Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Combination Guns and Drillings Savage 24 Accuracy Potential?

Was checking CCI MiniMag HPs at 50 yards after a 25 yard zero and got this five shot group. I suppose it figures, what with the rigidity of the barrel setup. Anyone experience similar results?

That is a very nice group for a 24, is it one of a kind or will it do it consistently. Having owned a 24 in 223/20ga I was unimpressed with the 24, killed a few coyotes with it but it was not very handy for the job. I do like that your selector is on the frame and not the hammer. That one looks like it would be a very handy trapline gun, 22 LR to finish critters and the shotgun barrel to put meat in the pot.

Erich,

That particular lot of MiniMag HPs produced a very similar 50 yard group out of a mostly stock 10/22 that same day, just before this one, so I put the remainder of that ammo away. With this 24, other lots of MinMag HPs consistently produce 1/2 to 3/4 inch groups at 50 yards, depending on how I’m doing. On lowest power, that Leupold 1-4x20 scope allowed for some trap shooting success, as well. This trusty 24 rests by the back door, waiting to deal with pesky varmints.

I've owned a few Savage 24s, some so old that they didn't come with serial numbers, in both rimfire and centerfire, .410 and 20 gauge, configurations.

The rimfires have generally shot better groups than the centerfires, even more so when the barrels get a little warm. I have, or had, a 24V in 222/20 that would consistently put the first shot from a cold rifle barrel dead center in the bullseye, but would sent all subsequent about 6" away, always in random directions, so you couldn't anticipate the change and aim accordingly.

I have a 24 in 22M/410 that I really like to carry while woods loafing. It even shoots OK with .22 LR ammo if I use one of MCACE's chamber inserts. A .410 with Brenneke slugs is probably adequate for animals up to 80 lbs. and more accurate in anything that I've shot them in than any with Foster style slugs. I weigh a lot more than 80 lbs. and wouldn't want to get shot with a Brenneke slug from a .410.

Erich,

I found the photo of the sighting-in target shot at 25 yards (standing-supported) the month prior, using ammo from that same magic box of MiniMag HPs:



The trouble with saving what remains of that exceptional box of ammo, is that one cannot have his cake and eat it too. So, some calm morning I’m gonna hafta just shoot it up and hopefully enjoy the results.

I really don’t need quite that exceptional level of precision for back yard rodents, ‘possums and skunks. The neighborhood coyote rarely shows himself inside 100 yards for more than a brief glimpse.

.22 LR seems a little light for coyotes even under 100 yards.

Right you are, 260Remguy. There are much better tools at hand for that task. But at short range, a .22LR through an eye or into a ear hole will certainly do the job in a pinch.

Combination guns walk as they get warm. It's just a fact.

I have a Mod. 24 in .22lr/.410 and it has consistently had similar accuracy for the many years I have owned it. I bought it used, it has no serial number so no clue how old it is but I could not be happier.

True, at least for those whose barrels are fixed to each other, but a decent one should give you at least a couple of shots close together, and even the third not far away. Usually the walk is pretty predictable too. If I had a combo which put the second shot 6" away from the first, in some random direction, I'd soon be rid of it.

FSJeeper,

This might help you find the age of your 24:

"I have a Mod. 24 in .22lr/.410 " So do I . Have used it as a camp gun and to pass the time in deer camp when the hunting was slow. Have not shot it in several years.

My other Savage 24 is my Turkey gun - .22 Hornet over 12 ga and the Hornet does kill coyotes and wild turkey and such with ease.

Thanks

Thanks!

Changed over to an UltraDot:



The precision of this Savage 24 continues to impress, even with a red dot sight.

ExChipy, what rings are you using on this set up please?

Thanks kindly

Jim

You Bet!

Those pictured above are a pair of decades-old Weaver .22 tip-off rings. Of my available choices, they were the only ones which could clear the barrel curve to clamp solidly into the narrowly spaced groves. The front ring butts solidly against the elevation insert in the rear sight in order to prevent the optic slipping forward during recoil.



The enlargement is pretty fuzzy, but it gives the idea.

The 1” Weaver rings limited my red dot sight choice to the UntraDot UD25B, with its 1” tube. Not much field of view, but good enough.

Of course, this entire exercise is only possible with those Model 24s which have scope grooves in the rimfire barrel.

thank you kindly
jim

My experience with a .410/.22WRM pretty much parallels 260Remguy's. It''ll hit a California ground squirrel, about as big as an Eastern gray, every time under 70 yards with the .22 barrel and put a Brennecke "Magnum" .410 slug into a 3" circle every time at about 35 yards. And the good thing about that is that the hold with the slugs is just a little bit off of the .22s, so it doesn't take much "Kentucky windage" with the same scope setting. The American "Foster-type" slugs are nowhere near that same hold.

I haven't noticed a wandering zero on my 24, but I only use it for small game and pests and don't shoot it enough (or FAST enough!) to warm the barrel up much. I mounted a Leupold 2.5X "Light Rifle" scope on it, and it's been just about right. I don't shoot it with shot much, but can track a cottontail with the scope fine.

I have owned several of the 24's and found the early ones with the bbl's together were the most accurate. I had several 22/410's and a few 22 mag/410 and the Magnum always shot better than the lr-- sad part was unless U shot the Squirrel's in the head bout the only thing U had left was Squirrel SOUP

Jim

Based on that chart, I think the unfired 24V I picked up is a 1966? Won it in a local Kalispell auction.

all photos at the smugmug link--> https://sportsdad60.smugmug.com/Savage-24V/

My brother just surprised me for Christmas. A 24 22mag/20ga. It's used but it will work just fine to teach my daughter to shoot

The full length brazed ones will almost always out shoot the ones with separated barrels and muzzle band.

I bought my mod. 24 in 1960. Still have it and shoot it frequently. I took a scope off of it years ago and just use the furnished irons. Excellent small game gun.

Friend of mine in PENN has owned a 222/20 for a long time now, and with a scope the 222 is very accurate. The 20 gauge isnt that great with the scope mounted on it. He mainly shot woodchucks, fox, and turkey with it.But seldom uses it anymore because of the weight of the gun and the trigger pull. Last I talked to him he uses a bolt action 22 hornet

Yep, scoped my 24 DL 22 Mag./20 gauge and that scope made the shotgun barrel near useless. Accurate enough with the mag barrel, but a Williams peep sight near doubled the open sight radius and works way better with the somewhat limited range of the .22 mag barrel.

My first 24 was a 24C. Shot really well and even shot 20 gauge slugs close enough to the sights at 25 yards to use them if needed. I ended up trading that one for the best 24 I ever owned.

It was a 24V 222/20 gauge. The rifle shot exceptionally well. It was rare for it to shoot any 50 grain bullet over an inch for five shots. And the shotgun shot center of pattern to the crosshairs at 25 yards with the rifle zeroed 2” high at 100. And the trigger was the least atrocious of any of the 24s. I ended up trading it back to the original owner. Regrettably.

My next 24V wouldn’t group at all and the shotgun wouldn’t come close to pattering anywhere near the rifle zero. Sold it. Bought a third one. The rifle barrel shot very well but again the shotgun wasn’t anywhere close to the crosshairs at 25 yards. It went away.

Now I’m back to where I started, with a 24C, 22LR/20 gauge. Rifle barrel shoots really well but I’ve yet to check the shotgun to see if it shoots to the sights.

Mart, I assume that your 24V combos were the later separate barrel versions. I know that 24C was the early solid upper and lower version, shorter and with a more open choke. Just for grins, I tried slugs through mine and it hit 4" low from the magnum barrel and I suspect that with fresher 2 3/4" or 3" slugs it would be even closer. Neat rambling around combo that would do well as a survival gun.

Yes. All were the later versions. I used the first one for calling coyotes when I lived in Eastern Washington. It worked fairly well. I kept 3” copper plated BBs in the bottom barrel and always left the selector on the shotgun. It was easy to thumb the selector to the rifle barrel as I cocked it if I needed to switch to it. It worked okay but I found myself gravitating to my rifles more the the 24. Had it been my only calling gun, I’m sure I would have made it work. That first one was the best of the three 24Vs. I never took the other two afield.

have & have had several, the 22lr is very acccurate, have not shot the .223, will get a 22mag when the price is right

After reading over at rimfirecentral someone who posted that his Savage 24C shot slugs to the same point as the 22LR barrel, I picked one up at a gunshow for a good price. Unfortunately, mine did not, not by a lot, so I tripped it. Can't find any pictures, but I swear it had a barrel band.



The 24C's were cylinder bore.

Jerry

My 24 stacks Remington 22 Subsonics into one ragged hole at 25 yards. Problem is, the sights are so tiny, I have a hard time seeing them. The way the sights are mounted (one piece ramp in front, oddball dovetail in the rear), you can't really upgrade them.

Its one of the older soldered 24s, I picked it up at the local pawn shop for $200 a few years back.

I'd like to mount a scope on the dovetail, but I have yet to find rings that fit. I have a period Weaver steel tube that would be perfect if I could figure out what rings to use.

I use the 2-piece B-Square 3/8" to Weaver adapters, or their cheaper Chinese knock-offs, on my rimfire Savage 24s. I have installed 1" scopes on those Savage 24s with B-Square Sport Utility rings that I bought from CDNN. The Chinese knock-offs can be found on eBay listed as "2PC Dovetail 11mm to 20mm Weaver Picatinny Rail Adapter Scope Mount Base SnapIn" priced at $10.99.

My old 22M/410 has an old Japanese Bushnell Banner 1.5-4x20 scope installed and my equally old 22M/20 has a Leupold Rifleman 2-7x33 installed, both with these adapters and 1" rings.

I use Weaver tip-off rings. Check the photo in my 08/20/20 post.

Thanks for the suggestions!!



CHIPy, are those the same as new production rings, or an older version?

Those rings are decades old. Don’t know if newer versions have been changed since.

You might try some better quality air rifle rings. It looks like the right width. I believe they are 11mm, so measure the base and see if that's close. Good quality air gun rings are stout.

The Warne all steel .22 rings have enough "bite" for the shallow groove and work perfectly.

You can use a one piece Weaver mount.


https://www.ableammo.com/catalog/ammo_charts/Weaver_Mount_Chart.pdf

???

A couple of years,ago I picked up one in 22 mag over 3" 20 gauge. Somewhere along the line it had a receiver peep sight mounted on it.
I also found that Winchester makes a low velocity 22 mag ammo. I now have a combo for squirrel with the low velocity ammo or groundhogs with 22 mag.
I hope to have choke tubes installed in the 20 gauge barrel so I can also shoot slugs for deer.

WStrayer, hold everything. Why the choke tubes for slugs? I have the same .22 mag/20 gauge and it shoots slugs beautifully and only 4" lower than the mag barrel at 50 yards. I've never patterned mine, but I'm assuming that it is probably a modified choke barrel. They are rather desirable guns and messing with the choke will likely diminish the value.

It is a really full choke.....

That's good to know. I've shot lots of slugs through full chokes. Slugs are softer than the choke is.

Ive use a set of older Weaver rimfire rings or a Williams 22/410 receiver sight for years on my various m24's. But if I didn't have them, I might consider a scope base listed on eBay as Savage Model 24 OU Shotgun Rimfire Perfect-Adapter™ Gun-Guides® that looks like it would allow a variety of scope and dot mounting options. I've never used or even seen these bases, but it might be worth looking into.
Bfly

These $32 "Perfect-Adapters" look like the B-Sqaure adapters and the $11 Chinese knock-offs that I cited earlier in this thread.

Yep, the ad kinda reminded me of Herter's Model Perfect, Northern Guide approved!
Bfly

In my limited experience, seven or eight 24s and variations, the ones with full length headed barrels far outshine those with separated barrels. A trigger job does wonders.

Just picked up a set. They may have enough bite, however they are cut for a flat receiver base, whereas the Savage 24 barrel is round.

Unless one has a mill, they will not work.

Hopefully, this saves someone else thirty-five bucks.

had one for years, believe it is 1951 or so 22/410, accurate and great for grouse, always better accuracy then my later models with separate barrels, which i got rid of.
Would not mind one in 22 mag/410

I use 11mm to weaver adaptors on my CZ 455 and Combo guns, they work really well and make it so you can mount your scope low.

Link
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=11mm+to+weaver+adapter&ref=nb_sb_noss

I believe that the Leupole Rifleman .22 Rimfire 3/8" base/ring combo will work on Savage 24 rimfire combination guns with grooved .22 barrels. These are vertical split alloy rings with Torx screws made for installing scopes with 1" tubes.

#57405 - gloss black

#56533 - matte black

I've used these rings on several different .22 rifles with 3/8" grooved receivers, mostly Remingtons, but I have not used them on any Savage 24s.

***** Please note that this is an "I believe" comment, not an "I know" comment. *****

I have verified Exchipy's earlier post. He mentioned Weaver Tip Off rings work, though his were an older set.

I can say, factually, that the new ones will fit. Weaver 49819. Weaver Classic Rimfire 1" Tip Off rings.



Thank you Exchipy! She'll be a squirrel killing machine come fall.

You are most welcome, J23. Good to know some things haven’t changed.

How did you mount the Williams peep sight? I’m interested in doing so, but my 24 is not drilled and tapped. Barrel grooves only. I assume the drill and tap is necessary then?

JM

The old Redfield RE-24 will work if your front sight is attached to the barrel with a screw and the RE-24 still has the front sight riser and longer screw with it. Or, you could have your 'smith d&t the receiver for a receiver sight intended for a flat sided receiver, like the Remington 760.

The Williams WGRS-24 fits the barrel grooves, but it requires a higher front sight and unlike the RE-24, it didn't come with a riser.

I'm not sure what model my Williams receiver sight is, probably not the WGRS-24. I think it is something like 22/410. It is made to fit flush with the receiver like the Lyman 53D. Both this Williams and the Lyman require drill and tap, but neither require a taller front sight.
I like the cleaner lines and more solid mount of the receiver mounted sights, but that is just me. We all have our favorites for all kinds of reasons.
Bfly

IIRC, the Savage 24 rimfires with the synthetic stocks and cross-bolt safety receivers have a rib on top of the barrel the same as the centerfire 24s always had.

Nice group with that gun.
I had a model 24 with a 222 over a 20 gauge, I had a squirrel that kept tearing my trash open, well one day I got tired of it and stepped outside with the 24, and he sat there on the ground at about 40 yards well I shot him with the 222 and he vanish, or should I say oliterated, Ethier way the squirrel problem was gone. It was pretty accurate, but never shot it for groups

260 and Bfly

I appreciate the information.

Thanks,

John

John, late back into this thread, but it seems to me that my 24 DL had that Williams peep on it when I got it from my buddy and I assume it was d&t at some point for the installation. The 24 is back home in the safe or I could look at that sight to see if there is a number on it, but I think that it was made specifically for the 24 because the bottom is recessed to mount low to the receiver.

Okay, thank you. Not sure if I want to drill and tap it but will check with a gunsmith and see what my options are. If i’m ever able to find a sight.

I thought about setting it up for a red dot scope but the stamp on the barrel stating not to use the shotgun barrel with a scope changed my mind. Anyway, I appreciate your input.

John

I just noticed (it hadn’t occurred to me to check before) that the front band on CCI MiniMag bullets is being partially engraved by the rifling upon chambering, as with a match chamber. Along with barrel rigidity, the type of chamber is likely to have played a significant role in this outcome:

i would try some .22 lr eley hollow points too. my 24 DL shoots the winchester 22 magnum very well. i have harvested a lot of game with it. turkey including a giant goulds; fox , javelina, and 50-60 coyotes. most of the coyotes were called in close and taken with the 20 gauge and number 3 buck. i just found some buckshot that is 3TTT, 26 pellets.

This morning with CCI SGB 40 grain flat points @ 50 yards:

This Savage 24 was “like new” when I got it. Judging from all the beater 24s I’ve seen at gun shows, it seems that many a farm kid thought a 24 was also useful as shovel and pry bar, perhaps without ever realizing its true accuracy potential.

J23,
The condition of your 24 appears similar to mine, and could maybe produce similar 50 yard results. So, I’ve been eagerly waiting for you to post a target photo. How ‘bout it?

Here’s how much this 24’s rifling engraves a CCI SGB bullet upon chambering:



Anyone else getting similar driving band engraving?

The Savages with the full length brazed barrels generally shoot better than the ones that are only joined at the breech and by a barrel band at the muzzle. That said, my 24V in 222 will consistently do 1.5 moa if I give it time between shots.

The Savage 24, as pictured and discussed above (but without scope), is looking for a new home with someone who can appreciate its condition and capabilities. If you’re that someone, please PM me.

that happens with almost any rifle

This guy’s pleased to be on his way to his new home in Arizona.

An absolutely outstanding performer, but the time had come to say goodbye.

It’s a harsh reality that, except for some handguns, a guy can only shoot one gun at a time. With limited time available to devote to each individual, the herd really needed a bit of thinning. But, it can still be a bit traumatizing to cull dearly admired specimens which just aren’t getting used as often as they deserve.

A wise man once told me that only a fool falls in love with anything that can't love him back.

A very good point. So, I changed the word to “admired.”

No disrespect intended

Don't be silly. You made a very good point. Precision in language use is important.