I don't get it...does EVERYONE think that Savages are ugly? It seems that a common reply is..."they shoot great, but they are really ugly". I think a lot of people just repeat what they hear others say about certain firearms, while maybe not actually owning them! Amongst my stable of varmint rifles, some of which I consider to be moderately expensive, I own 3 Savages. Now, I'm not sure, maybe the fact that my Savages are so accurate gives me "gun goggles", and I actually think that they are prettier than they really are, but trying to be objective here, I think that my 12BVSS and 93R17BVSS are very attractive rifles (laminated stocks with stainless barrels -- fluted, in the case of the 12BVSS). I admit, I wasn't impressed with the synthetic (plastic) stock that came on my 12FVSS, so I took that off and put on the Choate Ultimate Varmint stock and Sharp Shooter trigger. I wouldn't exactly call that "pretty" either, but on a prairie dog trip last year to North Dakota, that was the gun out of the six I brought that got the "holy *&^@%" from the guys behind the counter at the airport. A reaction like that, which I took to mean "that is one very serious looking piece of equipment", can be just as satisfying as owning an aesthetic work of art -- assuming it can be backed up by excellent function.

I have several Savage rifles, and they have several things in common. First, the bolts don't work as smoothly as Remington or Winchester. Second, the wood on the newer ones is not really beautiful. Third, every one of them is a tack driver.

The last one I bought, I got from a guy who won it at a gun raffle. He let me have a 110-in .30-06 for $200. His loss. It shoots 3/4 inch five shot groups at 100 yards. Maybe not the prettiest, but a good shooter.

Question: I have an old Savage model 1899 in .303 Savage. I would like to use it for deer in Pennsylvania, but I don't like hunting with iron sights (62-year-old eyes). Would you drill and tap it for scope mounts or leave it original? I haven't made up my mind yet.

best analogy yet. 50% junk. savages look cheap but they shoot. you can fix a ruger for about $500.00 bucks. customize it. ha!ha!ha!

not so. 280 ruger with that boat paddle ruger stamped stock in stainless model mk II or something. never would shoot under 1.5" groups. 50% of rugers are junk. unless you want to spend a couple hundred dollars to make it shoot, do not by one. its a toss up. had 7-8 at our little range and none shot. everything we have there from remingtons, savages, winchesters, brownings, sakos to old mausers shoot dime groups or they do not stay. never had to move any of those. took a little home gunsmithing and they shot factory loads to under an inch and reloads to one holers. those 7-8 rugers have been sold or customized. my opinion but its based on what ive seen. small sample but the proof is in what you experience. that is real.

Got_the_bug,

I've seen a couple of plain Savages that I have sort of liked. The wood stock with blued action/barrel. Wood appeared to be walnut stained beech wood without any grain. Last night I looked at a stainless/laminated Savage with a fluted barrel. I liked the stock. The barrel flutes were noticeably rough, though. No big inletting gaps or other machine marks, though. I think they're good guns for the money, but I don't think they're attractive rifles.

Patrkyhntr, I would leave the 99 original, but I still like using iron sights. That said, it hurts me to have an unshootable gun or garage queen car. If you'll end up never shooting the gun again if you don't modify it, then modify it. Steve

patrkyhntr,
I have a 1907 Sav 99 in 303S.
Rather than scope it for my 52 year old eyes, I will just sell it to a collector and hunt with a Sav 99 in 308Win.

patrkyhntr, I agree with clark, don't do it. A few years back, I put a scope on a pre war model 70 30-06 that had never been drilled or tapped, with original redfield peep. It shoots great and has killed many deer and antelope and a couple of Elk. But now I regret it, so the peep sight is going back on, and I just bought a Savage 110ssak in 300wm to replace it. But the gun will never be the same, and just like land, they won't make anymore.

Thanks for the responses, guys. I inherited the .303 Savage from my father in law. He was more like my father than my father was. I thought it might be nice to take the old rifle deer hunting and to kill a buck with it, just for old times' sake, I guess. Perhaps doing so with iron sights would make it even better.

I will keep the gun in its original condition. They don't make rifles like that anymore. In some ways, the newer stuff is better, but it doesn't have the charisma the antiques do.

regards,

The only thing I am mad at Savage for is the fact that they won't let other gun makes use the lock collar bbl mounting system. Is is the ONLY way to mount a barrel as it eliminates many headspacing problems and makes the bbl/receiver very stiff.

savage wood stocks are not pretty. But, what gun has a pretty synthetic stock???

First off, I'm a dyed in the wool, Remington fan. Love the 700, and have a bunch, from plain jane .30-06 with open sights and sporter weight bbl, to customized 700VS and Senderos. All are shooters.

That said, I've become a Savage convert. The new Accutrigger is outstanding! I bought a new 10FP-LE1 with the new accutrigger in .308 and proceeded to shoot clover leafs all day long. My two outstanding beefs with Savage rifles had always been, 1. Crappy trigger and 2. Cheesy Indian head on bolt. They've taken care of the first in a big way! I liked this new rifle so much that I went out and bought another in .223.

As for beauty, I've always been a fan of synthetic stocks and heavy barrels. For me, there is beauty in pure function. My rifles are tools that allow me to shoot tiny groups and to hit what I'm aiming at, whether it is a paper target or trophy class moose. I'm not interested in wall hangers that you're afraid to take into the field, 'cause you might knick the stock.

Savage centerfire rifles are made in the USA, their rimfires are made in the old Lakefield factory, up here in Canada. Savage bought out Lakefield a number of years ago, and simply tranlated most of the models to Savage brand. As for quality and accuracy, I'd stack my Savage 64FV heavy bbl semi-auto .22LR against any Ruger 10/22 or Remington semi-auto. I own copies of all three, and the Savage/Lakefield out performs the target grade Ruger and Remington every time. Handles and points well, have yet to have on failure to function or stove pipe and it is my go to rimfire for plinking or hunting. Last fall I even managed to shoot several grouse on the wing with it, aided by a red dot scope I had mounted, at a long 30 yards. Can't complain with those results!

I guess that is what Savage is all about: RESULTS!

Someone back a few pages said that it would be cheaper to rebarrel a 770 action than it would be to buy a Savage. I just bought a new Savage .308 from Wal-mart, (I know but it's the same Savage as comes from a gun shop) for $360. This guy was listing his rebarrel job for around $450.

PS- My Savage shoots subMOA.

I thought I'd jump in to this thread. I've owned Remingtons, Rugers, Brownings, and now 2 Savages. I still have the Browning A-Bolts 3/4" MOA out of the box in .338 Win Mag. The Ruger I had was in .22-250. It gave 1/4 MOA out of the box with handloads. .My Rem in .270 Win also shot my handloads in the 1/4 MOA range.I've owned a Winchester and Mini-Mauser, but never liked that style of safety. I prefer my safeties on the tang like Browning and Savage. I now have 2 Savages. My first was a Model 112 FSAK in .300 RUM. This has the 26" barrel with the adjustable muzzle brake. Even with that contraption hanging off of it, I'm getting less than 1/2 MOA from it with 150 gr Sierras doing almost 3500 fps !!! Now I know you're not supposed to get that kind of accuracy from a "cheap" and "ugly" rifle, but my Savage doesn't seem to know that. I liked that one so much, I recently bought another, this one with a laminated stock in .270 WSM. I haven't had the chance to put the scope on it yet and shoot it, but you know what, I'm not worried!! I know it will shoot 1/2" MOA or less when I find a load it likes. And you know what else ?? I think the rifle is pretty attractive!! As far as feeding problems, I've fed empty cases out of the magazine well with no pproblems. So, while I will always keep my Browning, I sold the Rem, I sold the Rugers, but will probably always keep a Savage or 2 around. They just shoot too damn good to sell and my new stainless, laminated one is as pretty as anything out there from the factory !!!



bowhuntr