So I was down at my local gun shop yesterday looking for a new 30-06 deer/hunting rifle. I asked to see the savage, having heard a lot of praise on it and being well pleased with the price, when a guy beside me told me not to purchase a rifle with the injection mold process that savage uses on their stocks. He told me that it was a very soft materiel that would give with recoil over time. He recomended a carbon composite stock which savage, and my budget, does not offer. Was he right, because until now all I have heard is good about the savage line of rifles.

What the gentleman said would be true over a long period of time and a whole lot of shooting. The more economical stocks provided by the major manufacturers is not of the same rigidity and strength of a lot of the quality aftermarket stocks.

It will take a lot of abuse, extremely hot and extremely cold weather conditions, plus the aforementioned hundreds of rounds of firing before the factory stock will cause problems. Even then, there is a simple solution - glass bedding.

The injected molded stocks are fairly cheap to make. The more expensive built-up layered kevlar/fiberglass stocks with the embedded metal frame take much more to make.

You can always buy the present rifle, then down the road a ways upgrade the stock when finances allow.

Ok, thanks. Thats a really good idea. I'll go ahead and get the savage now, and I can just upgrade the stock, down the road.
Anybody got any good recomendations on an aftermarket stock for a Savage 111 30-06?

The stocks that the helpful patron of your gunshop mentioned cost more than an entire Savage rifle. The rifles are not the "best" that there is to purchase, but the price is right, and I've yet to have one that shot any "worse" than a M700. The M700 is supposed to be the King of bolt rifles. I'd buy the Savage and not look back, unless your intent was to purchase a high recoil magnum rifle. The tupperware on my Weatherby (.340) did'nt hold up to the recoil it produces, so I'd have felt much better about paying the Savage price for it.

Even if you have to bed it, you'll only be out around $20 for the process. You cannot go wrong with a Savage rifle for standard hunting duties. Oh yeah, they are made in the US for that low price, I wish I could say the same for all "American" rifle makers.

Ok, thanks. Thats a really good idea. I'll go ahead and get the savage now, and I can just upgrade the stock, down the road.
Anybody got any good recomendations on an aftermarket stock for a Savage 111 30-06?

I have a Savage 110 in .30-06, and I recently replaced the tupperware on it with a Boyd's laminate stock that I've been very pleased with. I got it for about $150, and it was finished and had sling swivels installed. THe only thing I would note is that it did take a little work with the dremel tool to open up the inletting on the Boyds, which was supposed to be "drop-in". But in fairness, even Boyd's will tell you that because of variance of action size from gun to gun, you may have to do some inletting.

I also recently bought a black Bell and Carlson fiberglass stock for my 110. I haven't used it yet, but it has a nice rigid feel. It's not a McMillan, but then again it only costs 150, as opposed to 400. Thse would be my recommendations. If you want a laminate, you might also check with MidwayUSA, as they did have some factory Savage laminates left over that Savage doesn't produce anymore. And stay way from the Ramline stocks. They feel like hard toy plastic in the hand.

And to answer your original question, no, Savage is not a low grade rifle. It's economical, but the trade-offs for price seem to be at the cost of form, not function. It has some parts that some may consider ugly, such as the barrel nut, but they're rugged and dependable. Mine has shot great through several hundred rounds, and is even more accurate now that it's glass bedded in a laminate stock.

To answer the original question---YES.

But that doesn't mean it won't shoot good either.

I call the "Savage Rifle" a working man's rifle......that is thank the LORD for those of us who don't have a 9 to 5 job bringing home 50,000 dollars a year.

There rifles are some of the most accurate out of the box I have seen in the past 4 years. True they don't have ALL the bells and whistles on them......but then again you aren't paying for such items either.

I was ready to buy a savage .223 with a tupperware stock until my wife said no new toys. I have heard nothing but good things about the accutrigger and if you wanted to, there are wood stocks for savages at midwayusa.com

most, if not all major firearms manufacturers use injection molded stocks on at least one of their models. there is a difference in materials, tho. Zytel, used in ruger all weather stocks, seems to be as tuff as anything, but kind of heavy. i'm not sure what material the other guys use, but i'd keep an eye on the recoil lug area of any rifle that kicks. i've seen kevlar stocks, wood stocks, and fiberglass stocks with the recoil lugs shot out. it may be possible to install a reinforcing bolt (aka sako) in an injection moulded stock , but i have never seen it done.

monty

Savage is, without a doubt, the best bang for your buck. They eliminated the frills, incorporated some new innovations, such as the barrel locknut system which some are saying is the stiffest barrel/receiver available and now accu-trigger. It's a solid, no nonsense workhorse of a rifle. And there not so pretty that you want to cry if you scratch 'em

You can also use the Choate super sniper, or the choate super varminter. The varminter version is a little lighter than the sniper style.
Some one mentioned Bell & Carlson, I am not sure if they were talking about the duramaxx stock or not. Cabelas has them for about $89.00.
I enjoy my 300 ultra savage 116 very much, I certainly see some other "switch" barrels in it's future.
But as some have said, there will certainly be a heavy recoil lug pinned to the receiver.

Halfbreed

If you are like the vast majority of deer hunters, you buy a rifle, sight it in, shoot a few boxes of shells through it, then take it hunting. After that, it maybe gets shot two or three times a year tops to check zero. If that is the case with you, that "cheapo" Savage stock will last you two lifetimes. Be honest, and you don't have to tell us how much you plan on shooting it. If you are going to be a once a year shooter, then that rifle and stock will be more than up to the challenge.

Pretty is, as pretty does, and my Savage 111 is a most beautiful rifle. Even with the "tupperware" stock. I also have a custom (real custom too), Rem. 700 BDL, that rarely goes anywhere with me. I'll take the Savage anywhere...==Bob

i own a savage 110 in 7mm mag ive shot it for 8 years and never had to set scope after first time i take it out every year and shoot it to check but its always good i wqould go buy the savage and hunt. ive owned a lot of guns and like the way a savage feels better than any

I really prefer a wood stock, just looks right to me, and I want a 110, I know that they do sometime come in a wood stock, but it has been very hard for me to find any in the stores, I also would like an older model to avoid the internal box magazine. Anyone know of any good sites I could find something similar to this for sale?

1in7 -

Savage rifles have a very well deserved reputation for being shooters. The plastic stock will hold up just fine but isn't as amenable to glass bedding as a lay-up stock. Big deal -- it will probably shoot better than you do.

If you do decide to change stocks in the future, the Boyds JRS laminated stock is a real looker and fairly inexpensive.

My brother lives in Worland, Wyoming. In 1998 he bought a Savage 30-06 combo rifle. Came with plastic case, ear protection, trigger lock. Factory mounted scope was a Simmons which he replaced with an older Redfield 6X widefield. I think he paid about $350. for the whole outfit brand new.

It is the only 30-06 I've ever shot that really did not seem to kick much. And with 165 gr. Nosler Partitions, it's a very accurate shooter.

He has already killed a stack of game with the Savage including, elk, mule deer, antelope, and a couple whitetails. If this is a how a low quality rifle is defined, then its still a keeper!
TR

I have a savage 111 in .270 that shoots the lights out. There have been many, many nice and expensive rifles at our private range (and we love to compare) but no one really chooses to shoot with me on the 200yd paper. It's not that I'm so good, it's that darn plastic stocked cheap and ugly savage they hate to get beat by!!


Perferator

I don't care for some the Savage rimfire rifles (lower-end stuff). I have handled a few of the newer centerfires and one may end up in my collection someday. The above posters are correct.... its a "working man's" rifle.

steve

Just read a review of the new accu trigger in North American Hunter magazine ( 'Targeting Varmints' Dec-Jan 2004, pg 42). The auther, Bill Miller, was so impressed he ordered a savage rifle. Said it is the best factory trigger he has ever felt.