Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors OT debate

Jeff, we had a saying "shoot Garands in the summer (t-shirts), and shoot Springfields in the winter (padded winter coats)."

Then there was a pic taken at the Springfield Armory test range in the 1930's. It showed a bunch of guys at their benches test firing '03 Springfields with empty brass ankle deep around them. They did that day in and day out, year 'round. What did they do on weekends? They had a rifle club where they would get together--- and shoot.

That prompted a question in my mind. (Yes, my mind is a bizarre thing) I wonder why Savage never fielded an autoloading centerfire rifle? (As long we're sort of off topic.) Every other mother's son had an autoloader in their line ups.

No decision yet.

He seems to be set on a New Haven Model 70 or Browning A bolt. 2 rifles that can be had with the Boss system. Of course there are pro's and cons as have already been discussed.

My son has shot mine and he has done pretty well with it. I have a Winchester model 70 270 featherweight, that he does not enjoy shooting.

Nobody enjoys recoil or concussion. But there are lots of people that learn how to manage it. I make no macho claim to being impervious to concussion or recoil. But just because they are loud and they kick doesn't mean there aren't people that can't learn how to shoot them. When I am shooting mine, I limit my shooting sessions to 10 or 12 rounds I find that if I limit my sessions and focus entirely on my breathing and trigger control it takes my mind off what is going to happen after the trigger breaks clean and smooth. You can't hit a baseball if the only thing you can think about is the pitcher hitting you in the head.

I have taken elk and mule deer with it that were over 400 yards and a bull moose that was over 300. That isn't really all that big of an accomplishment because shooting at moose and at a big bull elk are about like shooting at a pickup truck. Point really being, that if you are going to shoot at big critters that far away the projectile has to still be carrying enough kinetic energy to get the job done. That is where the 300 "Whatever Magnums" separate themselves. They didn't die because I was a good shot, they died because I had the right gun.

A couple things here. One, I have seen that picture and wouldn't you have loved to have had that Springfield job? Although I bet those guys were all stone deaf as hearing protection did not seem to matter much back then. And two, ironically enough didn't Bill Ruger use the 99 as a platform for building a semi-auto rifle? Albeit a one-off in the days before he and Sturm started their company. Still, it's a good question asking why Savage didn't get into the semi-auto rifle business, especially when they were making the 720 copy of the Browning A-5. They could have made their own Model 8 or 81.

Would have been cool to have a scaled up, modified Model 1912 semi-auto in 250 or 300 Savage. Or 35 Rem.

Almost every model 81 (made from 1936-1950) you see is a 300 Savage with an occasional 30 Rem or 35 Rem.

Savage could have had that 81 business with an auto.

It's curious to me that Savage missed all the 35 Rem business from 1909 or so up until the 1960's when the 35 Rem was still a pretty popular round, but Remington saw an opportunity with the 300 Savage before the 308 Win came around and capitalized on it.

That is a mystery lost to history.

Everything gun related stays strong, for the most part. It’s not a daily thing to measure though. Look at the number of SKS guns that sold for $79 not that many years ago are now selling for $400.

Will Savages stay desirable? Definitely. They are not making them anymore and the press / public opinion on them has been fairly positive in the last 10 years.

Pre-64 Model 70s took a hit when word got around that there are bonafide fakes out there. But that is an oddity in the gun world. Aren’t that many fake Savages out there to worry about.

There will always be people who like blue steel and walnut.

Consider yourself lucky he doesn't want an SKS complete with bayonet as his primary hunting rifle. Actually … you do have a very valid point! What will the younger generation collect in the future … if they can afford to collect anything at all.

Fake Savages? Someone could take an 1899A and turn it into a saddle ring carbine. I'm sure there are other possibilities.

Judging from my two 30 something sons, they collect "experiences", not stuff. Me, I like to experience doing things with stuff. They have firearms but do not collect.

It's an off topic debate as the title implies. Asking the members if they think our Savage's and other guns we collect are going to have any appeal to the younger generation(s).

You could have offered an opinion on the topic, like the rest of the guys, instead of trying to stir up a sheet storm.

If you have a son, I bet he thinks you are a dick.



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well said 99, but hey the guy is an expert with 100 post, he needs to get a life