Just barely got me a varmint rifle! A Savage Model 12 Low-Pro in .223! I didn't think that there was such a thing as a gun so pretty that you wonder if you should shoot it or put it over the mantle

Here are some pictures, sorry that some are blurry...

Good lookin PD buster you have. Shoot it and enjoy it. The accuracy of the Savage will amaze you. Mine loves the Blacks Hills ammo.

Thanks TX6BR !

I cannot wait to get a scope on it and get out in the field with it! I've heard they have great accuracy out of the box!

Although I have those 300 rounds of the Black Hills ammo, I have about 1,600 cases of .223 begging to be run through the gun in reloads! We will see!!!

The last one I shot put five in a row inside a dime.

Group about 3/8"

The Savage shoots great out of the box. Used one in 243 for 1000 yd F-class and it shot better than I could. Went out and bought another in 223 for varmints. I really like that low profile stock.
I think you're going to like it a lot.

Mine is a 12 BVSS.... which is a pretty accurate gun...

I like that lefty version of yours, mainly because my son is a lefty... and I need to trade off something to pick him one up like that... he is 12 yrs old and FINALLY getting an interest in shooting over playing Video Games.....

I talked with one guy who had one like mine with over 8,000 rounds down the barrel and it still shot pretty darn accurate!....

I have a 112BVSS in .25-06 with a Can-Jar trigger (pre-acutrigger). It's real it's a solidly sub-half inch rifle which ain't bad with the .25-06 that ain't known for stellar accuracy.
My only complaint with the rifle and my only recommendation on others is the barrel being quite rough and needing a good bit of break-in to clean easy and obtain best accuracy. Small price to pay for what I've gotten out of the rifle for what I paid for it. I believe they are a good value for a shooter.
I popped a mid sized rock chuck with mine at a Leica'd 679 yards.
Enjoy your new rifle.
Looks like the bolts on the wrong side. LOL

Congradulations, it is a nice looking rifle. I like the way the stainless & laminate look together.

Thanks guys!

Seafire- That is great that your son is moving to the better things in life! You should definately get him one like this. Although, the gun does weigh 10lbs so if he likes the blued/composite look you could probably pick that one up for $200 less and it weighs 8.75lbs instead of 10. Check out their website if you have the time...
Savage Website

Montdoug - I have never broken in a rifle before, what steps do you take in a barrel breakin?

hvy barrel - thanks! I agree the laminate/stainless combo is a real eye-catcher

Shoot 1 shot and clean for 10 shots. Then shoot 5 and clean. The button rifle barrel will break in easy with fantastic accuracy.

I went to Dan Lilgas site and copied his recommendations, he oughta know. This is pretty much my technique. On the other side if you go to any of the major barrel makers sites they will have their advice as well. Basically it's just to shoot, clean, shoot, clean etc to smooth out the tooling marks from the bore so they don't collect copper and powder fouling.
Here's the info off Lilgas site.

Centerfire Maintenance

(For information on cleaning .50 caliber barrels Click Here.)

We recommend that your new Lilja rifle barrel be properly broken-in to obtain the best accuracy. A proper break-in will help ensure that your barrel will clean easily in the future and that you will achieve maximum accuracy potential. Please follow these important instructions.

We are concerned with two types of fouling: copper fouling, which is caused by bullet jacket material being left in the barrel, and powder fouling. During the first few rounds a lot of copper fouling will be left in the barrel. It is important to remove this fouling completely, after each shot, to help prevent a build-up later on. Powder fouling is ongoing, but easy to remove. Do not use moly-coated bullets during the break-in procedure.
Break-in Procedure

For an effective break-in the barrel should be cleaned after every shot for the first 10-12 rounds or until copper fouling stops. Our procedure is to push a cotton patch that is wet with solvent through the barrel. This will remove much of the powder fouling and wet the inside of the barrel with solvent. Next, wet a bronze brush with solvent and stroke the barrel 5-10 times. Follow this by another wet patch and then one dry patch. Now soak the barrel with a strong copper removing solvent until all of the blue mess is removed from the barrel. The copper fouling will be heavy for a few rounds and then taper off quickly in just one or two shots. Once it has stopped or diminished significantly it is time to start shooting 5 shot groups, cleaning after each one. After 25-30 rounds clean at a normal interval of 10-25 rounds. Your barrel is now broken-in.
Normal cleaning

For a normal cleaning (after a string of 10-25 shots) after break-in, the above procedure should be used, but stop short of soaking the barrel with the strong copper remover. A good rule of thumb is to stroke the barrel with a brush, one cycle for every shot fired.
Periodic cleaning

It is probably a good idea to use a strong copper removing solvent every 200 rounds, or so, to check the barrel for copper fouling. We do not recommend the routine use of abrasive cleaners for normal cleaning. However they can be used every 500-1000 rounds to remove the carbon build-up (caused by powder fouling) in the throat area of the barrel. To use, wrap a cotton patch around a worn out brush or a cleaning jag and liberally apply the abrasive cleaner to the patch. Short stroke the abrasive for 6" or so in the throat area and one or two full length passes through the barrel. Do not clean the barrel like this for more than 1-2 minutes.
Suggested equipment and solvents

It is important to use an action rod guide when cleaning. The guide aligns the rod with the bore and helps prevent uneven wear in the throat area. Be careful not to raise the handle end of the rod while stroking. This will put a "belly" in the rod that will wear the barrel. We suggest that plastic coated rods, like the Dewey and Parker-Hale, be used.

Our preferred cleaning solvent is Butch's Bore Shine made by BBS Industries (406-652-2495). This solvent is excellent at attacking both powder and copper fouling. We recommend it for both break-in and regular cleaning.

For occasional use only, abrasives like J-B paste, Flitz, or RemClean can be used.

Do not use a stainless steel brush in your barrel under any circumstances.

Do not apply a strong copper remover, like Sweets, on a bronze brush. It will ruin the brush and give the false indication that the barrel has copper in it.

For shooters wishing to use moly-coated bullets we do not recommend shooting more than 25 rounds or so without using the normal cleaning procedure outlined above.

Long barrels require a long cleaning rod. Click Here for more information about a 60" Dewey rod.

To also read Dan's article titled Barrel Fouling - Click Here

Thanks for posting up that cleaning info!!

Justin

How does it shoot?

Trashcanman -

I am waiting for this buyer to get my car parts from me so I can get me a nice scope!

I wish I had a scope on her already because im heading out Varminting all day tomorrow.

Justin

Ordered a scope this morning!

Ziess 6.5-20x50 with Target Turrets and Mil Dot Reticle.

I'll be checking the front door religiously this upcoming week

Justin,

Congrats on the aquisition of a great Varmint Rifle (and Scope, too!)

I'm a Lefty also and mine is the spitting image of yours except for scope selection - anyway, if yours shoots as good as mine you'll be one happy customer; those Savage Low Pro's shoot fantastic!

Have fun anticipating the Little Brown Truck's arrival and getting your rig assembled.

Thanks Gerry !!

Just curious but what scope did you end up getting for yours?


What do you mainly use the rifle for over there in Germany?


So many varmints, so little time! I will definately meet the UPS guy at the door!

Justin

buglemintoday= I use a simmons 6-24 w/duplex rets. It also has a 50mm ao. This is mounted on a 243 m98 action bull barrel, with corelite stock. Not a bad rifle for around 350 buck toatl investment. Dave

quote:

Originally posted by Buglemintoday:
Ordered a scope this morning!

Ziess 6.5-20x50 with Target Turrets and Mil Dot Reticle.

I chose the exact same model & reticle and got mine about 2 weeks ago.

I am very very pleased with the scope so far!

Awesome Rikard!

What I like about Ziess over Leupold (I am slowly getting all of the leupolds off of my rifles and getting Ziess or Swarovski on them) is that the eye relief doesnt change with magnification. On the leupolds you may have to pull your eye closer to the scope when it is on 9x or 20x. I think the only model that has a set eye relief is the lps?

The last thing I want is a full load in my elk rifle and have to have my eye get kissed by the rifle

Justin,

Thanks for the interest, you may be a little bit surprised at the answer.

I purchased the Savage(s) for the simple purpose of dragging 'em back & forth across the pond for our PD Safari's. Since we have to pack stuff in & out Europe/States my PD travel battery includes 3 Savages. The decision based entirely on Left Hand availability, Value and Performance/Accuracy. The .223 Remington Low Pro, a 7mm Remington Magnum L/H Tactical & the L/H Heavy Barrel 93 in .17 HMR. The ultimate plan was to start to switch the Savage Barrels & Bolt heads to accomodate additional Cartridges & Barrels but I haven't got that far; yet.....but I will. Some years we may get two voyages



and unfortuneately sometimes a year (or even two) goes by without a trip to South Dakota......



As for the scope I opted for a less expensive option and installed a BSA 6-24x50 Contender on the .223 Remington and a BSA 3-12x44 Air Rifle Scope on the 17 HMR. Before all the moans start; I have been more than pleased with the performance received from these scopes while at the same time couldn't quite justify mounting something else to sit 51 weeks a year in the Gun Safe waiting for our PD excursions. The return on the Scope investment so far has been, well - good & good!

The three rifles don't get much of a workout over here - I take them to the range occaisionally to sight-in and test loads and such but Day-In, Day-Out they're Closet Queens waiting for gainful PD employment because when they are used they take the week-long use (not abuse) in stride.

Have fun with your new Savage and nice European Zeiss. I've plenty of high-end European Zeiss', S&B's, Docter's and Kahles' on my other hunting rigs but they get MUCHO more use than the Varmint Rigs.

Nice. With Remington pricing themselves out of the "poor" varmint hunter market Savage is making a very good product that will fill this niche nicely.

Gerry,
Where did you get your left handed tactical at? I checked their website and could not find it. How I long for a .308 in a tactical rifle with matchgrade accuracy and McMillan stock

Justin,

Yeah, I looked too and couldn't find it either.

According to my records I aquired it here in the Fatherland in December 1998 and if I recall correctly was on Special Order at Frankonia for @ 1 year; so it's been while. Probably not in Savage's line-up anymore, sorry.

It shoots great, flat-black w/"Savage Tactical" on the bolt but alas, no McMillan stock just a Savage Varminter black synthetic.

quote:

Seafire- That is great that your son is moving to the better things in life! You should definately get him one like this. Although, the gun does weigh 10lbs so if he likes the blued/composite look you could probably pick that one up for $200 less and it weighs 8.75lbs instead of 10.

Bugle,

I have enough varmint rifles in a right handed version, but my son is a lefty and doesn't want to learn to shoot right handed...

But that picture of the Savage, is enough to trade in something to get him one...

My local gunshop actually treated me real well when I got my Savage 12 BVSS...I traded in a Ruger VT, one of the original models, with a black receiver, stainless barrel, in 223, that had at least 10,000 plus rounds down the barrel.. I bought it used for $350.00 with an 8 x 32 Leupold Tactical scope on it, when it had about 2,000- to 5,000 rounds or so thru it..but it was accurate and I personally put 8,000 rounds thru it...as I keep records of what goes down the barrels on mine...

I was going to rebarrel it, but was checking out all of my options.. the last one was to go down to the local shop and ask what I could get in trade for it, toward a new Savage 12 and after looking it over, I was offered $400.00 for it, and I keep the scope... the Savage cost me an extra 250 bucks!

I use it more for the heavier weigh bullets, like 60 grains and up.. I am going to get a barrel with a one in 12 twist for it...but I am really sold on Savages, and now my son just picked out that he wants a lefty Savage 16 for his first hunting rifle... after seeing a batch of other choices...

And that darn 223 round.. I am getting even more respect for it....

that Ruger that I traded off, knowing it has a minimum of 10,000 rounds and more like 12 to 13 thousand rounds down the barrel... well I saw it at the local range a few months ago, being shot by the guy who bought it...

He paid $450.00 for it, so the dealer got 50 bucks extra out of it...when I asked how it shot, he was getting ready to go pull his targets as was I... so I walked over to look at his, as he was bragging on how good it shot his load of 25 grains of H335, and 55 grain ballistic tips....he had several one hole groups, and the rest you could cover with a dime...

I asked him how many rounds had he put thru it, since he had it.... he told me how he orders ballistic tips in bulk, from shooters pro shop ( Nosler's seconds store)... two orders for 1,000 each time... so 2,000 last season....

that makes at least 12,000 shots down the barrel on that Ruger and look what kinda groups it was still giving!!!!! and in reality, more like 15,000 rounds....

The guy before me took care of the barrel, as he was a dedicated varmint shooter.. and I did the same.... but it also shows what the 223 is capable of in the barrel life...and accuracy....

another local acquaintence of mine, builds AR 15s and M16s for the military special ops... and he tells me that AR 15 barrels are good for a minimum of 10,000 rounds under the worse of conditions... having put that many thru a few barrels in a real short time...( www.noveskegunworks.com)....
So that Savage should be a real good shooting friend for you for a long time if you have the same luck I am experiencing here...

and with that Zeiss on top of it, I am really envious...

if I had less firearms, then maybe I also could afford better glass on mine...

but I own 8 different 223 chambered varmint rifles.. with two more barrels coming in 223...

but Seafire Jr, will have a lefty 12 like yours before the summer varmint season really gets rolling... as I have some big game rifles that really don't get used that much....and last season, I shot over 6,000 rounds at sage rats and prairie dogs...mainly 223s....

Enjoy yours.. as my son will be enjoying his future 12 lefty Savage..this summer... and be the envy of his little boy scout buddies...

cheers
seafire

Thanks Seafire!

I am impressed about that 'ole ruger you had! Quality stuff if you take care of what ya got

Your son will definately enjoy one of these if he gets one! Be sure and check this thread before the end of next week as I plan on having pictures of the rifle with the scope on it.

I am working on making a deal with a local gun store in trading a pistol for a deer/elk rifle for my mom. The local gun store had a Ruger M77 Stainless in .270wm...as well as a very awesome Savage Model12 with synthetic stock, stainless fluted heavy barrel in .308. I am envious of the .308 since I couldnt get that in LH but I think that rifle is too heavy for my mom to want to carry through elk woods. We will see!!


Justin

Justin,

Our local Walmart has a lefty Savage with wood and blued barrel in the 270 WSM or the 7 WSM.. that has been siting there for a while!

If that interests you, call your local Wally World and see if they have one, or two.. meaning Walmart got a ton on a special....from savage...

if yours doesn't, and you are potentially interest in it, send me a PM, and I can go check into it, about maybe them shipping it to your local Wally World down there in Texas...

I could collect the info for ya, and then the phone number to call, and you could put it on your plastic, and I think Walmart will ship things between stores at NO Charge.. and you can pick her up in Texas...

Sorry Seafire!!!

My mom is a Righty! I am the only Oddball! I was just saying if they would have made that .308 in the setup I bought I may have got it. Just looking for a RH deer rifle for my mom!

I sure to appreciate it though! I just got my message saying twelve different things in one paragraph...just noticed that

Justin

My scope came in today! Rings will be here wednesday.

I got a little excited and took pictures before I finished mounting everything (you can see the loose rings) but how does she look?

Pretty damn appealing...

beautiful rifle there guy!

Great!

I chose black rings and silver bases for my stainless VS SF which I think looks kinda neat.

What are your thoughts on the scope now that you've had a chance to look it over?

Rikard -

I thought about doing the same setup but wasn't sure. If I could have found the scope in silver I would have just done all silver but it didn't come out that way. I am still pleased.

The scope is everything I thought it would be. Constant eye relief, not too bulky (fits in gun safe nice), and BRIGHT! Tonight I plan on looking around through it and one of my leupolds to see how big of a difference there is when the sun starts going down.

Would I make the purchase again? Absolutely.

WOW! That's a fantastic setup you've got there. Savage is really charging hard towards getting the good stuff in the hands of shooters for not much $$. I may have to look into that rifle a little more. Being a fellow lefty, I can definitely appreciate the rig!

Also, is that a left hand guitar in the background of the lower pic? Who makes that?

Bugle that is one fine looking rifle,I have one like it in 22/250 and think it is the prettiest out of all the rifles I own.I do have a 223 in the savage 10 fp in 223 cal and it really shoots so the low profile should also.
I just posted a target on another board after trying some 10x in the 223,you may want to try some of that if you reload.My best loads are with benchmark and 40 &55 gr BT.Am going to try more of the 10x and maybe go up a little in powder.
How about posting how yours shoots when you get to shoot it.

Nice rifle, but the bolt is on the wrong side.

Hey there nice rifles. Heres are a couple of pics of mine its a savage 116 BSS WEATHER WARRIOR in 300 winny with a 6-18x50 bushnell banner. I know you are all thinking WTF is up with those ugly ass see through rings. i know, im not a huge fan of them either but they work good for now , im in the process of purchasing new rings for it.

I got to figure out how to post pictures here someday. Mine is a 112BVSS, the single shot; in 7STW (rechambered a 7mag). It really likes those sierra 168gr matchkings. Five a tickle under an inch at 300yds. Bought a Rifle Basix trigger and love that 8oz.

Any of you got the new A-T that tickles down to 6oz?

Rich
DRSS

I have no great, really any in fact, knowledge of Savage rifles.

Am looking for top varmint. The Savage VT comes to mind.

Have had a quick look @ the Savage site.

Could you VT ( and 10lb stainless steel barrel owners) please confirm that these purpose designed varminters do not to have bedding and the barrel floated?

At the VERY high price these rifles sell for in Australia, I would think that they should not need any work. What about triggers, yes I am aware of the big press of Savage Accutrigger.

Any pointers would help,

Good looking rifles guys.
From what I can see, that 223 has got to be one of the most popular rounds today. And, Savage is, no doubt, the most accurate out of the box factory rifle sold today. I've seen and heard of too many Savage owners shooting great groups to dis any Savage rifle. Don't own one, but respect them for their accuracy. They sure were innovative with their accura trigger also. No other Riflemaker can make that claim.
I do know from owning one, that the 223 can be made to shoot very well.

Good luck shooting dogs.

Don