Savage axis versus TC venture

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newguy07

New member
I am looking to pick up a new deer gun for next year. I have the caliber narrowed down to a 25-06 but am not sure about which particular gun yet. I would like to stay under $500 since this will only be a hunting gun and for that price I should be able to get something that is more that adequate. My top two contenders are the savage axis models or the TC venture. What are your opinions between these two?
 
Nice choice on caliber selection. The Savage Axis II comes with the accu-trigger and a weaver kaspa scope. I'm partial to Savage but not having shot the venture, I can't give a honest opinion on it. Ruger American is another you might want to look at that's in the same price range. Visit your LGS and get your hands on them and see how they feel. As I said I'm partial to Savage but everyone has their favorite and what I like might not even be close to what you do.
 
I own both guns and there isnt one thing about any savage axis that is better than the TC Venture. I only got an axis because i was offered one nib for 250. After a trigger job its not a bad gun. Beware if you get an axis you will more than likely need a picatinny rail and high rings to get a scope mounted. Even on the package guns the scopes are never back far enough. The venture has 5r rifling and an adjustable trigger. Not to mention the stock is about twice as stiff. Both guns are easily sub moa. With proper ammunition of course.
 
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Cant speak for the TC but Ive bought two Axis ... Both were good shooters. Toss the flimsy stock for a $99 Boyds laminate stock and put in a Timney trigger. Makes it feel like a completely different rifle. Big box stores around here are running the Axis for $247... And Savage has the $50 mail in rebate on them now also.
 
Toss the flimsy stock for a $99 Boyds laminate stock and put in a Timney trigger.
Click to expand...

In that case, you are into the rifle for about $450 or so. The Marlin XS rifles sell for about $350 and already have a decent stock and trigger (not a Timney quality trigger or Boyd's quality stock but good enough that they don't need to be replaced).
 
Own an early Axis, then known as the Edge in .223. Do not own a Venture. Do own several Marlin X rifles, including one that was a 25-06....was, had it rebarreled to 7x57. It shot well as a 25-06, just wanted another accurate 7x57 rifle and besides I have a few 257Roberts rifles for something 25 cal. Also, I prefer the Marlin trigger over the accu trigger....do have a Savage rifle with the accu.

Yea, the newer Axis rifles with an accu trigger, should be OK for decent accuracy, but still the same stock on it, which in my humble opinion....sucks. Had a chuckle when Boyd's stock company did a survey on various gun/rifle websites on what rifles they should make stocks for....lol, the Axis rifle was an easy winner of the survey. A few of the gents I shoot with at range we're members have bought better model Savage rifles, more suitable for benchrest shooting than hunting, that comes with the accu trigger. After shooting them for awhile, replaced the accu with a rifle basix or Jewell trigger. They didn't like the accu trigger.

Even though I've never shot a Venture, can't remember handling one or even speaking to an owner of one at our 700 member private range, think I'd buy the Venture before I'd buy an Axis.

Owning 3 Marlin X rifles, I'm partial to the Marlins for a lower priced rifle. Would recommend one of them. But over on the Marlin forum website, someone has recently posted he phoned Marlin/Remington, both Freedom Group owned, and was told the Marlin X rifles have been discontinued. This leaves the 770 and 783 Remingtons as the lower priced rifles being made at the Mayfield, Ky plant, where the Marlin X rifles were also made.
 
Each his own Huffmanite, I hated the stock on my marlin xs7vh, not to say that savage is all that better but I had multiple contact points on the xs7vh stock.

I have 5 Savage 10/110 rifles in
.223
.22-250
.243
.270
.308

I have the model 11 in
7-08
.260

I have the Axis II in
.25-06
.30-06
.243 youth

My Marlin xs7vh is in .308

I forgot my model 12 in .22-250 :o
 
Thunderkiss, I've no problem with your reply whatsoever. One of my Marlins is also a .308 HV...heavy barrel. Yep, my 308 and other Marlins had molded contact points in the fore end of stock that I removed. I do not hunt, just shoot paper from benchrest, so I've made a wood stock more suitable for this kind of shooting for all my Marlins and many of my other rifles. Did this with my Axis too, once I figured out how to build a wood stock around around the receiver portion of the plastic Axis stock and alter the trigger guard to reuse it since it played such a role in holding the magazine.

Would like to mention something my plastic Marlin stocks did not do, that my Axis stock did, that bothered me a lot when shooting from benchrest. The flex in the Axis stock, not so much in the forend, but in the wrist area of the stock. Puzzled me when I began shooting my Axis as to why my cross hair would move upward about an 1/2" + on my 100 yd target before trigger released. Have a 24 power scope on my Axis, so can plainly see my target at 100 yds. Had a couple of other guys take my Axis to their bench and shoot it from their rests, to confirm it was not my shooting technique or my shooting rest that was the problem. Both noticed the upward cross hair movement. Came to the conclusion that Axis stock just had a bad design flaw in area where rear of trigger guard mated with the wrist area of stock. As you know, rear of trigger guard just has a nub of plastic to hold it in place and the trigger guard screw goes in its front to secure it to the stock. In short, just not a lot of plastic in the wrist area below and behind the receiver area of stock. Act of pulling trigger caused the stock to flex there. Someone shooting the Axis while standing and etc. and not from a front rest and shooting bag under butt of stock, probably wouldn't have much or any of a stock flex problem.

Chuckle, even exchanged PMs with another Axis owner back in its early days, who'd sent back his rifle to Savage to check out the same stock flex problem with his. Savage would return his rifle, with a target that they had shot a number of rounds with a note saying accuracy of the rifle was acceptable to their standards, or something to that effect. Savage never commented about the stock flex problem in the wrist area, the gent was complaining about.
 
Both great guns, but the Venture is fantastic for the price.

If you find an Axis at say WM for $259, that's a great deal. But the Venture is a super nice rifle.

I have both, and if I had to choose, it would be the Venture.
 
The venture's magazine is also much more durable and robust when compared to the axis magazines. The venture also comes in compact versions with stock extensions. I bought one in 7mm08, mounted a 2-7 leupold on it and made a really nice deer rig with it. Ive taken 4 deer this year with it this year so far.
 
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