I Hate Rifle "Combos"!

luv2safari

luv2safari

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I would like to buy an Axis II in the hardwood stock, but all the offerings have a cheap Bushnell scope and rings that are too high included in the price.

I have NO use for the cheap scope or rings, but they don't seem to offer the gun without at a reduced cost.

SO, I won't buy the new rifle. I'll try to find one used without their scope.

This kind of force-it-down-your-throat marketing frosts my cinnamon roll.
 
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I hate them to, even if the scope is a good one good chance it's not the brand you like the power you need and not mounted how you like. For a hunting rifle I've always had a minimum priced scope that I would even bother with, was nikon pro staff for years and not is the Burris ff2. Wouldn't touch anything cheaper for hunting.
 
Not for me either. However most people don’t know any better. The setup does what they want , close enough, for the combo pack to be useful for them. They have something that is good to go right out of the box. Unfortunately I have had a couple of guys tell me that they are factory sighted in and you buy a box of ammo and go hunting.
 
The Bushnell scope is a $ 50 item, when i priced mine a few years ago. Working fine as new. Did replace both later with a Bushnell Trophy 6-18x50 Scope. 223 & 6.5 CM

The wood stock would seen to increase the Axis price, the most. $ 202.o_O
Stock Color
Brown
Stock Finish
Matte
Stock Material
Hardwood

Cheap wood & finish.

https://ammoseek.com/
 
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Got a Savage Mod. 10 almost 20 years ago that came with an inexpensive Simmons 8 point, a 3-9x 40mm scope already mounted. Kept it on there for at least the first 6 months while I was working up handloads for the gun. Then put a 3.5-10x Leupold on it that's still on there in Leupold rings; that's it in my avatar. The Simmons scope has been on a few different rifles since then doing backup duty and comparison testing. Mostly sits in a drawer in my shop, but currently on a 7mm-08 Encore rifle on a temporary basis. Still works good for what it is and when it dies it won't owe me anything.
 
I'm with y'all... not a fan of the combo deals. Most hunters, even casual ones have optics preferences. So much of it these days comes out of China, especially the cheaper stuff and probably most of the combo deals out there today.

I noticed the last Burris scope I bought says it was made in the Phillipines. Wasn't Nikons glass factory there too? Are they sharing ownership these days? I think I read a while back the even Leupold started outsourcing some of their glass... not sure if that's true.

All that said, I don't spend the big bucks on optics. All my years hunting and shooting, I've used inexpensive and moderately priced optics. I think my most expensive scope is in the $300-400 range. Nikon, Leupold, Redfield, Weaver, Burris... some Bushnell, stuff like that. I still have my first scope I ever owner for my first centerfire rifle (7x57 Mauser). It's a Tasco World Class from the 80s/90s. I've probably shot more deer with it than anything else, LOL.

I wish gloss scopes were still readily available...
 
Nikon no longer makes scopes.

Unfrost your Cinnabon, and just buy the combo, take the scope and rings off, and put em up for sale on the gun club board, or donate them to your local 4-H Shooting sports.
Heck conveniently 'forget' them on the rifle range if you want. You're not punishing Savage with your decision, just yourself.

I wasn't too particularly thrilled with the Bushnell that came on my .223 Axis, but I at least went out and shot it, and it's still on there. Eventually I'll put nicer glass and a chassis stock on it. But for the $29 the setup cost me as is, I'm not in a huge hurry. It far outperforms any other gun, or scope for that matter, I bought in that price range.
 
I am not sure if Savage still does it but they used to offer a deal where you could directly order a rifle set up however you wanted , as long as they had all the parts and reamer they would build it and get it to your FFL for you .If that's still the case you should be able to get a barreled action and use the savings for a Boyd's stock .

It would be nice if the manufactures would offer a coupon or certificate with one of the U.S. company's toward a set of rings and scope of your choice, like $10.00 or $20.00 for rings and $75.00 for a scope from Leopold , Burris or Bushnell . Probably wouldn't cost them any more , but give us better options .
 
codytrucker said:
It would be nice if the manufactures would offer a coupon or certificate with one of the U.S. company's toward a set of rings and scope of your choice, like $10.00 or $20.00 for rings and $75.00 for a scope from Leopold , Burris or Bushnell . Probably wouldn't cost them any more , but give us better options .
Click to expand...

Now that's a good idea. It would be similarly effective, and potentially cheaper than a direct cash rebate for them to offer a coupon for the same amount off from whatever optic company will give them the best offer. I.e. if XYZ optic company says "for every $50 coupon of yours we honor, we'll only invoice you for $47" and ABC optics will only charge them $35 instead of having to cash out the full $50.

I'm sure some marketing exec could think of a catchy name for the program too.
 
entropy said:
Unfrost your Cinnabon, and just buy the combo, take the scope and rings off, and put em up for sale on the gun club board, or donate them to your local 4-H Shooting sports.
Heck conveniently 'forget' them on the rifle range if you want. You're not punishing Savage with your decision, just yourself.
Click to expand...

That. If you want the rifle, get the rifle.
 
I got two Axis II rifles with combo and two Remington 700 combos so cheap, basically free, when Walmart was clearing specific old stock (Brickseek.com) and when I am paying $59 and $89 for a Remington 700 and like $149 OTD plus a rebate for an Axis II I can live with a combo.
 
Sometimes the package deal is simply a better deal.

I recently bought a rifle that came with a scope. I have no intent to use the scope and have already bought another one for the rifle. If I wanted to buy the rifle and the scope separately, from the same vendor, it would have cost me about $600 more.

So sure, I'll take the package deal if you knock $500 off the price of the rifle and $100 off the scope. I think I can get at least $100-125 for a NIB Burris E1 3-9X40. Or I can keep it for something else as it is supposed to be a good budget scope.
 
luv2safari said:
I would like to buy an Axis II in the hardwood stock, but all the offerings have a cheap Bushnell scope and rings that are too high included in the price.

I have NO use for the cheap scope or rings, but they don't seem to offer the gun without at a reduced cost.

SO, I won't buy the new rifle. I'll try to find one used without their scope.

This kind of force-it-down-your-throat marketing frosts my cinnamon roll.
Click to expand...
The Axis, unless they changed them, required pretty tall scope rings to keep the handle off the ocular on most scoped.
Leupolds and others with small oculars can get lower id bet, but ive never tried to mount a leupy on an Axis.

I agree with the other guys. If you like the gun, buy it and sell the scope and rings, or give them away.
 
LoonWulf said:
The Axis, unless they changed them, required pretty tall scope rings to keep the handle off the ocular on most scoped.
Click to expand...

Quite true. Here's my Savage 10 with the coffee can bolt... it didn't hit, but it was close... and the Burris I have mounted now is even closer.

iPhqzO8l.jpg


Rolling this photo up into the OP's question... the scope on my then-new 10TAC is an ancient Bushnell variable power scope my brother bought back in the early '90's, on closeout, for something like $69. I put that on there until I had time to research what I wanted for that rifle, and actually found it. That scope has been on about every rifle that could take a scope at one time or another, and I still use it when I'm doing load development. Just because an included scope isn't what you want for that particular firearm... doesn't mean it's not useful.
 
Posted this pic before but here is a closeout Nikon from Dicks that was $49ish, the stainless Axis II in 6.5CM and Talley rings. The bolt handle does clear the scope barely. That is a pretty low set up. And yes, since I got the rifle for not much at all I splurged on a Boyds seconds stock and a metal mag release and a few other nice bits. I wish the stock had a better pad but not like 6.5CM kicks all that much ;).



The rifle is a just a touch heavier than I would desire for a still hunting rifle but it is perfect to hike out to a stand or shoot over a field as is common here in KS. This is a sub MOA rifle and I see the Tikas and not sure why their one size fits all slotted receiver is better than the Axis II slotted and one size fits all. At least the little 6.5CM looks proportional as I work the action. Now, a .223 does look a little off but looks are second to bullseyes.
 
More than likely given a choice the average customer likely wants the combo over a bare rifle. I would hazard the vast majority of people looking for a basic model rifle are buying it at a big box retailer or somewhere that doesn't have a professional to install and sight in optics for them and they don't have the skills or desire to it themselves. I'm also pretty certain that consumer isn't looking to add an optic and mount costing more than the gun itself, so having a basic optic factory installed is probably a good idea as opposed to them buying the cheapest thing available and then complaining the gun is junk when their cobbled together hunting iron doesn't work.
 
They want you to think that the scope is free, I think. Also, it saves some folks from buying and mounting a scope. I bought a couple of Walmart close-outs that way. They were so cheap I couldn't pass on them. I replaced one scope and the other stayed that way. Both were given away and the guy with the cheap scope used it that way for a couple years before he could afford an upgrade. It was an Axis. If it was even cheaper without the scope I would have bought it that way.
 
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