Savage Mark II FV-SR vs Ruger American 22LR

[tomandjerry00]

So I was pretty set on a Ruger American Rimfire in 22LR, but then saw this deal today:

http://www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperstore.com/products2.cfm/ID/75180/c/firearms#reviews

$205 after rebate seems like a steal!

I'm looking for the most accurate 22LR I can get for ~$250, preferably threaded so I can get a can one day. Planning on putting either a Vortex Crossfire 4-12x40 or a Sweet 22 on it.

I love the Accutrigger on the Savage, find is superior to the Ruger American triggers I've messed with (only centerfire). But the Ruger mags are a major draw.

I have a Remington 597 and a Henry Survival AR-7 so now looking for a bolt 22LR.

Decisions decisions....

 

[Mack C-85]

My wife and I both own Ruger American Rimfires and 10/22's. We bought her's mainly to use for Scouts (must have removable mag). We both liked it so much, and she was always shooting it when I wanted to, so I bought myself one. One thing I liked for scouts was the ability to change to shorter LOP with the modular stocks. Also, to raise the comb for the scope.

 

[gwchem]

I'm fairly happy with my savage, but it's only a matter of time before I replace the stock with a tacticool or something (this will cost you ~120-150). It's LOP is way too short, and it's too low for me with a 3-9x40 bushnell scope and low rings. If you don't care about threaded or bull barrel, buds has a good package deal for ~250, and the scope is close enough in quality to the sweet .22. Mags are ~15 on ebay, but if you have a 10/22 it would make sense to use a compatible bolt gun.

 

[Sticky]

I have a Savage Mk II bull bbl 22 and it is a tackdriver, right from the box. It is pre-accutrigger, so I had to do some trigger work, but a beer can later, it now shoots like a dream!

 

[teratos]

I have an FV-SR. I only shoot it suppressed. I like the trigger, and it shoots great.

 

['04 Cummins]

No experience with the Ruger American, but I have a Mark II and a 93r17, both very accurate. No mag issues with the Mark II, but one of my 93 mags required a bit of tweaking with some pliers to work reliably.

 

[Speed3]

I have an FV-SR. I only shoot it suppressed. I like the trigger, and it shoots great.

+1 at 25 yards can easily cloverleaf bullets. Not sure you can go wrong with either, honestly.

 

[tomandjerry00]

Thanks for the thoughts everyone, keep 'em coming!

 

[Art3]

I started writing this as just putting in my 2 cents…it seems to have turned into a dime novel…inflation?

I have a Ruger American Rimfire (the long version) and a Savage MK II. My Savage is not the same tactical version you are looking at, but I would think the action would be the same. In my own experience, both guns have their pros and cons and my recommendation would be based on your expectations for the rifle.

The Savage is the most accurate .22 I’ve ever owned. I don’t use fancy ammo (it gets fed mostly Thunderbolts and Winchester M-22, which it seems to like a little better), and it has the who-knows-what-brand of rings and 3-9 scope that came on it from Dick’s. From a rest at 100yds I can keep 95% hits on a golf ball sized target. Flyers happen, but I usually credit them to the ammo or myself.

Unfortunately, my Savage has had reliability issues from day 1. While it extracts fine, it does not consistently eject. I’ve tried varying how “snappy” I am with the action, and there really seems to be no rhyme or reason. Sometimes empties zing out a couple of feet like I’d expect; sometimes they dribble out and barely clear the stock. Sometimes they jump straight up just enough to be pushed out of the extractor and drop back into the action. I asked the Interwebs and a lot of people had similar problems that were resolved by replacing the ejector spring (or doubling them up). When I was looking for a new one, the part was backordered. I contacted Savage asking if there were any local authorized smiths who might have the part in their inventory. I got a form letter back that basically said, “We’re sorry you are having problems with our product. Ship it back to us and we will fix it.” I didn’t want to do that. After some careful bending and dremel work on a piece of heavy metal strapping, I had a pretty close copy of the original spring, only stiffer. That made for a drastic improvement…not 100%, but a lot better.

Every once in a while, it also does not cock. Again, I haven’t found a pattern to it. Randomly nothing happens when the trigger is pulled. If I lift then lower the bolt handle (not actually opening the action), it works fine. This does not happen very often…maybe 5% or less.

Finally there came a time when it would not fire at all. I tried everything: recock, completely cycle the action, mag out and in, safety on and off…just nothing…no click, nothing. It was a real bummer because it happened during a match, the match that I had won with that very rifle the year before. When I got it home and started tinkering inside the best I could figure was that, despite the external position of button, the manual safety was binding up or not fully disengaging internally. By disengaging the manual safety all the way into a little baggie on the shelf, the rifle has been working fine. I’ve always kept it clean and treat it more like “real” target rifle than “just a .22” Maybe it’s a lemon?

Soooo…how’s that for a Savage endorsement? Honestly, I really like the rifle. I bought it strictly as an at the range target rifle, and, in an accuracy over reliability role, I’m happy with it. When it goes bang, it hits the target. If I had intended it for any other purpose where going bang was critical, it would have been (metaphorically, of course) thrown in the river long ago.

I haven’t had the Ruger American for nearly as long as the Savage, but it seems to be the opposite. It has always functioned flawlessly with a variety of cheap ammo and a mix of old/weak/dirty magazines. Being able to use my vast supply of 10/22 mags is a very nice bonus. The flush fit is nice and they seem to be (to me, at least) more stoutly constructed than the Savage mags. I messed around with the stock inserts a little but wasn’t really moved either way.

Despite (or perhaps because of) all the Ruger hype, however, accuracy was disappointing…no better than an out of the box 10/22. I wanted to keep the Made in USA theme going and used Weaver mounts under a Leupold VX-1. At 100yds from the bench I couldn’t get a consistent group smaller than 3 inches. It does a lot better at 50 yds…but nothing like the Savage. So I have a $200 100yd rifle and $500ish 50yd setup…isn’t that a little backwards?

The bottom line for me in choosing which one comes out of the safe is: If I want to make little holes in paper really close together, and have all day to do it, I’ll take the Savage. If I was going hunting, walking through the woods or could potentially find myself in a position where it absolutely had to go bang when I asked it to, I’d take the Ruger.

I don’t know if that helps or not. It’s just my 2 cents…I hope you don’t want change back 

 

[ericoak]

You probably should have sent your gun in, mine doesn't have those problems...

 

[Sticky]

I had issues with extraction when I first got my rifle from Savage, contacted them and they sent me upgraded parts. Have had no issue since.

Mine is older, pre-accutrigger and I purchased it new from Dicks, cause they had a great sale price on exactly what I wanted.

 

[Art3]

You probably should have sent your gun in, mine doesn't have those problems...

You are absolutely right, I should have sent it in. I didn't because I did not want the hassle , cost, and down time of shipping it. The homemade spring gave me almost instant gratification.
The other problems didn't show up for a few years later. Sending it back a second time would have made me kind of irate.

If it was my only rifle, I'd be more worried about it. If it wasn't so accurate, it wouldn't get to take up valuable real estate in the safe. I'm content with it as it is. In a silly sort of way, I think not being sure it will go off when I pull the trigger helps my shooting. There is no hiding flinch or anticipation when nothing goes bang...kinda like my flintlock

Sticky, mine came from a Dick's sale too. It was supposed to be a looking not a buying trip...But, there I was, a young man with a credit card...and it was such a good looking rifle...AND on sale! What was I supposed to do?

 

[tomandjerry00]

Fantastic write up, thanks a lot!

Looks like I'm searching for a savage.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[4MDGunRights]

I put an Apache trigger on my FVSR, and it is a great improvement (about 1lb. 4 oz. now). You'll need the Savage Accutrigger adjustment tool to do the spring adjustment for the installation properly, but if you call and ask Savage nicely, they will send you one for free. I also installed a Boyd's Tacticool stock, and added aluminum pillars as well as bedding the receiver, and it is very accurate and consistant now.

 

[ducrider45]

I have everything mentioned above. You cant go wrong either way. the Ruger has a better action and stock. the rest is the same.

 

[tomandjerry00]

Bought a used Savage with the Tacticool stock from a member here. Took it out Sunday and loved it! Was very impressed with feel and precision.

Can't wait to try some match ammo!

 

['04 Cummins]

Bought a used Savage with the Tacticool stock from a member here. Took it out Sunday and loved it! Was very impressed with feel and precision.

Can't wait to try some match ammo!

You bought that one in the classifieds? Good, because it was really tempting me... I kept imagining it sitting in my safe with a Sparrow on it!

 

[sead0nkey]

I have had both, I ended up selling the savage and keeping the ruger. I felt they were both great shooters. I kept the ruger because of the mags for two reasons...I can swap them back and forth with my 10/22, and the savage mag felt cheap in comparison.

 

[tomandjerry00]

You bought that one in the classifieds? Good, because it was really tempting me... I kept imagining it sitting in my safe with a Sparrow on it!

Sure did! Now trying to talk a lawyer friend into putting an NFA trust together for me and getting a suppressor.

 

[Traveler]

Savage. Great 22 for the money. I like Ruger firearms, but the Savage seems better for such a cheap gun.