  12. #12
    Basic Member Stockrex's Avatar
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    Re: Savage 12 Benchrest – unprofessional review

    Tbass that is the twist on that barrel.
    newbie from gr, mi.

  13. #13
    xdshooter
    Guest

    Re: Savage 12 Benchrest – unprofessional review

    thanks for the review i have been trying to decide to get one and this helped out alot.

  14. #14
    Basic Member
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    Re: Savage 12 Benchrest – unprofessional review

    You really wanna see PD's fly with a 6BR use 55g-58g varmint bullets and a nearly compressed load of 8208.

    Serious splaticity.

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