Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires No Savage MKII love here?

Well, I was thinking the other day that I wanted to go out and buy a Tikka T1x 20" barrel rifle and start playing around with a bolt action, since I've been enjoying my 10/22's a lot lately. But then I rethought that and decided to throw a scope on one of my many target rifles that I have not been shooting much lately.

I decided to put the spare AR 7.62 4.5-14x42 Burris rifle scope on it and take it to the range. I also drug my new 10/22 clone along for the ride. Wanted to do some more testing with that rifle.

The savage MKII FVT looks kind of funny with this big scope on it. It's the same scope I run on my Kidd barreled 10/22, and many other rifles. Bolt action centerfire's and of course AR's.



I figure I am going to leave this rifle in the original stock. My other Savage target rifle wears a Boyds stock, and it looks great and shoots great. But for some reason I have always just wanted to leave this one in the factory plastic stock.

Yesterday was a great day to do some accuracy testing in both rifles I brought. I was actually very happy that I found a rifle that actually likes CCI standard velocity target ammo. I can buy that stuff at Walmart for a pretty good price.

So, to start off, I had to dial in the scope. Get somewhat zeroed. I used el cheapo Federal Automatch to get that job done in a hurry:


Since we know rimfires can be picky, I tried a few different brands and types of ammo. Started off with Federal gold medal match that was made in 1992. I've had great luck with this ammo. My 10/22 favors this ammo, but it didn't do all to great in the Savage:


Next up was the Eley Club Xtra:


Then the CCI standard velocity "target" ammo:

That is the ammo that really surprised me, and I believe I'll be buying more of it in the near future.

Of course, being a cheap azz, I had to try some of my favorite cheap ammo. The American Eagle 38gr hollow point:


That's good enough to almost burn out the x-ring, but not quite.

The new rifle was doing pretty good too, even though the sun was being annoying!!!



I know, I should have adjusted the scope to the left a hair. Dangit!!

I think Jim in Idaho has one of these Savage mkII's, but I don't know if any of you other rimfire guys like them. In my experience, they seem to shoot and function well.

I think watching this video the other day, got me interested in shooting my MKII again:


In this video, he's starting to smack talk about factory set ups. His rifle is showing that it needs some bedding work. He's getting major POI shift. If he knew how to correct that, it would probably be a pretty damn good shooting rifle.

Any of you guys like these Savage MKII's as much as I do? Lets see some pics and let me know how they shoot. Maybe what ammo they prefer. Thanks!!

Nice shooting. If you ever get bored with the pistol targets you can get some 50 Meter ISSF targets. That's what my buddy who shoots smallbore F class tells me they use at 50 yards. The inner 10 ring (X) is 5mm and 10 ring 10.4 mm.

Savage makes some very accurate barrels.

I have two Mk II's. Neither as accurate as yours.

However, the oldest one I have is actually a Lakefield. (Pre-savage). One of the first year guns and has seen a lot of use. I have shot it so much over the years that I finally shortened and recrowned the barrel and made an integral suppressor for it.

The other is one of the Mk2 FVSR's. While not as accurate as yours, it's taken several squirrels by headshots. Which is plenty of practical accuracy for me.

Thanks Mike. I just used those because the x ring is close to 1/2", and the pistol targets are easy to find locally. Besides, my club uses targets that are similar in our rimfire shoots. I generally just train how I will be shooting in competition. Doesn't make much sense to do something different. The pictures are also just a representation of how the rifle shoots. It was not a competition. However, with that being said, I have shot some targets that Bearcat74 said he uses in some of his competitions. That was a while back, and I used my 10/22:


Those are fun targets to shoot at.


Your old rifle sounds cool. I think if I ran across a real old one in good condition for cheap, I'd buy it. Those FVSR's are also pretty nice. Very similar to my FVT, but with a shorter barrel.

I have one. It's ok. Every other Rimfire I've had has been more accurate right away. My last Rimfire was a CZ 17hmr that was more accurate at 100 than this mark 2 is at 50, so far. I assume I will find the perfect ammo and get good results.

Hopefully. Sometimes these rifles need a little bedding work too. Once the action is secure in the stock, and not being stressed when you tighten the action screw, accuracy will settle right in there. I've seen some really bad, where when you pull the trigger, you can see the barreled action moving in the stock. Then guys wonder why they don't shoot well. They don't need pillars, they just need epoxy in the right spots. A little clip of the trigger spring also helps with trigger pull on these as well.

You might be talking beyond the limit of my aptitude or desire.

The Walmarts in my area has the Savage bolt action 22 w/bull barrel and green laminated stock. Very nice looking gun

I've seen those here too. Not a bad looking rifle. I was hoping to get some reports on some of those in particular and how they shoot. I believe kandpand bought one similar to those. Maybe he will chime in?? The one I saw recently at Walmart has an At One stock. Those are actually pretty comfortable stocks and very adjustable.

I've got one Savage mark II , shoots very well with the ammo I've tried. Scope is an older Swift fine crosshair 6-18 . Pretty much a dedicated plinking 22 / squirrel rifle. Does pretty good with Federal automatch ( my go to cheap bulk ammo ) and will do dime size groups at 75 yards with Cci mini mag hp. Really haven't tried anything else in it.

I'm not sure mine would do dime sized groups at 7.5 yards with MiniMags. It's not been great and it really hates MiniMags.

I've had my MKII for years and years. I restocked it but it's been a great rifle.

My only complaint is the 10 round magazine hanging down, right where I want to hold and balance the rifle when shooting offhand.

I got a couple more 5 rounders so it's a 1st world problem..
I bought the stock from Sharp Shooter Supply and took a couple pounds off with a sander to get it to a shape I like.

I have 3 Mark IIs in 17HM2, 2 in the BVSS format and 1 in the FV format. They are accurate enough, but I prefer the comparable Marlin 800/900/XT series 'cause the stocks fit me better. I like the 5-round magazines of the Savage better than the 7-round magazines of the Marlins, but the better, for me, stock fit trumps the annoyance of the 7-round magazine extending well below the bottom of the stock on the Marlins. Marlin has 2 magazine options for the 17HMR/22MAG, a 4-round and a 7-round, but only offer a 7-round option for the 17HM2/22LR rifles.

I look forward to seeing pics. I've contemplated changing out the stock on mine. A Boyds pro varmint is only $181.00, and looks very nice. However, I don't know if I want to invest any money into this one and just keep it in sleeper stock form... This stock works very well for the factory target sights too.

However, I do like my Boyds stock on my Savage MK1 single shot:


Just trying to weigh out my options right now..

I have the TR. Proly 50 rounds through it so far.
It liked Fiocchi HV, or course i dont have any more.

The Boyds stock is a POS, like everything Boyds.
The black pebble finish is thin and came off in a couple spots.
The forend is not symmetrical in contour so d icks w bipod usage kinda sorta.

Havent even thought of bedding yet.

Accutrigger I dont like. The factory triggerguard swapped.out for a DIP model and am using EGW base n rings.

Its also a clunky and ugly rifle.
After deer season mess w it a little.
Bought to maybe try NRL in the cheap class but my knee issues are proly gonna kill any thought of shooting weird obstacles.

Shop had a Savage in an At One

I think they look horrible, and feel even worse.

Some guys really like that At One stock. I never really cared for the looks. My most recent purchase has a thumb hole At One, and it's wearing on me. I still don't like some features, like the sharp edges on the bottom, and it looks fat. ha ha.. That is a 10/22 clone though, and it shoots well, so I don't think I'll change it. Or maybe I'll get out the belt sander and files and go to town over the winter. Reshape it, get rid of the sharp edges, and thin it down a bit???? Always options my friend.

Sorry to hear your TR is not working out. I really like the looks of that stock. Maybe it can be re-painted? If I decide to buy a stock like that, I'll keep that in mind and maybe give it a few coats of clear coat, to keep it from chipping..

Ill just spray bomb and clear coat mine. Easy fix.
But it shouldnt need fixed IMHO.
See if i reshape the bottom of the forend first.

Maybe Im too picky.
Just not a Savage fan

Like my CZ457 sporter way more.

Wondering why you would not use the CZ for the NRL matches?

I have had several MKll Savage rifles, and none of them disappointed me in any way. I left them bone stock. They were accurate, but not that accurate.

I have one. It shoots subsonics well. Stock flexes, magazines come apart sometimes and the trigger is bad. I upgraded to a CZ American and enjoy it much more. I use the MK2 for a yard varmint gun in town and single load CB caps shorts. Have killed a pile of squirrels with it and a.few ground hogs an armadillo or two in the yard.

I did purchase one of the Walmart rifles in the green stock but I did not keep it. I sold it locally to someone that wanted more than I did.

Well that sucks. Was there an issue with the rifle? Did you even get to shoot it to see how it did? I saw one down at my local Walmart the other day. Like I said, I was never a huge AT One stock guy, but the one I recently bought kind of stood out at me when it was at the gunshop. They had it on display on the counter, and I started adding up parts in my head and the sum of the parts equaled way more than the total cost. Talking my 10/22 clone with the stainless receiver, not Savage MKII now. Anyway, if you shot it, what were the results?

I'm kind of old school in a way. I don't mind the steel mags that the Savage MkII uses. They have been making similar mags for Winchester model 52's and old Mossbergs, and Remingtons for ever. Never really had an issue with them and rifles tend to feed well using them. Especially my old Winchester model 52. If you think about it, though, that type of magazine has been in use for nearly 100 years now. It's simple, but it works.

In creating this thread, my intent was not to say the Savage MKII is the best by any means. It's just a plain jane rifle that generally works quite well. I realize it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but of the ones I've had, they simply shoot and they shoot well. I love cheap rifles that shoot well, and function reliably. This one does both. It also shoots cheap ammo very well, that should be a bonus to anyone that owns a 22lr. I know that is something I search for, when looking for 22lr's of any manufacture. I love my 10/22's that like chap ammo too. You shouldn't have to pay $20/box of 50 for 22lr in order for your rifle to send it downrange in a nice little cluster either. Something this rifle has proven on multiple range sessions.

I did not get to shoot the rifle and there were not any specific problems with it. My local Walmart has one now and I have come very close to buying it but my wife is battling cancer and I am her caregiver. No opportunity for range trips right now.

I'm very sorry about your wife and the entire situation for everyone.

After watching "Day at the range" with his Savage, I have been thinking of getting one just to play with, but wanted the one with the thumbhole stock. I have not seen one at any of my local stores.
Looks like yours is shooting very well.

bsa1917hunter;
Top of the morning to you sir, I hope the weekend behaved and you're all well.

Thanks for sharing the progress with the Savage, it's good to see they're still making a decent product out there in Ontario.

If you or anyone out there is interested in the lineage of the current Savage rimfire line, the MkII started being made by a company in Lakefield, Ontario who'd purchased all of the machinery from Cooey, who in turn had been making firearms since 1919.

Here's a link to the Cooey history if anyone is so inclined.

https://calibremag.ca/cooey-canadas-gunmaker/

Ian at Forgotten Weapons also has a video on Cooey arms.



In 1968 when Lakefield Arms set up with a couple new .22 rifle designs and the Mk II was one of them.

My late father bought this for me used in 1972 as best as I can recall, but since it's mine, it's far from original however with the barrel shortened, the banded front sight was added, the stock modified, the action and trigger slicked up and like most of the rimfires in the safe, it's epoxy bedded.



A good friend of mine was looking it over a couple years back and said more or less, "It's good these things can't talk isn't it? Or they'd land us in a lot of trouble!"...

It's shot a whole lot of stuff that needed shooting over the years, both as a kid on the Saskatchewan farm and now on our rural BC property.

As far as accuracy, when I wasn't running a post reticle on it - which is the preferred "coyote moving in the brush" one, I was able to head shoot the 3 varieties of grouse out here out to 50-60yds without issue.

The trigger on the older ones like mine is what it is being a direct pull, but they'll shoot surprisingly well for what they are which was an entry level farm rifle more or less.

Thanks again for the thread and Merry Christmas to you and the rest of the rimfire enthusiasts here.

Dwayne

Its too windy to do any shootin today.
Next good day I'll drag my POS Savage out and try some SK standard plus.
Bought it new, slapped an EGW base and rings on it.
DIP trigger guard and 6-18X Leupold Freedom.

Like my CZ457 sporter but its a magnum.

Thought about a 1710 Anschutz, just to have.
But I really don't hunt anything w .22 lr anymore.

If any family members want to shoot, a heavy bench rig should help em.
So the Savage proly OK.

Its just an ugly rifle.

Thanks for the post Dwayne. That is very informative. I appreciate it. I like to hear about the history of firearms. Your rifle is pretty cool. Looks great.

Here's a guy that probably lives in your neck of the woods. He is a hell of a shooter. The Savage mkII he has, unfortunately has some bore issues. He's had to lead lap it quite a bit to polish it out, but it still doesn't look great. The rifle shoots decent for what it is. Take a look:




The new stock looks pretty good. I like it better than the AT One that has been discussed here. Don seems to really like this rifle, even though it is still not shooting like I know it could if it had a better barrel on it.

I hope you have a great holidays and happy new year buddy!!!

Thanks pullit. This rifle is kind of a funny rifle. Since I take pictures of my rifles and how they shoot, because it's great for record keeping, I realized some time back that every time I took this one out, it rained. It never failed. Now in the rain forest of Washington, it was not unusual, but here in Nevada, I thought it was weird... Here's a little more history on this one, as far as how it shoots.

First range trip:




Next time out:


Then the beginning of this year. It really loves Wolf match extra ammo:


Eley match gold:


SK Match Gold:

Even with irons this rifle performs well.... and in crappy weather!!!



Probably the best group it's shot with irons:


It's been a great rifle, right from the start. The funny thing is, I was thinking about buying a fancy CZ, or Tikka T1x. Crazy huh?? I like this one, because it's a sleeper.

I'm not a Savage fan, but picked up a used FV-SR just because it was cheap. The stock is flimsy and the trigger sucks, but it's extremely accurate. I was pleasantly surprised and decided to hang onto it for a truck gun.

I agree, the stocks are pretty flimsy, but that is a $200.00 rifle. I believe the stock on my rifle is the same exact one they use on the FV SR, but it is an open sight rifle, where that stock isn't too bad. Just really cheap feeling. There's some advantages to this, like being able to get into an iron sight 22lr for cheap. You can really pull it out of the box, loctite a few things and go right out and be half way competitive with it. It's one of the very few 22lr's that offer good iron sights. I'm talking about the FVT model I have. It's weird that they offer that same stock on the FV SR, because that model is going to be used with a scope, and the comb is way too low for that type of thing. I think if I were really looking for a Savage MKII 22lr that I could shoot off the bench comfortably and use a scope, it would be the one Hookeye was talking about. That one has the Boyds pro varmint stock. That's really a $180+ upgrade, and would be worth it to me.

Well, I put my Savage MKII FVT back to how it came from the factory. No more scope on that one. It's just going to be an iron sight shooter now. It's a pretty cool little rifle set up that way, anyhow.