Receive our newsletter with the best articles covering guides, guns & gear. One thing about the bolt lift – each one of these requires a bit of effort to lift the bolt handle. And receive our newsletter with the best articles covering guides, guns & gear. the tikka t3 (or CTR model) is fantastic. It seems that the Savage Axis owners that I’ve been able to talk to have experienced sub-MOA groups with their stock, factory rifles. It’s interesting to note that the fee has been paid yearly, right up through 2018. I just figure that a slightly-stiff bolt lift is endemic to the breed of lesser-expensive rifles. Developed for long-range target shooting, the 6.5 Creedmoor has earned its share of kudos in that arena but we also know it is popular with hunters. But, I’ve hunted more than one season with my Savage and the matte black stock disappears in a hunting blind. To put it in a nutshell – these guns can shoot. My thinking, and both sides of it - buy the Axis, deal with the scope, upgrade it later. And, speaking of stocks, I can’t hit home enough about the texturing that Savage puts into their synthetic stocks (at least they did when they made this series of Axis rifles). n this video, I discuss the differences between the Ruger American, the Savage Axis and the Remington 700. Better buy both and see which one you like most. Its Predator model comes in varmint rounds, but also the 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Win., so it can also be an excellent deer and do-it-all gun. The fluting on the Mossberg’s bolt body adds to the pizzazz factor and helps the bolt ride smoothly in the channel. Ruger American Predator. A versatile rifle. Having owned a Savage Axis 308 and a Ruger American 22-250.........I'd stick with the Ruger. As for the safeties, the Mossberg uses a slider on the opposite side of the stock as the bolt release. Introduced by Hornady in 2007, this round (like the .243) was originally based on the .308 case. Suppressor, possibly but then you get into the subsonic debate. Both guns use a simple “press-this-lever-down”-type switch, but there is one big difference: the Savage requires you to pull the trigger in order to release the bolt. Now, let’s look at specific rifles. SKU Number: 57090 Barrel Color: Black Barrel Finish: Matte Barrel Length: 22″ He put a homemade box target up at his house, 100 yards out and went prone across his driveway…, He fired a few, then went to his knee for a few more shots. Why do I mention this? because I wanted this to be (as it’s titled) a quick review for those maybe considering picking up a rifle without spending a whole lot of money. Photo courtesy of Savage. I liked the threaded barrel and easier bolt removal of the Mossberg. Either of these guns would suffice for hunting deer-sized game at reasonable yardages or going into a coyote-rich environment and reducing their numbers a bit, but I really like my Savage. I subsequently learned that the aged .243 is one of the more accurate rifle calibers out there, being based on the .308 case and for other reasons. This allows them to be accurate and effective at long ranges. If $200-$300: I would probably try to find a ruger american at $300 and would look at compass as well. Savage axis, th xp, weatherby vanguard s2, tikka lite, ruger american/predator are all good choices. Now, the buttstocks. At any rate, he didn’t do bad considering the conditions…. Available calibers include .22-250, .243 Winchester, .270 Winchester, 7mm-08, .308 Winchester and .30-06. That’s a great price, but not really a great gun. Overall, Thompson Center Compass and Ruger American are great bolt-action rifles for budget-minded shooters that want something affordable. I’ve had several pistols that use poly magazines and they worked fine, so I don’t think that’s a big deal. The Mossberg’s trigger did feel a bit “mushier” than that in the Savage, although the final results feel fairly equal. I purposely did not get into great detail, with micrometer measurements, facts, figures, etc. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. This group from the Savage Axis2 was the best of any rifle in the test- especially considering it was at 200 yards. I understand that it is an entry-level rifle, but also know that, if I wanted a more sophisticated platform, I could stay within the Savage brand and get a real uptown model, with all the bells & whistles. The famous AccuTrigger was introduced in 2002, and the company was named Manufacturer of the Year in 2003 by the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence. I was sitting in a deer blind with my son, who had an older wood-stock Savage 110 variation in .308 and watched him as he took his gun off safe to get ready for a shot. Differences Between The Guns: Analysis. The procedures stay pretty much the same. I chose the Predator for much the same reasons as sdprairieghost, These ? The trigger is an improvement over the older plain-Axis models, and is all I need. A lot of shooters don’t know that Savage was one of the two finalists in the Army’s pistol trials that ended with the adoption of the Colt Model of 1911 .45 ACP. Notice the bit of texturing on the Savage – this does help if your hands are wet or cold. The rifles are similar enough to each other, with a few exceptions. At any rate, these guns are not going to punish your shoulder. The 3-shot group is under a half inch at 100 yards…not too shabby, considering that I’m better with handguns as a rule. I didn’t take photos of the stocks because they are virtually identical. There is not a whole lot of difference between these bolt faces than the bolt that was in my early-20th-century 8mm Mauser 24/47 surplus rifle. it's a good budget rifle with a solid barrel but for a little more $$ one can be into a ruger american predator or ranch rifle, or a savage model 10 for example. But… I’ve never had a problem with my Savage’s bolt binding. ONCE! (I think I remember being told that it had been won in a raffle by its previous owner). ... Got the AXIS love it.