Range Tested: Savage Arms Axis 2 Pro Woodland

Senior Executive Editor Jon Draper and Digital Associate Editor David Herman take to the range with Savage Arms' all new Axis 2 Pro Woodland. The crème of the updated Savage Axis 2 rifle family crop, the Axis 2 Pro sports features you’d usually only find on rifles at double its price.

To start, a Savage AccuTrigger comes standard, delivering shooters the adjustment and clean-breaking nature they have come to expect from the brand. This pairs with the Woodland-finished synthetic stock, which has been redesigned with a near-vertical grip for optimal finger position on the trigger, and a thumb shelf for those who run their shooting-hand thumb on the same side. Other features include a raised cheek comb for better alignment with magnified optics, and an angled bottom on the buttstock to make elevation adjustments easy when shooting off bags. A thick rubber recoil pad soaks up any kick from some of the heftier chamberings the gun is offered in.

Next off, the barrel has been chopped to 20-inches and its muzzle threaded to 5/8x24 TPI—modifications that make the Axis 2 Pro extremely nimble, perfect for maneuvering through dense woods or shooting from the tight confines of a ground blind, while leaving plenty of room to add a suppressor. Moving rearward, the hexagonal bolt handle has been enlarged for a very positive purchase while still allowing plenty of room to clear your optic easily. Those optics can be mounted directly onto the one-piece 0 MOA rail running atop the sturdy cylindrical receiver.

These are just the beginning of the features that come standard on the Axis 2 Pro, which is available in 12 calibers and counting, and even comes in lefthanded versions. Learn more about it at the video embedded above, where Jon and David put the gun through its paces, then check out savagearms.com to see all the company has to offer. MSRP: $599-629

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