RC20
Dislikes about my Axis. Factory trigger has a heavy trigger pull....mine was around 6 lbs. It is not an adjustable trigger. I did work on it, replaced the trigger spring and did some honing on the sear to get it down to around 2 1/2Lbs.
Factory stock flexed when pulling trigger....I could watch my crosshair move upward on a 100 yd target when pulling the trigger (before trigger job). Movement of crosshair was not my shooting technique, also use a Caldwell front rest and a rear bag when shooting from a concrete bench at range. Another shooter took my Axis to his bench and duplicated the crosshair movement on his shooting rest. Flex of stock was in area where rear of the overlarge trigger guard mated to the wrist of stock.
Rear of trigger guard just has a notch that fits into a hole in wrist area. If you were to rest the bottom end edge of butt on something and hold the rifle with one hand on the forestock and then take forefinger of free hand and apply pressure to top of wrist area, just behind the rear of the receiver while watching the joint where rear of trigger guard mate to stock, you will see the joint open. Actually exchanged PMs with a gent on another gunsite who noted the same problem and he sent has rifle back to Savage because of the flex. Savage will return the rifle with a note and a target. Basically Savage did not respond about the stock flex he complained about. With the rifle was a target that had been shot using his rifle and a note saying accuracy of the rifle was within their standards.
Careful in removing the recoil pad on an Axis. You will need to depress a square button on top of butt near the recoil pad and have the rear sling metal piece unscrewed from bottom of butt. Problem is with the button when depressing it, Plastic button is on brittle side and thin, easy to break. Broke mine when removing the recoil pad to reuse on a stock I made for my rifle. Have read other posts from Axis owners having problem when depressing the button.
I have a .223 Axis. Seems this particular cartridge Axis has an ejection problem with spent brass. For me, I must pull back on the bolt fairly fast to eject the brass from receiver and then it basically just falls out of the receiver. Brass will fall off the bolt face when pulling back the bolt slowly, and then I need to tilt the rifle to the ejection port side to dump it out. I've read comments from other 223 Axis owners having the same ejection problem. Never read anyone with an Axis rifle in a larger cartridge having this problem.
Only until very recently did Boyd start making a replacement stock for the AXIS. Why? probably because in the Axis the lug is molded into the stock and its top fits into a notch cut into the locking barrel nut, unlike other Savage or Stevens rifles, that has a lug part between the receiver and barrel nut that fits into the stock. Also, it was probably a problem for a stock maker to come up with a rifle stock that solved problem of Axis trigger guard design since it helps hold in the magazine.
As to the Marlin: Factory trigger is adjustable down to around 2 lbs. Play with it a little and you can get it lower.
While the plastic stock of the Marlin is nothing to brag about, to me its better than one on the Axis. Marlins have the typical Savage type lug between the barrel nut and the receiver, which I prefer over the Axis design.
Marlin accuracy is quite acceptable. As for me, my three Marlins outshoot my Axis when it comes to accuracy. Its not that my Axis is inaccurate, just my Marlins shoot better for me.
I shoot my rifles mostly from benchrest. Prefer to open my bolt and slip one round into action to chamber it. Easy to do with my Marlins. Don't know about the larger cartridge Axis rifles, but with my 223 Axis, feeding round thru the receiver port difficult to do....must drop magazine and load round into it.
