First Report on Savage 'Target' Action
Forum member Flatlander recently received a RB/RP Savage Target Action with a .473″ boltface. He reports: “I like what I see, and that new Target AccuTrigger is pretty sweet for a factory trigger. I didn’t check it with a scale, but I estimate pull was set for well under a pound. I set it up in my truing fixture, checked the receiver face with a B&S Bestest .0001″ test indicator, and got just a hair over .002″ wobble. A single .0025″ pass cleaned it up completely, as did a very light pass with a boring bar on the lug seats. The action and bolt alone weigh 2.25 pounds. Add the AccuTrigger, recoil lug, trigger guard, and bbl. nut, and that goes up to just a hair over 2.5 pounds.
The recoil lug is double ground. I could not measure any deviation in thickness with my old Lufkin 1″ mic. It also has an indexing stud threaded into the backside, instead of depending on a punch-displaced lump as on Savage’s standard actions. This saved me the $22+shipping a SharpShooter lug would have cost. One note on this action’s screw hole spacing – the front hole is .125″ farther forward than that of a M12.
I’m favorably impressed with the action, but am also impressed with Savage’s initiative in supplying something like this to those of us who want a good basis for an accurate rifle. For those of you who haven’t seen a photo of this action, there’s an article on Savage’s new F/TR rifle in the April ’07 issue of Shooting Times, accompanied by several good shots of the rifle. The guy who wrote the article showed a photo of a 3-shot group fired at 500 yards. that measured .875″, which is kinda impressive for an out-of-the-box stock factory rifle.”
With a MSRP of $504 for action, trigger, recoil lug, and screws, (most custom actions cost twice as much for the action, alone), you should be able to assemble a truly accurate custom rifle for $1,000.
Let’s hope Savage sells a lot of these actions. Otherwise, they will stop offering them. So, anyone out to build a serious F-class, varminter, etc. should seriously consider this action.
Savage has actually raised the quality bar while lowering our cost. That doesn’t happen very often, if ever, this day and time. Let’s reward them for their unique contribution to the accuracy game.
Where can I buy one?
I see one in my future.
I own 4 Single Shot Savage rifles and do all my own gunsmithing. I don’t profess to be an expert just a guy who loves to shoot and who is also cheap. In some applications, I use $69.00 Adams and Bennette barrels, surplas gun powder and 4 cent bullets. I use the best cases I can find, the best reloading equipment and do lots of load development. I actively shoot several calibers and they all shoot less than 1/2 MOA at 100 yards. It’s really not hard to get a factory rifle to shoot accurately if you have patience, pay attention to details, read a lot and keep experimenting. A book could be written on this subject alone. I wouldn’t trade my Savage actions and target stocks for anything and I will be owning a couple of the new actions when I can find them. I Plan to mount the new actions in the BVS stocks I accumilated from EBAY as I really like the design and comfort afforded by the older target stocks. I’ll just relocate the bedding pillars as needed and open the barrel channel for my large bull barrels. Those new Savage actions will do a great job at an affordable cost. I expect to hear great things this comming year from guys who use the actions in competition. I truely believe these new actions have the potential to be winners and will give opertunities for new shooters on low budgets to get into the act. It’s lots of fun to shoot accurate rifles and I love to shoot my Savages. Try this idea for size. If you own a couple of Savage actions, you can outfit the stocks to suit your needs with all kinds of adjustable features, added vents, larger barrel channels for bull barrels, special paint and insignias, extended bolt handles and precision recoil lugs and whatever fits your fancy. Next, with a small investment in tools, you can change out the barrels in less than a 1/2 hour making it possible to always have your favorite rifle in almost any caliber you want. You can even make a barrel switch in the field as your conditions change. It’s like reloading, once you have made the initial investment, than the options are limitless. Sit down with a pencel and calculator, the numbers will amase you as to how much you can do for a lot less than a top of the line action alone and get very excellant results. Depending on what reloading equipment you use, you can add a new caliber to your existing action from $250 to $500. The higher cost will get you a match grade barrel, top of the line dies, good brass and components to get started.
These actions look fairly scmicko, was contemplating building a 223 F-Class standard rifle to use in competition in the Land of Downunder. Sadly, the Australian Savage importer wants a $1000 aus ($800 US)–not very happy about this. To make matters worse, Savage has removed the facility to email a letter of complaint about the gouging that the Australian importer is imposing.
will one of these work on my 22-250 savage low pro varminter
I have a 308 barrell will it fit on this action.
Editor: That depends on the length of the threaded section (tenon) and the diameter. If you use a barrel nut, you will need enough threads outside the front of the action to secure the bolt. If the tenon is too narrow or too fat you may have to cut the threads off and re-thread to fit the Savage action.
A local fly & 100 yard shooter is setting up a 12F/TR as an F class rifle; I saw him run a 3″ group on the fly (500Meters) on a fireforming load today; he’s quite impressed with the “trueness” of the action and especially the trigger. As a top-class machinist (he’s built his own actions and does his own ‘smithing), as well asbeing a top grade shooter, he’s one bloke whose opinion I rgard highly; so much so that I’ve gotta start saving for one of these new Savages…
Geoff (the WOOB) Rath
I love savage rifles, and handled their target models. I am interested in building up a rifle based on their receiver. My only stumbling block right now, is researching stocks available to fit their target action. Anybody know who is making them?
I have a Model 12F/TR, Its taken 2 months and a lot a work to get it better than 1 minute, This week it shot 1/2 min at 600 yds. I had to re bed the action, remove the pillar mounts,fit a 10mm plate below the action to stop the screws pulling into the stock,Extend the but, add some lead to get it up to 10kg. It cost $1800 Aust + $180 for the scope mount in steel.I think its a great action and barrel for the money, Pity about the crap stock.It shot good elevation but pulled left and right as it pleased. Now you piont and it hits it, Wake up SAVAGE get your act together.
Albert
I just bought a new Savage M12 Target Rifle in 6.5×284. Who makes a picatinny rail that will fit it? I have several Badger rails that I like on other rifles, but any good quality steel rail will do. I can’t find mention of this rifle on any of the websites that I’ve gone to so far looking for the correct rail for this rifle. Thanks for anyone’s help!
I bought the Savage F/TR in .308. I am only set up for 100 yrd, I just don’t have the space! The rifle shot 1/2″ groups with reg. Federal 180gr hunting ammo from Wal-Mart. I haven’t hand loaded for it yet, but can’t wait to run some 168gr Sierras down the bore. My Savage 110 in 300 Win Mag places the 168’s under 1″ cradled in a crappy poly stock @ 100yrd.
where can you find a target action for purchase(price of one) and how hard is it really to make you own .308 sniper or target rifle?
We do the animal culling in South Africa for export venison and I can truly say that we only shoot Savage rifles. Because of the terrain we have to take long shots on the animals there is only one rifle that can do the job. Thanx SAVAGE RIFLES. Just so accurate…
I own a savage rifle (of course) .308 the F/tr. I load my own ammo, but i would like to ask what would best for the f-tr.( what powders, bullets, cases…etc?)
loads that seem to work for me @1000yds. I only shoot 800/900/1000 f/tr
Lapua 170g lock base, Lapua brass, cci primer, 45.5gr Varget .020 off the lands
Sierra 155g SMK Lapua brass, cci primer Varget 46.8gr .020 off the lands
Lapua 168ss didn’t work for me, nor did Hornady 178 amax,,,
Cheers
Seamus
Anyone making stocks for this new action yet? I just bought two, one small bolt face, one large.