Savage Target and Varmint rifles

The rifles in these category occupy a niche between the single shot competition rifles and practical (hunting or law enforcement) rifles.

Take me to...

• 12FV
• 12FCV
• 12FVSS
• 12BVSS
• AXIS Heavy Barrel

12 FV

Savage 12FV is a near-identical copy of classic law enforcement hit Savage 10fp base model, which is no longer in production. The only differences are the length of the barrel (26" vs 24" on Savage 10fp), the absence of the second sling stud that is typically used for mounting bipod, and the jeweled bolt body.

In the pictures below, Savage 12fv is at the top, followed by Savage 10fp and 10fp-sr.

Continuing with the tradition set by 10fp, 12fv combines extreme accuracy with affordability.

This rifle is available is currently only available in 204 Ruger.

12 FCV

Savage 12 FCV improves on 12fv by adding AccuStock and 4 round box magazine assembly. AccuStock has an aluminum bedding block which is embedded in the stock. The receiver screws into the this bedding block very tightly - metal on metal, - which eliminates the need for bedding.

We only have these rifles in 223 Remington.

Please see details on Savage's web site

12 FVSS

Savage 12 FVSS is very similar to 12 FV except it is made of stainless steel. The barrel length is 26" and the twist is 1:12.

We have it only in 22-250, and the rifle is no longer available from Savage, so when it's gone, it's gone.

12 BVSS

12 BVSS combines beautiful wood stock and durable stainless action with Savage Varminter series legendary accuracy. It is the top repeater rifle in the series.

Full details are on Savage web site.

308

223

22-250

Savage AXIS Heavy Barrel

This is an interesting cross between a target and a hunting rifle. Savage barrels are famously excellent, and even regular AXIS barrels are usually capable of producing sub-MOA 4-shot groups. The problem with the light, thin barrel of a regular AXIS is that it heats quickly, and so producing tight 5 shot groups is typically very, very hard. The barrel bends due to thermal expansion and the target starts to wander.

This is pretty typical for the hunting rifles, which need to be light and only need to place the first 1 or 2 shots on target.

Well, it is quite possible that the heavy barrel AXIS experiment, new from Savage, will bridge the target and the hunting world by producting a rifle which is light enough to be used for hunting, yet accurate enough for some range practice. The triggers on them are actually pretty decent as well - relatively light, and really crisp.

The barrel adds 1.5lb to the weight, which is still very much within the comfortable range for lugging the rifle around.

Please read our field report here.

At the moment, we them on hand in 308. Coupled with Savage's $50 rebate, they are really a fantastic deal!