Exact same problem on a Savage Axis II Realtree Timber (MUCH cheaper model - LOL). Bought it but could not test fire it for 1 Month. First round could not lift bolt (Factory round). took to local gun store, he got the round out and he tried a 2nd round - same-same. Used my boresight and yes a Burr. Returned to the store where I bought it and they exchanged it, so didn't have to deal with Savage. Their QA is Lacking.cant speak on how it shoots just yet, still not a finished project. That said i have owned more savages than i can accurately count. Loved everyone of them. Now my brand new Savage 110FCP in 300 PRC is the most expensive savage i've ever owned. It is also the only one i've ever had real issues with out of the box. Got it home to test fire and the very first round locked the bolt up. Ended up having a burr in the chamber that locked it up tight. This would be my 1st ever experience with dealing with savage directly. The moment they said i had to pay the shipping to send a brand new $1400 (after tax) rifle back to them that failed on the very first shot and had never even had an optic on it yet, yeah that moment, was the moment that makes this the LAST new savage i'll ever own. Ended up taking it to a local smith out of my own pocket to be corrected.
The good so far
I bought it because regardless what anything feels or thinks, it cycled smoother and felt better than any of the other offerings local to me. Tried christensen arms (overprice 700 with a cute name), bergara (i liked it, had obvious issues that killed the sale for me) Tikka and howa both were nice, never owned a ruger i didn't regret so i ignored the RPR, and finally the thompson center LRR. All had shortcomings that were very insulting for the price point. A lot of what i have seen is more brand loyalty and excuses regardless of price point or brand itself. I used to always default to savage because its what i know. I know how to fix them and make them do what they need to do. Every savage i have ever owned has had some type of minor issues. This new one was not minor, and made me have a disdain for the company itself. That said, the last 3 remington 700s i've own have made my mind up so strongly if you gave me one id sell it instantly before ever trying it. 10 year spread, 3 rifles, all 3 liked jamming up, had feed issues, and two of them would fire randomly even sitting in the corner of the stand not even being touched.
So for all the savage haters out there this is my personal experience, not repeated internet bull shit. I dont shoot matches so my current build will suit me wonderfully. It might see 200 rounds of factory 300 prc a year, maybe. So for me its going to be an accurate hard hitter that feeds flawlessly and will be a lot of fun. That said, the next time i plan to spend big money on a rifle, im starting with a custom action and going from there.
I like savage, just not the company as of late.
My current build as of today and the day i got it home.
I've learned from this build, and looking at everything i could see in person within the Houston area, ALL of them priced between $1000-$2000 are shit when you look at what you are getting vs the cost. You want things done correctly, you will have to do it yourself. Hence why my next one will start on a custom action.
To many people care more about a "name" and bragging rights than they do what you really get for your money.
I used to think savage was the bee's knees and i was correct until i started wanting more than a basic hunting rifle.
To the OP.
The elite precision is a nice rifle, personally i didn't like the chassis for my needs. Be sure it feeds correctly. MDT will do you right and send different length magazine catches if necessary to get it going like it should. Like others have stated. Remove and locktight the scope rail screws. (regardless of brand, everyone should do this). Enjoy it. Its hard to beat in that price point in reality. Even if you bought it at retail.
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Why the hatred for savage?
- Thread starter Newlongrange
- Start date
what really pissed me off was them trying to act like it was my fault on the phone (savage). Telling me that it was impossible as each and every rifle is test fired before its sent out (highly doubt it). There is no way in hell it was test fired. The lady even said they used the EXACT same ammo i used for their test fire. Keep in mind the odds of this are high with 300 PRC as Hornady is/was the only making the stuff. They test fire with the 225g match, so did i. Anyway, i was loyal to savage until this year. That really kills it for me. Then to tell me i have to pay for the shipping, yeah. $200 was a bedding job (pointless now that i removed the HS stock), trigger job, and the fix, at my local gunsmith. Still though. That is unacceptable on what is supposed to be one of their flagship "blueprinted" rifles.
Almost seems like the company is putting pieces if shit out there for people to buy and yet people still defend this garbage because muh cheap junk is just as good as mentality.
it is just as good...........until it isn't.
my point is, until i got more into shooting, not just hunting, it was exactly that. Just like i used to think centerpoint walmart scopes were "just as good" lol. Different levels of shooters out there. Like myself, some experience the TRUTH, at different times in life. Also like myself, it's hard to take a strangers "experience" as truth when the rifle in front of you never gave you a lick of trouble. Kinda like me telling people the 4L60E gm transmission single handedly keeps repair shops in business. But you cannot tell a chevy guy that.
Have you done anything to mitigate the extraction problem(s)?
I just upsized to a 9/64” ball only and no further issues. There’s kits that replace several parts of replacing the ball only doesn’t work.
tacticalblog
www.tacticalworks.com
I'll try that eventually and look into fixing the random feeding issue.Have you done anything to mitigate the extraction problem(s)?
I just upsized to a 9/64” ball only and no further issues. There’s kits that replace several parts of replacing the ball only doesn’t work.
tacticalblog
It'll never be my first choice in any timed matches though. I'll use the soon-to-be-here AI AT-X for that.
I can’t imagine it being a match rifle by choice with all the other options out there.
The ball replacement took less than 2 minutes if you follow the instructions in the link I provided.
I suppose i've been lucky. Owned a lot of savages, feed issues with a lot of them, but only savage axis 223 had "ejector" issues, no issue extracting. Are you guys having ejection or extraction issues? Just wondering.
My limited understanding in my case is:
Increasing the detent ball size improved the extraction, therefore allowing the ejector to do its job. My Savage .308 APO would some times let go of the case and leave it in the receiver. I would have to fish it out, usually if I didn’t have a robust cycle of the bolt. Now it runs smooth and removes the case each time.
that is why my old 223 would do. I swapped all the parts in the bolt head at one time. Don't remember from where, but it was sold as a kit to improve things. It never gave a lick of trouble since. My dad now owns the rifle and it still runs great. If it is that simple, i have no idea why savage hasn't simple changed the small parts. My 2 current savages have 0 issues feeding and extracting. Though one is totally custom. Pretty much a savage receiver and everything else is from someone else. The other is a stock barreled action (300PRC), not in a savage stock or feeding from a savage magazine.
Yeah, it seems Savage would just make the necessary changes to mitigate the issues. I’ve read the hole with the extractor spring is 0.150 and the ball used is 0.125. Leaves room for play I suppose. The 0.140 ball seems to correct the issue. I cleaned the hole out, didn’t seem too dirty or rusty, added some oil (as recommended in the instructions I posted earlier). My a spring did show a little rust at its base though.
I have owned multiple and wouldn't take a savage for free. Extraction and feeding issues are to much. Howa and tikka make rifles every day.
I will admit that all the savages I've owned shot great groups. But a rifle that wont feed is worthless for me. A rifle that wont extract is worse.
I will admit that all the savages I've owned shot great groups. But a rifle that wont feed is worthless for me. A rifle that wont extract is worse.
i agree with a lot of this, though it is easier and cheaper to fix feeding and extracting, than it is to make a rifle shoot better. With that in mind i have have less into a fine shooting savage, than i can into pretty much anything else. Talking money after getting bugs worked out.
So your saying me trying to sell my savage actions to fund another bighorn builds is going to be hard
man honestly, that goes for almost everything in the firearm market these days.
Apparently not cause they sell em every day too. Just not to meSo your saying me trying to sell my savage actions to fund another bighorn builds is going to be hard
.
I shoot savage because they are simple cheap and shoot well...i like all rifles reguardless of brand...i just like to shoot and dont care who shoots what....my only real complant about savage is triggers...i sure wish jewell or timney would step up and make triggers for savage.
Savage rifles tend to be really good shooters. There was not as much aftermarket support for Savage as there was for Remington. This turned a lot of people away from Savage back in the day. Aftermarket support has been growing which is nice to see.
Curious.... have you ever used the Savage bolt as a dildo? Or was it used on you that way?
No way, Bro. Too small for my tastes.Curious.... have you ever used the Savage bolt as a dildo? Or was it used on you that way?
I’m a Remington fan but my Savages outperform them in every category. I think it’s the aesthetics that makes me a Remington fan but if I had to grab a rifle and knew it would shoot in all conditions and with loads i currently have, I would grab a Savage.
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I have 20 or so rifles and half are Savages. I have a 22-250 that will flip a spent round 180 degrees and it will land in the chamber backwards. It happens about 1 in 5 rounds. I think the neck doesn't clear the ejection port when the ejector lets go and flings the back end around. Other than that one, i have never had an ejection, extraction or a feed issue. All of them are on average more accurate than my Remingtons, Brownings, Kimbers and my one Tikka.
Maybe i am lucky, but maybe my lack of failures are due to actually paying attention to the rifles and i do clean the trigger assembly pretty often on them all, and i always do a pretty thorough job cleaning the screw holes before i install the rails.
That said, i don't think i would use them in a timed competition, i think that is just setting yourself up for a heartache eventually.
Maybe i am lucky, but maybe my lack of failures are due to actually paying attention to the rifles and i do clean the trigger assembly pretty often on them all, and i always do a pretty thorough job cleaning the screw holes before i install the rails.
That said, i don't think i would use them in a timed competition, i think that is just setting yourself up for a heartache eventually.
buy this and that problem will go away. Cheap fix. If after the instal you notice feeding issues. Like the round jamming just before fully entering the chamber with the case head slightly above the bolt face. If that happens file the ejector pin at an angle towards the firing pin. Then that issue will forever be gone as well. Cheap fix for an annoying problem. Far cheaper than making a smooth bad shooting rifle, shoot good.
link says "bolt handles" but its not a link to a bolt handle.
I still don't get this. Who's suggesting that anyone get an inaccurate rifle? Accuracy is expected in today's rifles. Even cheap ones.
The problem is that savage is competing in a higher price range now and they simply don't stack up.
i suppose i'm not seeing that. $400-$500 from walmart topped with a vortex optic is not really "higher price range" and in that ball part they are very hard to beat. Now my $1,400 110FCP in 300PRC, that could have been better for the price. Then again i got more for my money even in that price range, than i could any other brand. Sure there are nice rifles in that price range. But most are just over glorified brand name basic rifles. So i'm not seeing the disconnect you speak of. Apples to apples. I bought a ruger precision in 6.5cm for just shy of $1000. Would not shoot on par with my $400 savage 12. Was not as smooth as the savage. I still have the savage 6.5 and sold the ruger with only 60 rounds fired. That being said i've been terribly disappointed with every ruger rifle i've ever wasted money on. Not at all telling you that you are wrong, or your opinion is wrong, just stating my own experience on the subject. I will add though, my most expensive savage has given me the most "issues" of any savage i've owned yet. Their bull shit customer service and ended me ever buying a new one again.
The OP is talking about the 110 elite precision. That's a high dollar savage. That's coming mighty close to the production class rifles while still maintaining the exact same action as the $219 savage I got my wife (she shoots it less than once a year). Sure there are some truing done to the nicer modles but they don't really need it. They need QC. Either way, it's lipstick on a pig.
The elite precision and the new blueprinted FCP line are certainly not the same action as your run of the mill 110. Attached is a close up of my 110 FCP action. The magwell cut on the action is specifically for 3.85 CIP magazines and not at all compatible with oem savage magazines. It really is a whole other animal. Much tighter tolerances as well making for a quite smooth action. very little slop between the bolt and the action. They are much tighter than the basic savage action. Im not saying they are the end all beat all, but they are not what you seem to think they are. I also have no idea when this production change came about.
If "shoots good" is your only consideration, that doesn't narrow the field down much.
Low clearance between the bolt and action has nothing to do with accuracy. It will impede function when it gets dirty though.The elite precision and the new blueprinted FCP line are certainly not the same action as your run of the mill 110. Attached is a close up of my 110 FCP action. The magwell cut on the action is specifically for 3.85 CIP magazines and not at all compatible with oem savage magazines. It really is a whole other animal. Much tighter tolerances as well making for a quite smooth action. very little slop between the bolt and the action. They are much tighter than the basic savage action. Im not saying they are the end all beat all, but they are not what you seem to think they are. I also have no idea when this production change came about.
What are the "clearances" on the old models vs the "clearances" on the new model, and in what way do these "clearances" contribute to overall action smoothness?
Cutting a different mag well into an action, does not make it a different action. Looks the same as the axis action to me.
Savage Axis Stripped Action
jaoutdoors.com
it help reduce bolt bind when cycling the action. Its an improvement. The redesigned action is more rigid hince better accuracy potential. its also blueprinted. so the barrel face and lockinging lugs being trued also help function and accuracy. I suppose you dont understand the differences and why they matter and that is ok. The differences are huge going from the basic 110 to the more expensive FCP action. There are a lot of differences. Though not the same level of quality as say a $2500 custom action, its kind of the same principle. Tolerances, repeatability, rigidity over the basic action.Low clearance between the bolt and action has nothing to do with accuracy. It will impede function when it gets dirty though.
What are the "clearances" on the old models vs the "clearances" on the new model, and in what way do these "clearances" contribute to overall action smoothness?
Cutting a different mag well into an action, does not make it a different action. Looks the same as the axis action to me.
Savage Axis Stripped Action
The point of my comment was not to argue with the uninformed or the ignorant. I was only pointing out that it is not at all the same action you bought for $219. Ending the misinformation that contributes to more people spreading the same bullshit. There inlies on major fact why savage is hated on. People who do not know a damn thing about what they are talking about repeating some bs they read online somewhere.
So you're telling me that the CIP length mag helps reliability? No body was complaining about savage accuracy, I'm glad the marketing team decided to re-address the accuracy concerns that nobody had and got the actions blueprinted.
I'm telling you... it's the same action. With the same problems that plague savages and from what frank says... still have QC issues.
I'm telling you... it's the same action. With the same problems that plague savages and from what frank says... still have QC issues.
no, i'm not saying that, im saying its not the same action as the basic 110 action (as someone tried to say above). That was the point i'm trying to make. The only issues i see with savage really is the damned ejector plunger needs refining (feeding issues) and the extractor really could use a total redesign. (extracting/ejection issues) Past those two issues i've yet to see a common occurring issue with savage across the line. Not mentioning triggers as that is subjective to the one using it.
Apparently there's some F-Class championship shooters that didn't get the memo that they can't use Savage actions and win...
I’d pay more than a Savage “action” “costs” to not experience that. That sounds like trying to shoot PRS in Turkey or wherever Khabib is from. How many eggs did you have to trade for that 357 brass? Good grief…
yeah that one sounds like a nightmare. Ive had factory duds to. Here is one of my older post about a dud. Though remington (at the time) impressed me with their customer service where savage recently made me decide id never buy another new one again. Their customer service is a total joke.
22LR rifle, barrel stamped 22lr, but was really 22 wmr chamber, bore, and twist. Caused some interesting issues.
marked .22lr but chamberd for .22wmr,,, what the hell
fist,,, i noticed bad key holeing and then horrible grouping,,, it wasn't even able to hit a 4'x8' sheet of plywood but if i load .22wmr one at a time its a tack driver... when shooting .22lr every case splits and gets stuck in the chamber also it sounds like im using a suppressor,,, its quiet...
www.rimfirecentral.com
The brass was free, no eggs exchanged. I had never shot prs before and liked Savage rifles for hunting. They were cheap and accurate and I was broke. I had no idea what I was getting into, but back then money was very important. It took me longer to save for that rifle and scope at my old job than it took me to save for a house and 30 acres with my new job.
There is an insane difference between the amounts of disposable income on this site. That is why there is such a cult following and a hatred for Savage rifles. Even though I make more money now, I am probably not even one full notch above the bottom on the scale of income levels that frequent this site. When I put together that rifle it would have taken me a decade to put together a custom with the disposable income I had at the time. I also wasn't responsibly saving for retirement. I paid my bills and had a rainy day fund that would be depleted and barely refilled before the next "oh shit" moment.
After going through that mess I would have bought a Remington 700 and remaged it, but at the time it would have cost a few hundred more to install a bolt knob and good trigger. Plus I would have been rolling the dice on primary extraction. Also, Remage barrels were $25 more than Savage prefits from Criterion. It seems laughable now, but at the time, that was enough to influence my decision.
There are a more options available now. That was even before the rpr. I would not recommend starting with a Savage now. There are too many better options.
That’s the rub though, it’s not a dud. It’s par for the course. I have a handful of friends that shoot these rifles and to varying degrees they all turn wrenches on their rifles. Shoot, 75% of the Savage fans that have replied to this thread have turned wrenches on their rifles. Truth be told those rifles are in perpetual limp mode. The harder they get used the more problems surface. 5000 rounds of limp mode before it downshifts into quit mode? No thanks.yeah that one sounds like a nightmare. Ive had factory duds to. Here is one of my older post about a dud. Though remington (at the time) impressed me with their customer service where savage recently made me decide id never buy another new one again. Their customer service is a total joke.
22LR rifle, barrel stamped 22lr, but was really 22 wmr chamber, bore, and twist. Caused some interesting issues.
marked .22lr but chamberd for .22wmr,,, what the hell
fist,,, i noticed bad key holeing and then horrible grouping,,, it wasn't even able to hit a 4'x8' sheet of plywood but if i load .22wmr one at a time its a tack driver... when shooting .22lr every case splits and gets stuck in the chamber also it sounds like im using a suppressor,,, its quiet...
@Newlongrange why the hate? It’s not truly a viable platform and they have rabid fans that seem to think you can make a mechanical design sound through debate. Put those two things together and you get the internet Savage debacle, which is maybe worse than the actual Savage debacle.
Somebody mentioned sunk costs bias, in poker there’s a term that means something similar, “pot-committed”. There are strong parallels between gambling psychology and Savage psychology. The accuracy of some of those rifles is the jackpot that lures them in, looking for something for almost nothing.
