Remington and Savage comparison

A

Ambroas

Inactive
First let me say my intent here is to not have a copy of all the "which is better?" threads between the two. I'm making a new thread because those posts are either old or don't answer my questions.

First let me start by saying I do own a 700 adl 30-06 that I loved and passed down to my son so now I need a new rifle. I have never shot any Savage so I have no experience there. I am NOT asking which is better, I understand that these are both good rifles and choosing between the two is to the individual. What I'm asking for is a guide to comparing the two so I know where to start.

The Remington 700 ADL 30-06 is $375 at Walmart and on black Friday will be 25% off meaning if I wait I can get it for $281 but for now let's stick with the $375 price. It also comes with a Remington 3-9x40 scope factory installed.

Savage is the issue, they have so many models and variations that cost differently so I don't know where to begin at my gun store.

At the price range and quality of the 700 I described which Savage should I be comparing it to and testing to decide? Most posts I find online compare it to the 11 or high end Mark ll models which I find priced at $500+. If the 700 is truly the equal of these rifles why would I buy them? I could get the 700 and spend the other amount on a new scope or use my old and buy ammo.

Guess we'll start the thread with just that info for now. So which Savage would you say is closest to the 700 adl in price and/or quality?
 
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My Savage Axis is Sub-MOA if I do my part (with a detachable box mag). $275 OOTD at LGS. ~$385 with a decent Centerpoint 4-16x42 IR Scope that ran me about $70 after tax from Wally World aswell as rings and bases. A wooden stock from boyds runs $99.

The Axis's Finish is about the same as the ADL's. Stock is a bit flexible if you're really burning through rounds on the bench or something, but it's fine for hunting. You could get an Axis XP if you wanted an adjustable trigger, they're not too much more than a base axis, but i've got my Base Axis trigger down to about 3.5 lbs' by cutting a coil or two off the spring.
 
Model 11/111 Trophy Hunter XP...

The trigger on the Remington is horrible compared to the accutrigger you get on the Savage. So I factor that into the cost of a 700 ADL, which add $130+ to the price...

With the savage listed above you also get a Nikon 3-9x40 scope. That's another $100+ Expense for the Remington and doesn't include rings($30).

So to add it all up, the Remington with trigger (to equal the savage trigger) and scope/rings bought seperately puts you around $635 not including tax... Even if you don't buy a trigger you're still looking at $500 or more before tax.

You can find the Savage 11/111 Trophy Hunter XP ready to go for $525-$550 not including tax.

For my money, it's the Savage all the way...
 
All good points but please keep the comparisons stock. And sorry if I wasn't clear my question is not which do you prefer. It's more like if I lined up every Savage model and asked for you to compare the rifles alone no accessories or aftermarket's. I've never modified a rifle and I don't hand load.

So if you were to have to select which Savage compares equally in quality/price which would it be? The problem I have is I want to try a Savage but I am not a big spender. I liked my 700 and was used to the trigger but I would love to go to a range and try a Savage of comparable price/quality that I might purchase instead. The issue I have is I don't know which rifles to ask about testing on a range because every forum post I find compares $500+ savages vs a $375 Remington. Of COURSE they're better, they had better be since they cost so much more. But I don't want to spend that much just yet because I'm saving for an AR on the side and a cc pistol as well.
 
I would buy the Savage Axis because it is the cheapest at $275. It appears that price is the main factor here. Anything at or above the $375 threshold goes to the Remington. Straight out of the box with no defects the Savage will run rings around the Remington when it comes to accuracy. So get the cheapo Savage. :)
 
Yeah price is the factor. I know I like the 700 adl since I've had one for years, the price of the adl is the most I'm willing to spend so I was just curious what is the best Savage I can get for the same price. I tried shopping online and sorting by price as well as going through the Savage site. The issue I had is they have so many variations that each gun covers a wide price range.
 
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Savage long actions have a very large loading/ejection port opening and scope mounting holes much farther apart than any other rifle. It can make mounting scopes challenging. Many scope/mount combos simply won't work. Their short actions are not so problematic.

I'm not a huge accutrigger fan. I have no experience with post 2006 made Remington triggers, so I can't say.

I'll be honest, neither would make my top 5, but when I look at the features on each and weigh the pluses and minuses of both I find the Remington to have more features that are important to me. In reality both are very close, you just have to consider which features are more important to you.

I'd spend $350 for a Ruger American and put a $200 VX-1 or Burris FF-II scope on it, you'll be under $600 including tax and have a better scope and rifle. I'd also consider looking at 308 instead of 30-06. That makes the Savage much more appealing to me and a closer contest.
 
I'd go to the pawn shops and Armslist and look for a used gun in my budget with more quality. The ADL is best used as a donor action. The Axis is decent but loaded with cheap parts.

Both will shoot, neither is very good quality.
 
Its really easy to mount a scope on the axis. Simply put a weaver picatinny on it and the options are endless. Thats what i did with burris zee rings on my beater .243 and it works great. That being said, the rem 700 trigger can be adjusted just fine. I have 2 700s and 3 savages which 2 have accu triggers. I gotta say i do like the 700 trigger more again opinion. Personally id look at the thompson center venture thats an absolute fantastic rifle and a doesnt get the attention it deserves. It has a pretty darn stiff stock with 5R rifling to boot. Im sure you know that the scope and mounting set upon those 700 packages suck and all basically should just be junked. I wouldnt put much value there. Atleast the axis ii pasckages come with an accu trigger and a weaver scope. Thats not a bad deal at all.
 
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If you were asking about a Savage Axis compared to a Remington 783 then I would say flip a coin . But I would recomend the 700 any day over the Axis .
 
Savage's model numbers don't mean all that much, honestly. 3-digits (i.e. 110, 111, 112) mean std. action length (30-06 length). 2-digits (i.e. 10, 11, 12) mean short action length (308 length). Other than that, there are only a very few 'absolutes' about their model numbers.

The lowest-priced Savage with a 2- or 3-digit model number (as opposed to the Axis), or any Stevens rifle, if there are any of those around any more, offers more to the purchaser than the 700 ADL.

I say these things having owned them, and also as one who does not choose to purchase any Remington long guns now, nor a Savage unless it's for a specific self-built project I might undertake.
 
I would say the Savage Axis II is comparable to the Remington ADL, but with a much better trigger (accutrigger) than the Rem.

$374 from Buds Gun Shop online with free shipping. Even comes with a decent Weaver 3-9x40 scope already mounted. No tax (as long as you don't live in same state as Buds), so transfer fee at dealer shod put it around $400 out the door...
 
If it were only between a Savage and a Remington I'd choose the Remington. I hate both rifles you mentioned though in the factory configuration. I'm not a fan of the Accutrigger or any rifle that uses a similar trigger, so that includes Ruger American triggers as well as many others that copies the Accutrigger. Plus for all the accuracy claims I've never found a Savage to outshoot a M700 significantly. I have and had both the ADL and the Savage 10/110 rifles and in stock form in the cheap plastic stocks they shoot about the same.

One rifle I'd look at, but they usually aren't found at the local Wal-Mart is the T/C Venture rifle. I owned one for a time and out of the box for a hunting rifle it shot circles around the Remington and Savage rifles at the same price point. T/C also gives you a $75 rebate on all Venture rifles bought between April 1 thru Dec 31 2015 making it between the price of your ADL and the Trophy Hunter XP rifles.
 
I'll look into the Ruger American and T/C Venture, thanks for the tips and if there's any others worth mentioning please do so. The reason I was favoring the 30-06 is 1) I have used it since I was 16, 2) I have a small stock of it, 3) I have been told repeatedly that while the 308 is a flatter round the -06 has more versatility in what you can shoot (both in types of rounds and game). I have never owned a 308 only a 30-30 and 30-06 so I have no experience with the round.
 
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The '06 is an excellent choice. The 308 is a 30-06 Light; nothing more. '06 is easier to find during shortages, as the recent past has shown.
 
+1 for Precision Shooter's response. If looking at a Savage comparable to the 700 ADL, the Axis II compares in both quality and price.
 
Well I'm glad you're willing to look into the T/C Venture rifle. If you want a .30-06 look on gunbroker for a good deal. While the T/C doesn't come with a scope you can put a pretty good deal together for about the same price as the Trophy Hunter XP packaged.

T/C Venture Blued .30-06 $370 with shipping, add another $25 for transfer fees. So after rebate you're looking at a $320 rifle out the door.

Warne Maxima rings are on sale right now but usually cost around $40 and I really like them. You can buy cheaper that will probably work just as well and a little easier to install. The only draw back to the Warne is that they are heavy. So right now we're sitting at $360 for the rifle with rings.

Then you can add a Leupold VX1 Demo for around $159, which IMO is a better scope than the Prostaff on the Savage package. So now I have you in a rifle for $520 which is around the price of the Trophy Hunter XP package. Plus this will weigh in right at 8 lbs which happens to be the exact same weight as the Savage.
 
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All good post, but you would be well served to go physically handle all four rifles mentioned then tell us what you prefer.
Im really getting partial to pushfeed mod 70's when I can find them in the caliber Ibwant and a price I can live with....
Out of those previously mentioned I like the Venture also, especially if I could get it cheaper than the other rifles....
 
Well I'm glad you're willing to look into the T/C Venture rifle. If you want a .30-06 look on gunbroker for a good deal. While the T/C doesn't come with a scope you can put a pretty good deal together for about the same price as the Trophy Hunter XP packaged.

T/C Venture Blued .30-06 $370 with shipping, add another $25 for transfer fees. So after rebate you're looking at a $320 rifle out the door.

Warne Maxima rings are on sale right now but usually cost around $40 and I really like them. You can buy cheaper that will probably work just as well and a little easier to install. The only draw back to the Warne is that they are heavy. So right now we're sitting at $360 for the rifle with rings.

Then you can add a Leupold VX1 Demo for around $159, which IMO is a better scope than the Prostaff on the Savage package. So now I have you in a rifle for $520 which is around the price of the Trophy Hunter XP package. Plus this will weigh in right at 8 lbs which happens to be the exact same weight as the Savage.
Click to expand...

This is a great post. You combined some top quality products for a good value.

Let me offer a variation on the above. Several friends are very happy with Ruger American carbines, restocked for more length of pull, in the short calibers with Leupold ultralight scopes. The American seems to be a very popular gun among those friends whose judgement I respect. The short calibers like 7mm-08 and under are getting it done as well.

Edit: I was curious and checked. The Ruger American standard rifle in 30-06 is 6.25 pounds. The above Leupold scope is 11oz. If you choose inexpensive yet strong and light Weaver aluminum bases($10 pair) with quadlock rings ($12 walmart)the whole package comes in under 7.25 pounds. That Leupold is a super deal! I used those rings and bases, and they work great. Strong and light. I tried them for the price and now use them for the performance.

I have the rimfire version of the Ruger American and that is a very nice trigger. Adjust down and breaks clean. If so inclined the spring can be removed and lightened. Easy if you want and if not very nice as sold. The Remington triggers I tried were pretty bad.
 
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Just to drop my $0.02 in the mix. I own a savage 110 and a 700adl. Both fine rifles. Seeing as this is going to be a hunting rifle for you I would recomend something with a removable mag. It is a pia to cycle the rounds out of the ad and 110 at the end of the day. If your shooting an 06 it's unlikely you ever use more than 1 shot anyway.
That said staying in your price range I would look at the ruger American. I have spent some trigger time with my buddy's RA in -06 with a nikon prostaff. We shot 30 rounds before either of us failed to put it in a 1" dot at 100yds. Stock is flex and makes a funny twang when shooting from the bench but the results on paper tell the story. Keep in mind I am saying this as a big fan of remington and savage. My goto hunting gun is my Remy pump gun in -06.
Also as a side note. Nothing wrong with many calibers for deer including 308. But why fix what isn't broke. 30-06 will compete with anything on accuracy and has a very large number of choices for out of the box hunting rounds. My favorite is the federal premium line with the 165 Sierra game king.
Good luck. Pick what you like. They are all fine guns.
 
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