Savage Axis accuracy?

[HexHead]

I'd go with a 7mm-08 over 308 or 243, btw. There's some sort of magic in those .284" bullets.

Yeah, it's the higher ballistic coefficient.

Just got a 7-08 myself.

 

[tacxted]

My friend gets good results with his handloads. 3 shots at 1" at 100 yards a few times.

 

[ford8nr]

By the time you've done the upgrades, you could have gotten a better rifle in the first place.

NOT TRUE

My trigger job cost $0 (now a honest 2-1/4# trigger) and the 2 pieces of aluminum arrow I used to stiffen the stock cost me $4 for epoxy

 

[MCgunner]

Are you wanting a lighter gun than your 7mm? Is it just the recoil that you don't like about the 7? You KNOW, you COULD just load that 7 down to 7x57 ballistics, less recoil, still an effective deer rifle. If you don't handload, a press and dies ain't as much as a new rifle.

If you're just looking for an excuse to buy a new rifle, sorry I posted. I have a Savage I like, it's accurate so therefore I like it. But, it's older, bought in the early 90s and it's too much gun for the woods around here, so I don't shoot it that much and hardly ever hunt with it anymore. Yeah, I could load it lighter, but I do prefer my .308 Remington M7.

 

[jrdolall]

I have several. These are all guns that I own and currently have in my safe. The Savage rifles with the accu-trigger are good shooters right out of the box. Without the accu-trigger...not so much. I have a 25-06 and 7mm-08 without the AT and the triggers are both extremely heavy to the point of being extremely difficult to shoot accurately. I have NOT done a trigger job on any of these but I probably will. I also have a savage 17 HMR without the accu-trigger and it is the same way while the 22 mag with the accu trigger is a tack driver.
I own a 30-06 and .243 with the accu-trigger. I bought the 243 just a few weeks ago as a combo and sighted it in with 7 shots. 1" group at 100 yards using Federal Premium 95 grain. It has a lighter recoil (as expected and the reason I bought it) than the 30-06. The 30-06 has been my go to gun for several years.
This weekend I was helping a buddy shop for a gift for his grandson. We looked at everything around from the Savage up to a couple of CZ's and a Browning. He wound up buying the Ruger American. It is a little higher in price than the Savage but he liked it better and didn't want to drop $700 on one of the higher end, wooden stock guns for a kid.

In my experience the Savage with the accu-trigger is an excellent gun for an entry level deer rifle. It is probably more accurate than you will ever be. The trigger can easily be adjusted and, while it takes a few rounds to get used to, it is generally very smooth. The next step up is the Ruger American and then you get up into the $700 range and there are all kinds of really good "quality" guns. For killing a whitetail deer at 150 yards I don't think it makes a bit of difference which manufacturer or caliber you choose. For showing off how pretty your gun is....buy the CZ.
My recommendation is to put some better glass on any combo. They are serviceable as-is but a $200 scope when you can afford it is a good upgrade. Older Leupolds suit my fancy just fine. A VXI can be found pretty cheap and are still excellent scopes.

 

[MCgunner]

I have several. These are all guns that I own and currently have in my safe. The Savage rifles with the accu-trigger are good shooters right out of the box. Without the accu-trigger...not so much. I have a 25-06 and 7mm-08 without the AT and the triggers are both extremely heavy to the point of being extremely difficult to shoot accurately. I have NOT done a trigger job on any of these but I probably will. I also have a savage 17 HMR without the accu-trigger and it is the same way while the 22 mag with the accu trigger is a tack driver.

The triggers on the old Savages are not "accu-triggers" and are quite easy to set. I set mine as light as I could get it, down to 3 lbs. The main thing that improved accuracy was free floating it. That took the vertical stringing out of the groups. It now shoots MOA, but it was 1.5 MOA before the free floating, not that bad.

The older triggers are quite easy to set. Everything is skeletonized where you can see the works, not like the Remingtons which are all enclosed. I had a good smith do my Remingtons because I couldn't actually see which screw did what. The Savage is self explanatory when you look at it. But, if you're not mechanically minded, don't know what you're doing, for safety reasons I'd suggest a good gunsmith do it for you.

But, the old trigger works just fine, thank you very much. I don't need no stinkin' accu-trigger.

 

[sammy]

A buddy of mine has one that shoots moa all day long using 175 SMK hand loads. No way I would have believed it if I had noto seen it myself.

 

[sappyg]

Read your own comments. I also said at that price point the Ruger American is a better rifle. No, I've never owned one, but I have handled them. I also don't buy guns with crappy triggers and flimsy stocks. By the time you've done the upgrades, you could have gotten a better rifle in the first place.

Meh....
The RA is more expensive than the Savage Axis. Simple as that. I not only own one but I own both examples. Technically I've owned 3 RAs. Seems they all had issues and Ruger kept replacing the rifle. I've had zero problems with the Axis. Matter of fact, it's an ammo mule for the RA. When the RA has problems with ammo I feed it the the Axis. It eats anything.

From a pure 'handling' standpoint I preffer the RA but only because it's a compact. Both have similar stocks. They ain't the stiffest. Matter of fact, both leave something to be desired.

Can't think of a single factory trigger that wasn't crappy in some way. Hmmm.... Nope... Not one unless you count the WASR. BTW, the RAs trigger is pretty much a Savage accutrigger with Ruger stamped on the barrel. Truth is the Axis trigger is heavy but, a good shooter should have little problem with it.

One can upgrade whatever they wish on a rifle but then it becomes something different than the rifle in the OP.

 

[Dinosaur1]

I have 3 Axis. If you can do the trigger work for $5 you're in. Beautiful they ain't but accurate they are. Consistantly more so than my more expensive rifles. Plus, I don't worry about dinging up a high dollar stock.

 

[Airgead]

I have an original Axis in .30-06 from I believe the first year they came out. Great gun and accurate with factory ammo and handloads in my experience. Missed if the OP said what the intended use is. Likely not going to win any ultra-competitive matches with it out of the box, but it's accurate for fun and will put meat on the table any day of the week. Plus I can haul it through brush, over logs, and in and out of stands without undue concern I marred expensive furniture.