savage axis junk?????

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outlawcowboy

New member
I'm looking at buying a savage axis but keep reading on here they are junk . I am looking at a .223 so my question is is there something wrong with this weapon seems the reference to the junk rifle was about the 204 any input would be very helpful before I make this purchase .
 

I prefer the Savage Model 16s, but my nephew has an Axis in 223 Rem. and loves it. I have fondled it, and I can see where a rifle snob would not be happy with it. But for my nephew, a young man on a budget, he finds it a great fit. Inexpensive, accurate, and durable, are what he wanted, and he found it in his Axis. So IMHO, the Savage Axis isn't "junk" for someone looking for an accurate utility rifle, that isn't concerned about pride of ownership nonsense.

Squeeze
 
The Axis does not come in a .204, so I am not sure of the criticism. I have an Axis and I like it overall. It gives typical Savage accuracy at a low price point, but it does come with a very heavy trigger, unless you get the Axis II with Accutrigger. The second issue is the flexxy stock, It is easy to bend the for end against the barrel. Third, it is just not very pretty, but it is very functional. Some guys have bought the Axis as basis for a match rifle because of the small theoretical advantage of having a receiver that only has a small ejection port. Supposedly that makes the receiver more rigid, which gives more accuracy potential.

Die hards have modded or replaced the trigger and reinforced the stock. A replacement trigger costs about $100, and by the time you have spent that you have spent about enough to get an Accutrigger gun. I might add that not everyone likes the Accutrigger, so they may not see that as an issue. I bought mine because I could get it a deep discount with my employee discount ($254 OTD) and I wanted a left hand long action barrel swapper. The Axis filled the bill. All I have done is swap off the .270 barrel and tune the trigger. It is easily sub-moa with my hand loads.
 
I had one in 223 and loved it after the free trigger upgrade. (I found it on YouTube) It shot very good groups with factory ammo.
 
In .223 mine shot very good. You will want to see the Utube about how to curb the trigger pull. For a hunting rifle, the stock is just fine. You can't hurt it, when you drop it.
 
I debated whether or not to put a Boyds stock on mine, but decided I like the really light carry weight. Probably in the spring I will stiffen the existing stock with Devcon and aluminum rod stock. Mostly mine is used in a deer stand or coyote blind, so I really don't have a problem with the flexxy stock. If shooting off a bipod, I would have to reinforce it.
 
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I have no idea how much the accutrigger adds to the cost as I purchased mine before it became available. I did the trigger mod but was never satisfied with it and went to a Rifle Basix which gives it a very nice trigger. MidSouth Shooters Supply has the trigger at a much better price than I could find anywhere else. I do own another Savage with the accutrigger and it is OK in my book.

The only thing I can say about the factory stock is it is awful. Nothing about it felt right to me. I intended to build a new stock and did. One that fits just like I wanted and is not nearly as ugly as the factory thing. Boyd's has taken care of the stock thing for the non-builders now.

The Axis is much more accurate than it has any right to be at what you pay for it. I bought it because of it's reputation for accuracy. Mine has never fired a round of factory ammo, hand loads only and I haven't had one problem with the gun. I love those sub minute of angle groups it shoots.

The only thing about mine that still annoys me slightly is the bolt handle but I've adapted to it. I bought the rifle as a project gun and am happy with my results. By the way, it's a 22-250.

 
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whoever told you the savage axis is junk kick them strait in the nut sack! I have an axis 223 with a Bushnell 3-9-40 cf300 scope and can hit the bull every time at 100yards. the only think wrong with the axis is the stock. boyds makes a new stock for $100 or get a $10 tube of resin and beef up the original stock. all my guns are hunting guns so I don't need some shinny, bull barrel with all the bells and whistles. I know guys that have expensive guns that look all pretty but when it comes to rain or snow they stay home while I'm out hunting.
 
It doesn't cost much and shoots really well. Not exactly junk.

An expensive rifle that shoots as well as a cheap rifle, that's a rip-off. An expensive rifle that shoots worse, that's junk. (and mossbergs, they're junk
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They're good enough to get you going, so go ahead a get one. A long time ago I bought one of the Stevens 200's in 22/250. It shot well and got me started in the right direction. I don't use it much anymore, and it needs a new barrel, but it proved an ok starter gun for a new predator hunter. My only complaint is the old girl wouldn't always eject spent brass unless I was running lapua or Norma.
 
I have one in 22-250 and I can't complain cheap accurate durable, I did get the trigger down to 3 pound pull all I ever done to mine, its a good shooting gun for what I paid, shoots just as well as my tigers and Remington I own! I probably wouldn't have bought a savage since I am fan of the other two, but came across a steal and never regretted it!
 
Ive bought 2 .. one a full size stainless in 223, and a compact in 7mm~08 for the GF.

The 223 was a tack driver but it just never felt good to me with the slick synthetic stock. I traded it to a coyote hunting buddy of mine. He bought a $99 Boyds pepper laminate checkered stock for it and it feels like a whole different gun now.
After seeing the difference the stocks made i bought the GF the compact in 7mm~08. Its good accuracy wise also. I will upgrade her stock later.
 
Reportly On Savage Shooters, The newer Axis' has a shorter LOP in adult 13.5" and 12.5" in youth and Savage has added a tighter diamond pattern in the stocks forend to possibly help with flex.
 
The axis in 223 is the rifle I learned to reload with. I made a lot of mistakes learning how. I have since purchased a few different rifles. More savages. Tikkas. Point is I still love the rifle no matter how CHEAP it may be. Probably most accurate of the bunch. Shoot a 40 grain v max and hits prairie dogs extremely hard
 


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