Mossberg Patriot vs Savage Axis

I have a Remington 783 in .308 and I love it. Shot my first deer with it on Saturday. Only thing I've done with it was to get a part to make the bolt lift knob larger.
 
I wound up going with a new Axis in 30-06. It does everything I'll need it to and the price really won the day, given all the other similarities. I'm hoping to get it out to the range as soon as the weather improves down here to get it sighted in and start learning what kind of ammo it prefers. Thanks to everyone for the information!
 
I am a full-time gunsmith and because of that, I earn my living dealing with shooters. I have seen and talked to many men and women around here that own those rifles. So far I have heard and dealt with very few complaints. On the Axis in 223, I have had 2 come to me with the little flap (cartridge pusher) on the bolt broken. Zero failures with the Axis in the larger calibers so far.

Both rifle brands occasionally break an extractor. Easy to replace and both Savage and Mossberg will send a replacement set of parts free, but I dislike the fact that it may break on a hunt. Not a chronic problem, but it can and does happen every now and then.

I am told there is some man making milled extractors for them somewhere in the USA and I'd love to find out who that is. If anyone knows please post the info.

The M.I.M. castings that both companies use (and Marlin too) have a higher failure rate then I'd like. In the last 10-12 years or so I have replaced maybe 10 extractors on various makes and models of rifles using "T-Head" extractor systems. This includes Marlins, Mossbergs and Savages combined. To put that in prospective, they still have a lower failure rate than what I have dealt with on Remington 700s because I average 3-4 Remingtons every year coming to me with broken extractors.

The odds of any of these rifles breaking an extractor when you have it in your hands while hunting is low, but not non-existent. Just as a side note, the oldest T-Head system I know of is the "post 64 Winchester M-70, and in all my years I have never seen an M-70 break an extractor. I am told theirs were milled, not cast. I have had to fix a few that got stuck from build ups of "goo" like oils that turned to varnish, and sometimes rust of the extractor and bolt face as well as the spring inside the hole, but so far I have never seen one break.

I own a Mossberg MVP in 308. The receiver, trigger and barrel are the same as those used on the Patriot. I like the rifle a lot for a factory rifle but I'd like it a lot better if the safety locked the bolt down and if it had a milled extractor. (I keep promising myself that someday I am going to hand-make a solid extractor out of 5160 steel and fit it, but so far I have been too busy to get around to doing that)

It is a 308 of course and I can't say I believe it's any less accurate then what I have seen from the Savage rifles. (I also doubt it's more accurate) I use loads with 150 grain Winchester Power Points that shoot about 1 MOA and I have also used a few loads with 165 grain Nosler Partitions that shoot about the same. But I have a friend who loves the bench-rest competitions and he loads some ammo with Sierra Match-Kings that I have shot in my MVP which shoot into a ragged hole at 100Yd.
I am a hunter so I could not care less about a group that is 1/3 of an inch loaded with target bullets,. 1 MOA is all the accuracy ever needed to kill deer, antelope and elk out to the max ethical range any hunter should fire at game, but a bullet that does not break up or turn off at extreme angles within the animal is of more value to me than a smaller group than I can't hold without a bench-rest under the gun.

So I continue to use my hunting bullets, but the accuracy of the rifle is not in question at all.
 
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I think the biggest difference will be in look's. feel and price. Never picked up a Savage newer than the old 110 but have two Patriot's. The 243 shot 1" 100 yds groups out of the box! All I use the other for, 308, is cast bullet's and haven't a clue if it's 2" 100 yd groups are alright. Thinking I'll hunt with it someday. I suspect you can have a problem of some kind with any new rifle, not just Savage or Mossberg! Go look over both and then choose what you like. Mossberg's with wood stocks around here are hard to find in fact even with plastic stocks it's no easy. Of course there's less than 3,000 people living within about 30 miles of where I live! Haven't looked at Savage but I certainly would not be against a wood stock one, they have a great reputation for accuracy. Bet than now and then they turn out a pig, just like everyone else!

EDIT: About that Mossberg safety that is meerly OK.Mine work fine and I could care less if the bolt is not locked. If your one of those that feels he can't unload the rifle without chambering every round and closing the bolt, you should have the safety on all through it!
 
The Mossberg is not a bad rifle for what it was designed for. I have 2, an early model 100 atr in 243 and a later model 100 atr in 270 with the fluted barrel, and adjustable trigger. My son has hunted with the 243 now for about 10 years, and has bagged quite a few deer, and 1 hog, with it. I purchased the 270 as a loaner rifle, since I didn't want to lend out my browning a-bolt or rem 700 rifle, which is what I normally use to hunt with. I did bag a doe with the 270 this year just to try it out since it sat in my safe unused for 3 years. There capable of good accuracy with good scopes. I'm partial towards Mossbergs. I don't like the savage axis receivers or their stocks. Good luck in your choice.
 
Well...

Got both my boys Mossberg Patriot Synthetic - Vortex Scoped Combos in .270 Win.

$400/pop.

27934-catalog.jpg

Very nice rifles.




Red
 
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