May Have To Eat My Words About Savage Axis...

taylorce1,

I think most people would take a nicer rifle off the shelf over a budget model if they had the money to do what they wanted with it. I would personally rather start every one of my bolt action rifles out as a Winchester Model 70. But new or used they cost a ton more than a Savage Axis. Chances are the Axis will shoot as good or better, too. Still, if I had the money, or the inclination to save the money, I would buy only Winchester 70s
 
If money were no object, I would have several Weatherby MK V's, the newer Mauser branded rifles, Dakotas, and customs built on a BAT or some other high dollar target action.

But I don't, and that's ok.

Mojave-tec, those are some nice groups, I hope mine shoots that good. I've looked around but I can't find any 60 gr V-maxes to try out when my rifle gets here. I bought a couple hundred 69 gr Matchkings to try. I'm gong to start with Varget, but I've got RL-15 and H335 on hand as well.

Have any of you guys with the .223 Axis tried the 69 gr Matchking? If so how did it go? A pet load for it would be nice :)
 
FiveInADime said:
taylorce1,

I think most people would take a nicer rifle off the shelf over a budget model if they had the money to do what they wanted with it. I would personally rather start every one of my bolt action rifles out as a Winchester Model 70. But new or used they cost a ton more than a Savage Axis. Chances are the Axis will shoot as good or better, too. Still, if I had the money, or the inclination to save the money, I would buy only Winchester 70s
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The average price for most of the Savage Axis rifles is around $275-300 from what I've seen locally. I can walk into the same store and pick up a Savage 10/110 package (Bushnell scope) for only around $370, and a Remington 700 ADL package for $420. So I'm not talking about a huge difference in price. Get a camo stock on an Axis and you make that difference even smaller. I can pick up as well a Stevens 200, Marlin X rifle, Howa 1500, and Weatherby Vanguard/S2 without much trouble in the mid $300-400 range.


There is quality in economy if you look, and overall the Axis just falls a little short IMO.
 
I wanted a stainless/laminate rifle, I bought the Axis stainless for $329, and I'm putting it in a $100 Boyd's stock that I'll bed myself. And I'll lighten up the trigger myself at no cost. Does any brand offer a stainless/laminate for $429? If they do I don't know about it.
 
Mohav-Tec--Nice shooting--Now add .5 more Varget.Set COl to 2.29 and use BR-4 primers. It will be even tighter-Trust me it will
 
Taylor, money is no object. I just choose not to spend it senselessly. Those other rifles will not out shoot this one and this one is outfitted exactly like I wanted so anything else would be a waste.
 
I could pay around $750 for a Tikka T3 laminated stainless that most likely won't shoot any better than the Axis.

Or about $800 for a Ruger in the same trim.

Or more than that for a Remington

And the only stainless/laminate Savages that I know of are the higher-end Model 12 target rifles.

The Marlin X7 stainless is a similar deal as the Axis, and stocks are available for them as well, but have you tried to get one of the X7 stainless rifles lately? Marlin has "temporarily permanently" suspended production on them and the guy I talked to at my LGS couldn't even find it in his catalog.

So all things considered, I think the Axis is a pretty dang good deal. But as always IMHO, YMMV, etc.
 
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No can do 4runner. With this bullet the ojive hits the lands in my chamber with a COL of 2.270. Loading at 2.27 with anything over 25grs I start seeing signs of over pressure. Anyway, my AR and my SU16C also love the 25gr round and that's a serious stroke of luck.
Also I get identical results with 25 grs Varget through 26.5 grains in the Axis group wise.
Hey, how much better do you think an old blind bastart can do than 1/2 MOA? LOL.
 
Mohave- That is weird. My 223 Axis takes 2.29 col very easy. I would never had thought there would be that much difference. I load that same load for my bosses 223 Axis also. From your pic's it's seems to be shooting very well already any how
 
4runnerman said:
Howa or Vanguard for $400.00??>.Where are you shopping?. They are $500.00 to $650.00 around here.
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I never said $400, I said I could pick up several different rifles from the mid $300-400 range. That means over $400 on some of them.

Howa Rifles

Marlin Rifles

Stevens 200

Weatherby Vanguard Rifle

So if you are willing to look you can find these rifles. This took me less than 10 min to come up with ones that you can get without much hassle. If you look on Gunbroker you can find stuff even more reasonable if you are a little patient.
 
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4runner, I had to check myself (watch'it, I checked my rifle that is) but I got the same. Of course I'm measuring against a polymer tip but I measured 4 rounds and got 2.269 to 2.735. Just for drill, check your chamber depth again. I'm not questioning you but I'd hate to see hotish loads pressed into the lands.
 
4runner, I had to check myself (watch'it, I checked my rifle that is) but I got the same. Of course I'm measuring against a polymer tip but I measured 4 rounds and got 2.269 to 2.735. Just for drill, check your chamber depth again. I'm not questioning you but I'd hate to see hotish loads pressed into the lands.
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I agree. 2.29 is pushing it in my opinion. Obviously all chambers are different, but that is pretty darn long. I seat mine at 2.268-2.270 as 2.275 is on the lands for me. As several of you here, I also use Varget pushing a 52 grain bullet and have have great results.
 
Ok. You guys got me worried,so I went and redid tests again today.whew,I am safe. Yes-5 tries,Ranging from 2.29 to 2.33. I chambered a round ( actually 5 rounds ), Bolt closed easy,opened easy and no marks at all on the bullet. Then I thought,over 10,000 rounds maybe erosion, I have some rounds from my working up loads 4 years ago. COL on them was also 2.29. OK- Maybe this is it ( doubt it ) My Savage is actually the Edge. I know for a fact at least 4 other people with the Axis that shoot this load now to. In total I know of about 12 people that shoot this load. It is so very very accurate it is scary. People see me shoot it at the range,ask what I'm loading and then go load it for their rifles. Everytime I see someone with a 223 at the range I offer them 5 rounds of mine ( other than ar's) and They shoot one hole with them. POI is off but that is minor. The only rifle I can remember they did not shoot good in was a very sweet looking Cooper.
No pressure signs at all in primer or brass,and I get about 8 reloads before I throw brass. The only reason I throw it is because I have so much of it.
3 years ago I picked up a Savage 223 FVSS- Same load same accuracy from that rifle

Just to verify my info

Case trim length- 1.743- Don't ask,Just seem's to like it there. It's a whole new story
COL 2.29
60 gn Hornady V-Max- Item # 22281
25.5 Varget- right to the neck, no shake when bullet is seated.
All brass is 91 to 93 gn's sized and de-primed.

This is strange guy's. Like i said,I have never found a rifle this load has not fit other than a AR ( Mag restriction only ).
 
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Then shoot it. We have different chamber depths. No great thing. If you did your homework and it's good to go then it's good to go.
I also use a bulk Hornady 55gn BTFMJ for plinking and junk shooting through my AR. I cull out 1.48 to 1.56 cases so I don't have to trim, chamfer or deburr and load then uncompressed with Benchmark. I too have thousands of cases.
 
Axis project

Picked up a stainless 7mm-08 for my experiment, because of ease and cheap parts to convert from long to short action. Have been shooting .338 fed. in TC Encore with Barnes bullets seated out .200 longer then 2.800" Sammi length to 3.00", getting 4 more grains of powder behind 185 gr. Barnes TTSX for 2800 fps. and still way under max pressures.

Going to apply same principal to Axis with long magazine and a Pacific Tool hand 7mm throat reamer. Looking at my Quickload and the extra powder capacity in 22" barrel, looks like with 145 gr. Barnes long range bullet, seated to 3.00 OAL, very close to 2900 fps. is the prediction. With 28" Encore barrel would easily top 3000. I like the 6.2 lb. weight of the rifle with ugly stock and looking for ways to lighten it and metal more. Lightning trigger and stopping overtravel was easy. Wood is pretty, but heavy and the wet of Idaho, Montana and Alaska keep my wood stocks at home..
 
Is there a major difference between the Savage 11/111 and the Axis? Is the action/bolt different? No Accutrigger? or does the Axis just have a cheaper stock? I have a model 11 with a Boyd's Thumbhole in .243, really like it, but now this thread has me thinking about getting a Axis .223, just because...:D
 
They're pretty different... the receiver is a entirely new affair, the botl is somewhat similar, at least the bolt head is but overall its a new rifle.
 
I'll give an update since this thread is still alive and kicking.

I've had the rifle for two weeks now, haven't shot it yet. I'm still waiting on the Boyd's stock I ordered for it and a Weaver one-piece multi-slot base.

I've already polished the trigger and cut the spring, giving me a crisp, clean break and a pull weight between 2 and 3 pounds.

I had to do a little bit of bending/grinding on the bolt release lever because it was just barely rubbing the side of the action. But it just barely clears now so its all good. Has anyone else had this issue?

So now I'm patiently waiting for the stock and scope base to get here so I can put it all together and start working up a load for it.
 
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