Goodbye savage.

[Steel head]

I had a pretty good run with savage rifles.
Decent factory triggers.
Fairly reliable with ejection being only noticeable weakness.
Easy to swap barrels.
Usually fairly straight tennon threads unlike a few Remingtons I’ve seen.

Now I’ve moved on to a custom action.
ARC Nucleus.
Same ability to use prefits but everything else is a major step above.
Rem 700 footprint and trigger selection is really nice.
As good as the savage triggers are they pale against most high end 700 triggers.
Soooooo much smoother to cycle.
Massively better extraction and ejection.
The fairly new barrel I pulled from my savage was fairly loose and sloppy in it but silky smooth and perfectly fitting with no tight spots in new action.
I was really impressed how smoothly it threaded in.
Nice robust scope rail bolts.
A bomb proof bolt stop.

With a few swipes of a diamond file on the extractor I have 100% controlled round feed.

I’m really happy I stepped up to a nicer action.
It truly was money well spent.

 

[andrewsben]

I had a ton of savage rifles, and actions for future builds. I too have started switching to other actions. Still have several PTA builds and several regular model 10/12 builds I am keeping, but run of the mill savages and spare actions I had been accumulating for future usage were sold to fund builds on Tenacity, Nuculeus, Origins, and Kelbly Black Bears. Next I am going to grab a kelbly atlas tactical to try.

But like you I like the availability of triggers and stocks/chassis'es and being able to keep my nice savage barrels (except tenacity, 16tpi and black bear, 18tpi) for using on them.

 

[demolitionman]

I’m literally in the boat of selling all 3 of my “custom” savages with Cbi’s and Mcrees chassis’s and going to one single badass bighorn, SAC, Kelbly, defiance, gap, arc, surgeon or full AI from mile high. . . . Gonna save up this summer.

 

[patriot07]

I had a couple Savages and Rem 700s. Moved on to Tikka and never saw the need to spend more, but definitely don't see myself going back to a Savage or 700 either.

demolitionman - you don't have to dump 3 guns to buy a decent action. Tikka is an enormous upgrade to Savage, and doesn't cost as much as the customs. But none of them are bad options.

 

[Steel head]

I had a couple Savages and Rem 700s. Moved on to Tikka and never saw the need to spend more, but definitely don't see myself going back to a Savage or 700 either.

demolitionman - you don't have to dump 3 guns to buy a decent action. Tikka is an enormous upgrade to Savage, and doesn't cost as much as the customs. But none of them are bad options.

I thought about a tikka but wanted rem700 parts availability//compatibility and a few other features not on the tikkas.

 

[RFutch]

Been doing the same thing. Down to one savage and one Remington.

I just got my second Bighorn Origin and I’m just waiting on my second PVA Barrel for it. Life is good.

 

[patriot07]

I thought about a tikka but wanted rem700 parts availability//compatibility and a few other features not on the tikkas.

That's really more a problem from the past than it is now. The vast majority of accessories have T3 compatibility nowadays. I'm running a Manners stock that I bought off Europtic that was not only already set up for a Tikka, but was already inlet for a Tikka CTR. But hey, to each their own.

 

[47guy]

I had a pretty good run with savage rifles.
Decent factory triggers.
Fairly reliable with ejection being only noticeable weakness.
Easy to swap barrels.
Usually fairly straight tennon threads unlike a few Remingtons I’ve seen.

Now I’ve moved on to a custom action.
ARC Nucleus.
Same ability to use prefits but everything else is a major step above.
Rem 700 footprint and trigger selection is really nice.
As good as the savage triggers are they pale against most high end 700 triggers.
Soooooo much smoother to cycle.
Massively better extraction and ejection.
The fairly new barrel I pulled from my savage was fairly loose and sloppy in it but silky smooth and perfectly fitting with no tight spots in new action.
I was really impressed how smoothly it threaded in.
Nice robust scope rail bolts.
A bomb proof bolt stop.

With a few swipes of a diamond file on the extractor I have 100% controlled round feed.

I’m really happy I stepped up to a nicer action.
It truly was money well spent.

youll be much happier...coming from an X-savage guy here

 

[Steel head]

That's really more a problem from the past than it is now. The vast majority of accessories have T3 compatibility nowadays. I'm running a Manners stock that I bought off Europtic that was not only already set up for a Tikka, but was already inlet for a Tikka CTR. But hey, to each their own.

So there’s a plethora of trigger option now?
Prefit barrels are easily obtained from a multitude of sources and often in stock?

Don’t think I dislike tikka, I left the savage realm for the same reason I didn’t go the tikka option.

I wanted access to the vast options that the 700 world has with the excellent barrel options of the savage/bighorn/ARC world.

 

[patriot07]

Yes, prefit barrels are easy to obtain. Most people don't see a need to replace the factory Tikka trigger. I hated the X-mark and didn't care for the accutrigger that much, but the Tikka factory trigger is worlds better. But Timney and others do make Tikka triggers if you want to waste your money (not sure why you would have that mentality with a stable of Savages, but I suppose everyone is different).

I think the folks like you just don't realize that you don't nearly as many replacement parts around when you start with a better foundation than a 700. In short, after your post, I do feel you are misinformed about what's available and what you actually need.

My analysis is cost to performance ratio, and I want that ratio to be as low as possible. If you're looking at the equation differently, then different things will be important to you.

 

[Steel head]

Yes, prefit barrels are easy to obtain. Most people don't see a need to replace the factory Tikka trigger. I hated the X-mark and didn't care for the accutrigger that much, but the Tikka factory trigger is worlds better. But Timney and others do make Tikka triggers if you want to waste your money (not sure why you would have that mentality with a stable of Savages, but I suppose everyone is different).

I think the folks like you just don't realize that you don't nearly as many replacement parts around when you start with a better foundation than a 700. In short, after your post, I do feel you are misinformed about what's available and what you actually need.

My analysis is cost to performance ratio, and I want that ratio to be as low as possible. If you're looking at the equation differently, then different things will be important to you.

Lol!
Interesting, someone with patriot in their name telling me I should have bought a foreign product instead.

 

[patriot07]

Lol!
Interesting, someone with patriot in their name telling me I should have bought a foreign product instead.

Patriots were my college mascot. I graduated in 2007.

I buy the best product for the money. I’m a free market fan. I think Savage rifles are a great value. I just think tikka is better, and it’s not particularly close.

Savage was a good option for precision on a tight budget if you don’t want to start upgrading. Once you start pricing in upgrades, the base action becomes such a small part of the overall price that the price delta is insignificant compared to the performance difference (meaning - a $250 up front price difference means a lot if you’re only ever going to spend $500 on a gun, but it means a lot less if you’re going to eventually spend $2k+)

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I have several Savages, some of them for decades.

Maybe I'm a Neanderthal, but I believe the shooter can and should adapt to the firearm. For me, that has meant that the Savage has met my expectations, and I'll not be divesting any (never have).

But Savage doesn't make all the things I want.

Never will make a Garand. The Ruger PC Carbine, likewise. My super-modded 10/22, too. My Mossberg 5.56 MVP Predator.

I gifted my M70 Featherweight 30-06 to the SIL, and replaced it with an Axis II 30-06 (still in limbo on that one, but it's really just a question of priorities).

I admire your success with the ARC, and hope you find it affordable. Best fortune in your quest.

Greg