Traded to one of these in 25-06. Bought a box of 100gr core lokts. Got it zeroed in, was shooting more of a pattern than a group. I like all bullet holes touching.
Loaded up some 100gr Ballistic Tips with RL-22 that were almost touching the rifling and some with IMR-4831. Went back yesterday first shot the ones loaded with RL-22 shot a decent group but not good enough to satisfy me. Shot a group with the shells loaded with 4831 all bullets touching basically one big hole. Tried another group same results. This is the one and only rifle I have ever shot in 25-06.
If it keeps this up I would say not bad for a $279 rifle. Trigger is horrible though. Can these be lightened? or do you have to buy the aftermarket trigger?
Think I will use this el-cheapo as my deer hunting rifle this year..

I had the trigger lightened on mine, but it is still not as good as I like. Aftermarket triggers are avilable though. Mine is a 223 and it shoots great with factory 55 grain Vmax ammo.

http://www.varminthunters.com/tech/savage/ This is how to work on that mod.200 trigger. I have 7 and for hunting you can make the trigger work just fine. You were not expecting a target grade trigger when you spent your $279.00. roger

I have 4 200's. all have the competition trigger from SharpShooter Supply. My 25/06, which is a Savage, loves IMR4831 and 100gr bullets. It is essentially a 200 because it is pre-accutrigger.
GOOD LUCK and GOOD SHOOTING!!

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
http://www.varminthunters.com/tech/savage/ This is how to work on that mod.200 trigger. I have 7 and for hunting you can make the trigger work just fine. You were not expecting a target grade trigger when you spent your $279.00. roger

Think I will just hunt with it like it is and maybe put one of the aftermarket triggers on it later. For $279.00 im not complaining though..

I worked the trigger on my 200 myself. It wasn't that hard. It's not "light" now, probably around 4 pounds, but it's much better, without that crappy creep in it. I wouldn't want them to put a match trigger in it, because then there goes the >$300 price tag.

If you take the bbl'd action out of the stock, and look over the trigger, you can see it's a pretty simple mechanism. The threaded barrel that the wire spring sits in can be turned out for a little lighter tension...BUT BE CAREFUL HERE!!!

It's VERY easy to back it off too far, and cause the trigger to fire by jarring the rifle. You will have it to an UNSAFE setting before you can get it to a "light" trigger. I tested mine by SLAMMING the bolt closed repeatedly and smacking the sides of the receiver with my hand, making sure the trigger didn't release. With the action back in the stock, if you slam the buttstock on the ground, you only succeed in setting the safety on the tang.

I also CAREFULLY filed mating surfaces of the trigger and sear, the edge of the sear, and the edge of the notch on the trigger lever that the sear sits in.

I meant what I said about CAREFULLY! I didn't have a stone small enough to get in there, so I used a small flat jeweler's file and an eye loop to basically just take enough off to "polish" the edges of the corners, and THAT'S IT! Don't try to change the angle's or take the corners off or you will trash the trigger.

I wish I'd have thought to take pictures of it all while I had it apart, but I didn't think about it in time.

I was originally going to put an aftermarket trigger in mine, but I thought I would try this first, trying to keep in the whole "cheap rifle" theme. I think I can shoot this now the way it is and be satisfied. Mines 223, and it's for calling coyotes, not for bench shooting.

A diamond dust finger nail file is a nice tool. roger

there really hard to beat for the cash. I have them in 223,22-250,308.

A couple of the 223's and one of the 22-250's are scary accurate. I have no problem treating them like crap because of there cost. I did the homemade spray camo job because they get surface rust pretty easy. Dang things are shooters for sure. I just did my own trigger job and there a crisp 3-4 lb. I've got a few of the closeout Browning scopes from Natchez on them along with a Prostaff, low dollar rigs and excellent shooters.

Lenny,

I put a refurbished nikon buckmaster 3-9 on mine from midsouth shooters supply. It was $135 plus shipping. Cheap but decent. Still haven't shot it, maybe sunday after this one, it's my daughter's birthday this sunday, and that means no shooting.

I too put a Sharp Shooter Supply competition trigger on my pre-accutrigger Savage that I bought this year. It comes to about $90 and is worth it. The guys at the www.savageshooter.com site love the as well as the Rifle BasixII trigger. It can be installed in about 20 min. The directions have room for improvement. It doesn't look like you need too much improvement.

I was range officer on the 50 yrd. range at my club this week. The tightest center fire group that I saw all day was a fellow shooting a brand new Savage 7-08. No break in--he just banged away with Federal Powershocks.

Hey Jarrod, Pull the stock off and see if it is an "L-shaped" piece of Spring Steel(Piano) Wire for a Spring. If it is, I might have some smaller diameter wire around here somewhere if you want to try and lower the Weight yourself.

I'm close to Exit 22 on I-71 for right now, or just Northeast of Louisville.

Best of luck to you.

Hot Core,

I can only assume all the 200's have the same trigger, mine has the L-shaped spring. I will say that mine got unsafe in a hurry with backing the tension screw out, so I wonder if just a lighter spring would be safe?

quote:

Originally posted by Slowpoke Slim:
Hot Core,

I can only assume all the 200's have the same trigger, mine has the L-shaped spring. I will say that mine got unsafe in a hurry with backing the tension screw out, so I wonder if just a lighter spring would be safe?

The lighter spring can be safe. The screw limits the amount of delection and the spring determines the force. They are totaly different. The big kicker is the reduction in friction and moving distance and these will have to be worked on by stoneing.

You can completely take the spring out and set the trigger by hand and the friction forces still dictate a pull of over 4#.Surface finishes of the engaged members are the culprits. roger

Hey Slim, Bartsch nailed it.

I'm a firm believer in a fellow being able to Adjust, Polish, change Springs if need be, and Fine Tune his own trigger. If he totally hoses it up, all the pieces can be replaced, the Aftermarket Triggers can be installed, or returned to the Factory for replacement.

It is important to Test it to make sure it is SAFE under all Operating Conditions and exposing it to typical Bumps and Jars that all firearms receive. But of course, that is also True for firearms that have never had the Trigger touched outside the Factory.
-----

By the way, for those of you interested in getting your own Stainless Spring Steel Wire, it is available from the old Netcraft in Ohio. I'm sure they are now called JannsNetcraft, but the "spelling" on Janns could be totally full of beans. It might be Jhanns or some other iteration.

All you need to do is measure the diameter of the "L-shaped" wire with a set of Micrometers(in fact, Calipers may/could/should work) and get a couple of 15' or 30' coils of the next smaller diameter wires from them. I don't remember what length is available, but it is very inexpensive.

As well as I can remember, that Trigger is one of the easiest ones made to Fine Tune. Just go slow with the Polishing, keep ALL ANGLES the same, re-assemble often(every 2-3 stone strokes for a Beginner) and dry-fire it to see how it is coming along. If you are in a hurry, go do something else.

No need to shorten the Sear Engagement "Notch", because when it is Polished correctly, the mating surfaces jump apart without the Trigger Finger knowing anything is moving.

If you can Sharpen a Knife so it will "Shave Hair" off your arm, you can Polish a Trigger and Sear. The basics are the same.

Best of luck to you all.

.. Hot Cor , that was a good post ...Tho I have yet to work on a Savage/ Stevens trigger . I have reworked several Ruger triggers ... They are easy if you take your time and accept responsibility for your own actions .......

Thanks Gumboot. It has been a long time ago that I had the old Savage Triggers(now the Stevens Triggers) apart. So, I'm reluctant to give step by step instructions on how to do it. Plus I don't have one near me to look at. But I just don't remember it being a difficult design to figure out.

I've never seen inside the new Savage Trigger, so someone else will have to wade in on it. Never shot one either, but I'd like to see how that small Release Lever "feels" on my Trigger Finger. No idea if I'd warm up to it or not.

How `bout it Barsche? Can you feel the Release Lever on your Trigger Finger?

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:


How `bout it Barsche? (Bartsche)Can you feel the Release Lever on your Trigger Finger?

What release lever? roger

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:
Hey Jarrod, Pull the stock off and see if it is an "L-shaped" piece of Spring Steel(Piano) Wire for a Spring. If it is, I might have some smaller diameter wire around here somewhere if you want to try and lower the Weight yourself.

I'm close to Exit 22 on I-71 for right now, or just Northeast of Louisville.

Best of luck to you.

Hotcore thanks for the offer but I am 2 miles from TN nowhere close to Louisville..

Hey Jarrod, You are welcome. Changing the wire is about as easy as changing the entire Trigger. If you decide to try it, you can get the wire from Netcraft. Best of luck to you.

Hey Bartsche, What do you call the Thingy in the middle of a new Savage Trigger? Anyone that has one feel free to jump in and educate me.

Can you feel the Thingy move before your Trigger Finger gets to the actual Trigger?

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Core:
Hey Bartsche, What do you call the Thingy in the middle of a new Savage Trigger? Anyone that has one feel free to jump in and educate me.

Can you feel the Thingy move before your Trigger Finger gets to the actual Trigger?

"The Accutrigger is designed with an AccuRelease that must be completely depressed or the rifle can not fire.while pulling the trigger the AccuRelease is intentionally depressed which unblocks the sear and allows the rifle to discharge." roger

OK, when your Trigger Finger touches the AccuRelease(Thingy ), do you feel it, or is it so light you do not know you have moved it?

Basically, is it "feel like" a well tuned Two-Stage Trigger, a regular Two-Stage Trigger, or you don't even know the AccuRelease(Thingy) is even there?
-----

I need to just go Dry Fire one a few times.

I have the SSS trigger on mine and it is great. I have heard that the trigger is just surface hardened, but I don't know for sure. I would love to try the caswell hard chrome kit for triggers and sears.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Hot Core:
OK, when your Trigger Finger touches the AccuRelease(Thingy ), do you feel it, or is it so light you do not know you have moved it?
QUOTE]

Kinda like moving your finger through heavy air. roger

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
Kinda like moving your finger through heavy air. roger

Ahha..., Fog in the swamp and/or morning after breath! I see now.

I think I'll go try one.

A friend of mine got the trigger adjusted down to about 3 1/2 to 4 pounds. That will work for now.. Still heavier than I prefer but I can manage that. Guess an aftermarket trigger is on my list later. Its ugly as heck but is sure as heck shoots.. and if i scratch it or something I wont really worry about it.

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by bartsche:
Kinda like moving your finger through heavy air. roger

I've had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands, and still don't have full feeling on my fingers. I have no trouble feeling the AccuRelease.

quote:

Originally posted by wymple:

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by bartsche:
Kinda like moving your finger through heavy air. roger

I've had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands, and still don't have full feeling on my fingers. I have no trouble feeling the AccuRelease.

Based on Wymple's posting and thinking perhaps that I might have been a little cute-sy-pie on my first response I measured the force it would take to move the release to where it is fully depressed. It measured 6.5oz. Thanks for keeping me honest , Wymple; or nearly so. roger

I'm the 1st to say that I wish it were a bit stiffer, tho.

I adjusted the pull on my 200 to just a hair over 3 pounds using a pull gauge. It's perfect for what I do. Follow the instruction on the forum and you will be ok.

Tony