NdIndy
New member
I'm going to accept a little blame here, I'm not as practiced as I usually am. By now I've usually spent a few months chasing groundhogs out to 300, so better at steady and consistent. But this year I've only been out a couple times and pull more misses than hits.
So, brand new savage edge in 25-06. After bringing it home I pulled the stock off and painted it, then reassembled.
Scope is my old leupold 4-12, I believe VXI. I've had it quite a while, it was originally a swat scope. Being a now (ex) cop had it's perks, gear gets moved around. It's been on about a dozen rifles over the years. My midway glass order got back ordered , so the old warhorse was pulled from one of my 30-06.
Bases were mismatched out of my box, found a set that looked like they should work, called it good.
Rings also whatever I had in my box that would fit a scope. Anyone who's scoped a savage knows what a retarded spacing they put their bases at, so thin or preferable extended rings are a must.
Ammo, a 100% generic load I pulled out of Hogdon's data. I put a middle charge together for hunting ammo since time was tight, planned on tailoring a load later on. It worked well out of my other 25-06 on antelope, figured good enough for now. Bullet is 100gr soft point, midway 2nds they come out with from time to time, much speculation about who actually makes it. So not match ammo is what I'm getting at.
Bench, none. I let my membership pass and keep putting off re-joining. So I'm shooting prone on Wyoming prairie. Yes it is pokey and covered in cactus, thanks for asking.
Bags, none
Vice, none
Bipod, yep. Trying out a caldwell tilting bipod this year as opposed to my usual harris. So far I like it.
Weather: Windy but warm and dry.
Rifle: new savage edge in 25-06. Let me cover what has been said before. The trigger is definitely firm, heavier than I like. However pressure is immediate, no take-up or creep in the trigger. Just steady pressure until it breaks, which it did fairly crisply. From a liability standpoint, it's a safe trigger. From a shooter/hunter standpoint, lighter would be nice and it's pretty decent. From a benchrest shooter standpoint, you're not going to be happy.
The barrel is standard contour and is free-floated from the factory. Yes the forearm does have some flex and I can force it to contact the barrel. I'm not sure what shooting situation I would be in that would force me to lever on the stock like that, but it is possible. Resting the weight of the rifle while shooting I don't believe it will ever contact. I guess if I was in a hand to hand fight and for some reason decided to wedge it between the bad guys crotch and place a shot at 500 yards it may be an issue. If that ever comes up with any firearm, I'll let you know.
Think that about covers the bases.
I was limited on ammo for this go round, it's hunting season so I've got to keep some in reserve. Started by shooting singles to get the scope dialed in. Figured I'd get it animal accurate and then tune later so limited shots today would be ok. It didn't quite work out that way.
One dialed in it was time to check grouping.
1st group of 3. I left my calipers at home, I also left my yardstick and 100 meter tape at home so exact measurements aren't to be had today. Fortunately I could make due. the first group was easily covered with a quarter.
2nd group of 3. I was becoming a little more used to the rife. 2nd group I covered with a nickel.
3rd group of 3. I started getting a little more dialed in here. 3rd group I covered with a penny. Then I pulled the penny and 3rd group I covered with a dime. Then I took my pen and outlined the dime over the group and found that not only was the dime covering the group, I had room to spare as none of the shots would have been outside the head. If I was trying to snipe Mr. Roosevelt and he was 2" tall, he would be in trouble.
So as I said in the topic, this gun is not a shooter. It's a [beeep] fine shooter. Short of tailoring some loads and lightening the trigger as of today it is on par or better than every rifle in my case. Which is kind of sad considering I paid $200 for the rifle, which is a lot less than I've paid for a lot more. And since it's brand new I can expect the grouping to tighten a bit, and I do plan on using this one. Safe queen she will not be.
My wife will be doing her first hunting season ever this year, told her she would likely be carrying the edge since her 700 is just too pretty. After that, I think I'll be sitting my other 25-06 aside and carrying the edge as it doesn't group as well.
I've read lots of folks who have picked one up at a gun store and then put it back because of the flexy stock etc. If they're all like what I've got, man did you screw yourself
Inexpensive in this case does not by any means come off as cheap. With a better base, and a better shooter than I am, I don't think 1 hole grouping out of this hunting cartridge would be unobtainable.
So, brand new savage edge in 25-06. After bringing it home I pulled the stock off and painted it, then reassembled.
Scope is my old leupold 4-12, I believe VXI. I've had it quite a while, it was originally a swat scope. Being a now (ex) cop had it's perks, gear gets moved around. It's been on about a dozen rifles over the years. My midway glass order got back ordered , so the old warhorse was pulled from one of my 30-06.
Bases were mismatched out of my box, found a set that looked like they should work, called it good.
Rings also whatever I had in my box that would fit a scope. Anyone who's scoped a savage knows what a retarded spacing they put their bases at, so thin or preferable extended rings are a must.
Ammo, a 100% generic load I pulled out of Hogdon's data. I put a middle charge together for hunting ammo since time was tight, planned on tailoring a load later on. It worked well out of my other 25-06 on antelope, figured good enough for now. Bullet is 100gr soft point, midway 2nds they come out with from time to time, much speculation about who actually makes it. So not match ammo is what I'm getting at.
Bench, none. I let my membership pass and keep putting off re-joining. So I'm shooting prone on Wyoming prairie. Yes it is pokey and covered in cactus, thanks for asking.
Bags, none
Vice, none
Bipod, yep. Trying out a caldwell tilting bipod this year as opposed to my usual harris. So far I like it.
Weather: Windy but warm and dry.
Rifle: new savage edge in 25-06. Let me cover what has been said before. The trigger is definitely firm, heavier than I like. However pressure is immediate, no take-up or creep in the trigger. Just steady pressure until it breaks, which it did fairly crisply. From a liability standpoint, it's a safe trigger. From a shooter/hunter standpoint, lighter would be nice and it's pretty decent. From a benchrest shooter standpoint, you're not going to be happy.
The barrel is standard contour and is free-floated from the factory. Yes the forearm does have some flex and I can force it to contact the barrel. I'm not sure what shooting situation I would be in that would force me to lever on the stock like that, but it is possible. Resting the weight of the rifle while shooting I don't believe it will ever contact. I guess if I was in a hand to hand fight and for some reason decided to wedge it between the bad guys crotch and place a shot at 500 yards it may be an issue. If that ever comes up with any firearm, I'll let you know.
Think that about covers the bases.
I was limited on ammo for this go round, it's hunting season so I've got to keep some in reserve. Started by shooting singles to get the scope dialed in. Figured I'd get it animal accurate and then tune later so limited shots today would be ok. It didn't quite work out that way.
One dialed in it was time to check grouping.
1st group of 3. I left my calipers at home, I also left my yardstick and 100 meter tape at home so exact measurements aren't to be had today. Fortunately I could make due. the first group was easily covered with a quarter.
2nd group of 3. I was becoming a little more used to the rife. 2nd group I covered with a nickel.
3rd group of 3. I started getting a little more dialed in here. 3rd group I covered with a penny. Then I pulled the penny and 3rd group I covered with a dime. Then I took my pen and outlined the dime over the group and found that not only was the dime covering the group, I had room to spare as none of the shots would have been outside the head. If I was trying to snipe Mr. Roosevelt and he was 2" tall, he would be in trouble.
So as I said in the topic, this gun is not a shooter. It's a [beeep] fine shooter. Short of tailoring some loads and lightening the trigger as of today it is on par or better than every rifle in my case. Which is kind of sad considering I paid $200 for the rifle, which is a lot less than I've paid for a lot more. And since it's brand new I can expect the grouping to tighten a bit, and I do plan on using this one. Safe queen she will not be.
My wife will be doing her first hunting season ever this year, told her she would likely be carrying the edge since her 700 is just too pretty. After that, I think I'll be sitting my other 25-06 aside and carrying the edge as it doesn't group as well.
I've read lots of folks who have picked one up at a gun store and then put it back because of the flexy stock etc. If they're all like what I've got, man did you screw yourself
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