Savage Model 12fv

[Lefty Trigger]

I pick one up every time I find them on the "clearance rack" most recently I found a heavy barrel 12FV in .308 and out the door it was $289. Like others said the action alone it worth that cost. It pays to check Cabela's gun library often because sometimes they buy overstock from Savage and put "new" guns in the used library at huge savings just to get rid of them. One of the guys I shoot with found a new Savage stainless 300WSM in a really nice laminate stock, unfired but no box or paperwork and picked it up for $299.

 

[Hoot]

I pick one up every time I find them on the "clearance rack" most recently I found a heavy barrel 12FV in .308 and out the door it was $289. Like others said the action alone it worth that cost. It pays to check Cabela's gun library often because sometimes they buy overstock from Savage and put "new" guns in the used library at huge savings just to get rid of them. One of the guys I shoot with found a new Savage stainless 300WSM in a really nice laminate stock, unfired but no box or paperwork and picked it up for $299.

Boy that must be region sensitive. At the local Cabelas NW of the Twin Cities, the average price of a Model 12 in their Gun Library is right around $700.00. One (AsNIB) FV that looks like it was from last year's Black Friday door buster is $579.00 Another (used) SS one with a Simmons 8-32 is selling for $899.00

Hoot

 

[jpx2rk]

Somebody on another gun forum I frequent had a FV12 in 223 with shorten barrel listed FS at $500, when 3 months ago he couldn't sell it for $350.

 

[PhilC]

The regular price for a 12FV, a Cabela's exclusive, is $419.99 and they don't have thumbhole stocks. Why anyone would pay more than full retail is beyond me.

https://www.cabelas.com/product/1994604.uts?MDK=dynbanP_TR&MDC=cat105523380

 

[jpx2rk]

I know but this guy trades/sells on a regular basis, so he's trying to rip someone off. He still hasn't sold it and everyone else on the board knows what the gun is worth, so he still has it. LOL

 

[46and2]

I just got a Savage Model 12fv from Cabelas, and am wondering what I should reasonably expect from it. It is a low priced, heavy barreled varmint rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor.

I have no goals other than to try out the 6.5 Creedmoor caliber, and to enjoy casual target shooting out to 300 yds.

Any opinion/experience of what this stock rifle should be capable of in terms of accuracy? I will be shooting reloads, but input on both reloads and factory ammo will be appreciated.

A few years ago I bought one in 6.5 Needmore at Cabelas for a good price, $300 or 350 after Savage rebate and Cabelas coupon.

Shot a couple of hundred rounds and tore it down. I only keep the action, trigger and bolt.
Here it is now as a 6.5wsm.

 

[the badger243]

Choate stock, bedded the action, and threw a sightron 10x50 60mm scope. Mine likes h4350, h4831sc, imr4350, and rl26. 136gr to 142gr bullets are what my barrel responds well too. Also have targets at 1000yds as well fun held 6.5in to 7in 5shot groups at that distance

 

[Hohn]

I have a pair of them I bought last year. 6.5 and .223.

The actions are marginal even compared to other Savages. Way sloppy even compared to “real” Savages. I bet Cabelas got them to cheapen somehow— using reject parts, whatever.

The .223 runs much better and I’ve rebarreled to a 7 tw CBI. Haven’t shot that yet. It’s a keeper.

The 6.5 has been a project. Sketchy action. Chamber was reamed with a dull apprentice and scores my brass while making extraction a pain. After a flex-honing and Tubb Final Finish and thousands of manual cycles, it might be useful. I haven’t really shot it much since doing the work.

I currently share a GRS Bifrost between these two rifles so the odd man out goes back into Tupperware.

I can see myself eventually selling the 6.5 and buying or building a nicer rifle in that caliber. Love the round. I even like Savage. But this particular sample has been pretty rough.

 

[Clark]

I bought a 2003 Sav Vbss 22-250 in 2017.
I put a Lilja 250 Sav barrel, Boyds stock, Timney trigger, Glade bolt handle, homemade bolt knob, and homemade 20 degree Vblock on it.
It shot a 1" 3 shot group at 200 yards sighting it in.
100 gr Nos Bal Tip 39 gr CFE223, 2.550" OAL
62.5 kpsi 3154 fps Quickload
3115 fps chrono
3197
3253

Just from those few shots, I loved it, but I built a 6.5-06 and a 7mmRM that brought home the big game that year.

 

[spudgun]

Mine shoots lights out. H4350 and 140 eld.

Yeah, H4350 is the go to powder. round here the H4350 started to be hard to find. Did some testing with R-16 and RL -17, IMR 4350.

having good luck with the RL-16 at 40.5gr and 140 Hornandy Match, 2.71" OAL.

Getting 1/2 MOA at 600 yds.

 

[Steve Ladino]

I just got a Savage Model 12fv from Cabelas, and am wondering what I should reasonably expect from it. It is a low priced, heavy barreled varmint rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor.

I have no goals other than to try out the 6.5 Creedmoor caliber, and to enjoy casual target shooting out to 300 yds.

Any opinion/experience of what this stock rifle should be capable of in terms of accuracy? I will be shooting reloads, but input on both reloads and factory ammo will be appreciated.

I bought a FV 12, 6.5 new take off. Looking with my bore scope the chamber lead area looked perfect. I shot it some and got great accuracy with Nosler 140 CC. and 44.3 grains of H4831. I loaded them with whatever tools I had on hand but didn't want to tool up for it so I sold the barrel to a friend and he is doing real well with it too.

 

[wbm]

I will be shooting reloads, but input on both reloads and factory ammo will be appreciated.

Have that rifle but it sits in a Boyd's light weight varmint stock. Hornady 140gr American Gunner is hard to beat for factory ammunition....was so good I went for the 200 round bulk package.

Using 175SMK and 42.2gr of IMR-4064

Years ago one of the Camp Perry regulars was talking "go-to" rounds for the .308. He said "load 175 SMK's with 42.5gr of IMR-4064. If the rifle will not shoot that combination it is probably cursed!"

 

[Hohn]

Yeah, I don't buy the "go-to" load theory. I was told the same thing about 24gr of RL15 and 69 smks. It's an old standby in HP. Well, it was over an inch in my AR. But 8208 and AR comp are closer to half inch in the same gun. Don't just a rifle by the load, judge the load by the rifle.

 

[JAlfred]

They will shoot. Bolt frequently drags on the magazine and they are rough.

Whatever you do, don't look down the barrel, it breaks the spell.

 

[Hohn]

They will shoot. Bolt frequently drags on the magazine and they are rough.

Whatever you do, don't look down the barrel, it breaks the spell.

Funny you mention the bolt drag, my rifle had exactly that problem. Moving it to a new stock gave an unexpected improvement in smoothness.

I’m just now getting into more serious development after lots of tweaking—flex honing a really awful chamber, lapping lugs, tubb final finish, etc.

 

[JAlfred]

Sometimes you can seat the magazine deeper in the stock and it resolves the problem. Sometimes a little needs to come off the top.

I put mine in a chasis I got on the cheap and it seems quite happy feeding from a detachable mag.

It is amazing how well they shoot.

 

[rockhound78]

I had a 6.5 Creedmoor Model 12fv. Cut the back off the chamber and made it into a 6.5 BR. Only a 3 shot group, but it went into the 0's with the 123 Nosler CC and some really old H322 (30 years or so)