Savage 24-V 30WCF over 20, final chapter. Finished!

[Ugly Sauce]

This thing has been a long term project over the years. I never could get good accuracy out of it, and after I shot a cougar with it (30 yards, pin-point accuracy not needed) it seemed to get worse, and with my reloads the action would break open slightly. ! And, the shotgun barrel shot about two foot low with slugs.

I decided then to shorten her up a bit, and cut the rifle barrel to 19&5/8", and the 20 gauge tube to 18&9/16". Didn't really pre-measure...just cut them where it "looked good". That made for a pretty cool little combo-gun, but didn't solve my problems. Sure made it balance nice, and the short length makes it very "handy". And she's light.

How the gun came to me, in factory trim, the front piece/nose-piece that ties the barrels together with the front sight on it, really put a lot of spread between the barrels. I tried to drill out the rifle barrel portion of it to relieve some pressure, but the darn thing shattered. Sintered Steel? So, I turned it into kind of a "saddle" for the rifle barrel. The part that clamped around the shot tube was still good.

Over a long period of time I've finally got minimum pressure between the barrels. But it took a lot of different tries and file work. This last time I got it just right. I also discovered that she don't break open with factory loads. I'm surprised my 180 grain loads are "over the top". It is under any top load in any of the reloading books. But that's okay, I have a boat load of Federal 170 grain loads. Methinks those will punch through a bear's skull at four or five yards.

Anyhow, the "purpose" of this gun is for trekking, exploring, living off the land and close range self defense against critters. The Brenekke slugs I have will do a good job of that, and one can cock the hammer and select the rifle barrel in one motion, for a fast follow up with the Federal 170 grain loads. For "squirrels and such", grouse and rabbits, I just developed (with one try) a 120 grain cast bullet load that is very accurate.
The rifle's accuracy with the factory loads/jacketed bullets is still not "great", but the small game load is my "priority one". The Federals shoot good enough to take deer at 100 yards max, if I should need to do that. Usually, it's small game that will keep you alive. The Federals shoot good windage wise, but I got a little bit of vertical stringing. Not enough to miss a deer, but enough to not shoot over 100 yards. And, best of all, they only shoot slightly higher than the small game loads.

Regulation of the barrels is always an adventure, but what I have done is put a flip-up-down sight on it, and when flipped down I can hold the front sight high, center the base between two screws on the sight, and now the slug goes exactly where I want it. Four inches high at 25 yards, and right on windage-wise every time. That should at least give Mr.Angry bear a headache. Should be "on" or close to on at 50 yards. More big game capability out to 50 for sure. And last and least, with some shot loads in the pack...even more small game getting ability.

So, I'm happy as a clam, it's been a long journey with this thing. Now she's ready to go trekking, exploring, hiking, and living off the land when we get lost. (possibly on purpose) Paired with my .22 pistol, or my 1862 Pocket Police, I could feed the Chinese army with small game for a month! Thanks for listening to this long rambling rant about the Savage 24-V, and what it took to get it up to snuff.

Here she is with Mr. Cougar, before I shortened her snout.

 

[Armored farmer]

Always good to hear success stories with the Savage 24! One of my favorites!

22lr/.410

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Now that is one cool 24. I could get down with that. Pair it up with a .44 mag pistol and live on the mountain forever! Must be the same vintage as mine, same stock and nose-cap-sight-barrel band-thingie. How's the accuracy with the .22 barrel?

 

[Armored farmer]

I had to file a deeper notch in my rear sight as it shot too high with the .22 barrel. It is good now.
Funny story:
I don't do alot of squirrel hunting, but I was out with the Savage 24 one day. I had missed an opportunity to shoot at a squirrel that was on the move. I had selected the shotgun barrel on the selector, but didn't fire it. A carry a 2½ 410 shell reloaded with #4 shot as my squirrel load. It gets good penetration and fewer pellets in the meat.
I was about 35 yards away from the tree when I spotted a squirrel near the top of a tree. I rested the gun on a sapling and took careful aim with the irons. Instead of the Crack of a 22lr, I got the boom of the .410.! Crap. I knew instantly what I had done. The squirrel scurried away of course. I continued to hunt for a while then I heard... "pop.,..snap.....crash.....THUNK! " I walked back to the tree where I had shot....sure enough! That well aimed load of 4s had worked after all!.
The elastic ammo cuff on my Savage holds 9 rounds(rifle cuff)of 410. I have a few 3" #6 and the rest is my reload 2½" #4. On the off side of the elastic cuff tucked in are two 10rd speed strips of 22lr. I really like this setup for a grab gun.

 

[PapaG]

The first long gun I bought out of college was a 24 DL, 22/20. Everything I hunted was with that gun. Pheasant hunting one day a rooster got up, I led, fired and it tumbled down. As I looked it over I opened the gun to replace the 20 ga shell and discovered that I'd shot it with the upper barrel. The selector must have been brushed back off the sg barrel.
Lucky, accidental and illegal. I quit carrying the rifle barrel loaded when bird hunting.
I also learned on another trip that a 7/8" 22 scope doesn't work well when shooting the 20 in a hurry on birds. Eye ring.

 

[tallpaul]

I grabbed a 22/20 24 dl years ago from a bud who sold it to me cheap. He offered and I always wanted one reasonable. Sadly I have never shot it alot. I have started shooting it a bit with the .22 for around the homestead and because I want too so fa so good. There is a 24 v at a semi local auction in .223/12 gauge I was watching... it's close to 600 now... out of my interest at this point.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

There is a 24 v at a semi local auction in .223/12 gauge I was watching... it's close to 600 now... out of my interest at this point.

That is amazing, the current price thing. Like old cars and motorcycles now, if it's old, it's gold. People are paying a couple thousand bucks for cars that should be hauled off for free, cost ten times the price to restore, and sell for half the price of the restoration. I've often wished for one in 12gauge, but those are quite a bit heavier and bulky than the 20 gauge guns. All things considered I think the rifle/20 gauge combo is the best. I'd sure go for one like the Farmer's though, .22 over .410. I like that.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

The selector must have been brushed back off the sg barrel.

What I like about the selector, for my purposes, is that if I fire a slug from the shot-tube first, (and I'll be carrying it with the slug up first) I can cock the hammer, and move the selector to the rifle barrel in one motion, giving a super fast follow up shot. Otherwise, that could be done un-intentionally, as you discovered!

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I had to file a deeper notch in my rear sight as it shot too high with the .22 barrel. It is good now.
Funny story:
I don't do alot of squirrel hunting, but I was out with the Savage 24 one day. I had missed an opportunity to shoot at a squirrel that was on the move. I had selected the shotgun barrel on the selector, but didn't fire it. A carry a 2½ 410 shell reloaded with #4 shot as my squirrel load. It gets good penetration and fewer pellets in the meat.
I was about 35 yards away from the tree when I spotted a squirrel near the top of a tree. I rested the gun on a sapling and took careful aim with the irons. Instead of the Crack of a 22lr, I got the boom of the .410.! Crap. I knew instantly what I had done. The squirrel scurried away of course. I continued to hunt for a while then I heard... "pop.,..snap.....crash.....THUNK! " I walked back to the tree where I had shot....sure enough! That well aimed load of 4s had worked after all!.
The elastic ammo cuff on my Savage holds 9 rounds(rifle cuff)of 410. I have a few 3" #6 and the rest is my reload 2½" #4. On the off side of the elastic cuff tucked in are two 10rd speed strips of 22lr. I really like this setup for a grab gun.

Yep good old #4. I used to load my own shot shells for my .44mag pistol with the CCI plastic shot cups. In my stronger/younger/dumber days I carried that big old Super Blackhawk with the 7 inch (7.5"?) all the time as my sidearm. !! Anyhow, I'd always put some #4's in with the smaller shot. Saw a grouse way out of pistol shot range, but took a shot anyway. Darn thing keeled over dead. ???? Discovered that one single #4 had hit it dead-center in the head, no other pellets/shot in the body or anywhere else. !!!

 

[Barbaroja]

#4s are the best!