axis isn't what I expected

[Risky buisness]

I recently won a Savage Axis at a Ducks Unlimited thing, way good I thought, until I unpacked it. Rifle looks good, handles good, but, the magazine and the plastic trigger guard leave me less than enthused. Any way to swap these parts out? This is a 110 action isn't it? Anyone done this, or know if 'upgrade parts are available to make this rifle more suitable? Thanx in advance.

 

[Doc7]

Not a 110.

Axis is their budget model and reputed to be very accurate. I would not expect to be excited about every aspect of it!

 

[Risky buisness]

alright... not a 110, so what is it? If the action is, say a 112, then could I purchase a new stock or better magazine arraignment for it. By the way, it is a very accurate little rifle, and because of that I would like to "improve it.

 

[Hookeye]

Bout all you can do is a Boyds wood stock and a trigger change (Rifle Basix).
Kind of silly to drop $175 more into the rig.
I had one, shot well after some work.
The factory stock if flimsy and not set up for scope usage.
The trigger guard and mag were the least offensive aspects of the rifle.

After all that work (trigger job- did not buy a replacement), stock stiffening, cheekpiece..........I sold it.

Because a long action for a short action cartridge really irks me.

 

[HB]

I have the old one with the cheap trigger. I clipped the trigger return spring and polished the sear engagement. For the cheek piece I used a strip of camping pad and electrical tape for a riser.

It is very accurate, possibly my most accurate rifle and would be for sure if it had a slightly lighter trigger.

I don't see how you could be disappointed for the money, free in your case. In mine it was 250 bucks. 250 bucks doesn't buy much of anything anymore, and I certainly enjoy it for what it is.

Perfect loaner and bad weather gun and would highly recommend it to the casual hunter and shooter on a budget (99% of my friends).

EDIT this rifle is the reason a sporterized milsurp is obsolete.

If you want something nicer I would try to trade out of it. I wouldn't buy one for more than 200 bucks because i have no use for them aside from what I mentioned above.


It still amazes me I can get something to launch cheap bullets so accurately for so little money. 20 years ago you would have to put money into rifle to shoot this good for what amounts to a minimum wage paycheck.

HB

 

[GooseGestapo]

I had one. Accurate rifle, hated the grip area of the stock. Sold it.
In price range I much prefer the Marlin XS7 and XL7.
Triggers are easy to tweak on non-AccuTrigger.

 

[Inebriated]

The Axis is an Axis rifle. Not a 110, not a 112, not a 1-anything. An Axis.

Put it in a Boyd's stock or sell it. Those are your options.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

I bought a Stevens 200 a few years ago before Savage quit producing them...had an ugly synthetic stock..got it in 7mm-08. I got a lot of nice firearms but love this cheapo....put a Boyds walnut stock on it, some trigger work...it is a tackdriver. 1" groups all day, the Axis don't compare..just like the Ruger American, low end rifles.

 

[MAKster]

As others said, the Axis is what it is and it's not worth trying to change it. It is intended to be an inexpensive rifle for people who maybe go hunting twice a year. All the money went towards accuracy and they made up the savings by using a cheap stock. If you replace the stock and trigger you are spending an additional $200 and at that price point you could have just bought an 11/111 to begin with. Once you get past how flimsy the Axis and Ruger American feel they actually are nice shooters.

 

[243winxb]

Trade up to something you like better.

 

[red-demon652]

Boyds gun stocks can salve your problem. They sell a laminate stock and a steel trigger guard for your axis.

 

[entropy]

I have the old one with the cheap trigger. I clipped the trigger return spring and polished the sear engagement. For the cheek piece I used a strip of camping pad and electrical tape for a riser.

It is very accurate, possibly my most accurate rifle and would be for sure if it had a slightly lighter trigger.

I don't see how you could be disappointed for the money, free in your case. In mine it was 250 bucks. 250 bucks doesn't buy much of anything anymore, and I certainly enjoy it for what it is.

Perfect loaner and bad weather gun and would highly recommend it to the casual hunter and shooter on a budget (99% of my friends).

EDIT this rifle is the reason a sporterized milsurp is obsolete.

If you want something nicer I would try to trade out of it. I wouldn't buy one for more than 200 bucks because i have no use for them aside from what I mentioned above.


It still amazes me I can get something to launch cheap bullets so accurately for so little money. 20 years ago you would have to put money into rifle to shoot this good for what amounts to a minimum wage paycheck.

HB

+1. Mine is very accurate. I haven't even done the trigger return spring snip yet, and may not bother.

As others said, the Axis is what it is and it's not worth trying to change it. It is intended to be an inexpensive rifle for people who maybe go hunting twice a year. All the money went towards accuracy and they made up the savings by using a cheap stock. If you replace the stock and trigger you are spending an additional $200 and at that price point you could have just bought an 11/111 to begin with. Once you get past how flimsy the Axis and Ruger American feel they actually are nice shooters.

Here's my zeroing targets for my .223 Axis. This is at 25 yds., I point blank zero my rifles.




See that ragged hole just up from the 3 rd. group on the bottom?

That's also a three round group. Miked out at .14" Second group I shot from some loads I made to duplicate M193 ballistics.



That three round group in the bottom right is my final zero group. Miked out at .25"

If it aint' broke, don't fix it!

 

[Sunray]

Congratulations.
The Axis is an entry level hunting rifle. What were you expecting? Make the rifle more suitable for what?
Plastic trigger guards are on nearly all commercial hunting rifles these days.

 

[Bobson]

Timney makes a trigger for the Axis:
http://www.timneytriggers.com/shop/timney-axis/edge-trigger-replacement-trigger.aspx

With that and a Boyd's stock and steel trigger guard, yeah it's more than you'd want to put into this if you had already paid for the rifle, but you got it for free anyway, so you could do all these upgrades and still be into the whole project for less than the cost of the rifle itself.

 

[Risky buisness]

thanks for the information folks. I don't have any money in the rifle, so dropping a coupla hundred bucks for some upgrade stuff isn't going to hurt me too bad, after all it really does shoot well. I'm still a little concerned about the plastic magazine holder U shaped thingee, especially when it goes below zero around here. I frequently call coyotes and between horse and UTV transport the plastic stuff doesn't hold up well.

 

[Hookeye]

Non Accutrigger spring is of two coil sizes. The smaller ones that thread into the trigger pc, on mine that corresponded to 10-24.

So I put a button head screw in from the bottom which then acted as an overtavel stop. Then I messed with a couple of springs that slipped over the 10-24 threaded section.

Polished engagement surfaces.

Nice trigger, safe and repeatable.......for $2.

Old write up I did

http://piratesofarchery.net/bb/viewtopic.php?p=157888


One thing that sucked was the bolt, with the factory stock comb low, reasonable rings meant the bolt would hit the scope eyebell.....and this a "normal" scope, not one of the monster eyebell types on cheaper models.

I scalloped my bolt handle, bead blasted and reblued. No big deal.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

The closed top action of the Axis could theoretically make it more accurate than traditional open top actions. There are one or two chassis systems out there that take Axis actions and accept AI mags. The Axis receiver WILL take standard Savage barrels, so you could turn it into a nice precision rifle.

 

[HOWARD J]

Mine in 243 is very accurate----
After only a few rounds the barrel is so hot you can almost light a cigarette-weird

 

[jmr40]

hanks for the information folks. I don't have any money in the rifle, so dropping a coupla hundred bucks for some upgrade stuff isn't going to hurt me too bad,

Throwing money at it ain't gonna do anything to make it look or shoot any better. Won't increase the value a dime. Just take it out and shoot it and enjoy it. If you can't deal with plastic sell it. It will be 100% profit, then take the money you would've wasted on "improvements" and add it to what you get after you sell it and you'll be able to afford something you REALLY like.

 

[clang]

They are making pistols out of plastic nowadays and they seem to hold up pretty well.

I wouldn't worry about the plastic parts failing. How many broken Glock frames have you seen?

 

[Arkansas Paul]

It's a $275 rifle that is accurate and reliable. Hell, they gotta cut costs somewhere to offer a serviceable hunting rifle for under three bills.

It's good for what it is.

If you're not happy with it I'll give you twice what you paid for it.

 

[Axis II]

I have an axis heavy barrel with accu trigger and vortex 4-12 scope I use for varmint and target and with hornady v max I can shoot 3 holes touching at 100yards of a Blackhawk bi pod.

I also have an older sport barrel without accu trigger and after spraying break clean in it and shooting a hundred of so rounds with a cheap bushnell 9x scope and factory fmj I can shoot 2inch groups with it at 100yards.

go shoot it and you will see. at first I said man its plasticy but for walking a lot varmint hunting the less weight helps. if you want a wood stock go to boyds.com and they have about 10 different stocks for it. look at it this way you paid nothing for the gun so throw a $175 scope on it and hit the range, I can tell you, you wont be sorry. I can even group with wolf ammo with the older one. I got mine cause I wanted something light, accurate and reliable that wouldn't drain my bank account and im very happy I now own 2.

I will tell you id take a savage axis over a rem 700 any day...

 

[fotheringill]

You can dress up a $200-$300 rifle with easily $1000 of "improvements" but it will still be a $300 rifle when all is said and done.

Personally, I would step up in quality with a different rifle NIB that has what you want already there.

I have two CZ 452's in .22lr.

Good rifle NIB, but will improve with different stock, modified trigger, pillaring and bedding. $450 rifle with $300 more in improvements. I did my own work instead. If I had no desire or funds for same, I would have purchased a CMP Kimber 82G which will shoot better out of the box than the CZ with the added work for $750 or so.

 

[Hookeye]

Funny, I sold my Axis to go back to a Rem 700 (as my beater yote rifle).
A long action for a short action cartridge sucks. I think a 700 feels much better and the factory synth stock, doesn't need a cheekpiece and is stiffer at the wrist too.

Looks and feel, I'll take the 700 over that clunky arsed Axis.

View attachment 728797

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Personally, I would step up in quality with a different rifle NIB that has what you want already there.

He's not trying to decide between an Axis and a different rifle. He won an Axis. For free.
Now I guess if he isn't pleased with it he could certainly sell it off to put the funds toward a different rifle, which is likely what you meant.

Looks and feel, I'll take the 700 over that clunky arsed Axis.

Well so would I. However if someone handed me an Axis for free I wouldn't had it back to them and say, "Nah. I'd rather have a 700."