Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Savage 219 Accuracy?

If all of the things mentioned above actually did contribute to inherent inaccuracy of a Savage 219, as described, then this cast bullet target must have been shot by someone possessing marksmanship skills rivaling those of Davy Crockett:



But, as I certainly cannot routinely put one rifle ball atop another dead center in a bullseye at 100 yards, standing, perhaps the Savage 219 is not much of a handicap after all. Theoretically, that is.

As impressively average as that group is, and as neat as the rifle is, it wouldn't win any CBA or ASSRA matches, theoretically, but would certainly work to prove my theory.

Your theory suggested that a Savage 219 should not be up to producing such an average group. Though obviously incapable of winning any CBA or ASSRA matches, such an average group certainly does forecast a successful end to a stalking hunt.

Since, despite my decrepitude I’m still a hunter at heart (and in practice so far as I’m able), my focus with rifles is mostly about their use for that, and more accuracy (or precision) beyond that is wasted. Little groups make me smile like everyone else, but no more than the pleasure I get from the heft of a nice field gun while out and about.

My Henry .308, before the thugs at UPS futzed it up on the way back from the recall, made tidy little clusters with some hand-me-down loads built for something else. By the time it came back the second time with a new barrel I had acquired another .308, so let it go to a new home. Have big plans for the .357 in the pipe, which will come home when turkey season us over and the garden in. Won’t be any matches, but my club has a bunch of plates hanging at 100 yards that are gonna take a beating……..

No, I didn't. Obviously you didn't read what I said, which was the inherent source of potential inaccuracies in cheap break open single shots. Please don't put words in my mouth.

I've had a fair number of break action rifles and shotguns, and they just are what they are. I never go into a deal on one expecting to come home with a tack driving magic laser.

Occasionally one will fall into the better than expected, or utterly hopeless categories, but for the most part, they generally fall into the 2-4MOA shooter ballpark, in my experience.

They used to be great little cheap woods beaters in the days of them floating around used at double or very low triple digit prices, but those times are long past now. Heck, I remember paying under a bill for a brand new 22LR Handi on sale at Walmart in the early 2000s. Those days are never coming back.

Good reading comprehension is important for everyone.

Hey Exchipy
Is that folding sight an original. I have 2 one with the elevator rear sight and the other with a folding sight like yours. Do you know, if perhaps, at the end of the run of 219s they switched to the folding rear?
Anybody else know???

I solved the rear sight issue with a scope on my 22 Hornet 219 and have a rear peep sight on a 30-30; I gave the other 30-30 to Owen.

I've seen 219 with the standard ramp elevator and with the Dockendorff sight.

The scruffy Hornet:


My 340 in 222 with a Dockendorff rear sight.


Vintage 30-30 barrel with a peep sight: It shoots great.

It’s not original. It’s a Marble Arms #69 folding leaf sight. I believe even the later versions of the Savage 219 were never offered with a folding rear sight.

Follow-up to that earlier pictured performance:

The five shot group just prior to this one was even tighter, but a couple inches out of the black at 8 o’clock. A scope adjustment was made to get it centered. Prior to this range session, I had already switched from using my own cast RCBS 30-150-FNGC bullets and started using the Montana Bullet Company version of the same bullet, but this time in Winchester cases instead of the Remington cases I’d been using for many years. I understand that the internal volume of Winchester brass tends to be slightly greater than Remington brass. It’s looking like that made the difference.

Hi
Thanks for the feedback. I believe you are correct at least as far as my folding leaf unit. I had a closer look after seeing your post and can see some rub marks on the barrel where the elevator was. Pretty sure the mystery is solved. Folding sight = not original.

Is this at 100yd?

Yessir

Well. I like the 219s. I have 2 -219s 22h and 30-30, a 220 and a 221 combination with a 22h and 20 gauge.

Seriously thinking about a nitried finish on one and making it into a 30-30AI.

Anyway, nice groups.

Always kinda wanted a 219 but never saw the right one yet

You shouldn’t be too fussy. The thing is, only the quality of the bore (which need not be perfect) and the tightness of the breeching should be the most influential deciding factors. Most everything else can be fairly easily fixed. Numrich Gun Parts Corporation is your friend, as is Jack First Gun Parts.

Starting out kinda rough, some replacement parts, DIY stock refinishing, and Black Nitride treatment to the steel by H&M Metal Processing resulted in this lightweight, weatherproof stalking rifle:

I had a 219 in 30-30 and rechambered it to 30/40 Krag. It worked well and shot into two inches at 100 with Winchester factory Silvertips. I sold it and never got a replacement. GD

I have several 219's and they are very accurate. especially the .22 Hornet. They are the best built single shots in there price range ever made. I also have had H&R's and New England Arms and they shoot good but aren't built as well. The only thing that I do not like on the Savage's is the trigger pull. I would like to own a 25/20 or a 32/20, but they are out of my price range. None of the rifles mentioned here are as nice as the Ruger No.1. I recently bought a New England Arms in the .22 mag. It shoots fantastic.

My hornet is a 2 inch rifle at a hundred

I'm curious on the nitride treatment. One of the selling pints is that it will add "hundreds of feet per second" to you rifle. Did you notice any difference?