Let the barrel tell you if it is any good. The only way to know is to shoot it.
Would this barrel be of concern?
- Thread starter Fern
- Start date
DShortt
Gold $$ Contributor
As others have stated that's pretty standard for a Savage barrel and 1" is pretty standard with factory ammunition if you're honest and count every shot instead of throwing 1 or 2 out since they don't meet expectations. If you regularly shoot half that size or less then it's not you. If you normally shoot 1" or more then you're going to have to establish your personal baseline before you can blame the rifle.
The biggest challenge Savage actions present for me is the bolt lift effort. It's next to impossible to remain in a consistent shooting position with one of them. Probably not what you wanted to hear but there it is.
The biggest challenge Savage actions present for me is the bolt lift effort. It's next to impossible to remain in a consistent shooting position with one of them. Probably not what you wanted to hear but there it is.
wildcatter
Silver $$ Contributor
I think your going to be very dissatisfied spending 400 bucks on a good barrel, and trying to get anywhere near satisfying groups better than any factory Savage Barrel using the stock on a Axis!
In my opinion your working backwards and throwing money at a problem that is not your main issue! The axis is not going to shoot 1/2" groups with any barrel in that factory Tupperware stock, and 1" maybe 3/4 would be great, even with a custom barrel, and no other changes!
I bought a 243 Win. in an Axis, paid $225.00 for it, had a stock mad for it out of laminated wood with pillars by SSS. I had an old 6mm Rem. AI that was shot out, coppered so bad it wouldn't clean up in 4 hours. We cut 4.5" off the breach end and rechambered it to 6mm BR. left the barrel HV contour, and opened the barrel channel up to accept the HV barrel.
We set this up for the removable factory clip, which is fit to the stock and what determines short or long action on all Axis actions. All Axis actions are the same, from 30/06 to 223, the stock determines if it will use a short or long action clip.
Anyways this cut rifled Pence Premium hand cut barrel came back to life, and cleans as easy as my Krieger on my Benchrest rifle. But while Fred was building another 27.5" 6mm AI for another gun, I decided to take that old 243 Win. barrel and ream it out to the 6mm AI just so I could fireform 8x57 Mauser cases i had necked down in Lapua brass, and have it ready for when the new custom 6mm AI was finished.
Well I had about 50 rounds from that old 6mm AI barrel I cut down for this little BR varmint rig, it was loaded over 15 years ago, and was my accuacy load in that old barrel. So I decided to see if it would shoot in this factory jerked over barrel,,,,,,,, UNBELIEVABLE! This is a blued light hunting barrel, and those old 80 bergers with a healthy dose of H-4831 after sitting in my shooting shed, all them years in Remington brass, shows how little meaning those chatter marks make, here it is in its fireforming mode.
And this how that factory barrel shot at 100 yards aiming center of the target square, 1/4" moa. Then the first two shots at 200 yards on the left target were shot as show from the original poi, I lowered the crosshair to shoot to dead on at 200 and forgot to move the hair to the right, so when I shot the third shot to confirm my zero I held between the first two shots, and as you can see I would have hit right between those first two shots had I held level off the center of the targets like I had for the first two which confirmed the 100 yard targets 1/4" moa accuracy!
That is the difference a stock will make, as this is the same rifle with one of the best Hand Cut Rifled Stainless steel Benchrest barrels shot from it with no more done than changing the barrel. That top right group was the load I settled on. But you see even a revived Match barrel needs load development, as the load's on that target most 5 shots instead of just three, and when not in tune 1" is common.
This is that top right load I have setteled on with the custom barrel, yes 5 shots, but a much heavier barrel, compare it to the proven three shot group at the same 100 yards above with that factory barrel and decide what the difference is worth! pictures speak a 1000 words!
Sorry to be so long winded, but this gun alone proves how close most Savage barrels will shoot to custom barrels when everything else is the same! Inever shot the 243 barrel before rechambering it because of the same thing your barrel shows. I will say it cleans a little tougher that the custom barrel, but not bad at all. It also when clean feels as smooth as the custom barrel when I run a patch thew it. But make no mistake, that factory lightweight fireforming barrel has become my new deer barrel! and you will be hard pressed to find a hunting weight completely custm hunting rig that can outshoot it!!
DON'T THINK CHANGING A BARREL WILL SOLVE YOUR ACCURACY ISSUES!! Put yer money in real improvements,,, a stock,,, before you start chasing a problem I highly doubt you have!!
wildcatter
Silver $$ Contributor
It is going to take more than torque specks in his case, this going to be very meaningless with those modular Tupperware stocks on the Axis,,, the better laminated stocks on the 110, 112, 12, etc is where this is going to show improvements.
The marks are bore reamer marks and when the button is pulled thru the bore for rifling the marks also get pushed into the grooves.
Button rifling displaces the material. It doesn’t remove material during rifling.
Also button rifling twist rates can vary/wonder. This also along with variances in bore and groove sizes make them more load tempermental as to what the barrel will shoot good.
Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels
Button rifling displaces the material. It doesn’t remove material during rifling.
Also button rifling twist rates can vary/wonder. This also along with variances in bore and groove sizes make them more load tempermental as to what the barrel will shoot good.
Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels
Actually, with the pillars in the plastic stocked Savages, it's very effective!
It even helps out the Axis rifles.
wildcatter
Silver $$ Contributor
In mine it was of little use, the biggest help is in the three screw stocks, I can torque both the long and short action Axis stock,, and see no difference once they are already tight, tighter makes no difference in mine! Being all Axis are the same action, and only the stock determines long or short mag use.
The LRPV does, especially overtightening the center screw.
wildcatter
Silver $$ Contributor
Trust me, those would not be 2 and 1 bullet holes with a Stock improvement, but would result in one hole in every one of those targets, under 1/4". Just like my factory barrel did in my Axis putting it in a descent stock, not even carbon or glass, just an inexpensive stiffer stock.
I am just saying why put over 500 dollars in a custom barrel and chambering, to get less results than my factory barrel get's, with a $250.00 Stock is not good advice? You kinda show what I'm pointing out about using a custom barrel, and getting the results capable with a factory barrel an inexpensive stock with pillar bedding!
My Axis modular plastic stock will shoot under .4" or so with the factory AI barrel like justinp61 has shown with his custom barrel, my 30/06 will better 3/4" groups in its factory configuration, and that is with the Modular Plastic Tupperware Axis stock, and I'm not using a Shilen Select Match to do it!
But when placed in the pillar bedded stiffer Laminated stocks, those barrels hum! That AI barrel goes to one hole under 1/4", and the 30/06 will give 3 shots often in .4's and occasionally in the .3's with 180 grain Hornady Interlock bullets, not target pills. So for all those that thinking these cheap factory barrel can't shoot quite well, one should think again, don't discredit today's Savage Barrels!
I just want to make sure it is clear, these Savage factory barrels are not bad shooting barrels, and wont shoot good, but pouring money in a custom barrel to settle for very little gain in accuracy most Savage factory barrels are capable of is not the way I would advise anyone to chase better accuracy.
For three years I used a 1-9 twist factory Savage LRPV to compete in factory class group, score, and live varmint competition. Using 70 grain VLD's in those 3 years I was only beat less than a handful of times, and every time it was a Savage rifle that beat me. That include Sako's, a couple 40X's, and many others.
That 223 LRPV held the range record at Meeker Sportsman club @ 400 yards for group for more than 2 years, and thats shooting it against unlimited class guns! records don't lie.
The newer Savage Barrels are not premium, but it takes more than a barrel change to outshoot them. I have proven that in real life use,,, been there done that! Not saying some are not dogs, we'll have that with anything. But I've had some custom barrels that were less competitive than some factory barrels to!!
Personally, my first investment will always be to replace the Tupperware stocks, as even a Laminated stock has proven to me to be a bigger improvement, and without that upgrade, no custom barrel has ever put me in a winners circle, been there,,,, tried that.
Last edited:
I've had two Savage barrels that didn't shoot, both were 260. The first was on the mdl 16 I bought new after having shoulder surgery and needed something light recoiling. I tried for two years to make it shoot, factory, reloads, different bullets and powder, even a Boyds laminated thumbhole stock. The best it shot was 3" and that was waiting at least five minutes between rounds, heat the barrel up and all bets were off where it was going. I found a guy with a borescope and the bore looked horrible, it looked like there were balls of ss in it from the rifling process.
My buddy suggested contacting Savage even though it was out of warranty. I called and was surprised when they told me to send it back. I got the rifle back in about two weeks and started working on loads, 1 1/2" was the best it would do, even bedded and pillared in the Boyds stock.
The two rifles I mentioned in my post above are both sporters, the 260 is my deer rifle and the 250 is my coyote/groundhog gun. Both work very for their intended uses. I bought a complete 308 and used it for the 260 build. The 22-250 was build from a collection of parts I accumulated.
My hats off to anyone who can consistently shoot under 1/4" with a sporter weight rifle with any (sporter contour) barrel.
BTW, my barrels were $375 each ready to screw on.
My buddy suggested contacting Savage even though it was out of warranty. I called and was surprised when they told me to send it back. I got the rifle back in about two weeks and started working on loads, 1 1/2" was the best it would do, even bedded and pillared in the Boyds stock.
The two rifles I mentioned in my post above are both sporters, the 260 is my deer rifle and the 250 is my coyote/groundhog gun. Both work very for their intended uses. I bought a complete 308 and used it for the 260 build. The 22-250 was build from a collection of parts I accumulated.
My hats off to anyone who can consistently shoot under 1/4" with a sporter weight rifle with any (sporter contour) barrel.
BTW, my barrels were $375 each ready to screw on.
Last edited:
Some rifles can be finicky, maybe that one dont like your bullet/load. I was a winchester/remington/ruger fan for most of my years, then about 3 years ago picked up my 1st savage, 110 6.5cm stealth, dang that shot! hmm well then I got to looking at a used model 12 bvss in 204 ruger, bought it, shazam, it shoots, so then a 223 model 12 fv, same thing, then a 223 model 110 v, then a model 110v 204 ruger, I guess my point is, I will never knock another savage ( honestly, I dont know anyones rifle/shotgun ) because in my opinion, they will shoot. There are lots of things to look at in getting your load/rifle settled down, thats the fun of it, yea you could buy a new barrel, done that too, but my guess is, it will settle in you just gotta find the right mate..
Longtrain
Gold $$ Contributor
+1
I’ve seen worse on other people’s rifles. Amazing thing is that they shoot at all. IMO it’s embarrassing what these companies put on a rifle and expect good money for them.
I’ll never have a barrel that looks like that, I’d give it a Tubb’s Final Finish or TMS workout and see if it makes things better.
Stay away from CCI primers. The AXIS firing pin springs don't have much strength and sticking to 210/210m primers is more ideal.
50-55 gr bullets with Benchmark Powder ALWAYS works, even tho the ES and SD is always high. But I've seen many times a buddy drill 10 shots at 300 meters at around 1" without breaking a sweat.
50-55 gr bullets with Benchmark Powder ALWAYS works, even tho the ES and SD is always high. But I've seen many times a buddy drill 10 shots at 300 meters at around 1" without breaking a sweat.
Average factory looking barrel
You see they don’t lap the tool marked out before rifling and irons in what you see it’s really probbly not as rough as it looks.
You see they don’t lap the tool marked out before rifling and irons in what you see it’s really probbly not as rough as it looks.
Fern
Silver $$ Contributor
Well figured would give an update on this rifle. I was doing searches on Boyd’s stock and found someone selling one for $75 shipped but barrel channel measured .7 and my barrel was .9.
I bought it and recently finished opening up the channel with some sand paper wrapped around 3/4” pex pipe I had.
I had issue with magazine going far enough in to clip in place so that took some tinkering.
I just finished it recently and hoping to take it to the range soon. Going to try some H380 with last charge I did that showed potential (39g) with a 50g vmax.
If this works out I will be happy and probably order a new barrel once this one is shot out
I bought it and recently finished opening up the channel with some sand paper wrapped around 3/4” pex pipe I had.
I had issue with magazine going far enough in to clip in place so that took some tinkering.
I just finished it recently and hoping to take it to the range soon. Going to try some H380 with last charge I did that showed potential (39g) with a 50g vmax.
If this works out I will be happy and probably order a new barrel once this one is shot out
Looks like a very typical Savage bbl. They look like hell but they shoot just fine, normally.
Similar threads
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.