Good all weather knock around rifle

[LouPran]

After looking at them all I settled on the Savage which is currently on hold pending me finding a decent stock. It's the model with the toy stock and I can't believe how much that piece of junk flexes in your hand. :barf:

It's a Weather Warrior Model 116FSS. I was hoping to get one with the new Accustock , but no one at Cabela's even knew what that was. I also wanted the model with the adjustable muzzle brake/resonator. No luck there either which is probably just as well , as this isn't going to be a tack diving target shooter. (Though I may want to put one together with this set up some day)

Can anyone point me towards a good quality replacement stock for this?

Also ... do you think $529.00 is a good price for this rifle.

Thanks!

 

[fisherman66]

I'm a big enough guy and recoil has never really bothered me.

Size has an inverse relationship with recoil. I'm not suggesting recoil bothers you, but your justification doesn't work.

 

[LouPran]

I'm not saying my size reduces the recoil ... I'm just saying the recoil doesn't bother me all that much. Let's just say , I've got a high tolerance to it.

 

[LouPran]

For those of you that like the Ruger ... it seemed like a good choice , but the examples on the shelf all had what I considered to be very poor bolt action. The bolt parts themselves hardly looked like stainless and seemed overly complicated in design with a side rail and the rotating "bushing type parts" built into the bolt. The action was not smooth and hung up when trying to cycle quickly.

Overall it felt high in quality , but that bolt action was the downfall. Also , it was $70 more than the Savage , so I'd say that makes up the difference for scope mounts.

 

[fisherman66]

Works fer me!

I had a joke played on me as a novice. My new FIL thought it would be funny to indoctrinate his new SIL to rifles with a mountain weight 300 Winchester Magnum. He laughed, I still flinch if I don't concentrate completely on calling the shot.

 

[jmr40]

By the time you spend another $200-$500 for a replacement stock and $40-$50 on scope mounts the Ruger starts to look a little better.

The overly complicated bolt you saw is based on the most rugged reliable system ever invented. The Ruger or Mauser bolt type will get cartridges into and out of the chamber when anything else will fail. I must admit that most any bolt action is pretty reliable however. They tend to be a little gritty when new, especially the stainless versions, but will slick up with use.

If I had to go into the woods and count on my rifle to work under harsh, dirty conditions the stainless Ruger would be my pick.

Most people will claim the Savage is more accurate. For the target versions this may be true but in my experience I cannot tell any real world difference in the hunting rifles. The Savage actions are much longer than any other rifles which makes mounting scopes more of a challenge. When you could get a Savage considerably cheaper than the competition I felt they were a good value for someone on a budget. With todays Savage prices I can get a much better gun on the used market a lot chaeper than a new Savage.

 

[sholling]

I think by the time you add a stock and rings you're going to have an $800 Savage.

 

[HOGGHEAD]

Prices

If you have to pay $529 for the Savage, then buy bases and rings, then buy a new stock. Then YES that price is way too high. That Savage WW is at best a $399 rifle, and that is stretching it. The stock on that rifle is pure JUNK-IMO.

If synthetic is what you want then you are going to pay as much for a good stock as you are getting ready to pay for the rifle, and you still have to have it fitted properly if you are looking for any decent accuracy.

Before you spend that much go look at some more rifles somewhere. Look at the Laminated stocks, or even look at a Browning Stainless Stalker. You will pay more to start with, but you will not be able to bend the stock 1/2 inch or more.

Take a look at the Remington XCR alo. That rifle fells great.

A mauser action is always going to not feel as smooth. That is the nature of the action. But in reality the Mauser action is probably the best, especially for a "KNOCK AROUND" rifle.

A smooth bolt is not very important in the scheme of things. Nice-Yes, but not important.

I agree with you about the Ruger's, they have always been a little rough, the trigger's as well have always been a little rough, and they never seemed to be as accurate as the other rifles. But we never had to send any Ruger's back. They were incredibly reliable. Tom.

 

[Ace12]

+1 for the Remington 700 XCR. I have had mine for 3 years now and never had a spec of rust or corrosion. I dont oil it down either. If it gets wet I just wipe it off with a dry rag. So far it has been the best rifle I have ever owned. I tried a Savage, Ruger, and winchester, but none of them impressed me like my XCR.

 

[mkg]

I was hoping to get one with the new Accustock , but no one at Cabela's even knew what that was. I also wanted the model with the adjustable muzzle brake/resonator. No luck there either

Lou before I bought this one I'd call Savage direct to see what they would quote you for the things you want ( accustock and brake ) . It may be more $ but the after market stocks for new center feed magazines is very limited. Stockade stocks and Savage shooters supply I believe have them .


Mike

 

[Smaug]

Have you put your money down yet Lou?

Of your original options, I like Ruger the best. Ruger actions make others feel like toys to me. The Ruger is going to be the better knock-around rifle.

On the other hand, the Savage is going to have the better trigger, and I don't know what the big deal is with the stock. I'm sure it looks & feels cheap, but remember. You wanted a knock-around rifle. Now these guys are talking you into a nice (HEAVY) laminated stock.

But the best option mentioned so far was the Encore. Probably the best trigger, the most accurate, and the most flexible. Do you anticipate needing shot after shot, where the single loading would be a pain? If not, get the Encore and a butt cuff that'll hold a few rounds, and you're good to go. Put a simple 4 or 6X scope on it. Best of all is that if you change your mind about the caliber later, you can make it into any other caliber, and maybe even a rimfire or shotgun. (not sure if they are THAT swappable!)

 

[P-990]

But the best option mentioned so far was the Encore. Probably the best trigger, the most accurate, and the most flexible. Do you anticipate needing shot after shot, where the single loading would be a pain? If not, get the Encore and a butt cuff that'll hold a few rounds, and you're good to go. Put a simple 4 or 6X scope on it. Best of all is that if you change your mind about the caliber later, you can make it into any other caliber, and maybe even a rimfire or shotgun. (not sure if they are THAT swappable!)

Well, I doubt the Encore will be more accurate than the bolt-guns, at least with a T/C barrel on it. As accurate? Good chance. And they are hit or miss trigger-wise. I can go to the current Remington 700s on the rack at work and each one has a much better trigger than my T/C does, out of the box.

Don't get me wrong, I really like my Encore as a shooting system. It is light, flexible and short short short. Great in spruce swamps and laurel thickets.

As to the OP, I think I would take a hard look at the Ruger M77 Hawkeye in stainless and synthetic. The included rings and bases are strong and secure IME, and the Mauser-based action is very reliable.

Option two would be a Remington 700 SPS, with the $40 rebate. I had a 700 Mountain Rifle that was accurate as all get out (but had a lousy trigger). Actually, I've been very favorably impressed with the accuracy of the Remingtons I've shot so far.

 

[Rmart30]

go to Boydsgunstocks.com and you should be able to find a nice laminate there for the savage.

 

[LouPran]

HOGGHEAD

Prices
If you have to pay $529 for the Savage, then buy bases and rings, then buy a new stock. Then YES that price is way too high. That Savage WW is at best a $399 rifle, and that is stretching it. The stock on that rifle is pure JUNK-IMO.

If synthetic is what you want then you are going to pay as much for a good stock as you are getting ready to pay for the rifle, and you still have to have it fitted properly if you are looking for any decent accuracy.

Before you spend that much go look at some more rifles somewhere. Look at the Laminated stocks, or even look at a Browning Stainless Stalker. You will pay more to start with, but you will not be able to bend the stock 1/2 inch or more.

Take a look at the Remington XCR alo. That rifle fells great.

A mauser action is always going to not feel as smooth. That is the nature of the action. But in reality the Mauser action is probably the best, especially for a "KNOCK AROUND" rifle.

A smooth bolt is not very important in the scheme of things. Nice-Yes, but not important.

I agree with you about the Ruger's, they have always been a little rough, the trigger's as well have always been a little rough, and they never seemed to be as accurate as the other rifles. But we never had to send any Ruger's back. They were incredibly reliable. Tom.

Have you ever seen a Savage WW 30.06 for much less than $529 or as you said for $399.00 ?

A quick search on the net says that's a good price. Some places selling it for as high as $562.

The best price I found was $499.

Ozark Guns had it for $439 but those appear to be old prices from last year.

The Ruger is priced at $600 and for $600 with a bad trigger I just don't see the sense in it. The Savage trigger blows it away.

Have you had trouble with any Savages ?

 

[LouPran]

In response to Smaug and P-990

No I don't have money down , just have the rifle on hold which they did without DP for 5 days while I looked to see what stocks might be available.

I liked the overall feel of the Ruger , but the trigger must have been 5-6lbs (at least) and the action was actually getting stuck when trying to work it (Which I know may change as it breaks in)

The thought of being able to safely adjust the Savage Trigger down to 1.5lbs is pretty appealing to me and reviews I've read , all seem to rave about this system.

The stock is very "flexy" in my hand which I did not like.

What I HAVE found is a surprisingly high quality Black Laminate stock for it , for a mere $109

How would that change opinions here on the Savage?

 

[mkg]

Lou, Savage makes a good gun ! I have a 116 WW in 270 and it shoots great ( I did put it in a Bell & Carlson duramaxx stock ) .

Yes, the Savage accu-trigger is one of the best out of the box triggers you'll get.

Unless you plan on shooting off a bi-pod or sand bags you may not notice the flex at the forend of the stock. At any rate it will be MOD ( minute of deer ) out to 200 yds .

Since you really don't say what the entended purpose of the rifle is it's hard to get specific.

Mike

 

[LouPran]

If I wasn't very specific , the intended purpose is as an all weather hunting rifle. My other rifles at this stage are a Bushmaster M4/A3 and a Remington CDL SF Limited (Great rifle , but I don't want to use it for my primary hunting rifle)

This rifle would be something I want to be accurate and reliable , have a trigger at least as good as the trigger on my Remi and can get wet , dirty , cold , banged around etc etc ... and still get the job done time and again.

The only area I can see where the Savage might fail in that task is also the area it excels in ... the trigger.

The Ruger I liked a lot , but I did not like the trigger. Maybe another would be different. I don't want to have to take it to a Gunsmith to get a decent trigger.

The composite stock and stainless steel seems the way to go for my purposes , but I will use a bi pod on it and so that stock MUST go. It's a POS and I'm really surprised they made such junk. The new ones I heard have aluminum supports in key areas to rid it of this flex.

As I said though ... I can get a Black Laminate stock for $109 . It will obviously be more prone to damage , but for that price , who cares. I can sand and shape and reshape it as many times as I like in reason and oil it to keep it in good shape.

Rings and bases only being another $50 on sale ... I'd be into this Savage for about $690 + a scope.

Good ? Bad ?

 

[mkg]

but I will use a bi pod on it and so that stock MUST go. It's a POS and I'm really surprised they made such junk

Agreed, The tupperware stocks have been one of the biggest knocks on Savage for way too long.

The new ones I heard have aluminum supports in key areas to rid it of this flex.

Also from what I understand there is an adjustment to tighten tighten down on the recoil lug , in effect bedding it.

I'd be into this Savage for about $690 + a scope.

I'd still call Savage direct and see what they quote you on the added features you wanted . After all if you're willing to go the $109 for the laminate stock you may be closer than you think.

Mike

 

[j.chappell]

You seem to want different things all in the same gun. You want a "knock around rifle" but you are thinking of putting a heavy as hell laminate stock on it.

The thought of being able to safely adjust the Savage Trigger down to 1.5lbs is pretty appealing to me and reviews I've read , all seem to rave about this system.

Why on earth do you want a 1.5lb trigger on hunting, all weather, and knock around rifle? That just doesn’t go well with adverse conditions that you may face.

If you want the savage get it, take it to a smith and have them full length pillar bed the rifle, it will get rid of that flex in the stock that you seem to not like and it will aid in your accuracy. Yes it will add some weight but so will that laminate that you will have to have fitted anyway, drop ins rarely are just that.

I wouldn’t spend $500+ on a savage then spend more money on a heavy ass laminate stock to replace the one you already have.

Me I'd get the Ruger, have it full length pillar bedded, have the trigger done (3lbs), and mount a quality scope and be done. I don’t know how you were getting the bolt to bind; I have just never come across that in all of my years dealing with Ruger.

J.

 

[LouPran]

Yep ... I'm going to call around today as places open for business. That's why I decided to hold on the purchase .