A bolt-action rifle in a polymer stock is nothing new. Most are solid, no-frills workhorses that are durable and shoot well. Savage, already known for many versions of their Model 10/110 rifles, pushed the performance and affordability envelope further when they introduced their Axis line of bolt actions. These were utilitarian rifles that employed new design and manufacturing techniques to reduce cost yet still deliver solid performance. This year Savage has upped the budget bolt-action ante with the introduction of the Axis 2 Pro. You don’t get something for nothing, and upgraded features do bump up the price a bit, but also the overall value.
First, let’s talk about the barrel nuts and bolts of the Savage Axis line in general. While maybe not as refined or elegant as other rifle actions, the Axis is robust, has a solid top for rigidity, uses a barrel-nut system that makes it easy to set the headspace and change barrels and has a floating bolt head. This all contributes to rifles that are consistently accurate as well as reducing manufacturing and assembly cost. That’s a win for those looking for consistently good performance without selling a kidney.
Savage made performance and cosmetic upgrades to the Axis 2 Pro. Sure, the beauty enhancements don’t improve the group size, but no one said you can’t deliver performance while also looking good, right? An immediate noticeable upgrade over the previous Axis line is the stock. Sure, it’s still made of cost-effective polymer, but Savage added some improved geometry for ergonomics and performance such as subtle thumb rests for a precision-rifle style grip, a more vertical pistol grip, a recessed sling swivel stud up front, improved checkering and offering some great looking camo patterns called Savage Woodland or Savage Western. They both look great.
Mechanical upgrades over the standard Axis include the addition of their AccuTrigger, a improved bolt handle design that improves the shooter’s grip over the previous geometry, a bronze Cerakoted action and barrel, a slightly heavier profile barrel over the previous sporter versions and, thankfully, a threaded muzzle so you can use a suppressor. Let’s just clear the air: If you can legally do so and you can afford one, use a suppressor. It’s better for your hearing, it’s better for your fellow shooters’ hearing and it’s just civilized. Unless a rifle has some sort of non-adjustable gas system or some other funky reason not to, the barrel should be threaded. OK, end of story, moving on. Rounding out the feature set includes a factory installed Picatinny rail scope base, a two-position tang safety that does not lock the bolt, and a detachable box magazine that is easy to load and insert into the rifle. The magazine is nothing fancy, but it is metal, so that’s nice.
While many current bolt-action rifles have the personality of dry toast, the Savage Axis 2 Pro has some flair. That’s nice and all, but how does it shoot? To find out I mounted a Leupold VX-6HD 3-18x44 onto the factory rail of our sample in 6.5 Creedmoor and set about giving it a go both on the range and in the mountains. Ammunition used included loads from Hornady, Federal and Nosler. Details are in the accompanying table. Our sample rifle weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces with an average trigger pull weight of 2.5 pounds.
Overall accuracy was good but not amazing, and that’s OK. This isn’t a high-end precision rifle, and it’s not meant to be. This is an affordable bolt action with some nicely upgraded features. The aforementioned Accu-Trigger is one of those features. Love it or hate it, it was innovative when it was introduced, helped popularize the center-trigger-blade dongle thingy, is user adjustable and works well. While the barrel is slightly heavier than the previous profile, the Axis 2 Pro is still fairly light, so even using my Banish 30 suppressor, which has some muzzle brake effect, the rifle jumps a bit. That’s no big deal and not a deficiency of the rifle, but it’s worth noting because you likely won’t see your impacts when shooting or hunting. It was impossible to see the hits on an MGM Mini IPSC target at 400 yards. Fortunately the sound and target movement made it easy to confirm impacts.
While the Axis 2 Pro is a solid value and a fun and worthy take on an affordable bolt action, it’s not all warm sunshine in Rivendell. It would be nice if the bottom of the fore-end were a bit flatter. I shot our sample off shooting bags, and it’s not easy to keep the rifle from rolling side to side. Which brings us to another issue; the reason I had to use bags instead of the bipod was because while tightening a Harris bipod onto the front sling swivel stud the process pulled the stud out of the polymer stock. I understand keeping costs down is an objective, but it would be nice to have either a Picatinny rail molded into the stock for a bipod or a way to attach a rail section. While this particular Cerakote is pretty, and it is pretty, it does seem to actually lessen how smoothly the action works. Repeated use will likely smooth things out a bit. Also, not knowing how much it would cost, I will blindly say it would be nice if they added the three-position safety found on the Model 10/110 action.
Sure, the Axis 2 Pro is not perfect, but it costs less than $600, has some premium features, is accurate and it looks great on top of it all. For most hunting in the U.S., this rifle is ready to go right out of the box. It is durable due to coatings and construction, is fairly light, and it comes with a good scope base making mounting a scope simple and straight forward. Any hunter wanting to take a bet that won’t break the bank, the Axis 2 Pro will be a solid choice.
Savage Axis 2 Pro Specifications
- savagearms.com
- Type: bolt-action centerfire rifle
- Caliber: .223 Rem., .22-250 Rem., .243 Win., 6mm ARC, 6.5 Creedmoor (tested), 7mm-08 Rem., .308 Win., 350 Legend, 400 Legend, .25-06 Rem., .270 Win., .30-06 Sprg.
- Magazine: removable box; 4-rnd. capacity
- Barrel: 20"; carbon steel; heavy sporter contour; button rifled; 1:8" RH twist; 5/8x24 TPI threaded muzzle
- Trigger: AccuTrigger; two-stage; adjustable, 2.5 lbs. - 6 lbs. pull weight
- Sights: none; one-piece Picatinny rail for optics
- Safety: two-position tang
- Stock: sporter style w/raised comb; synthetic; pistol grip w/ambidextrous palm swells; Savage Woodland finish; 13.75" LOP
- Metal Finish: Gun Metal Bronze Cerakote
- Overall Length: 40.5"
- Weight: 6.8 lbs.
- Accessories: none
- MSRP: $599
