Range report..

This is the range I shoot at. The cost of an annual family membership here is $50, and range fees are $5 for members, $15 for non-members, so the membership makes sense.

I got there a little late this morning, around 10:30 (range opens @ 9:30 on Sundays), and the 25-yard spots were all taken so I set up on the full range (up to 200 yards), but put my targets at 50 yards...

This was the view from my bench. The berm is at 100 yards, and the targets you see standing up are at 50 yards (I had not set my targets up yet).

I used "NRA Official 50 yard smallbore rifle targets", which are 14x24in sheets containing 5 targets that are a hair less than 6" in diameter. Ammo used was 40gr Fiocci FMJ. Here's my best group with the Savage:

I shot in groups of 10 (a full magazine) - there's a flyer off to the upper left that was off-camera. It's not too tight, I know, but that's why I bought this rifle - to practice prodigiously without bankrupting the family :)... Bear in mind that the front post of my sight is bigger than this black circle at 50 yards...

Contrast with my Ruger 10/22 at the same range:

Now the Ruger has a 3-9 x40 Barska scope on it, which makes things a little easier...

My overall impression of the Savage is that it is a good value for the money. I love the accutrigger! After initial take-up, it is just the barest twitch to fire, so no jerking the barrel. When I picked up my Ruger, the difference was obvious, and it took me a couple of magazines worth to get used to it again.

The bolt did work itself in somewhat, but I did have a couple of misfeeds, though that may have been the wobbly magazine. It's a decent rifle, though I need more practice with it.