Savage/Springfield 840 in .222...yup another one

Bloodhound

Bloodhound

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Over the years I have owned several of the 340/840 rifles from Savage/Springfield. In .222 .223 one in .22 Hornet and a couple in 30-30.

The platform is not the most inherently accurate and they can have issues with the mags and seating and...but with a little attention to detail and some ingenuity they can be made into decent shooters at a sweet price point.

I have only kept one, a 30-30 that I re-barreled for shooting light weight .30 cal bullets (110 grain) and it has been my 200 yard and under calling rifle for a long time.

I love them in the .222 but can't seem to hang on to them. I get one shooting "minute of coyote" and someone has to have it.

Well I happened across another one, even though the prices have gone up...this one had pictures posted upside down on the auction and the magazine wasn't shown in the photos, I think that is why no one else bid. I stole it...like a price from 20 years ago.

Good clean rifle that looks like it spent most of its life in a cabinet. I will get a proper scope on it and some of the other little tricks I do with these and it should be shooting "minute of coyote"...I think I'll just plan to hang onto this one. It is the same vintage as my 30-30 and they will make a nice pair.
 
I have one in .222 that my dad picked up 20+ years ago. He redone the laquer finish and made it into a decent looking rifle, not bench grade rifle but fun to shoot thats fkr sure.
 
My first centerfire rifle was a 340 chambered in .22 Hornet, picked it up for 90.00 bucks back in the 70's and that included a Bushnell 3-9 Banner that was already mounted, I took many Varmints with it out to 175 yards, accuracy was so-so but it was good enough.
 
Nice find.

I had one of those a few years back, it was insanely accurate, For a rifle that has nothing we look at as must have for an accurate rifle, non-adjustable trigger, single action bolt, barrel band and stamped steel side mounted scope mount, it shot so well.

I shot the first group and decided to shoot another just to see if it was a fluke. It was shot with a 3x scope.



It would do it at longer ranges also, 4x scope.

 
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Quote: I had one of those a few years back, it was insanely accurate

Guess you and I got the only accurate ones ever produced, AW.

I bought my bride one in .222 shortly after we were married in 1956. Money was pretty tight, so I mounted a Weaver B4 (I think; it was the little .22 rimfire scope that came with a sheet metal mount for about $10), sighted it in with factory ammo and she was able to cut 1/2" sticks floating in the river in half effortlessly.

Only thing that frustrated me was the fact that it was the only rifle I have ever run across that I was never able to improve on the accuracy with handloads over factory. But hey, when it shot cloverleafs with factory, its not all bad.
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Regards,
hm
 
Yup! There is no good reason for them to be as accurate as they are and when you spend a little time lining up the action so the mags go in and out smooth and polish a little on the sear...they can shine.

My 30-30 was an $80 purchase, after I had it for a couple of years, I wondered if a longer barrel would shoot lighter bullets better. I bought a new barrel from Numrich ($48) and a new barrel nut and while it is not a bench rest gun with 110 grain bullets, it out shoots my Rem 722 in 257 Roberts.

I am glad to hear from others who have good shooters. My brother took his first dear with a 340A with the old butter knife bolt handle. I refinished the rifle and gave it to him for his birthday. He sold it the next year for a .300 Win Mag. Can't tell you how many times he has wished he had kept the 30-30...usually when he goes to buy ammo
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I don't recall ever seeing one. The first Savage I remember was a 99 which was cool but I got a Winchester 88 .243 that was beautiful and the only rifle I truly regret selling.
 
I sold a 222 that I had bought 4 months before. Lost money but did not regret selling it , I am a lefty and that safety for me was hard to get my thumb on.Altogether it was ok but not handy for me. I had a friend that was in Labrador and he gave one (222) to a Eskimo friend who took him seal hunting years ago while it was legal. Broke a extractor and it was $40 with shipping , half the size of a grain rice.Will get another 222 soon but not 340
 
Originally Posted By: tripod3I don't recall ever seeing one. The first Savage I remember was a 99 which was cool but I got a Winchester 88 .243 that was beautiful and the only rifle I truly regret selling.

I just got word that the rifle will be here tomorrow! I'll get some pics of it and the 30-30 and get them posted.

I also went the Winchester 88 route. I have a .308 and a .243...I had a .284 but I sold it and that is one I truly regret selling. My son has a .308 and a .284

I have killed a couple of coyotes with the .243 but they are usually close enough that the .243 is overkill.
 


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