Bought the Savage Axis yesterday and fired it for the first time at the gun range today. It is my first rifle. The scope was way off (like by a foot to the left and a foot up), but the guy at the range did the bore-scoping on it and showed me how to tweak the two wheels on the scope. After a few more adjustments of my own, I started hitting dead center on the target from the 50 yard distance. So proud of myself and this rifle :). Only cost me $329 with the scope, so I think it is a great value. If a rookie like me can hit dead center at 50 yards the first time with this low-cost rifle, I don't understand why people would ever buy the really expensive ones. I am sure the Ruger is another great option, but I can't speak for it since I never used one of them.
@@Tyborz Wow thank you for putting me in my place and telling me what level of intelligence I belong to. With a name like Blackbeard I am sure you are fully qualified to provide that diagnosis. Now if you read my original comment closely you would see that I said "...a rookie like me..." and "I don't understand why", which means that I was really looking for information on why a more expensive rifle would be needed. You could have just told me that a more expensive rifle is needed for hunters to make 2 inch groups at 400 yards, but you had to show the world how smart you are and how stupid I am, so I guess that is OK. And for your information, on my second day at the gun range (first day at 100 yard distance) with my cheap rifle, I hit bulls eye at 100 yards at least a dozen times. I know I can't be that lucky, because I am here arguing on YT with you.
@@Tyborz this guy is obviously just getting started in rifle shooting so lighten up! The most idiotic thing I hear is when some crusty old/or young shooter jump ALL OVER new shooters for not sharing their sacred opinion of shooting...It’s called an opinion! He’s untitled to one just like you are!
Great way of looking at it. Love it when new shooters get into the sport. Keep doing your thing. Ignore keyboard warriors, and just have a good time. Eventually you will be upgrading scopes. And triggers. And camo paint jobs in the backyard. 😆
Cut me off there when posting. Always good when you can find someone willing to help with the learning curve when dealing with sights or optics. Have fun, send lots of rounds down range, and enjoy finding our what ammo YOUR rifle prefers for brand and bullet weight. And have fun at the range and in the field.
From the beginning it wasn't hard to detect your bias. Just looking at the scopes, it's obvious that the Ruger is your baby. You are more nit picky with the Savage and frequently give your Ruger the edge. That's all fine, you are entitled to your opinion and to share it. In the end it comes down to the buyer to make a choice but I've noticed that the Rugers have been going up in price and are running about $100 more than the Savages. I've thought about getting a Ruger and I have not a thing against them, but I know I can make my Savages shoot... really shoot. I got an Axis II in 6.5 Creedmoor that out of the box was "meh" okay. I did some filling in with epoxy to stiffen the fore end of the stock. Did a minimal action bedding job. Worked up hand loads for it. And it shoots ho-hum Mid South bullets at 1/3 MOA. Hornady SSTs get 1/4 MOA. I could probably do the same with the Ruger and I may yet because most folks give them good grades on accuracy. Although I don't own one yet, I don't get into picking nits and would rate them about the same... as long as I could obtain the same accuracy from the Ruger because that is MY bottom line.
@ CplSki USMC Good write up. That's great and I think it's important to note you are a Marine. Thank you for your service. Bullets4Bucks should clearly state his bias before beginning.
@@blakebuffalo8862 I heard some weird stuff like that on Reddit a while ago. I don't get it. Any weapon will rust. Gotta take care of it. It's not gonna happen over night. Keep it oiled and lubed up and clean and it will last a lifetime probably longer. I have mine in the humid weather of eastern NC where we have salty air. Still never any rust on any of my weapons. I just take care of them. In the Marine Corps, we would take care of our rifle before we did ourselves. Clean it before we had chow. If your weapon rusts then you ain't taking care of it.
Long time Ruger fan here. Bought the 1st one 50 years ago & the last one in May, 2021. But I also own several Savage rifles in varmint calibers & they outshoot my Rugers almost every time. Accuracy is most important to me.
Have tried 4 Savages so far and sold all 4 because they were pretty mediocre in the accuracy department. Definitely had better luck with the Rugers. Not saying I have not sold a couple of those for the same reason however.
@@jefferytillis8309 Funny i have owned both of many calibers for many years and not once, not twice, but in every single case the savages where more accurate.
@@guaporeturns9472 I love ruger and savage but i have owned many of both for over 40 years and in my experience the savages have been the most accurate out of the box rifles repeatedly even compared to some much more expensive rifles, again i have had some great ruger remington winchester a tikka a weatherby and liked them all but not once did i find a more accurate rifle than the 110 savages, had a model 700 rem and a winchester model 70 that where as accurate as the savages but none have been more accurate than the savages, especially in 22/250 and other smaller centerfire rounds. Stepping up to the 30 caliber rifles .308, 30/06 the rugers remingtons and winchesters where on par mostly.
Excellent analysis! Both rifles are fine for entry level and for a person with some interest, skills and willingness to spend for upgrade many of the production limitations can be rectified. The shooting performance of both is the critical factor, they hit where they are aimed. The Ruger can be a pretty quick upgrade by polishing the bolt, even simply as working it with lapping compound will likely take those machining ribs off that you hear when cycling the bolt. Trigger work would be in order for the Ruger but that would not be too far out of reason as many discerning rifle shooters have triggers worked. The Savage would be a more difficult upgrade. Trigger work would be much needed. The stock is just about a need of replacement with something more substantial....either a composite with more beef or a custom wood stock with some provision for a new trigger guard adapted from another rifle....a costly modification and not economically feasable unless the owner had the skills to invest. If the fore end was the only problem with the Savage you could fill that channel with gel acraglass and stiffen it up nicely. Perhaps there is a way to strengthen the area of the stock around the tang with some metal inserts to beef up that area too...but there goes a lot of time and money unless the owner is self capable to do those mods. My pick hands down would be the Ruger...that three lug short throw bolt lock up is desirable.
Good summary. I’d pick the Ruger too. Just got a compact one with a threaded barrel and pic rail for a bit over 400. I can’t do a high bolt lift anymore. Drives me crazy trying to run a bolt that close to the scope. Also dislike a bolt that doesn’t lock when closed. I think that’s my biggest gripe with the Ruger. Hunting in brush and crawling on the ground, I’ve had bolts come open and actually lost rounds. Not important for everyone though. My main other gripe is the blade safety, but that’s just personal preference for feel. Both my gripes are difficult to address in an inexpensive rifle apparently.
I own a Ruger 6.5 Creedmoor and a Savage .308 I really can't say anything bad about any of them. I must of got a great Savage because its real tight in the stock and the safety. All I can say is when you do buy a weapon check it out before taking it home. I read before taking home the Ruger the stock issues it had and the gun gods were good to me on that purchase as well. I see people grab a weapon and just pint in the air. Look at the build people each gun needs to be gone threw inspection before taking home.
I tried out both guns, settling on the savage, both are good entry level rifles but the savage has better accuracy, which in the end was the deciding factor
I own both theses guns and just hunted ten days with both. My Axis is a 30-06 and my Ruger American is a 6.5. Both guns shoot great and are very accurate. The most noticeable thing for me is the Axis is lighter and better balanced than the Ruger. Being almost seventy years old I settled in on the Axis because of the ease of carry.
Recoil management is enhanced by the heavier weight of the scope. The butt pads may vary from year to year, my Savage Axis butt pad is great and my safety doesn’t wiggle.
Been shooting savage for over 25 years... never had 1 to shoot worse than a clover leaf at 100.. my 243 I hunt with will shoot same hole.. I do reload so that makes a big difference
I really appreciate the input about these 2. I'm in the process of buying my boy his first hunting rifle. The Ruger I saw w/ 3x9 scope was almost 800 an saw the Savage w/scope for 550$ (Walmart). Leaning towards Savage.
The savages are straight shooters out the box, everyone I know that got one love them, got better scopes but for the price it's great, did you end up getting one?
@@solidrockofjesuschristmini2423 yes. Picked up the savage. My boy dropped his first hog 200lbs.And were ready for buck season this fall. He's really good with it.
I own both, and I like both. I own the Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmore and the Savage in the Axis2 in 7mm08. The Savage is wood stocked, plain but pretty and it came with a Weaver scope. Sorry Weaver, you pooped the bed with my scope. It sucked and literally came apart within the year. However, I purchased the Savage combo online for $249 with a $50 rebate from Savage, so I felt like I stole it! Delivered to my door with FFL fees, final cost for the rifle was $220. Having gotten it so cheap it did not hurt when I purchased a Nikon Buckmaster for it when it was on sale and wound up with a nice combo for under $400 that can consistently hit a 8" plate at 600 yards using a lead sled rest and puts bullets into the boiler room of hogs and deer no problem. Do not count on the included scope if its a Weaver, and I have heard that comment more than once. Both are mild recoil but the wood weight of the Savage makes it feel half as much as the 6.5, which already is light with the heavier Predator barrel. Having used both for hunting, I'll give a slight edge to the Savage because of the trigger, which is slightly better than the Ruger's trigger. I haven't tried the Ruger at long range yet but will shortly. This is almost an apples to apples comparison. Even though they are not the same caliber, their parent caliber is....the .308. I run 140 grain bullets in the Ruger and 139 grain bullets in the Savage.....both commercial loads. Cost of ammo that I run is the same. Ruger with scope was close to $600, but thats running a Vortex Crossfire 2, 4x12. The scopes are competitive. Overall cost the Savage wins again. One advantage the Ruger American Predator has is a threaded barrel. My son has purchased some silencers and I am on his "trust". Ill be able to attach one to the Ruger if I want. I don't think you could go wrong with either.
The Savage magazine is an upgrade to the original style, though the original functioned fine I was always paying special attention during removal/installation. Had one locking tab break once and SAVAGE stepped up and sent the newer version. No questions asked. Great customer service, and affordable out of the box shooters. That's why I own 6+.
I have the Ruger Predator in 6.5 Creedmore and it is a tack driver. Can't go wrong with the Predator. Deer, coyotes, hogs have fallen to this Ruger. The problem I have is deciding on which rifle goes with me to the pasture, Remington 700 in 270, Winchester 70 in 30-06, or the Ruger 6.5. Nice problem to have.
Ruger has very good barrels these days. They average 40% better accuracy over the same level Savage. The lowest price Ruger long range hunting rifle at $500 is almost as good as most $1,000+ rifles.
I own both of these rifles. I have 2 savage axis in 30-06 and 223 rem.They both had terrible triggers, a lot of travel and you never knew when it was going to break.Once I had the triggers reworked they were great accuracy improved greatly.
Agree, the Axis trigger heavy. Not a fan....like shooting a double action only pocket pistol. They fixed that with the accu-trigger ont he axis 2, trust me.
I own both Savage Axis and Savage Axis II's and they both can be adjusted if one knows what they are doing. The Axis II is safer because of the blade trigger which in itself is a safety like that found on a Glock pistol. It would be wise to tell people to stay away from adjusting the Axis trigger for safety's sake if they don't totally understand the trigger. I myself know the trigger and have adjusted triggers to 1# and 2# pulls but not on guns I would want to field hunt for safety purposes. They can be adjusted similar to the accu-trigger. Accu-trigger springs can be used in them and adjusted the same. However, you do not have the extra safety feature of the accu-trigger which is really a must if you wish to hunt with it and have a light trigger pull in the field. Also, the pillar system in the Savage stock is adequate so long as the pillars make good contact with the receiver. It is possible to get a stock that the pillars do not make good contact. Most of mine do and if you have the correct torque on the action screws and you maintain your free float they work very well. I did have a stock that did not and replaced the stock with an aftermarket. The Ruger American does look like the bedding system is more consistent and I am considering purchasing one myself. It was unfair to compare a Ruger American to a standard Axis, however. It should have been compared to an Axis II. You can get the Axis II down to a very low trigger pull much lower than the Ruger and safe if you have an Axis II. There are light replacement springs available that are made for varmint rifles that can be purchased for not too much without cutting springs like many on You Tube videos have done. They are both good rifles. But there is a lot to say about noise when one hunts. If you have a noisy safety watch that deer run if he or she hears it when you take it off. Nice video, we all have opinions mine is both are good rifles, and something can be done to fix what needs to be to take home the meat.
On the Savage I installed a CARBO trigger kit ($20) and dropped pull weight to 2 1/4 #. A "DESH" bolt lift kit, an extractor/ejector upgrade kit, and a GLADES ARMORY tactical bolt handle added another $100. The lift kit and bolt handle greatly reduced that SAVAGE SECOND feel. The extractor/ejector upgrades fling loaded cartridges out 10 -15" to the 4 o'clock position. No more hung spent cases lying on top of magazine on soft bolt operations that require rolling gun over to remove. Good review, just adding my 2 cents. (wish that's all it had cost me but since I love to tinker..., what the hell.)
I have the savage as well, what exactly did the desh bolt kit do? Did it remove the “second stage” or whatever you want to call it when opening the bolt? Asking because that drives me crazy and I’d love to get rid of that.
Seems to me he is a bit biased towards the Ruger from the start. That being said, I am a lover of Ruger firearms and like just about anything Ruger puts out.
That's because Ruger used a very smart marketing ploy. They added the word America in the name. There will be lots of people who will have subconsciously made up their minds without even shooting the rifles. Ps the bolt slide on the river reminds me of a fat girl wearing corduroy.
I have a savage axis in 243. Shoots good. Just wish savage would get away from the weaver scopes. That and I’m glad they put an adjustable trigger on the axis 2. I have a ruger American in 350 legend. I grew up shooting savage but after i shot my ruger it took the 1st place spot in my gun cabinet. Both are good rifles and can’t go wrong with either! Thanks for the content and great video!
The best take on a cheap stock Ive seen is the cheaper Kimber in a tan stock. It has honey comb like hexigon molding ribs to rigid it up. Im not big on Kimber but that stock is genius
I own both and my Axis is a tack driver! I do like my Ruger but I can get the same accuracy out of it. I even replaced the stock on the Ruger it’s about 1.5 moa. My Axis I can one shot pennies at 100 yards.
I have a Ruger American in 7mm-08. I love it. Great trigger. Very accurate. My son and I have used it to take 6 deer. I will definitely buy another one once I give this one to my son. Overall, it was a good purchase.
That whole Ruger bolt operation scraping sound is like nails on a chalkboard to me! I'm going to have to go with Savage on this one, but I did recently just buy a Savage Model 10 Bolt-Action in .308 Winchester with a threaded bull barrel and 3.5lb. trigger pull, and I absolutely love it!!! 😍
The zipper bolt can be fixed with sandpaper, just polish out the machining marks, however I do agree that it shouldn't be like that, but imo the ruger is better, so I choose to take the extra step of polishing the bolt, but either way the ruger bolt feels better to me than the savage bolt, lot of play in the savage, but to each his own, they are both quality affordable rifles that are capable of amazing accuracy
I have both and one is no better than the other. Ruger American Ranch 7.62x39 and Savage Axis 350 legend. Both are 1 inch groups at 100 yds and perfect for my twin daughters for deer 🦌 hunting.
Been looking for a good .308 to take into the mountains of Wyoming and the Ruger American seems to be the one im leaning towards. Thank you for the video it was very helpful in making this decision 🤠
My brother and I got the ruger and savage both in 308 . The savage had a accu trigger that come in it . We both liked ruger , but the savage was more accurate and the accu trigger was good especially being able to set it to 2.5lb pull . We shot both and used same ammo , we did a fair test , savage is more accurate . We have since had both barrels threaded and added the vg6gamma , best upgrade we made . Now we can shoot and gun doesn't move and very low recoil. It's great to take a shot and still keep target in the scope to watch the round hit ..
I have two Savage Axis 2 XP's one in 30-06 & other in 350 great budget gun's! But I use my Browning AB3 in 30-06 & My old Marlin 1985 in 45-70 more. But still both Savage & Ruger makes great entry level rifles!
I owned a Ruger American in 270 Win. Very disappointed in that rifle and the customer service as well. When I unboxed the Ruger American I noticed the barrel channel of the cheap melted milk jug plastic stock was warped and contacted the barrel near the end. This caused flyers no matter what ammo I used. Two shots almost touching and the 3rd shot 2" away. I contacted Ruger and they sent me a new stock. Unfortunately it was a carbon copy of the first one. What does that tell you about their quality control? Stevie Wonder could tell you that that stock should have never been put on that rifle, let alone have that rifle go out the door with a piece of junk like that on a rifle with the Ruger name on it. I tried the new stock out, and of course had the same results. I contacted Ruger customer service and they sent me a return label to send the gun back to them. A month later the rifle came back with the same warped stock and a copy of a so called test target that I could barely make out. It wasn't that great. The report I got with it basically said there was nothing wrong with it. Really? You talk about someone pissing down your back and trying to tell it's raining! I was mad! I called Ruger back to let them know how I felt. The guy I spoke to said they would send me a return label and I could send it back and they would make it right. I told them "Forget it!" I sold it. I bought a Marlin XL7 in 270 Win. Straight out of the box that rifle was a tack driver! Zero flyers! It would shoot 3 shot .5" groups all day long! I have owned Ruger firearms for over 50 years. Never have I seen them turn out a piece of crap like that. Really sad. I would never recommend anyone buying one of those American's. My friend has a older Savage Axis in .223 Just the standard one with the regular trigger. It came with the crappy Bushnell 3-9x40mm scope. I sold him a Mueller APV 4.5-14x40mm scope and Burris rings. Not the best scope, but better than what he had. Other than changing to a slightly better scope and rings he has done nothing to it. That rifle is so friggin accurate it is insane! One time we put some targets out to 300 yards. One of them was a small Hi C juice box filled with water. He was shooting prone with a bipod and said, "Watch this." 1 shot he drilled that juice box dead center at 300 yards! The rifle is not ammo picky either. Just about whatever you put in it it shoots like a laser beam! He has never had one single problem with it either since day one right out of the box. In fact he hardly shoots it because he finds it boring to shoot because it is so accurate. I'm not kidding. I would get the Savage any day of the week over that Ruger. No question.
@@belt1974123 I thought the gun sucked in every way. The magazine was cheap ass plastic. The action was really clunky and just felt like it was cobbled together as an after thought. I didn't want to put any more money into that piece of crap.
I have just seen this video. I bought my Savage 6.5 in 2019, with a 3x12 30ml bdc monarch scope (scope cost more than rifle) and accutrigger. The man who bore sighted did an amazing job. I have killed several nice bucks with this rifle. My first deer with this rifle was dropped in his track at 260 yds. My last buck, this past season, was killed at 450yds. I have made several long shot kills with this rifle and I absolutely love it. Prior to the savage, I shot a Remington 308. In my opinion, there is no other rifle.
I like the sound of the Ruger America when pulling out the bolt. It just sounds solid and substantial. May not be the best when near game....... But for the price, i love that rifle! Incredible accuracy(could be me :) )
I have shot several Ruger's over the years, I have owned just a couple. Not liked any of them until I bought the American Ranch in 5.56. I do like this rifle and I am thinking of buying another in a .308. The American is a good series it seems, it shoots accurately and that is about the most important thing in a rifle. Let me know if they make one that takes AR-10 mags. The 5.56 does take Ar-15 mags and I like that a lot.
I was about to say that then noticed this comment. I just got me a savage axis for my first hunting gun. I went and sighted it in yesterday and it took 2 shots after using a laser bore sighter.
Had a Savage model 10 urban tactical in 308 about 15 years ago. Shot average with the factory plastic stock but really came alive when I swapped it into a Choate Sniper Stock. Using reloads it was doing half moa groups with my reloads. Sadly sold it to get money for my honeymoon. Really miss that gun.
When you said about the separate trigger garde made the stock thin and flimsy. It really depends on the model of the gun. I own all savage and LOVE them I have an old 110 and a new axis and they both are awesome rifles. My axis is really accurate and my stock is super sturdy. But both the ruger and savage are good guns!
I have many Savages and all shoot dime size groups at 50 yd. I have some axis but like the 110 better, if you want good beading and a stiff stock, then go with the 110, I have the Savage 110 .223 varmint can't ask for a better rifle for the price or any thing close, For .22 I go with the Mark II have a TR and a FVT bough shoot dime size groups, bough are very well made rifles but I do like the stock on the TR fits me like a fine leather glove. For hunting the Axis are great, but for target I do like the feel of the 110 better but bough shoot great. I also lean towards heaver barrels and like the longer barrels as well, I have shot many brands of rifles over 62 years of shooting but now mostly just go to savage, unless I want leaver action. in which case I like marlin, have had a Henry but did not group good, no mater what I put in it. I do have a Ruger bolt action in 44 mag, great little rifle but not all that accurate, more than good enough for hunting but not the best for target shooting. I also do not under stand that he had a Axis with out a accutrigger have not seen a new one with out it. So how old is it and what updates have been done sense that one was sold? Every one I know and just about every video I have seen all love the accutrigger so why dose not like it. This video seems to be one sided,
I have 2 ruger americans and am planning on another. They are excellent budget rifles, with adjustable triggers and plenty of after market support. I most definitely recommend a ruger american rifle, and can wholeheartedly vouch for them
The $300+ Savage axis line are cheap enough to be a good entry level, 1st rifle for beginners who may or may not be serious about long range shooting or hunting. The $500+ Ruger American line are much better quality, higher accuracy , and suitable for pro level hunting at long distance. These two are not in the same league.
Both are good rifles (for the money). I have had a Savage heavy barrel Varmint rifle in the 22-250 and after getting it zeroed in, I put 9 shots in two holes at 100 yds. (the "flyer_ was about 1/8" away from the hole the other 8 rounds made. However, it was too heavy for this old man to deal with hunting. Overall, I have leaned toward Ruger firearms and own quite a few in both rifles and handguns. My primary deer rifle is the Ruger Gunsite Scout (.308). However, I have a Ruger American Ranch (7.62x39) as a "truck gun" and a Ruger Predator (22-250) for varmint hunting. Both give me 1" groups or less at 100 yds. and that's good enough for me.
Yeah the stock is gonna be cheap and they throw a cheap scope on the savage too, but the barrel and action is what I'm buying. But then again I'm a guy who can't leave a gun in it's stock configuration, if you're not gonna put anything into it then buy the ruger.
On the New Rugers they no longer use the rotary magazine on some calibers and many are using the Multi-caliber .308 magazine for the short action which now uses a leaf spring.
If I were you I'd bed the forearm of my stock with glass epoxy if I wanted to make the stock more ridgid, yeah it adds a little more weight to your rifle but honestly it's well worth the additional weight to have a ridgid stock that can be used to load up a bipod without losing the benefits of a free floated barrel, if you want to keep the rifle well balanced so it carries well that's easy to accomplish, set a pivot of some kind underneath the rifle where you want the center of gravity to be a board or anything high enough to allow the rifle to tilt in either direction will work fine, then using your trigger scale pull down on the shoulder stock to see how much weight you need to put in the hollow stock to balance the rifle, lead stick on wheel weights are cheap and readily available at almost every garage that sells or balance tires, stick on wheel weights work best because they already have adhesive on the weights and they don't take up much space inside the stock if you want to use that hollow area to store some first aid items or survival gear matches etc.
I kind of agree a little about the Ruger being built better but i love my Savage 300 blackout and most of my rifles are Savage.My 300 blackout holds 5 rounds in the clip and soon im going to buy a adapter to make 10rd clips to work in it.My Savage 110 450 ranch rifle was already equipped to hold a 10 round clip.Before i started collecting rifles i was a Ruger man but all that changed when i bought a Savage.
Damn man . . . what the hell do you want? The mag to insert itself? From here it didn't look like you had any trouble inserting that mag. Personally I think that you're brand biased. Not a problem but that's what it looks like to me. Have a nice day!
Savage 110e if you can find, had one in 22-250, it was a death Ray on ground hogs, way the hell out there, Ruger American is a damn good rifle, New Savages? Don’t know, I’d get a 110 model,still in production it is Best-Regards👍🏻
Alright, I have gotten my Savage Axis .270 sighted in and have had some time to compare it to my Ruger American .308. Both guns are awesome for the price point they are built for and I absolutely love the .270 & .308 calibers. However, I will agree 100% with your video though, the Ruger American is hands down the better gun in my opinion. From the feel of the stock, to the trigger squeeze, I would take the Ruger everyday. I absolutely do not like how much effort the Savage magazine takes to install and remove. The issue my Ruger is having though is the magazine spring not pushing the rounds up high enough to catch the bolt at times. I do not leave ammo in my magazines when not in use. Both guns are smooth shooting though and I have zero regrets. My next long rifle will be either a 25-06 or 6.5 creedmoor and it will be a Ruger American too, unless the Savage just happens to be on sale.
OK, first off it should be noted that your "opinions" are subjective and you didn't even talk about how they shoot. I own both and as you noted they are a huge value and IMHO you can't go wrong with either and I would include the T/C Compass along with the other two. That being said my Axis is a 270 and my American is a 308. IMHO the bolt is much smoother in my Axis, I feel it feeds better and the trigger in the Axis feels slightly heavier but mine breaks like glass, extremely clean. What do I like best, I bought my Axis for $125 with the Bushnell scope from a guy that didn't even know how to clean it properly. Covered with white scratches on the barrel and action and blemishes on the stock all was made right with a good clean up and and a little creative buffing work, it looks new now but more importantly it shoots lights out even with that scope bettering the Ruger easily and I like Rugers a lot. It now wears a 3x9 Vortex and handily outshoots the Ruger at will with the original barrel in 270. I can change out and headspace a different barrel on the Axis in 30 min swapping it out to a 6.5 Creedmoor and with the long action I can really seat the longer bullets out there and add powder. I can recommend both rifles and I believe you would be well served with either and frankly I was very surprised by the Savage but my son has a T/C Compass in 30/06 that is right there with them also. Nowadays It seems like a crapshoot when you buy a rifle at the sub $500 mark, I would suggest buying used if you can find something you like and working with it, you just never know.
@@Bobsansoucie True enough, my American in 308 is a 1 moa rifle. Years ago you would have to spend a thousand dollars + in 20th century money to obtain a rifle like that. 2 moa+ was the norm.
@@RolandtheThompsonGunner I have 4 of them. A standard Axis, an Axis II, a 110 Hunter and a 12FV and have never had any rusting issues. I believe most rust problems come from lack of maintenance. The 110 Hunter was the only one I bought new, all the others were used because ," they wouldn't shoot". The problem was "they had never been cleaned" and even those with the lack of cleaning and all didn't have any rust. I believe there might have been a number of rifles 10 years ago that got out with a sub standard finish and that's where those rumors got out but I've never seen one and between myself and my son we have 9 Savage rifles without any rust. A wipe down with a little CLP or Ballistol never hurt anything and BTW, those rifles shoot better than my Remington's and Tikka's. All moa or better with the 12FV in 6.5 Creedmoor posting 5 shot 3/8" groups leaving just a ragged hole at 100 yards with my 123gr handloads Tupperware stock and all.
I don’t like the stocks on either. The composite stock on the Mini-14 is very stiff. Putting stocks with flex on a precision rifle priced at $400-$500 just doesn’t seem like a great game plan. The old Savages came with wooden stocks that were tanks. Heavy but I’d prefer that set up. Having to put an aftermarket stock on a new gun is beat.
I enjoyed this video as I own th Roger American in 30-06 and the axis in 308. Good to see someone else's take on the differences and similarities between them.
Have you tried or compared the Mossberg Patriot budget rifle yet? I would be interested to see what you think about the Patriot- in any caliber (but especially the 350 Legend)!🤔🤓
Took care of Savage stock flex by drilling holes in forend webbing , leveled stock, and filled forend with ROCKITE to within 1/16" of webbing height, then bedded action/chamber areas. ROCK SOLID.
More options available on AXIS II, trigger is better, bolt action is better, machining is better, and med hvy barrel can be had. Ruger has a better stock, greater mag (AR Style) capacity/compatibility, bolt handle is tiny and bolt is rough and noisy, it shoots more ammo better (not as picky), out of the box ready and rugged as all hell, it's my truck rifle. I own the Axis II .223 (plinker) and RAR .223/5.56, both 2022 versions, both shoot sub MOA, both have less than 10 oz trigger pull, savage had stock shaved to keep free float and I raised the front action 1/16th of an inch. Added O $ to RAR, (pull spring from a ballpoint pen) added $78 (tax/ship) to the Savage (bolt handle $42, bolt lift bearing/washer, and trigger spring $26.95). The Axis is slightly more accurate @ 300-500 yards due to 22" med bull barrel, we are talking .5-1 MOA difference only with wind above 3.5 mph. At this point, the stock sucks on the Savage and the action sucks on the Ruger. Prefered shooting pleasure goes to Axis II, and durability plus utility (.223/5.56) the RAR hands down. Both are 1:8 twist barrels and they love 62/68/77 gr pills with boat tails. In fact I can place a 62-68-77 gr pill of prefered ammo in the rifles, shooting one after the other and still be MOA or a hair over at a 100 yards. They both are impressive shooters in their on right for sub $500 rifles. I bought them because Creedmoor, 22-250 and .308 ammo is to exspensive, I don't regret buying them one darn bit, best rifle purchase for the $ ever, Savage TAC is a strong 6.5 competitor (.5 MOA rifle, but action sucks). All of the shoot better than my Bergara's, but they are smooth. See Ya!
@@oldjarhead386 savage uses button rifled barrels. Most of their guns are 1moa or better out of the box. Savage 110s are some of the most accurate bolt guns for under a grand
@@jonquirk9582 Ruger uses faster rifling on the americans, allowing more variety of bullet weights. Check out accuracy tests and see the difference. Overall, Ruger has better accuracy.
@@noone3189 they may be chf. But the savage has better accuracy depending on caliber. Specifically in 350L. With federal non typicals, the savage can put 4 shots in 1 hole at 150 yards. I've never seen the Ruger pull that off. The floating bolt in the savage helps as well, the Ruger doesn't have a floating bolt head that i am aware of
@@jonquirk9582 in 350L, there are a couple same hole groups from "not the best shot" youtubers. I think it shows the 350L has the perfect twist to weight design. I've found Savage doesn't keep up the quality under the stocks. Cheap screws, and lack of locktite, yet in trade, you can get a 1/4 moa barrel if lucky. I've resold savages with 1/4 groups, due to too much "slop" elsewhere, like feed & mag issues. The American bolt design is similar to high power bolt guns, like Barret. The bolt is a prime example of Ruger's nature to overbuild.
Only reason I got savage axis was because it was 308 caliber and got mine on clearance (old design) for well under 2 bills then found out it had rebate. I kinda wish I had gotten ruger american but could beat price.
Great review, but did I miss it when you commented on the accuracy of the two. It looked like the savage outshot the ruger. Accuracy is more important than bells and whistles.
I have an axis ii and a ruger american in different calibers and love them both. It would be hard for me to say which one I think is better. Great video.
I own both. Ruger - 6.5 Creedmoor, Savage - 350 Legend. I haven't done this sit-down, side by side comparison so my impressions are just from shooting and handling. After trying the Ruger, there is no excuse for the Savage bolt release. Ruger - easy, Savage - a pain. I like the Savage magazine just a leetle bit more than the Ruger, just a little. Both are OK. I think the Savage fore end is a bit more rigid than the Ruger. I have the compact version of the Axis, so that may make a difference. Ruger trigger good, Axis (not Axis II) trigger barely tolerable (M*Carbo kit on the way). The scope mounting rail on the Ruger is superior to the Savage mount, more versatile. They both shoot, boy, do they shoot. Every negative related to cost saving is forgiven once I start shooting. Your mileage may vary. Mine are accurate.
Great review and comparison between these two rifles, thanks! I noticed you mention that the mag of the Axis only holds 3 yet Savage says that it holds 4 rounds. This also holds true for both of my Axis II rifles, one chambered in 22-250 and the other in 6.5 CM. Just wondering if your magazine has a defect not allowing the 4th round?
Savage is lovers now. I have 12 rifle 3 Ruger American and 9 savage axis. I was tested all 12. I’m sure Savage a lot of better grove trigger is get 2,5 lbs trigger guard can replace if it is damaged.
Excellent review of these two rifles! I’ve had 2 Americans and 4-5 Axis’ all purchased over 4 years ago...I found my axis bolts to be a bit stickier than you did. Do you know if they have improved that in the last few years?
No, I just bought an axis II and first thing bolt a bolt lift lightening kit and a glades armory bolt handle. This overcomes the difficulty with bolt lift and gives better control. I've never had a gun where the bolt was as hard to lift. I can do it every time but it's ridiculous. I love the glades armory bolt handle on the TC venture so I have high hopes for improvement. The trigger on the axis II is very nice with good feel and almost no creep.
For me ,I guess I'm savage all the way have had several different calibers and they have all done good and can't beat the price ,give 349 for gun and scope combo,if your own a. budget like me it's a quick choice
Interesting comparison. My first rifle was a used axis .308, it doesnt feel awful but not great either. Wanting something more "quality" and debating either the Ruger precision or modifying a predator
Should have compared to the Axis II and got the same trigger style. I bought the Axis II and my brother bought the Ruger American, we bot agree the Ruger is worse in every way. The bolt is way more rough feeling and so is the trigger. They were both accurate but the Axis II was hands down better in the action and trigger.
100% agree I have the savage axis ii xp in 350 legend with the heavy barrel. I’ve shot the Ruger Americans they aren’t bad but Savage takes the win for me for sure
I have an American Ranch in 300 BO - but bought the rotary mag and gun insert to when carrying on the back, it's flush. With the Legend, that can't be done as there is no rotary mag and the AR will continually stab you in the back when carrying on your back with a sling.
I have shot many of both rifles , the first thing I will tell anyone is ,,yes I like both rifles , yes they are very accurate,,but I could not get used to the rugers 70 degree bolt ,,maybe if I used one through a couple of years I would get used to it but I have many bolt guns and none of them have that type of bolt throw ,, I bought all savage rifles, as of lately.
It would have been fairer to use an Axis II in your comparison. The mags on the Ruger are more apt to break because of the plastic. I have seen that in RU-vid videos. I have considered the Ruger's when looking at rifles that I have many of but have ended up with Axis and Axis II rifles instead. The triggers even on a standard Axis can be made to be much better with trigger kits or mods that you don't suggest. Which is good on your part. But I have no problem taking my trigger pulls down real light on my Axis II's. and fairly light with the plain axis as well. I have had no issues with what I have done but most certainly would not suggest anyone else do it. I don't put my finger anywhere near the trigger until I am on target. Thanks for your video but your bias did seem to run through the entire video. I had some Ruger 77's and they had fine quality, but I sold them both when I found they just were not a well-designed rifle for accuracy. I bought cheap rifles and modified them to do better, and they were Savage Axis and Savage Axis II rifles. For what one saves in price difference in a Savage vs Ruger it would pay half the price of a new Boyds custom stock.
I have an old .308 Savage 110 (Circa ‘91). It has a wood stock and has held up well. I can shoot it sub MOA. The bolt looks the same. I would not trade the old one for the new one.
Heck I have a Browning X-Bolt with slack in the safety. The difference I noticed is in the "click" from on to off. Maybe intentional? Idk? It's a left handed bolt and my first bolt action rifle and it's a tack driver. I love my gun. My boys are coming of age to shoot a rifle and both are right handed so a little easier and cheaper to find a gun for. I'm leaning towards the Ruger for a first gun for them.
The ONLY thing I do not like about Ruger American is that the bolt can open while safety is on. Which sucks when you hunt a spot and stock state and jump a nice buck or bull elk and your bolt is wide open because the handle hooked your backpack.
I don’t own any Savage rifles so I can’t speak about them. I do have two Ruger Americans, an American Predator in 308 and an American standard rifle in 308. Both are awesome guns that my son and I use for deer hunting. They both make the “zipper” sound when you cycle the bolt but so what. They work great! I paid $440 for each of them and slapped a $90 Bushnell Dusk & Dawn 3-9 scope and a $20 sling on them. With a total investment of $550 per gun, They’re more than adequate for taking deer here in NH. I highly recommend them. For more info watch Who Tee Who’s videos on them. The only concern I have with the Rugers is the plastic rotary mags are very light and feel cheap. That being said, they work great with no problems so far. I think the newer Americans come with box style mags anyway.
I cut off 3 full coils off the rear spring my savage axis adjustable trigger. Definitely increased my accuracy when your working with 2sec window to pull the trigger. And yes I recommend cutting coils and yes I kill over 100 yotes a year.
Thank you very much for this video. I've been shopping for a hunting rifle. Your video was tons of help. After watching yours and some others videos online. I'm probably gonna go with Ruger Because of there. quality and there's sturdiness. Thank you very much for your You're awesome videos.
This guy from the beginning is bias towards savage. He’s a ruger rifle guy. I’ve seen, tried, and played with both, and I gotta say, personally I like the savage, but with that said, if I had to pick a .308 I’d actually buy from 3 to 1, 1 being my first choice, I’d pick ruger scout rifle, savage axis II, and first and best in my opinion is the mossberg mvp .308 patrol rifle. But the howa .308 with the scope from big 5 is not a bad rifle either for beginners also. Fwi, all these rifles I’ve talked about the barrel length is usually about 22” except for the mossberg mvp patrol rifle is 18.5” which is the best in my opinion as a brush, gun and it’s accurate as shit assuming you get a good scope for it to get the job done for whatever it is you need it for.
Nothing wrong with either rifle! Neither one is a high dollar rifle meant for past 400 yard accuracy! Some of these newer rifles for deer hunting are hard pressed passed 300 yard accuracy! Hit and miss if ya get a good one that’s consistent! The review was pretty specific in comparison but rather nit picky with a few items that’s probably just preference oriented! I’ve had both guns in the past and both performed within there limits!
