SmallCaliberCentral

Anyone who owns a Savage Model 12 Long Range Precision Varminter in 204 Ruger, or is considering one in their future, needs to check out the article by James Mock in the December 2007 issue of Precision Shooting Magazine

Many here know I'm not a Savage fan, but as James says in his article, "This is NOT your father's Savage". That said...it's a great article, and has made me re-evaluate my own predijuice towards Savages. It appears I need to try one of the new breed and make up my mind accordingly. One may reside in my safe soon, alongside my Remington's, Winchester's, Sako's, Browning's, Ruger's and the like. (I never thought I'd see the day! )

The article has alot of great loading and technical info for the 204, and is a very good read, written by a current Bench Rest competitor. As we're all here for our love of the 204 Ruger cartridge, I thought I'd pass this tidbit along to all of you in case you haven't seen it yet.

If you don't subscribe, and want a copy of this magazine, their phone number is 860-645-8776 (no email). Ask for Kim or Dave. (An excellent article on all the 20 caliber wildcats also appears in the same issue.)

Rick, Preaching to the choir?

Actually thanks for the heads up. I've been meaning to subscribe to that mag for some time. I've actually driven by their office many hundreds of times. Odd that Precision Shooting magazines offices would be located in Ct where absolutely no precision shooting sports are practised

jo191145: Preaching to the choir? Probably, but my eyes were really opened by this article. These guys are hard-core BR shooters, and James Mock, like me, had personal predijuces against Savages in general. In my youth, they were considered "K-Mart/Wally World" rifles, cheap wood, shoddy craftsmanship, cheap engineering and materials. Except for the cool Model 99's, no "real rifleman" would be caught with one in the field back then.

I still think their safety and bolt assembly looks cheap when compared to the nice Model 70, Sako or Remington, but I'll admit that no one can complain about their out of the box accuracy these days, and that the stigma of old is quickly disappearing. The new generation of Savages hardly bear any resemblance to the old ones I remember.

I'm anxious to try the M12 LR Varminter in 204 for myself. Who knows, maybe there's a Savage convert here. I'm not sure my crew would still let me shoot alongside them in the field though......

Rick.. We're gonna need pictures when heck freezes over

EDIT: Well... You know what I mean

This is the second article PS has run on the LRPV. Actually there's not much on reloading, he gives you an OAL that he used because the leade was so long and he gives you a couple of loads he used, none were in the velocity range that the .204 is capable of. I would like to have known what primer, maybe how much torque he used on the mounting bolts. One thing I will say is that the authors of each article made the same point of not over tightening the read mounting bolt.

I thought it was kinda weird that he got the rifle from Savage with Weaver bases already installed, kinda makes a guy wonder if he got a special rifle. I may be all wrong here, but maybe not.

Tom

Just to toss a road apple in the pie filling, Savage IS making some changes in the upcoming 50th Anniversary guns (next year the Savage 110 is a half-century old, just like me). The funky bolt stop/sear/cocking indicator is disappearing from the side of the action body, and the bolt release will be located in front of the trigger guard, and much more serious, they might be doing away with the barrel nut, that we all find offensive-looking, but makes the barrel changes possible! Oh, the horror!
http://savageshooters.baker-media.com/S ... 136.0.html


Okay, my boo-boo , the nut stays, but it's smooth now, and will require another kind of wrench. It's already being phased-in on the more upscale models (14, 114) and the detachable magazines are already being switched to single column feeds, too. Hmmmmmmm.......

glenn asher wrote:Just to toss a road apple in the pie filling, Savage IS making some changes in the upcoming 50th Anniversary guns (next year the Savage 110 is a half-century old, just like me). The funky bolt stop/sear/cocking indicator is disappearing from the side of the action body, and the bolt release will be located in front of the trigger guard, and much more serious, they might be doing away with the barrel nut, that we all find offensive-looking, but makes the barrel changes possible! Oh, the horror!
http://savageshooters.baker-media.com/S ... 136.0.html


Okay, my boo-boo , the nut stays, but it's smooth now, and will require another kind of wrench. It's already being phased-in on the more upscale models (14, 114) and the detachable magazines are already being switched to single column feeds, too. Hmmmmmmm.......

Glen, what you posted was interesting, but what does it have to do with the original post?

Tom

I have one more thing on the PS article. I don't know the author, know his name only, but seeing he's a benchrest shooter, why only 3 shot groups??

Tom

Rick
Theres no doubt the Savage action will not compare favorably to your Sako. They're not known for their tight BR tolerances The action on my 12 FO is better than my other Sav's but its probably just dumb luck.
As for your shooting partners Perhaps if you don a ghillie suit, Wrap that M12 in camoflauge fabric, erect a camoflauge tent over your shooting bench and explain the theories of Darwin to them they'll understand the day is coming that Skippy will realize you guys sitting on benches in the open aren't there just for a picnic. And you being a superior creature are just trying to stay ahead of evolution. If nothing else they won't be staring at your gun funny

Ohlsen
That is odd that the gun came through with bases installed. Very odd. I smell a conspiracy.

Now I'm wondering if Hawkeyes gun came with Weaver bases on it

Yes Savage is making changes. I'll have to learn to live with it. Glenn maybe I have poor taste but I never found the barrel nut offensive. Just the opposite. In this day and age of pressed together throw away merchandise its nice to see something with a disassembly point right out in the open. If it were'nt for the Savage erector set capabilities I'd probably be shooting something else.

Ohlsen wrote:

glenn asher wrote:Just to toss a road apple in the pie filling, Savage IS making some changes in the upcoming 50th Anniversary guns (next year the Savage 110 is a half-century old, just like me). The funky bolt stop/sear/cocking indicator is disappearing from the side of the action body, and the bolt release will be located in front of the trigger guard, and much more serious, they might be doing away with the barrel nut, that we all find offensive-looking, but makes the barrel changes possible! Oh, the horror!
http://savageshooters.baker-media.com/S ... 136.0.html


Okay, my boo-boo , the nut stays, but it's smooth now, and will require another kind of wrench. It's already being phased-in on the more upscale models (14, 114) and the detachable magazines are already being switched to single column feeds, too. Hmmmmmmm.......

Glen, what you posted was interesting, but what does it have to do with the original post?

Tom

Well, Rick was mentioning changes in his thoughts about Savages, and it brought to mind that Savage is mentioning changes, too, and Rick will be thinking about ALL those changes now. These changes will be phased in over time to all the Savage line, as I read it, and that will certainly reflect on LRPVs, too.

I was tongue in cheek about the horrors of the barrel nut and I have four Savages to confirm it. I'm not at all upset by it, but it IS unsightly.

Glen, you gave me a chuckle

Tom

Tell you what Rick, You go ahead and buy the Savage, but you have to give me all of your other guns before the Savage shows up in the field! Sounds like a win/win to me!! Gary

Well Gary, after a good night's sleep, re-reading my post, I just don't know what came over me! I think my other rifles are safe right where they are......

See, I KNEW you guys would flip me a wad of..........

jo191145 wrote:

Now I'm wondering if Hawkeyes gun came with Weaver bases on it

.

No bases BUT I'm told I got one of the first ones .. I just found a sweet spot.Took me 6 months and 5 different powders to find it. A normal person probably would have been happy with 10X's accuracy. As you know we live in the east. NOT much to shoot at. Testing was my Skippy . I love my trigger time . Hmmmmm.....Maybe they'll let us hunt rats in the big city.

not over tightening the read mounting bolt,what is that?