Why are factory savage rifles accurate?

[Scalloper]

The most accurate factory rifle I have seen has been 2 Tikkas. I have never been impressed with Savage. I dont plan on owning another.

 

[Gary C]

The first four, five shot groups out of a Savage LRPV in 6mm BR.
Don't know what Tikka or Bergarra can do but i'm glad I went with the Savage.

 

[DogBuster]

Been messing with Savage rifles for 20+ years

This barrel I screwed on one of my first 'FP' series (223 Police)

Barrel came off from an 'M' series solid bottom s/shot large shank...24" SS/9T

Had it turned down by a local guy to small shank...

Pac Nor built me many 'p/dog barrels' & had maybe 1-2 CBI tubes

M595 Tikka's also found their way to my safe...slick as snot actions & great adj trigger

Savage continues to build pretty accurate rifle in many variations

Pic..this 223 now resides with my SIL in AZ

 

[Dave M.]

I do know they out shoot Rem, right out of the box. Savag was a one time a starter. for your kid. . I hope the keep up the GOOD work. Just my two cents Tommy Mc

Not sure I would say a blanket statement that they outshoot Remingtons at all times. Savages as a whole seem to be one of the better out of the box rifles in terms of accuracy and trigger adjustability. I have three rem 700’s and each one can easily shoot sub moa out to 200+ yards. I have two savage rifles (both .308’s) and one shoots 3/4 moa at 200 yards and the other has NEVER broke the sub moa 5 shot group size at 200 yards with any of the 15 different factory ammo I’ve tested in it. I finally replaced the barrel with a criterion pre fit and the very first range trip it shot several sub 3/4moa 5 shot groups at 200 yards. Sometimes when you have tried everything you can think of, you have to add the barrel to your tomato stake collection.
dave

 

[mauser284]

I do not think you can put it down to floating bolt head since Thompson Compass uses a floating bolt head as well and accuracy is all over the place with those. You either get a shooter or a dog with them. A lot of rifles today use floating bolt head and a barrel nut to set head space quickly and easily during production.

I have never been impressed by the barrels Savage makes it is more like they shoot good in spite of the terrible interior of the hollow rifled tube they call a barrel.

Clearly in spite of all the compromises in the design and the ancient machines Savage is using to build their rifles they are doing the basic's more consistently than most!

I have never shot a Savage as they come from the factory. They can be had so affordably that getting them accurized and rebarreled is too easy to not do it! You can purchase one, accuraize it, rebarrel it and have a poor mans Boden or Defiance right???? LOL

 

[FNSafari]

I do not think you can put it down to floating bolt head since Thompson Compass uses a floating bolt head as well and accuracy is all over the place with those. You either get a shooter or a dog with them. A lot of rifles today use floating bolt head and a barrel nut to set head space quickly and easily during production.

I have never been impressed by the barrels Savage makes it is more like they shoot good in spite of the terrible interior of the hollow rifled tube they call a barrel.

Clearly in spite of all the compromises in the design and the ancient machines Savage is using to build their rifles they are doing the basic's more consistently than most!

I have never shot a Savage as they come from the factory. They can be had so affordably that getting them accurized and rebarreled is too easy to not do it! You can purchase one, accuraize it, rebarrel it and have a poor mans Boden or Defiance right???? LOL

Part of the Compass' problem is the cheap crap stock they mount it in, but after all, what do we expect for $300? I had one, in 7mm-08, that I finally found a good load for. It used a 139 interlock Hornady and 760 powder. I gave it to a young fellow who didn't have a good deer rifle. He got his first deer that November.

I think the barreled action has merits, the stock is an abortion.

 

[wildcatter]

It's not accurate to say Brand X factory rifle shoots more accurately out of the box than Brand Y. I personally have shot 1/2" groups from Winchester, Remington, Tikka, Browning, Savage, Interarms, and a bunch more I can't remember.

What determines accuracy is having a good barrel, a straight chamber, a stock not in an inordinate amount of stress, and a well tuned load. On occasion a factory rifle will have a great barrel and chamber but most of the time they are average. Even a poor barrel will occasionally shoot sub 1/2 MOA.

It's pretty easy to state Savage hands down owns the factory rifle accuracy debate, when you consider the fact it owns the factory class on every range I compete on in the three states I shoot at.

Mi In OH, ya one month out of the year another make might win, but predominatly Savage owns the factory class I shoot at, these are requiered to be all factory components, no aftermarket anything. Usualy owned by their model 12 action with no flat bottom stocks allowed, but if the lrpv doesn't win, it's usually a Savage 112 or 110 varmint rig holding the winners spot.

But in the past 15 years, Savage owns the class when 5 target aggs are required on every range around me. One make or another might pull one better target or small group of the match out their backside durring a match. But at the end of the day, a Savage usually walks away with the wood!

 

[john 800]

I remember this thread and the comments I made after reading them. After a few more years and a few more rifles another thing came to mind… this is from Savage mod 10and 110s mind you, never an axis. The “cheap” stocks on savages on mine are still certainly cheap, but they are significantly better that a Remington 700 plastic stock, remingtons usually come with a pressure point and savages usually come with a floating barrel, even my cheapest of the cheap savages are pillar bedded and floated form the factory. How would a br rifle that shoots .1s shoot from a Remington blow molded stock with a pressure point? My guess is not in the .1s

 

[INTJ]

It's pretty easy to state Savage hands down owns the factory rifle accuracy debate, when you consider the fact it owns the factory class on every range I compete on in the three states I shoot at.

Mi In OH, ya one month out of the year another make might win, but predominatly Savage owns the factory class I shoot at, these are requiered to be all factory components, no aftermarket anything. Usualy owned by their model 12 action with no flat bottom stocks allowed, but if the lrpv doesn't win, it's usually a Savage 112 or 110 varmint rig holding the winners spot.

But in the past 15 years, Savage owns the class when 5 target aggs are required on every range around me. One make or another might pull one better target or small group of the match out their backside durring a match. But at the end of the day, a Savage usually walks away with the wood!

I disagree. What we can say is Savage offers rifles with good enough accuracy to compete very well in whatever class Savage has decided to build rifles for. That is not remotely the same as saying that Savage is the most accurate factory rifle.

We shoot a lot of rifles here, which include customs we build, customs others build, and factory rifles. The factory rifles are all over the place in terms of accuracy/precision. It's a total crap shoot with any brand of factory rifle......

 

[tommeboy]

Three of the worst rifles I have had as to accuracy were Savage. But once the stock, barrel was replaced they were easy 1/2" guns. I currently have a factory barreled axis in 223 that is a 3/4-1" gun. Only time it is worse is after cleaning it till it gets some copper back into it. It does have a boyds varmint/tactical stock and a heavy barrel.

 

[Lkwebb]

Three of the worst rifles I have had as to accuracy were Savage. But once the stock, barrel was replaced they were easy 1/2" guns. I currently have a factory barreled axis in 223 that is a 3/4-1" gun. Only time it is worse is after cleaning it till it gets some copper back into it. It does have a boyds varmint/tactical stock and a heavy barrel.

What stocks did you put on them.
I'm thinking of putting a new stock with a rudder on it .

 

[tommeboy]

pro varmint

 

[mauser284]

Yes I own 3 Savages and while the plastic stocks are light and cheap they are very rigid! Nothing like a Hogue Over Moolded where it is as soft and squishy as a sponge and kits the barrel if you put any load on the forend at all.

Like I said before in spite of how cheap they are made and antiquated machinery they are using they are covering the basics better than most. So straight barrels, receiver threads and bolt face concentric, enough lug engagement etc.....If you get the important stuff mostly right the rest takes care of itself.

Just think about what that says about other companies which much better designs, nicer cosmetics etc.....

That said I think any rifle you are going to rebarrel should at least have the receiver face touched up and lugs lapped. Even better to remachine the entire action.

 

[Ed kof]

I own a few savage rifle. They all shoot well. I got rid of a f class in 6.5-284. It would put 5 shots in under an inch at 300 yards. I should have found a different lighter stock and just cut the barrel down to 26 inches. Oh well it’s too late now. Edk

 

[DogBuster]

Pac Nor has built me a truck load of Savage pre fits although

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Lots of things can destroy accuracy from strictly speaking of good factory rifles, there's only a couple of things that make a good one or a bad one. I would sum it up with two words...barrels and ignition. Yes, lots of other things can ruin it but assuming a free floated bbl and typical factory action tolerances, there's not much else there. A custom rifle or a competition rifle is a different ball of wax and every detail matters more. But factory guns are pretty cut and dry, simple tools.

How much does it matter if the threads and action aren't perfect or if one lug contacts, etc. I think the two things I mentioned...mainly the bbl. are head and shoulders more important than anything when it comes to factory production accuracy.

Even on full custom BR builds, it's hard to see some things on paper but that's beside the point because competition requires everything to be at it's potential. But I can assure you that if you put a factory bbl on an otherwise near perfect custom...you'll see it right away.

 

[FNSafari]

I had a savage 340 in the early 70’s in 222 Rem. It was a 1 to 1 1/2” rifle. Basic but good for a recent college grad with no money

 

[three percent]

I had a fp10 police tactical model that I had to try real hard to get a 1in group with alot of load development.i finally gave up and sold it.
If I knew back then how easy barrel swap was I'd bought a good barrel and stock .wish I hadn't sold it now.
Might buy another just because I know with a good barrel and stock they will shoot

 

[Gary C]

Follow up to my Dec. 2021 first groups out of my Savage LRPV 6BR.
The rifle was a consistant sub 1/2 MOA shooter for more than a year using Berger 108 and Varget
.010 into the lands.
After 12-1400 rounds the results were less than great .6-.700 became the norm.
I found I had lost something like .010 off of lands.
After again establishing Jam, I backed off .005 from jam and the Savage again is shooting consistant
.300-400 groups.
Even shot a personal best .207 this past Monday AM at out Geezer group bench shoot and BS session.
I don't know about Savage as a rule accuracy but this one shoots with the ammo I have developed.

G

 

[Shooter13]

I disagree. What we can say is Savage offers rifles with good enough accuracy to compete very well in whatever class Savage has decided to build rifles for. That is not remotely the same as saying that Savage is the most accurate factory rifle.

We shoot a lot of rifles here, which include customs we build, customs others build, and factory rifles. The factory rifles are all over the place in terms of accuracy/precision. It's a total crap shoot with any brand of factory rifle......

Exactly right! The first thing I thought of was the factory UBR class in which Savage rules, my mind blocked off good hunting or plinking rifles, I think we all to often "go straight to OUR discipline" and don't consider all the "other" things we use rifles for.