Hello out there, rare poster here but follow from time to time. Wondering if anyone has feelings strong or otherwise considering these two rifles, is the Shaw barrel "better" or not, it looks like they use the Savage action. I'm not fond of plastic stocks, they just don't blow my skirt up and a rifle is supposed to have some esthetics in my book. As with other hunters, I've been through lots of calibers and I seem to be settling in, had many that were fun and different (06 ACK, 6.5 Swede, 35 Whelen, 30/40 gov, 300 Sav, 405 Win) but I've trimmed down to 300 Holland, 358 Win and looking for a smaller rifle, the 260 seems to be what I'm thinking. Any thoughts on the Savage or ER Shaw. Thanks for any comments. Steve k, carp
I've only shot two Shaw rifles extensively, but both were VERY accurate. Have also shot at least a half-dozen other Shaw barrels extensively, and all but one were accurate, and that one had been fluted by another gunsmith.
Savage rifles are also normally accurate, sometimes very, but Shaw barrels have smoother bores than the typical Savage barrel, so don't foul as much. However, I've found the fouling can be prevented by installing Dyna Bore Coat in Savage barrels.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
I find Savage bolt guns and their E.R. Shaw cousins lacking in aesthetic qualities. While they aren't as ugly as a pile of dog vomit, they aren't too far removed either. The discontinued Marlin X guns were, IMO, the current peak of Savage 110 series aesthetic development.
Years ago I use to go over and watch the guys who did a 1000 yd shoot every other month...
Like anything there was the regular crowd guys who always love to dominate the competition...
However they cursed when two different guys would show up, as they regularly beat the "REGULARS"...
ONE was a shop teacher, who built himself a 6 BR with a one in 7 twist....
The other, was a young 18 yr old kid, whose dad was one of the regulars... the kid was from Alaska like his dad, and was an Eskimo....
He use to beat the regular crowd also... he worked part time for $8 and hour and was still going to high school.. he bought the one gun he had saved up for during a summer of mowing lawns etc....
A plain jane Savage in 260, a Model 11....paid $300 for it brand new, when that was the list price on them...or close to it...He'd clean the clocks of the others whenever he came with his dad... He liked my load data I shared with him a lot...
The "REGULARS" hated him for that rifle he had.. a real cheap factory off the shelf Savage.....
I think what pissed them off all the more was tho his optics... once again, "all he could afford".. a $75 Tasco World Class Plus in 4 x 16....
The Rifle did its job, so did the Tasco, and being young and with good eyesight, a lot of the older guys didn't...
I don't think I ever saw the kid lose...to "The Regulars"...
and between him and the High School Shop teacher.. it usually was nip and tuck, and a coin toss who would win.. when both of them showed up...
Not a big Savage fan in either iteration, but when I checked out the Shaw rifles online, it looked as though you get pretty good value for your bucks. Lots of cartridge choices too, if I recall.
I can't answer your first question as to which is better. I recently bought a Remington 700, second hand, that has an ER Shaw barrel. It is a 7-08. I took it to the range last weekend just to site it in with loads for a different rifle. I took two shots to zero. Then, I shot a three shot one whole group. My 4 .284 bullets (intended 3 shot group on the second zero round) made a hole the combined size of a .308 bullet. I shot a total of 20 rounds through the rifle and never had a group larger than m.o.a.
Last edited by TheBigSky; 10/27/16.
_________________________________________________________________________ “Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
I've installed a few ER Shaw barrels over the years. They had quality control issues, many years ago.
I think they are better than Savage, no doubt. Even though I've heard a lot about Savage accuracy, I'm not impressed with the rifles! My cousins bring their Savages up for our annual PD shoot. I am not impressed with Savage.
I prefer classic. Semper Fi I used to run with the hare. Now I'm envious of the tortoise and I do my own stunts but rarely intentionally
Years ago I use to go over and watch the guys who did a 1000 yd shoot every other month...
Like anything there was the regular crowd guys who always love to dominate the competition...
However they cursed when two different guys would show up, as they regularly beat the "REGULARS"...
ONE was a shop teacher, who built himself a 6 BR with a one in 7 twist....
The other, was a young 18 yr old kid, whose dad was one of the regulars... the kid was from Alaska like his dad, and was an Eskimo....
He use to beat the regular crowd also... he worked part time for $8 and hour and was still going to high school.. he bought the one gun he had saved up for during a summer of mowing lawns etc....
A plain jane Savage in 260, a Model 11....paid $300 for it brand new, when that was the list price on them...or close to it...He'd clean the clocks of the others whenever he came with his dad... He liked my load data I shared with him a lot...
The "REGULARS" hated him for that rifle he had.. a real cheap factory off the shelf Savage.....
I think what pissed them off all the more was tho his optics... once again, "all he could afford".. a $75 Tasco World Class Plus in 4 x 16....
The Rifle did its job, so did the Tasco, and being young and with good eyesight, a lot of the older guys didn't...
I don't think I ever saw the kid lose...to "The Regulars"...
and between him and the High School Shop teacher.. it usually was nip and tuck, and a coin toss who would win.. when both of them showed up...
No flies on the Savage...
Sounds like a tale straight out of Peabody's Improbably History.
I remember some of those older Shaw barrels. Put one on my first .338 in the late 1980's. It shot OK but fouled like crazy, because it was pretty rough inside.
They completely retooled in 2000 and the quality immediately went up a LOT, both in accuracy and smoother bores. They've kept it up since: My latest is the .250 Savage barrel I purchased from Midway a year or two ago, and screwed onto my Savage Axis. Not the most classic-looking .250-3000 in the world, but it shoots well!
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
Appreciate the conversations all, in the end you gotta be happy with yerself. 2x4 that shoots good, tonka toy plastic magizenes, or plastic stocks that melt in the pickup on an early fall hot day, I guess the newer rifles shoot well but miss the old world charm, I've got time to figure it out, nursing a new knee joint back to health so I need a winter project. ER has a wait time of a year for a built gun MKVII, but the price is still less than a grand, or an over the counter Savage, Ruger, Tikka right now, that's the question. Ya'll take care, thanks again Steve or carp.
One thing to keep in mind if you like to tinker, the ER shaw rifle will remove the barrel nut. Not an issue if you never plan to tinker with barrel swaps.
If you can find a pawn shop Savage chambered in any of the 308 family or chambered in any of the '06 family you can pull the barrel and re-barrel it when the 260 comes in.
Youtube has a couple videos for re-barreling a Savage. Savage's aren't sexy but they work well.
"Camping places fix themselves in your mind as if you had spent long periods of your life in them. You will remember a curve of your wagon track in the grass of the plain like the features of a friend." Isak Dinesen
I agree that their (ER Shaw's) quality is much better than it was. I think that their qc is much better along with as you've stated machinery. I won't go into details of the early problems. Because that was many years ago.
If I were to rebarrel or build today, I'd look at ER Shaw.
Now if only they only had 9.3. 😛
I prefer classic. Semper Fi I used to run with the hare. Now I'm envious of the tortoise and I do my own stunts but rarely intentionally
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