[Bird Dog II]

I finally got the new Savage Edge shooting really well. It took 4 trips to the range, some trigger work, quite a bit of load development, several cleanings, and not the best experience with scope bases and rings.

Conclusions:

I am certain now, that in most cases, these inexpensive Savage rifles require quite a bit of shooting to break the barrel in. My Stevens 200 was the same. Both starting shooting well after 60 to 80 rounds and 4 good cleanings.

The stock on this gun is not as rigid as the Stevens 200. I really had to rest it back near the action/magazine to get good groups. If you rest it on the forend, it seems to put upward pressure on the barrel and screws your groups up.

The Edge trigger can safely be made very crisp at around 3.5 lbs by someone who is experienced doing trigger work. Still, the old Savage 110 series trigger that the Stevens 200 has is easier to adjust.

The only thing I really wasn't happy with for the price ($270), is that scope bases would not align using the factory drilled holes. I had to shim the rear base and use windage adjustable rings to get the rings aligned properly. Prior to getting the height right with the shim, (despite lapping the rings) I think I was putting torque on the scope which resulted in bad adjustments.

So in no way was my Edge an "out of the box" shooter. It took some work which was both fun and frustrating. I learned some new things as well. All's well that ends well though. After getting 3 to 4 inch groups at 100 yds the previous 3 times out with 140 gr Core Locts loaded to around 2700 with W 760, today I switched loads and tried the shimmed rear base, the rings precisely aligned and re-lapped, and a different scope.

The 100 yd results were a 1 inch three-shot group, followed by a 3/4" three-shot group, followed by two final shots that made one jagged hole 1.5 inches highs at 100 yds. I decided to call it quits right there. The load, a 150 grain Partition pushed by 47.0 gr of H4350, should get the job done on anything I need to shoot. It's a hunting gun after all.

Based on my experience, someone who wants to buy a gun, put a good scope on it, shoot tight groups right off the bat and go hunting will likely be disappointed. The trigger is too stiff and the stock not stiff enough. However, the action and barrel is what you would expect from Savage though - very very accurate once broken in. For those of you wanting Savage barrel swap project, it is a good base option. The hooded receiver and magazine are nicer than the Stevens 200 (my scope basing issues not withstanding). However the trigger and stock on the Stevens is a bit better IMO. For $270, I just shot 3 MOA groups with 150 gr Partitions - I'm happy. I will likley get a stiffer stock for is someday.

 

[Flat Top]

Bird Dog II: I am still on the hunt for that elusive out of the box shooter....LOL! I am glad you had success.....sounds like a "hunter" to me!

 

[Cheezywan]

Real good report BD II. I'll keep all you said in mind as I shop.

Kinda sad that we buy firearms in "kit form" now days. You did well with yours though!

Cheezywan

 

[Bird Dog II]

Real good report BD II. I'll keep all you said in mind as I shop.

Kinda sad that we buy firearms in "kit form" now days. You did well with yours though!

Cheezywan

I have come to believe that Savage does on thing really well even in these cheaper guns. Their barreled actions will really shoot with the right load once you get them broke in. That takes a good bit of firing and cleaning.

You are kind of right about the "kit gun" concept. I have a Hogue stock ordered for my Stevens 200 and will likely do the same for the Edge in a year or two when good aftermarket stocks become available. I have some other more expensive rifles. With these two Savages, I took a differnet approach. I bought them cheap to see if I could get them to shoot MOA or near. Once I did, then I pulled the trigger on the nicer stock and better glass.

I would be interested to hear how other folks did at scoping their Edges. Not with the cheap rings that some of the "package deals" come with, cheap scope and all. I mean folks that buy the gun bare and put seperate bases and rings on them.

 

[doubs43]

I have come to believe that Savage does on thing really well even in these cheaper guns. Their barreled actions will really shoot with the right load once you get them broke in.

Some years ago a friend bought a Savage 110 in .270 when that model was pretty inexpensive. He asked me to take him to the range to sight it in.

From the bench my friend was shooting somewhat reasonable, but not great, groups at 102 yards. Finally he asked me to shoot a group as he was getting frustrated. He handed me five cartridges.

When the 4th shot when through the same hole as the previous 3, he became agitated and took the 5th cartridge to keep me from firing it. He wanted to shoot the final shot so I let him take it. As I suspected, it was nowhere near the group I'd shot. He didn't keep the rifle long and sold it because "It won't shoot!" The thought that it wasn't the gun I doubt ever crossed his mind.... even after seeing what I did with it.

I grew up with a Model 23B Savage in 25-20 that my father bought new in 1932. I learned early on that it shot quite accurately and I've had a respect for Savage ever since. I don't have the 23B although it's still in the family but I do have a 23A in .22LR that is sweet.

 

[broom_jm]

BD II,

If the scope base holes had been properly aligned and you had employed a rigorous barrel break-in procedure, from the first shot, do you think your experience would have been even more positive, with this gun?

 

[Bird Dog II]

BD II,

If the scope base holes had been properly aligned and you had employed a rigorous barrel break-in procedure, from the first shot, do you think your experience would have been even more positive, with this gun?

Yes clearly. The first time out I just fired 9 rounds at 50 yds with long intervals between shots ensuring that the barrel didn't get hot. One school of thought on breaking is to ensure you barrel's "memory" gets set by not letting it get too hot early on. Anyway I adjusted the scope to get it on paper with the first 5 of these 9 shots and then fired a very tight group with the last four. It was 50 yards so this is to be expected. I was on paper but stopped adjusting about 6 inches to the right of center. I didn't even try to center it up because I was done for that session.

The next time out, when I went to actually zero, I quickly realized that I didn't have enough windage adjustment to get it closer than 3 right of inches of center at 50 yds. That's upsetting. I was using good Weaver Grandslam bases and rings and a proven scope. So next I had to get some Millet Extension Windage adjustable rings for the Weaver style bases. I am not a big fan of these - too many moving parts. I really prefer dual dovetail for ruggedness, but long action Savages are hard to scope. Anyway, I lapped them and set the windage to basic boresight but really didn't pay enough attention to the alignment. At the next session, my groups were all over the place. Part of it I realized was pressure on the fore-end due to the very flimbsy stock. But the real culprit was that when I torqued the rings down, I was distorting the scope due to the mis-alignment. It simply wouldn't track when adjusted and I had a slightly distorted picture. I took the scope off (it appears to be undamaged as the distortion is gone) and precisely aligned the rings and lapped them. This required a shim on the rear base. I put a different scope on to eliminate that variable and developed a new load. It all came together quickly on the 4th range session. It is the first time I have ever had to shim a base or use windage adjustmentable rings to get the rings aligned and scope boresighted.

 

[broom_jm]

Whenever I get a new (or new, to me) rifle, I break the barrel in by firing 1 round and then cleaning. I do this for 10-20 rounds, depending on what I see on the patches. Then I fire 2 rounds, etc. By the time I've fired 60-80 rounds, I have a barrel that typically is very easy to clean and if it started out with accuracy concerns, they are usually less pronounced (or gone entirely) by the end of this process. It sometimes takes 2 or 3 range sessions to achieve this, but I've found that it produces consistent results and, to be perfectly honest, I enjoy it, as it gives me a great chance to become familiar with that particular gun/barrel.

 

[Bird Dog II]

I am sure that degree of breaking is the best. I abbreviate it somewhat. I clean every two to three rounds for the first 20 or so with a bore snake, but make very sure not to let the barrel heat up for the first 40. I clean it completely with foaming copper cleaner and Kroils or Bore Eliminator at 9 rounds, then at 20, then at 40. After that (the last two times out) I have noticed the groups on this gun seem to be opening up a bit after 10 shots or so. I ran a boresnake through it (with only whatever oil residue it had) and the groups tighten right back up for another 9 shots or so.

 

[huffmanite]

The stock on this gun is not as rigid as the Stevens 200. I really had to rest it back near the action/magazine to get good groups. If you rest it on the forend, it seems to put upward pressure on the barrel and screws your groups up.

Your stock flex is not in the forend of the stock, but in the area of stock at rear of trigger guard. Try resting bottom edge of butt of stock on a table, hold front of stock in one hand and with other hand (one finger will work), push down on stock just behind the safety. Position your head/eyes to view gap between rear of trigger guard piece and the stock.....and watch gap spread as you apply pressure to top of stock. I've reduced my trigger pull to around 3 1/2 lbs on my Edge....yet while pulling trigger I can watch my elevation crosshair move an inch or more on my 100 yard target. It is not the forend that is flexing, it is stock area around the rear of the safety.