ruger american or savage axis in 223 ?

If they are selling at roughly equal price, I would choose the Ruger. If you can find the savage for $100 less, which you often can at Academy and Dicks, I would choose the Savage.
 
Ruger is supposed to be a 1:8 twist barrel which will allow you to use heavier bullets if you're a reloader. Other than that, I'd rather spend my money on Savage 10 or Remington M700 for about $100 more.
 
Holy cow . just went to Rugers web site . They come in 223 and stainless now . I want another one now :D

I don't know much about the Axis but I do have a pretty good understand of the American .

American

You will need to sand out the barrel channel a bit to be sure the barrel stays free floating . If not the stock will touch the barrel with the lightest of pressure . This will cause inconsistent POI . Meaning your 1 moa rifle will only shoot 2 moa

The trigger is good but not great . I used to think it had a nice crisp break with no pre travail . I was wrong , I can get the trigger to move back with out the hammer dropping . I never noticed it before until I start shooting my new Savage with Accu-trigger . The two trigger may not be miles apart but there's enough of a difference that after shooting 800 rounds out of my Savage . I then for the first time in months took the American out and thought , What the heck happened to the trigger . It sucks now . Nothing happened , I just got used to a better trigger . That being said the trigger is very nice for the Rifle and price range .

Barrel heating up . The barrel gets hot quick and groups can start to open up . It's not a shoot all day long target rifle IMO . You can use for that but it is what it is .

Axis

There is only 3 things I can think of saying about it .

1) It's a Savage :)

2) not one person has ever said that the one they own is NOT very accurate

2) There is after market stocks for them now. There's a thread on here titled turning a pigs ear into a silk purse or something like that . The guy put his Axis in to a laminate stock and it looks great .

IMO , it's 6 of one half dozen of another .
 
I would (and have, twice) go with the Axis.

I do not own the American, but shoot them regularly enough to be familiar with them as two of the guys I go shooting regularly with have them.

IMO, neither will lead you wrong as they are both more accurate than anyone would think for $300. I'm just a Savage guy...
 
When in doubt..get the Savage. Its like electronics for me, if I dont know which camera , tv, stereo, dvd player etc. to buy and im standing in the store I just get the Sony. Go with the proven winner.
 
How is Ruger not a proven winner? :confused:

I would go with the Ruger. This is only personal preference, but the stock fits me better. I also like the bolt on the Ruger better. Much smoother and the handle is nicer.

I have one in .308 that I really like, and plan to get one in .223.
 
Check out YouTube, look for a review on Nutnfancy's channel. He compared the two unbiased and with detail.
 
After buying my daughter an Axis .223, I'd buy an Axis.

My local big box store has a .308 Axis for $259 and .223 for $279. For the way they shoot that's a steal.
 
Thanks Kleab for the info! I didn't know they were putting the accutrigger in the axis. I was kinda debating this same issue in my head but that pretty much made my mind.
I have an accutrigger on my mark 2 and its awesome.
 
The 22 rimfire accu-trigger and the one in there center fire rifles are different . I'd like to know which one they are putting in the Axis .
 
Last edited:
The Ruger is will be better looking, but you won`t mind beating up the Savage. The Axis has the old Savage with no adjustment screw for trigger pull, but you can get one at any good hardware store. I bought one just to tare it down and look it over, and to tell the truth didm`t like the trigger or the way they have the recoil lug. BUT, mine was a 22-250 and the first reloads I shot in it put 5 round into a 1/2 in. group. H-380 with 55 gr, Nosler bullets are all I have tried in it, but for a carry gun 1/2 moa is good enough for me.
 
The Savage Axis, by far, for one major reason. Aftermarket. You have a couple stock and trigger options with the Axis. Not so with the American. The flimsy, cheap, ugly stock that cannot be replaced is the main thing that keeps me away from the American. Also consider the barrel twist rate. The Axis (1:9") should shoot the 55 gr or lighter bullets better than the RAR (1:8"). Also if you want a stainless RAR you will have to wait till at least March. The RAR in .223 should be an accurate rifle, but I doubt seriously it will outshoot my .223 Axis.

375682_697171886982872_326654995_n.jpg
 
Back
Top