Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Thoughts On The New Savage Rifles

I presently own Remington's, Sako AV, Weatherby's, Tikka's, Winchester's, Ruger's, etc..., but no Savage's.

I hear people talk about the good accuracy of the Savage rifles, but I also heard there have been quality issues with the bolt and the fit and finish can be poor.

I was thinking about picking up their new stainless steel and fiberglass rifle as a beater rig.

I'd like to hear some opinions before I buy.

Thanks.

You must mean the 16 & 116 Weather Warrior series...16 is SA & 116 is LA....my most recent Savage a M10 Whitetail Hunter in 308 Win & full camo...great game rifle...nice durable film camo finish...accurate...Accue trigger breaks @ 24 oz out of the box..although the bolt action is not as smooth as a Tikka...Savage builds an affordable accurate rifle in many variations...the 16 series has a good selection of chamberings..

Those Savages as ugly as they are sure do shoot.

They are trying to make them look better but it just aint working. They do shoot great though!

I might choose hunting with a sharpened stick over a Savage. Now if they improved that bolt design and bottom metal I would probably buy one.

I have a blued savage 110 and its very accurate. The accu-trigger is one of the best factory triggers out there. I wish they would put better stocks on them and I think their stainless is way too shiny! Otherwise it's a pretty good gun.

Bought my girlfriend a Model 11 .243, pre Accu-trigger for cheap 2 years ago before an antelope hunt. Several different loads in it shot rather well-she used it to kill 2 antelope and quite a few prairie dogs. A coworkers 11 year old daughter used it to kill her first deer.

A rattle can paint job and some webbing paint dressed the looks up quite a bit. Bluing is awfully thin, but it wasn't purchased to be heirloom quality, just to kill animals without fear of tearing it up.

Good point about the "Heirloom" quality. I have heirlooms in the safe, but I can't hardly hunt with them. There are days and situations where I want to be able to hunt without worrying about putting a scratch on the stock, or dinging the blue.

I don't currently own a Savage rifle, but I am not opposed to them. The offer a good value for the money.

That, and it didn't hurt that it was the only left handed rifle in a moderate sized caliber in the area at the time it needed purchased.

I have a 14 American classic on the way, I'll lstate an opinion then. The older, non accu-trigger 10gl I had a while ago failed to impress, but sure shot well.

Look at a Howa or Weatherby Vangaurd- same thing

I sold a Savage I thought I loved for a Howa that makes me smile everytime i look at it, much less handle it, work the action, or feel the trigger that even my clumsy self adjusted simply with a screwdriver to feel perfect. We are foing to teh range, to play with a new idea for a load.

I liked my Savage 12, but I can't think of a reason right now to buy anything but a Howa/WBY Vangaurd right now especially at the price.

Massachusetts never attacked Pearl Harbor.

There is that......

understood

this japaneses made peice doesn't have any lead paint though j/k

I am happy with mine, go with the Weatherby then at least it is American in name and heritage even if another country made the action

Their best began and ended with the 1899.

Picked up a 111F in 270 on sale about a year ago. Threw on a cheap scope I had sitting around and took it to the range with handloads I threw together real quick. Danged thing produced 3/4" groups without even trying. Haven't had time to put a Leupold on it and do load tuning to see how good it can shoot.

I'll probably end up selling it to my brother and I'll put the money towards a 14 Classic in 250 Savage just because I don't need a 270.

Only have one, it's a .223 LH wood stocked sporter for small to medium critters. Sighted it in with reloaded mixed military brass, IMR4198 shooting IMI 55 gr. FMJ's then proceeded to shoot a 9/16" five shot group with no work up of any kind. Which is better than my eye's and the rest I had otta do. Does it have the look or feel of some? No, but it gets the job done as well as any.

I think the savages are really coming around in the looks department.

I like the new 14 series and the 12's they have a really nice 12 called BTCSS if i remember correctly. nice laminate thumbhole stock that looks suspiciously similar to 700 VLS stocks. It's got detachable mag, neat rifle.

One thing they could do for me would be to drop the laser etched logo on the bolt. I'd much rather see a jeweled bolt. Another thing would be the finish on the walnut stocks for the 14 series rifles. Nice stocks but that finish is terrible. Gack!! at least when browning puts a coffee table finish on something they get a deep shine & showy grain (yuck) but the savage finish, WTF? it's got this milky grey haze to it, not quite satin, not quite gloss... like melted wax on top of the wood. I'd rather they send me a stock prepped for finishing but unfinished so I can do my own oil finish on it, and I wouldn't build it above the grain, I'd go about like this.



and then if they replaced the engraved serial numbering with stamped numbers, nicely stamped.

yeah, I think that about does it.

Back in the late'80's and early '90's when my boys were starting to shoot BG rifles I bought at least 4 used Savage 110's (wood/blue) and one Weather Warrior (S/S). I bought these rifles used and paid no more than a $125. These rifles were all Wal-Mart kit rifles that sold for $199-$249 new and they came with a cheap mounted scope and a wide leather sling.

The complaints were;
1. They would not shoot close to the same spot twice;
Reason: the barrels were not properly floated
The fix on the wood stocked models was to refloat the barrel and glass bed the action. On the S/S model refloat the barrel.

2. Kicked like a mule
Reason: no recoil pad and a minimum sped chamber, i.e. a short thoated chamber
The fix was to add a good recoil pad and trim the stock as necessary

3. Bad triggers: I never did any thing to the triggers they were not that bad.

I never had a Savage that I couldn't make shot a MOA.

I bought these rifles for beater rifles for my boys.

Would I buy a new Savage? Not likely.

Would I buy a used Savage? Yes, in a heart beat, if it was cheap enough.

I own an older 270 and a Predator in 204. Both are ugly. Both shoot very well and for your application, you'll be hard pressed to do better.

ttpoz