Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Who'd Buy or Promote a better Savage 24 or other combo?

hi drducati,

Very expensive that Merkel combo, even with scope we can get for much less in France, even if normally we are more in high prices country for firearms. May be it was specially engraved or had optional fancy wood?

This B4 Merkel is available in 12 or 20gauge not 28 at the moment. Barrels are 24in long. The regulation was good for me with good shot pattern a 30meters and perfect accuracy with rifled barrel.
Using french sabot slug fin stabilised Sauvestre 12/70ga, i was able to put one slug at 50m in the group of three 9,3x74R shot at a hundred. Perfect for big game hunting.
But as akjeff wrote i prefer drilling, i am more big game oriented than small game so i choose an Express drilling Merkel 961 with french trigger version, first one fire the 2 upper barrels, second the shot barrel. Calibers 2x9,3x74r 1x20/76ga. Use Aimpoint micro H1 for battue and can mount a scope for longer range shooting, zeroed with the first barrel to 150m. In that case the 961 is more a 1 shot rifle for standing animals.
Bit expensive but very polyvalent, very good when you travel by car, boat or plane. Can hunt 95% of all game in the world, theorically...
Regards
Dom

Hi Mule Deer,

After reading all posts about the Savage 24 i spoke with a french friend who told me he knows what seems to be a Savage 20ga/30-30Winch. Does this model exist or my friend made mistake? Could be for sale, what's price can get for such combo in the US? May be will try to deal it.
Many thanks for your help
Dominique

Dominique,
Savage made the older 24V in 30-30 over 20 gauge for quite a number of years prior to going into receivership in 1988. They were wood stocked and the deluxe models were very nice looking guns. I have 6 of them, 2 are 1973 vintage and 1 1980 vintage, all 3 are unfired, NIB, and I have the original boxes also. When Savage went back into production of the 24 after coming out of receivership, they produced the 24F(with tupperware stock), I know the 24F was produced in 30-30 over 12, don't know if it was made in 30-30 over 20.

Prices vary widely, depending on geographic location and condition here, I've seen them go for anywhere from $250 to $550.

Marseille,

Wink pretty much covered it. My wife had a 20/.30-30 for a while, I believe purchased for $250 or so. But then she bought a much niver German combo gun in 16x9.3x72R and sold the Savage.

If you are thinking about buying a used Savage 24V in 30-30 over 20 Gauge, try to shoot a box of cartridges through it before you buy it, as 24Vs can be pretty inconsistent shooters.

I've probably owned 20+ CF 24s over the years, mostly chambered in 222/20 and 223/20, but a few 30-30/20s, 22Hornet/20s, and 357Mag/20s. About 1/2 of them would shoot close to the POA, but the other 1/2 were liable to produce a POI somewhere within 6" of the POA, but not reliably to the same point within that 6" circle. IOW, you might get a 2" shooter or you might get a 6" shooter and since the barrels don't have any provision for being regulated, there isn't anything that you can do to fix a 6" shooter.

As is often the case, I'm sure that somebody out there has owned Savage 24s that shoot better groups than Remington 40Xs and will tell you that I am full of beans. Match grade accuracy combined with Savage 24s has not been my experience, so I will add the caveat that, as with many things, YMMV.

Jeff

I'd say you're spot on Jeff and anybody that contradicts it either has been smoking to much of the weed, or never shot a Savage 24. Barrel regulation isn't one of the 24s stronger points, neither is the trigger, but definitely huntable grade accuracy within reasonable distances.

I find it to be a rare 24 that shoots both it's barrels to the same point of impact. I solve the problem with see thru scope mounts, using the scope for the rifle barrel, and irons for the slug or shot pattern. Much as I dislike see thru mounts, I find them necessary on a 24.

I thank you all a lot for your answers, if i can take it for 250 to 300 euros will be for my 14 years old daughter. And i take note for accuracy and regulation possible problems; will try it before!

When you look at this Savage 24, be sure to check the roll stamp on the barrel to insure that it reads "Savage 24V, Series ?". The successor to the 24V was the 24F, matte finished with synthetic stock/forearm, with a cross-bolt safety. The 24V is more nicely finished than is the 24F. The only built-in flaw in the pre-24F series 24s is that the stock bolt can be over-tightened and the stress will cause cracks/splits where the wood stock attaches to the receiver/frame.

Good luck!

Jeff

I bought a used one from Mule Deer (.22lr/20ga) as the price was right and I had been re-reading the chapter in "The Old Man and the Boy" where they shut down the school because everyone was sick except for him and he went hunting for a mixed bag every day. I sighted in the .22 barrel and patterned the 20, but haven't drawn blood with it. I kept it in my pickup while I was cutting wood at my parents place, but that was the extent of it. If I was going to pay new gun prices for one, I'd probably spend the extra money and get a drilling.

Thanks again Jeff!

I've had a fairly hard time finding combo guns and the European iterations are dreadfully expensive for a full-time cop with three teen-agers. Have to keep my eye open for a clean 24V, I reckon.

Unless, ahem, Savage is ready to make things right again!

In Virginia there is a fall turkey season that comes in for the last month or so of deer season. Several of my friends have bought baikal combo guns and use them to great effect. Those things aren't very pretty but they shoot straight. Too heavy for me and I don't care for the double trigger. I'm waiting for the right combo gun to come my way. A good looking, well regulated 20ga over 30-30 that would take a micro red dot would be perfect.

I been thinking about a Drilling for some time now. A 7x57R x 7x 57R x 16 or 20 ga would make this old White tail hunter a happy camper. But to get to that end one needs to be able to pay the price for something that useful. It would be nice if Ruger did a version of the Red Lable, say 20 or 28 ga over 30-30 or something along that line, keep it light and shootable. and to be able to buy for around 3K or so.

How about somebody like NEF taking a shot at something like this,with the capability to have interchangeable barrel sets on one receiver,like they do now with their rifles/shotguns ? That could really be nifty......might get a lot more interest too.

I would not mind a decently made little combo gun again. Making it well, would of course, up the price. I believe a well put together Mod 24 would be in the $500 range.

What I want to see is a .30-30 over a 12 Ga though. Another good coupling would be 5.56 over a 20 ga.

For me, Iron sights are out, due to my eyes, but this would be a perfect little gun for a quality red dot sight.

I will buy it.

BMT

My pheasant hunting buddy has been on the lookout for a 12 gauge/.223 combination gun for years. He finally ran across a Remington (made in Russia) and bought it. In South Dakota he has always used a .223 for deer, and wanted a gun to be handy for pheasant and deer both when the seasons overlap. We'll see how it works this fall!

A few years ago CZ imported an O/U 12/7x57R. I got one from a friend and it shoots very well. It also has a 22lr barrel to go in the shotgun barrel. It was made to be adjusted to point of aim. So far I'm pleased with it. It was reasonable as I remember less than $700 and new at the time. Came with a Burris scope too.
I've not tried the Remington IZH imports but I've had several of the Baikal brand in various chamberings. In My experience they tend to get little things wrong that no one seems to be able to fix. Triggers get funny for example.

I'd love have one in 12 ga/.223 with the barrel chopped to 18". It'd make a nice snowmachine/trapline gun.