Savage 458 express what do you think

22 June 2003, 06:55

If I remember corerctly I believe Lazzeroni and Savage have done a few things togeher. Does anyone know for sure?

Doug

BTW- Not my first big bore, Weatherby 460, Ruger #1 375

22 June 2003, 07:54

Reed

As a test platform for a large bore rifle, specifically 458 Win, this was a wonderful buy. It's that simple. To use it for deer or whatever is using a 20 pound sledgehammer when a nice finish hammer would suffice. As for use against something that "bites back" it's a screwdriver when one truly needs the proverbial "sledgehammer."

I hope that made sense.

Good luck.

Reed

22 June 2003, 16:38

N E 450 No2

dwhunter
I shot 70gr of IMR3031 with 350 Hornady RN, the Speer 400gr FN and the 500gr. Hornady Soft.
I had my first 458 back in late 1976 or early 1977, it was a Winchester. I was using a lot of the Speer 400gr bullets back then[in a Ruger 45/70 No1] so I shot them in the 458. Never had any problem "ringing" our 300 yard metal deer. Scope Leupold 3x.

23 June 2003, 07:45

dan belisle

Jorge, because they look like crap! That said, I own Savages (and Remingtons, Rugers, Winchesters, Mausers, Valmets, Brownings, Weatherby's, Sakos, etc). Would I buy another, hell yes. Are they DGR's? If you hunt DG with it, it's a DGR. I often wonder at people who go on about the thrills of dangerous game hunting and then put all sorts of rules into place about the type of rifle and equipment you have to have etc. Hell, if it's a thrill you want, taking chances with your rifle should just add to the experiance, shouldn't it? Sheesh. - Dan

23 June 2003, 08:18

jorge

Dan: I looked back at my posts and nowhere do I address the Savage's ( albeit homely) looks. The only point I addressed was reliability. Hell, the best ( in my opinion) DGR rifle out there is D'Arcy Echols' Legend series, but I have to tell you that I much prefer walnut and blue! jorge

23 June 2003, 14:55

dan belisle

Just throwing a little (very little) levity out there Jorge. Sorry if it came off stunted. - Dan

24 June 2003, 00:42

dwhunter

N E 450 No2,
Thanks for the loading info. I only wish I had time to reload all of my own shells! When I lived in AK 20 years ago I was shooting all the time and reloaded everything. It would not be cost effective for me to do so anymore either, with the price breaks I get I typically buy shells by the case so they last a while.

BTW- I have appx: 100 rounds of 300 Wby brass if anyone is interested.

Doug

24 June 2003, 02:10

jorge

ok Dan, you're forgiven! [Smile]

jorge

17 July 2003, 20:25

pjh421

quote:
Hell, if it's a thrill you want, taking chances with your rifle should just add to the experiance, shouldn't it? Sheesh. - Dan

That is SO right.

Paul

18 July 2003, 03:01

475Guy

Damn! I wish I could find 458's for $250! Ignore all the other bullshit, because Savages have been taken to the BIG A in the past. Just shoot the hell of it and enjoy. Besides, the 458 doesn't kick that much anyway. [Big Grin]

18 July 2003, 03:04

Dutch

I keep asking myself, how many of these chaps have handled the CRF version of the Savage action?

I have one, and I just spent about a half hour trying to make it NOT work. Fast feed, slow feed, start-and-stop-and-start feed. Start, retract and feed.

I can't make it not feed, no matter what I do.

Now, on the extractor, I'm not an expert, but if that massive extractor is not going to do the job, I don't know what will.

As far as the ejector, again, I tried to make it fail. Upside down, sideways, slow, fast, medium, jumping up and down. I'm not smart enough to make it fail.

Yes, the bolt is in five parts. I've never seen, nor heard of one coming apart. To me, that's like saying that there are nuts and bolts on a car, and they could come apart. Yes, so? Do they?

Now, as far as positive attributes is concerned, let's consider that unlike the Win, Rem, CZ and others, at least the safety in a place where you can actually use it without taking your finger out of shooting position. JMO, Dutch.

18 July 2003, 04:26

Atkinson

I have no use for them..That's my choice and no one elses.....

18 July 2003, 06:10

<allen day>

I'll alluded to this before on this thread, but it bears repeating: If you can afford a real, live, honest (playing bwana at the range back home doesn't count) elephant, lion, cape buffalo, or hippo hunt (or combination of any of the above), you can afford a better-built, higher-quality rifle than the one Savage produces. Things don't go wrong with rifles while you're punching paper - they go wrong when you're in the bush. It's funny how it always works that way.

Take a Savage bolt gun apart (the psuedo CRF version will do), then find a Mauser 98 action (or Model 70) for comparison. Compare the way these actions are designed, constructed, and built. The Mauser is a much better designed, much simpler (fewer parts equals greater reliability every time), far better-machined, higher-quality mechanism with a far superior extractor. It was built, by intent, for absolute durability and reliabilty under all conditions. It's ideal for African hunting, no matter where that hunt might take place.

The Savage was built for economy, first and foremost, and it was built to sell at the lowest possible price. That was the primary objective of its design - not dangerous game hunting.

AD

18 July 2003, 08:18

vapodog

You asked so here is my .02

If you are really going to hunt something that requires the muscle of a .458 Mag, then you ought to get a REAL gun.....In my experience Savage isn't a real gun.....

UI've had excellent results with Model 70 Winchesters and 700 Remingtons.....I'd also be willing to look at a Sako and a Browning A-bolt...

Savages are accurate....and that's where it ends....They must also feed, extract, have a good trigger, a working safety and a proven reliability....all of which they fail on in my experience.

There's two things I want when I draw down on that Cape Buffalo.....one is a big reliable and accurate rifle, the other thing is a damn good PH backing me up with something the size of a .470 Nitro double rifle......In my opinion, Savage makes neither of those things.

18 July 2003, 11:55

Socrates

Not to stir the pot, but in shooting THE most dangerous game, the tactical level Savage rifles are used quite often. VERY accurate, and the last LEO sniper I ran into loved his, and used it successfully in competition, and 'work'.

Claimed consistent .5 MOA in competition,or less, and, didn't need a ton of work to get it to work, after purchase.

Course he was very unreasonable. Didn't care what it looked like, only that it was reliable, drove tacks, and he had this weird thing about liking black fiberglass stocks...had to feed all the time, people's lives might depend on it...and he had to be able to hit what he aimed at, first shot, cold barrel, long range, or short.

Funny part was, he could have bought much more expensive rifles, but saw no need.

If it was me, and a 458 came up for 250 bucks, I'd grab it in a second. Savages are known to have excellent, if plastic, on occassion, triggers, adjustable, and very accurate rifles.

Wondering if your 458 resembles that remark.

I would love a rifle for that price, in that caliber, just to see if I liked the caliber...
s

20 July 2003, 12:58

Gringo Cazador

I've had a few savages over the years, hunted alaska a couple of times with 338. There are a couple of things about them I do not like, one is the trigger, the other is the hardened pin that holds the bolt face to the bolt, I've seen three break on different rifles.

They make a very accurate rifle and feed pretty good for the most part. I prefer the CZ. I don't own any anymore and do not recommned one for DG, but for other applications they are fine and if the price was right I would buy another.

20 July 2003, 13:52

Atkinson

If I had a $250. new Savage, I'd trade it for 2 $125.00 cats... [Wink]

22 July 2003, 18:54

pjh421

Never pay for cats.

Paul

23 July 2003, 04:38

Mikelravy

Definitely not my choice in a dangerous game rifle. I wouldn't use 458 win no matter what the rifle was. Still for $250 in a caliber that is cheap to load for I don't see how you could go wrong as a fun to shoot plinker. I used my Savage 458 on groundhogs and had a blast.