WHY This RIFLE?
There are two ways to shoot dynamite at long range. If you have a constant-feed machine gun like a Browning 1919, you can spray and pray that you hit something. This is the most common method at the Big Sandy shoot.
The second, lesser-known method is to accurately fire one shot at each small dynamite detonator at ranges from 150 to 400 yards. That is why I picked the Savage Axis II in my favorite long-range caliber: .30-06 Springfield.
Savage makes an accurate factory production rifle. I own a Savage 112 bolt-action rifle in .223, and it is a tack driver out to 200 yards. When I saw that Savage’s production chassis rifle was chambered in .30-06, I grabbed it. I have lots of .30-06 ammo and components for reloading.
Related: Savage Arms Filling Hunters’ Wish Lists in 2024
Modular Driven Technologies has combined with Savage to take this bolt-action rifle to a high level of long-range accuracy. The MDT polymer stock will not warp and adds a free-floated barrel feature for stability. I like the Savage AccuTrigger. The two-part design allows for a light trigger break, and it is adjustable.
A rifle is only as accurate as its barrel, and the Savage 22-inch heavy carbon steel barrel is button-rifled for accuracy and threaded for my suppressor. MDT knows that a rifle needs to fit the shooter, and the Axis II is highly customizable. Length of pull can be set to suit the shooter by limiting or adding spacers to the but plate, and the comb can be set to the exact height needed for a good cheek weld. Abundant M-LOK slots on the forend and a generous Pic rail on the receiver top ensures that I can add any accessory or scope that I need.
MY SAVAGE
I have customized my rifle with an adjustable bipod, monopod, suppressor, and long-range riflescope to bring out the accuracy of the .30-06 cartridge. Attaching each to the Savage is a snap. The Atlas BT65 Gen 2 CAL bipod is well-made and attaches easily with its ADM 170S lever. The bipod is made from 6061-T6 aluminum for strength and employs five-position legs and a locking lever that allows precise cant adjustment.
At the lower rear of the stock is the Accu-Shot Precision Rail Mount monopod. Its quick-knob button allows for fast elevation acquisition. This bipod and monopod arrangement lets me shoot from prone when a solid bench is not available.
Suppressors are a great way to protect your hearing and stabilize long-range bullet flight. My SilencerCo Hybrid 46 rifle suppressor is designed to tame the blast and noise of the .30-06. Some have commented that it sounds like a .22 rifle when fired. The titanium construction will take the brutal blast of this cartridge with ease. It adds 8 inches to the barrel length.
Next to an accurate barrel, I need a precise riflescope. The Sightron SIII 6x24x50 long-range riflescope gets the job done. I picked it because of its clarity of vision, target-adjustable knobs, and minute-of-angle reticle. Its side-mounted parallax knob is convenient and quickly focuses my aim. I have found that the elevation and windage knobs repeat precisely to pre-determined distances and I have written these on a cheat sheet taped onto the receiver. Coupled with the reticle minute markings, I can quickly make accurate adjustments.
These customizations yield a very accurate and stable platform. When I lie prone and align the bipod, monopod, and scope, I feel confident that I will hit where I aim. The MDT grip fills my hand perfectly. The 15-pound overall weight helps to tame the recoil of the mighty .30-06 cartridge. I especially like the quiet report of the suppressed barrel. Quiet is nice.
Rifle Specs
- Overall Length: 43 inches
- Length of Pull: Adjustable from 13.5 to 14.5 inches
- Barrel: 22 inches
- Trigger: Adjustable from 2.5 to 6 pounds
- Weight: 9.89 pounds
- Picatinny Rail: 7.5 inches
- M-LOK: 6 inches on forend, bottom, and sides
- Magazine: Steel five-round capacity
- Safety: Tang, push forward to fire
Ammo Specs
I used hand-loaded ammunition for most of this test. Although 150-grain military ball was also fired at closer ranges, only my handloads were used at long range.
- .30-06 Winchester brass: Full-length sized and neck annealed
- Powder: Hodgdon Varget
- Charge: 45 grains
- Bullet: Hornady 170 grain BTHP
- Average Velocity: 2538 fps
- Extreme Spread: 65
- Standard Deviation: 20
Shooting Dynamite
The long firing line in Northern Arizona known as the Big Sandy seems to stretch on for half a mile. Every type of machine gun, artillery, tank, mortar, 20mm cannon, Gatling gun, and minigun are here. Downrange are light dynamite charges placed between 150 and 200 yards. Their small detonators, only inches long, prove to be challenging targets for light rifles. However, I hope to go long.
Out past 400 yards are the big charges of blasting composition normally used in mining operations. Known as ANFO, it is composed of ammonium nitrate mixed with fuel oil. This charge weighs several pounds and is placed below ground with a small detonator roughly the size of a small pop can visible as a target. My goal is to hit one of these targets with the precision of the Savage Axis II.
Although not easy to locate with the naked eye, my Sightron scope can see it well. I have adjusted my elevation turret to the proper distance but cannot be sure of wind drift. My spotter uses binoculars to spot my first four misses as slightly to the right of the detonator. I hold carefully left using the scope’s 1-minute hash marks. My fifth muffled shot finds its mark, and I am astounded by a loud “whump” and an immense mushroom cloud of dirt as the ANFO explodes high above the desert. What a rush!
I am proud of the one-shot one-hit capability of the Savage Axis II. Its comfortable MDT chassis stock and my accessories make an unbeatable platform for single bullet placement. During the two-day event, I hit many close and mid-range targets with the Savage, but the 400-yard maximum range shot is my best achievement. Although a standard production gun, Savage has come up with the basis of a customizable accurate rifle. My only wish is that longer barrels were available to enhance accuracy even more.
PROS & Cons
