This is what they look like...

Looks purposeful; how reflective is that stainless? How are the irons? If they're screwed on you might check out NECG's rear ramp and single leaf, see through V-sight. I've got one on my CZ 550 (marked Recknagel, but the same thing) and it was a good improvement over the factory unit. How's the stock for LOP, balance and overall "feel?" I've never shot a Savage, but the ability to rebarrel easily and that looong action have got me thinking...(say, 300 H&H in a McMillan A-5 stock...)

OR,

The sights are OK, but I'll change the rear blade to a shallow V and at low cost, as the sight is simply a Williams. The stainless is quite Non-Reflective, the balance is very nice, LOP the usual 13 1/2". With the Warne QD and 4200 Elite 1.5X6 it weight about 8 1/2 pounds and handles well; the scope comes right to my eye.

I was able to shoot it this morning with no wind and off my bench. Two of the three 3 shot groups were sub-MOA, and one I pulled one off 1 1/2" from the first two, which were touching.

I am pretty sure I'll like the rifle for the Roosevelt elk hunt and hunting in the wet country around Libby, MT. It is very easy to carry, compared to most 375's and MUCH lighter than my pre-64 Mdl 70 and FN/Sako...much lighter!

Nice looking rig.


Are these .375's a non-catalog or just a newly introduced item from Savage? I couldn't find them on the Savage website ( I may have overlooked it).

I could really like one of these just in case we get elephants in the backyard this summer.

Hillbilly: It CAN happen!!!!!!

I thought it had last summer. I saw something huge and grey ambling down the fence line at the edge of the yard. An Elephant headed for the tater patch! I decided to get a better look before putting out the call for a .458 and grabbed the binoculars. The field glasses told a sordid tale.

T'weren't a pachyderm at all. Just the neighbor's well fed, wrinkly wife in her new grey track suit walking their dachshund

By Gawd a man needs protection these days!!

...bear

They are listed in the Weather Warrior section of their guns.

Thanks I'll go ferret out the info.

not trying to call you a liar, but just looked up the savage arms website, and the biggest caliber listed for the weather warrior 116 series is 338 win mag.?-keith

Savage also catalogued a .425 for a while, but I have never seen one.

jim

The .375 is listed toward the bottom of the Weather Warrior section.

http://savagearms.com/116fss.htm



Look at the bottom, the .375 H&H is there.

thanks, didn't scroll down far enough. -keith

Is that action a standard length action or is this a special and longer-overall Savage action?

I believe the its just the standard Savage long action.

Thanks. It looks very looooong.

Not having much experience with Savage rifles, I wouldn't know, but I do know that is opened up quite a bit longer than my old Mdl 70 375 and my FN/Sako 375. The whole action is pretty long, IMO. I wish I had one of the CZ 550s in 416 Rigby I had owned to compare.

Here is the ample room for a Federal Safari 300gr Nosler round and my 300gr solid handload. I'd say the action is long enough. It would accomodate a 458 Lott or a 375 loaded with 350's.

Well, I got one setting in the gun room. Have been to the range with it and it will hold at 1 inch at 100 yards. Believe it may be a keeper just in case we should have an invasion from somewhere. Purchased 6 boxes of ammo. from a gentleman who bought the ammo. for an african trip but decided to finish his education instead. The ammo. cost me 90 bucks for the 6 boxes-Federal and speer.

Well, I got one setting in the gun room. Have been to the range with it and it will hold at 1 inch at 100 yards. Believe it may be a keeper just in case we should have an invasion from somewhere. Purchased 6 boxes of ammo. from a gentleman who bought the ammo. for an african trip but decided to finish his education instead. The ammo. cost me 90 bucks for the 6 boxes-Federal and Speer.

Also the above described rifle-375 H&H- has a 26 inch ss barrel.

Also the above described rifle-375 H&H- has a 26 inch ss barrel.

????

Mine measures 23" to the front of the receiver.

I have to ask this question. With the price of a good safari today, why choose a mediocre rifle? Not meaning to be a smart ass, just curious about the tripping over the dollars to pick up the pennies.

What is the real world price on a new one? HBB just bought Mule Deer's .340.... I may be starting to feel the need to compete

ula24, since when is savage a mediocre rifle? every one i have ever owned was dependable, reliable, and very accurate. sure, it isn't krieghoff or merkel double, heim big bore, kimber caprivi, or similiar 3000.00 plus guns, but that doesn't mean it won't perform on a hunt. sorry, don't mean to tear you down, but we can't all pay the big bucks for those guns. i agree with you that if you are going to africa and need a good gun you should buy the best you can afford. but....i see nothing wrong with a man buying the savage if that's what he wants. i personally, think that it is better suited to alaska but that's me. by the way, i have a remington 700 classic in 375 h&h and while it is by no means a top-o-the line rifle, i won't hesitate to take it on my next hunt to alaska or africa. i have udder complete confidence in it and isn't that what you want in a safari big bore? -keith

p.s. once again, don't take this to be a tear down, but i get sort of tired of posters harping on guys that don't spend 3000.00 or better on a rifle. i like them as much as the next guy, but we can't all shell that kind of money out when ever we want.-keith

People tout the Win Classic Safari, but I tried three, and they were KRAP! None would feed properly from a full magazine, and one, a 375, was so bad in every respect that Winchester bought the gun back, Brady, shipping, and all. I had two CZ 550s that cracked stocks almost immediately, and the second one had been properly bedded; the wrist broke.

Then there were two Winchester Classic SS/SYN 375s I owned. They had folding rear sights, utterly stupid for a DG rifle, and I had to change to a shallow V. Neither was what I consider accurate...1 1/2" to 2 1/2" groups at best. Both were muzzle heavy, IMO.

I tried Ruger RSMs and found them too darned heavy for my taste, as have many others. Both my pre-64 Mdl 70 375 H&H and my FN action Sako in 375 Wby are too heavy to carry very long at my age. Both are accurate rifles, but the Win never fed quite as I'd like. The Savage is relatively light and has perfect balance, as scoped. None of the above measured up in this regard. With the exception of the FN/Sako, the Savage feeds smoother than any of the other rifles I mentioned. The FN/Sako is a fabulous gun in all respects but one...it weighs a ton.

SO, getting to second rate rifles...the Savage beats any of the above guns on certain points, and it isn't second rate at all, except in the minds of rifle snobs or those who have never tried them. I find all sorts of fault with the Savage FSS 375, but all-in-all, it is a great gun for the price and measures up with any of the above, when usefulness and practicality are the measure.

The things I would change/add:

Hinged floorplate
Barrel band front sling stud
No Accu Trigger, just a good adjustable one

The list is no longer than for any of the above guns for my taste, except for the Sako, and this rifle's price offsets the cost for dipping & packing in part to fully-and then some, depending on which alternative above.

Now, as to the cost of a safari...some of us have to budget and pinch some pennies to go, and I'm in that catagory. If I can save several hunderd dollars here and there, it means I can scrape up enough to go back another time. My safaris are for a specific target species, not large or full bag safaris. I do it that way, because I like to go more often and have to not get carried away with shooting everything in sight, as can well happen to hunters used to drawing a tag of some sort every other year, if lucky. I have had to pass on an easy 44" sable and a Coke's that might have made the top ten, just to keep from shooting myself into a financial jamb; it wasn't at all easy to pass these animals.

So you see, there is a place for lesser priced but perfectly adaquate rifles on safari. I Believe I just found one.

great post! you summed up what i was trying to say beautifully. while savage has never held the "mystique" of some brands, those of us in the know have always held a reverence for these weapons. sure, they need some mods here and there but when finished you still come in way under what the high end guns cost. there is a time and place for the savages. usually, with the hunters that truly hunt and don't just collect rifles!-keith

On GA for $615.00 and GB for $612.99...plus shipping & Brady. I was sure tempted to buy MD's 340, also. It was a steal for a good rifle in that round, IMO. What an elk rifle!!

The .340 is one of the best gun buys I've ever made.

Since when does the dollars paid for a rifle determine it's accuracy? Dollars only partially guarantee a nice looking piece of a mechanical machine. Accuracy and dependability are what we are striving for when we buy a weapon. Looks in no part of the imagination will help with the direction of the projectile or final disposition.

luv2safari, thanks for the explanation. I have had good luck with Winchesters myself, and have never even seen a Savage in Africa. If you don't like Winchester, I can buy nice used Browning Safaris here for less than $1,500.00,in suitable calibers. They are not heavy. I have also never had to carry my rifle for extended periods, so weight was never an issue. I realize that every situation is different, so thanks again for taking the time to reply.

For the others with the smart comments. If you have not learned the simply lesson in life that you get what you pay for in most cases, I don't have time to explain it to you. If you think Savages are fine rifles, again I don't have time to explain things to you, you are to far gone.

I am in the process in readying myself for a hunt in March 2009 for plains game. I was told by my PH to bring a gun I had used and was competant with. I will hunt plains game and have an old Ruger M77 in 338 win mag. It has always shot within 1.5 at 100 and 2.5 at 200 which doen'take mathematical sense but nonetheless is a fact. I am buying a second rifle and it will be a Tikka 30-06. It will be a second rifle for me to take and my wife will use it to shoot a zebra and impalla. It is not an expensive rifle but every one I have been exposed to has been an accurate reliable rifle. ( at least in the hands of the shootist)

My point is that I was encouraged by my PH to not buy a gun to go to Africa with when I had one to use that was adequate. As he said save the 1000 dollars and use it for trophy fees.

I am actually spending that 1000+ on leupold rings and rifle, but the wife needs a rifle. hahahaha that is her laughing at me.

Randy

That looks like a pretty interesting rifle. It might be good to compare to a CZ and a Ruger Alaskan (in 375 Ruger).

Question for anyone who has shot one...........

Is that AccuTrigger as nice as the Savage literature makes it sound ?

Even close ?

Elephant escaped from the circus. Wound up in Mabel's garden. She called the police. Said there was a giant mouse in her garden pulling up cabbages with his tail. Police asked what he did with them after pulling them up with his tail. She said they wouldn't believe her if she told them.

It works pretty well and is similar to using the trigger in the BRNO 602 series. I don't like the aluminum wing protruding from the trigger, proper, however. I can see where it may catch on a glove in a moment when a fast snap shot is necessary, like hunting brown bear in the thickets. However, in trying to make this happen, I was unsuccessful. I'll try again with wet gloves.

The trigger on this FSS 116 breaks at a crisp 2 pounds with the present setting, and that contributes to its accuracy, IMO. I may see about an aftermarket trigger, however. I can see where the Accu Trigger is pretty nice for say antelope, open country deer, and African PG.

I got this gun specifiaclly for a Roosevelt elk hunt in wet conditions, and am convinced I made a good decision. I would take the rifle to Africa and might just do that for one last safari in 2009, health (and healthy wallet) permitting. I like the fact that there is plenty of room in the magazine for 350-380gr bullets not seated too deeply. The Savage version of CRF works well, too. I fed a round and didn't close the bolt fully, then removed the bolt, round and all. The extractor held on to the shell just as a CRF should.

I much prefer Mauser actions, but I also like to have money left for gas and lodging, not to mention the out-of-State tags and license fees. Besides, this was a good excuse to buy a new TOY!

Now, that's funny

For those interested...the 375H&H uses a long action but modified for the longer magazine. I modified two older 110 LA's to accept the 375 H&H mags...an easy milling job and it will handle rounds up to 3.60" length without any problems.

The newer 375 H&H actions are slightly different allowing for the CRF bolt head and rear ejector to be used. That mod can also be done to an older LA receiber but why bother when you can buy a new shooter for not much more than the price a gunsmith will charge to modify an older action.

After I finished the mods and installed a ER Shaw 375 H&H barrel I promptly cracked the laminated mod 114 stock with some 300 gr mid range loads. I'm just about to finish installing and bedding the aluminum bedding block I made for the remodeled stock. It looks like it might shoot again after all.

One thing tho'...I wouldn't use a standard, non-CRF Savage for any mean and nasty critters...I have two heavy caliber Sav 110 LA's, a 416 Taylor and the 375 H&H with standard ejection and mag bolt heads and I've had a few failures to feed (stovepipes), but no failures to extact or eject, so I don't consider them any sort of DGR. The problem being the mags are stamped and bent metal so the rounds can be ejected from the mag by the lifter spring pressure. It's a bit annoying to rack a round and see the mag empty out the top. More so with the heavier 350 and 400 gr 416 cal rounds than the 270 and 300 gr 375 H&H rounds, and I've changed and swapped around the lifter spring several times. Still working on that aspect, could be several things causing the stovepiping...and I mean the bullet end jumps up far enough so the whole round flies up and out before you can stop cycling the bolt. Not so very good when the PH is wetting his pants too.

'Njoy

Have you had a chance to try out Savage's factory rifle in 375 yet? If so, did you experience the same problem?

I have cycled ammo through this one about 50 times, both slow and fast with no problems of any kind. On the contrary, it feeds as well as any rifle I've owned and better than many. Is it possible they modified theirs differently, solving the cathedral problem? I would like as much information on your experience as possible, as I value it.

I haven't even SEEN a Savage CRF rifle much less handled or shot one...all my Sav's are push feed. I would like to take one apart and measure the various pieces and parts. I don't like the way the Sav mag box is mounted and have modified all my Sav's with a machine screw mount on the back side...it seems to make the box stiffer and is easy to remove and replace. My mods are similar to the new Marlin XR-7 mag and I think the Accutrigger is excellent and saves me the cost of a new trigger.

My concern is with the magazine construction and the use of the "one box works for all" concept...that is ecomonics on the makers side talking...Sav has only a few different mags to cover the spectrum of case dimensions. That might or might not be a problem because for the most part, in "the standard" cases, the tapers are very close and "one box" seems to work fairly well, but the steel is thin and will flex. For anythin but a DGR use I don't see any problem...with the exception of my two heavy calibers I've never had ANY feeding or extraction problems with my Sav' and part of the problem my be the difference in case tapers between the Taylor and the H&H.

You must remember the reason for a DGR being able to cycle, feed and extraction, reliably in ANY rotation...on either side, upside down, on it's nose or but or any other conceivable direction. I think many argumenters convieniently forget this or don't fully understand the concept.

That being said...Paul Mauser designed his different receivers to handle specific cartridges...the rails are shaped to handle the cartridge taper in specific ways and stack in the mag box a specific way and all the pieces and parts are/were milled from a solid piece of steel...there are few stamped steep parts in a mauser action...that is why...for the most part...an unmodified receiver for a specific cartridge works so well. That is also part of a custon DGR hiher costs and why ANY factory CRF rifle on a mauser action should be turned over to a 'smith thoroughly versed in tuning a mauser actions for DGR work for tune up. The work required to make functionality certain takes time and knowledge therefore costs rise. I think my skin is worth something and economizing on the rifle or ammo ISN'T the place to be skimping.

I understand that men must wave their jones and will argue over the drop of a hat, but I don't understand some of the totally mindless arguments I've read comparing a Mauser action to some of the pushfeed actions...but I don't want to start up that BS here and it isn't for me to interfere in anothers destiny...Dance with who you brung and pay the piper whatever he charges.

'Njoy

You may want to take a look at the FSS 116 in 375, as it is a bit different from other Savage rifles and has many improvements for this application. Also, I need no lecture on a DGR, as I have used them and under tense circumstances, and fully agree that "reliable" is the first order of business. For that application, a well tuned mauser action is about tops!

Still, the new FSS 116 is an accurate and reliable rifle, not to be overlooked by tradition or prejudice, IMO. While I wouldn't trade it for my FN/Sako or my pre 64 Mdl 70s, I like the gun much better than the two Winchester SS/SYN Classics I owned and tried. It is as good as the CZ 550 I've used in Africa, maybe better. I watched a hunter try to feed a quick second round in an expensive Dakota, only to have it fail to feed; the PH had to intervene. The PH was shooting a SS/SYN Remington in 416 Rem, by the way.

I wasn't trying to pick a fight and was asking questions, based on your experience with Savage rifles...nothing more. We may like different boats on different waters, but they are all boats and all on the water. In that we have far more in common.

I DO appreciate your explanation of the Savage 110 type magazine design and had little background and knowledge in that regard. I've yet to pull the stock off to look at this gun's innards, and it has a blind magazine...something I would change by choice. I bought the gun for crummy weather elk hunting, but can see it as a viable rifle for Africa.

At the end of the day, when you glance down at your rifle, it's still a Savage . . .

Yeah??!!??

Well! You still live where its cold...

I've carried a Savage for 20 years. The gun has served me very well. It has extreme sentimental value to me (it was my grandfathers). When I look down at it, it looks pretty good to me.

Darn right. An American companny that has survived and continues to provide rifles for those on a limited budget.

Yep....rugged, reliable, and accurate rifles too. At least thats my experience.

A friend on a fixed budget bought the scoped and detatchable mag accu trigger combo as his son's first big game rifle. He has shot three moose and numerous deer. That is good news no matter what you think of nice wood, classic lines etc etc. A father and child are afield hunting together because a dad could afford to buy a rifle for his son.

Let us not forget the years of history of that firm. I only own two savages, a model 24 and a model 99 and they have never failed to perform

Randy

Per Website:
Suggested Retail $785.00 - 375 H&H 24"

This was posted on 6mm BR and should say a lot for the Savage rifle.

Savage Factory Gun Wins Hickory Shoot.

600-yard World-Record-holder Terry Brady gave us a call this morning and reported: �You may not believe it, but a factory Savage won it all this year at the Hickory Groundhog Shoot.� Terry said it was raining through much of the event, and many of the custom rifle shooters had tight groups but were not centered up on the target. This is a score event, with concentric scoring rings on cardboard groundhog silhouette targets at 100, 300 and 500 yards. The overall match winner shot a Savage factory.223 Rem varminter, according to Terry. �A couple of them Savage guys had their groups nicely centered up on the targets, and that�s what it took to win.�

Have hunted Africa some including dangerous game.

Have used fine double rifles there and well-tuned Mausers as well as Brownings, Dakotas, Granite Mountain Arms, Montanas, Remingtons, Rugers, Sakos, Weatherbys, and Winchesters. No troubles with rifles yet.

Have quite a bit of experience with Savages including the factory 375 H&H, the long RUM cartridges, and others modified to use 458 Lott and 470 Capstick. Have never had trouble with a Savage with regards to reliable operation, functionality, ease of use, or accuracy.

The old saying of "You get what you pay for" is not much help these days. I've bought $2,000+ guns with troubles. Have bought $300 guns with no troubles. Have bought $200 fixed-power Leupold scopes which provided great service. Have bought $1,000 scopes with troubles. Have bought a $50,000 automobile that went back to the dealership often. Have bought $5,000 cars that never did. Computers and airplanes the same.

Have paid over $1,000 for a custom job on a 1911 which would not function when returned from the nationally-known gunsmith. Know a gunsmith who can make a 1911 hum who has never charged me over $100 for total labor.

Not recommending buying junk, but depending on the price tag to guarantee quality is a mistake. We have to be wiser than that.

Savage has been in business a long time and is still in business. Think they are even growing. Can't say that about all the gun makers in the past twenty years.

I am not anti-Winchester, anti-Mauser, anti-Dakota, anti-Sako, etc. But my experience would not cause me to by-pass a Savage for Africa.

While we may be a bit snobbish these days, for the most part Africa was conquered with the rifles that Boers and other farmers and adventurers could afford. Many of them would have gladly bought a Savage if it had been offered.

Since the Savage is the easiest rifle to swap calibers for and there are severe limitations on the number of rifles one is allowed in some African countries, the Savage might have a special appeal there now.

Have had good service from my Savage 375 H&H. Mine came with two complete bolt assemblies -- one pushfeed and one controlled-feed. Both work fine. No problems with either. Mine has a 26-inch barrel. It is the lightest 375 H&H that I have.

The most troublesome brand of rifle that I have ever had is Remington -- bolt stop failures and trigger problems. But have overcome them. Still use them in prairie dog towns. The charges from the bull PDs are not as exciting as the cape buffalo bulls.


.

Glad to see someone else sees things as I do. When I buy something, it is because it works, not because of name or price tag. The savage rifles are the greatest bargain out there and if more people could get past the "name thing", there would be more savages in the field.

Those charges from the bull PD"s may not be as exciting but they are as tuff or tuffer to hit than a cape buff.

When I was 17 back in 1970 0r 71 I guess it was , my Dad and I were out hunting when we ran across one of Dad's old friends. Over a cup of coffee he asked what we were hunting with and Dad said I had a bolt, and he had a lever. The gent said " Oh a Model 99" Dad said yes it was. The name Savage is a good name. I was given that 99 and my youngest daughter has it now, and it is still a really fine if rugged rifle.
Randy

As to Savage rifles being "mediocre", it ain't so. They are an incredible value and out of the box, will out shoot most other
factory rifles and many custom guns. The owner at
Savage, was the former engineering guru at Smith and Wesson, and
breathed new life into the company.

A good honest rifle I am sure but fugly none the less.....

Having said that I would take one over a Remington anyday!

Ugly is as ugly performs and the savage by that definition is a beautiful rifle
Randy

I don't doubt that they are quite functional, reliable rifles. Having said that, they are cheesy.
I enjoy the aesthetic of a finely finished, finely crafted rifle. I get no pleasure from holding a newer Savage in my hands and fondling it.
Kinda like an ugly woman, she'll work, but most of us would rather have a pretty one, all else being equal.

With the price of dangerous game hunts, why skimp on a rifle? If you can afford to hunt Africa, surely you can afford a decent rifle. This is penny wise and pound foolish.

Interesting thread.

Own and enjoy lots of brands of rifles for lots of reasons -- few quantifiable.

What is it he is going to get by spending more for a rifle than what a new Savage 110/111/116 costs ?

Which necessary function will another more expensive brand perform better than the Savage ?

My cheapest DG rifle is an Interarms Mauser X Whitworth in 458 Win Mag. Paid $198 for it new a few years back. Am sure there were more expensive rifles available then, but the cheap Mauser did fine.

Today, the cheapest new DG rifle may be the Savage (haven't checked). In what function will a more expensive rifle perform better ? Accuracy ? Reliability ? Durability ? Feeding from the magazine ? Extraction of properly loaded and fired cartridge ?

I have used a 500 Nitro Express double rifle on cape buffalo. Enjoyed it. Worked great. Would do it again.

But that doesn't make me knock the Savage.

This thread may cause me to leave some of the more expensive rifles at home next time and take only Savages.


.

...and you wouldn't know a decent rifle if it bit you on the azz...

Savages are far more accurate than Remingtons, or most other production rifles. Also, the new Savage 116 375 is a CRF with plenty of room for the 375 length rounds...not so with 98 Mausers. I have guns worth around ten grand here in the safes, and have 3 safes full of guns of all types. This FSS116 Savage out shoots all of them but one. It also feeds much better than the Winjammer Safari series rifles ever did. I owned five of the Winjammers, trying to find a "decent" rifle.

Snobs, are snobs......Savages work..... Two pearls of truth...

"+1"

While I can sort of understand the history part of the DG rifle, CRF or double what have you, how can one tell another that what he has is any less a weapon than your idea of ideal. If a warm fuzzy feeling is had because you spent 3K and he did not, more power to you. Both weapons get the job done.

The only rifle failure I ever had was a CRF Ruger that would not extract. Pretty is as pretty does. Problems can be found with anything. Look at the money spent on the shuttle program, with major problems. The hunting lifestyle is about the roads traveled, be it with a BMW or a Crown Victoria, both get you to your destination.

Now I don't know about the Crown Victoria.

Replace that with a 67 Buick Electra 225 and I agree with your point.

.

Funny stuff indeed. If you would call a Savage a fine rifle, then you would be the one that needs to be bitten on the azz. Never heard of or seen any Savage used by any dangerous game PH, not one, not a single example. So you go ahead and be the trendsetter, know it all.

Might be the perfect choice for the $100 dollar buffalo hunts.

Not a comment on any particular brand, but I had a target rifle built that had a Shilen Match tube, Mauser action stiffened and trued, pillar bedded. It would shoot 1/10" groups at 100 yds when I did my part, and stayed calm.

I was running a benchrest match and a friend asked to use my custom built. I let him and he shot a 1/2 group at 250 yds. Everyone said "well yes any one could with that rifle" Tony took his virtual stock Winny ranger in 270, and reshot the course of fire. He scored 5/8 ". We had done a glass bed and load development but other than that it was an out of the box Ranger.

Moral of story. A good shooting rifle is a good shooting rifle and a good shot is a good shot. Brand name is not the determining factor. The Ranger had a crappy piece of wood and the bluing was not good, but that gun was a shooter. Every one at the shoot commented on how they liked his Ranger. No one made comment about my custom other than to offer me 300 bucks for it, the price of a Winny Ranger at the time.

Randy

Not only a rifle snob, but you can't eaven read. The term was "decent" and doesn't translate to "fine". Now get your head out of yours and your nose well above everyone else's here, where you choose to keep it.

By the way, my next buffalo hunt is costing only a plane ticket over and back. Since your caught up in money being the measure of everything, I'll be using a $7,500.00 combination gun and a $750.00 (including scope and mounts) Savage. Please don't tell the buffalo, however. They may insist I use the expensive gun with expensive ammo to kill them.

Yes, but I can spell, you might try it sometime. I am not a rifle snob by any means. I just think that better tools exist than a Savage for dangerous game hunting. I think most PH's would agree with me. Botton line, use what makes you happy, it's your life on the line, not mine.

[/quote]

Yes, but I can spell, you might try it sometime. I am not a rifle snob by any means. I just think that better tools exist than a Savage for dangerous game hunting. I think most PH's would agree with me. Botton line, use what makes you happy, it's your life on the line, not mine. [/quote]

I kan spel reel gud. Its these D*#^@d flingers uvv myn that dun't allers work rite!



As I said before, nothing beats a well tuned up Mauser action. But, as our dollar nosedives and investments and pensions shrink, it may well be that average Joe safari clients like myself need to use what works at lesser prices, buddy-up for 2X1 hunts or even 4X2 hunts, forget about Tanzania, and find ways to get to Africa the first time, or in my case...one last time.

I have two other good 375's that I don't want to expose to the real possibilities of theft while traveling (went through that not long ago), and the Savage seems to work well on all counts. If I were making my living hunting dangerous game, I would have a heavy rifle, built on a magnum Mauser action and a reliable double rifle, but the Savage is fine for the occasional safari client and is a very good choice for dense wet forest elk and bear hunting.

The cost of a gun isn't a true measure of its functionality and appropriateness. I sold a very fine Sako Safari Grade 375, because I didn't want to use a push-feed for Africa. It was a good elk rifle, however. I had a good friend who lived in Africa for years in his earlier life; he worked culling elephants, using a circa 1966 Win Mdl 70 in 30-06. He loved the gun. A PH I know uses a Rem 700 416 Rem as his buffalo back up rifle.

In all actuality, I worry more about the smaller whallop of the 375 than the rifle spitting it out. If offered, I'd take a Savage in 416 Rem over ANY 375 ever built at any price for buffalo.

I'm glad we have so many choices, and we have a good forum to fight over them. It makes the time between hunts go by...

>It makes the time between hunts go by... <

Exactly.

Telling a guy that a rifle he has carried, and shot, and trusted, and been successful with, isnt of high enough quality to merit its use on this or that game or on this or that continent is nuts.

But it do kill time between seasons.

luv2safari, thanks for the civil reply. I think that we can agree on what you stated above. I am clearly not a big Savage fan, but I do agree with you on the magnum mauser actions. I have been fortunate enough to have had good luck with model 70's myself, and they are cheap enough. I realize not everyone gets a good one, and most all should be worked over right out of the box.

Those old push feed model 70's were good rifles for sure.

I have to say that I do respect your opinions, and feel they are well founded and from experience. Trading a few jabs is what men do, and we do it with respect. Keep posting them, and I'll keep reading them.

There's a lot of education to be had here. Entertaining thread.

It did open my eyes to an idea I hadnt thought of, which after some consideration makes a lot of sense.
A light weight and weather proof 375 that I wont mind getting covered with snow or salt spray, or laying across the seat of a boat on a trip to shore. No fancy wood or blued steel to worry about.....strictly business.

Yes. It sounds like the Ruger 'Alaskan' if the 375 Ruger fulfills your needs. And if it is reliable -- that's not a slam, I just have no experience with that rifle.
I did have some experience with a Ruger 77 458 that was not reliable in feeding a quick second shot (at a range).

g5m,

I had two of the "Africans", but had to sell them for medical bills. They both were slick feeding rifles. I thought very highly of them and the 375 Ruger round.

I will get a new African Hawkeye in the new 416 Ruger round next year. I have enough 375s, if that can happen...

[quote
Also, the new Savage 116 375 is a CRF [/quote]

Savage has a new action?

Its not listed on their website - unless I am missing it........

Weather Warrior section at the bottom of the listings. Did you see the bolt face for the 375 in the posted photos? It isn't the old Savage bolt face.

Got it now - looks like a similar setup to a Sako 85.

luv2,

first off, let me state categoricaly that i love savage arms as a company... they built the .22 rimfire that i chose to use as a trainer for my youngest...
i love the accutrigger... in my experience they work as a trigger should, and i believe that all manufacturors will emulate it eventually...
my old 99f is one of a pair of rifles that i will not willingly part with...

but...
some years back, i had a savage 110 in 30-06 in captivity... it shot like a house afire... spooky accurate with just about any load that i ran through it...
bolt handle kept falling off the dang thing though... the handle was attached to the rear of the bolt by a slot head screw device that threaded axially into the bolt...
about every 8 action cycles it would work its way out and the bolt handle would come right off...
after i degreased the threads, both internal and external, and applied some loctite to them, the problem did not re-occur... but i did not have the rifle for long either...

the savages that i see now have what appears to be an"allen" headed screw attachment, but i have not looked at them closely enough to detect any other differences...
how securely is your bolt handle attached???
regards.... john w

John,

I have only 80 rounds through it so far, and everything is fine. I had heard about the same thing in older 110s, but it seemed to be not too common. ONCE is too much, however.

I believe from living with this new 116 series that Savage has done some homework.

ALSO... the person to whom that post was directed is a real straight guy and a credit to the forum. We were just exchanging some testosterone... I have absolute respect for him.

I just love this stuff, all these experts yet you havent even used the rifle. "Oh my god its ugly" so what? Your not going on a date with the thing! Maybe you should be fondling something else besides your gun, but some how i think that may not work as well as your stupidity

Have accumulated a few Savages in 375 H&H, 416, 458, and 470 Capstick over the years. Obviously, some of these are rebarreled.

Like the quick rebarrel option and think it has special merit in Africa. Not recommending it for others, but starting with a 470 while DG is on the list and then switching to 375 when all the DG have been taken ain't too bad a plan. Even if you don't switch to 375, having the extra barrel in a common caliber (even 300 Win Mag) is not a bad idea. Have run out of ammo for a specific gun on occasion when a culling opportunity unexpectedly arose. Takes less than five minutes to switch barrels in the field. Wouldn't do it during the middle of a buffalo charge.

Extra barrels are lighter for airline luggage than extra complete rifles, but would always take at least two complete rifles with backup scopes to Africa. If both are Savages, then the extra barrels could be used on other Savage too. An extra complete bolt assembly for 30-06 would further increase the options. As ya'll know, the bolt action Savage is a complete erector set gun.

Have not had a failure to operate (feed, fire, extract) with the Savages yet.

Have had a few trips to Africa and other remote places so can appreciate the need for reliability in the field far from home.

Think Savage is OK.


My Brownings, Dakotas, Granite Mountain, Mausers, Montanas, Remingtons, Sakos, Weatherbys, Winchesters, etc. are OK too.


.

No dog in this fight, just a report of my limited experience. I picked up a Savage 116 in 375H&H when it was the Alaskan Guide Model in 2006. I was in Valdez after brown bear carrying a custom 338WM from a well known maker, but that 338 was a rifle that I never trusted was reliable enough for a possible fight at close range. I sighted in the Savage - shot well with Fail Safe 300s factory ammo - but fortunately (?) I didn't shoot at a bear with the 375. A couple of things bothered me about the Savage, even before I bought it - the plastic magazine follower and too many unprotected carbon steel parts for a rough weather rifle. After getting home I worked with the M116 .375 enough to proof to myself that the feeding wasn't what I was looking for in a DG rifle. I admit it's a sample of one and may be just me. I wound up with a Ruger Hawkeye Alaskan and 3 bears in my last 2 trips back to the Great Land. Just reporting my personal experience with all the caveats surrounding anecdotal 'data.'

Catter,

What type of feeding problems did you experience? This 116 of mine is pretty slick and feeds perfectly, no matter how erratic I purposely work the bolt. I am still evaluating the gun, as I have little experience with the 110 design, but many years with pre-64 mdl 70s and 98 Mausers; all is OK so far.

Luv2safari, apologize for the delay but have been away from this thread for awhile. Main type of feeding problems were caused when the mag follower tipped down and the bolt overrode the next round and failed to feed it. Admittedly this didn't happen with every round and may well have been due to the mag spring and may have been cured with a replacement. Every type of rifle can have bad parts, etc. As do others, I believe there's a 'mystical' quality of faith in DGR reliability that once breached can be hard to re-establish. I admit to magical thinking in this area. I found a Ruger Hawkeye about this time, traded the Savage for it and have now used the Alaskan enough to think it's reliable for DG. Maybe I wasn't fair to the Savage, but there it is ...

YES.

BMT

TTT for the fellow who inquired about Savage .375's

I have generally been a Remington man, but I won a Savage 110 in 270 a few years ago in a raffle, right after the Accutrigger was introduced. I was going to re-barrel it to 35 Whelen but fortunately I shot it first. It shot .8" groups at 100 yards with the el-cheapo Remington 130 grain core-lokt factory ammo (well, it was cheap then), and that's for 5 shots, not 3. I have since bought two more, one of which I did re-barrel to 35 Whelen. I have never had a failure to feed, extract, or eject with any of these rifles, and I have at least 500 rounds through the 270, a couple hundred through the 35 Whelen, and at least a hundred through the other, a 30-06.

Yes, the Accutrigger is as great as Savage makes it sound.

FYIW, my father finally got to go on a moose hunt in Newfoundland a couple of years ago. He had been talking about going on a guided trip for some time, after us kids were done with college. He scrimped and saved to go, selling stuff on Ebay, etc. I think the whole bill came to around $4000, including travel, tip, etc. He couldn't afford to also go out and buy a dedicated moose rig, so he just took his old 721 in 30-06 with a steel 4x Weaver, and shot a nice bull. Everyone else in camp had 30-06's. Most of them had 742's.

There are a large number of people who travel to Canada, Alaska, Africa, or even just "Out West" every year that get by just fine with rifles they can afford. I don't think their satisfaction in their hunts are affected one bit by the price tag on their rifles, nor do the elk/moose/buffalo know the difference.

JV

Never actually owned a Savage bolt action myself...almost got my hands on a 99 a couple of times and have shot them. May get that nice lil .308 winny my buddy keeps yakkin bout sellin yet.

Used to be quite the range rat and over the years saw a lot of different rifle brands performing at the range as well as field shooting here in B.C.
Savages are just plain accurate..not lovely but accurate, function above form rifles. Some guys value that above looks and name some don't. At the end of the day both will prolly be pretty darn happy with their personal choice. (and that's what its all about)
I can tell you from personal experience they are hell for strong rifles tho.
Years ago my brother and his buddy Vic were hunting Black-Tails in real nasty winter conditions. It was raining then snowing and suddenly got pretty cold. Well Vic is kind of a character.. he thot that puttin a small twig in the muzzle to keep out the snow would be a great idea. So sure nuff about an hour or so later he spots a dandy buck bedded in the timber and takes a poke at him. I was a fair distance from Vic at the time but even then I was able to tell that something didn't seem right about the sound of that shot. Well I found Vic a short time later still standing where he fired that shot and there was his rifle leaned against a large fir tree with the classic umbrella bbl look! Yep blew it up and not a scratch on him. It was a old 110 in 7 mm rem mag btw. The action was fine just the bbl blew and it only split up to the fore stock tip. Guess the twig got water behind and round it and froze solid for a nice little plug effect.
He still has that rifle exactly like it was when it blew up and shows it off... with the don't try this warning.LOL

I will say that I have had some similar feeding issues with my Savage 114. Wish it was a floor-plate style instead of the detachable mag.

Seems like if the bolt is worked too quickly, it will ride right over the next round in the mag and not load anything.

I like it 'cause it's accurate and isn't a DG rifle since it's just a 30-06.

I've had ZERO feed issues with either Dad's .416 Rigby Ruger M77, my own M77 in 30-06, or dad's M77 30-06.

I like the RSI's too much to put a scope on them and mess up the lines so I need the Savage for long-range work.