Did Some Work to my Savage 220

[Natty Bumppo]

When Savage came out with the 220 slug gun about 14 or 15 years ago I bought one in the very first year of production. My local FFL advised me not to because of some rumors of poor actions. But I heard some great accuracy reviews and bought one anyway.

Well, my FFL was right. Despite being probably one of the most accurate slug guns I have even owned, the bolt action is total crap. It's not smooth. Feeding is often an issue. If I forget to take my time after a shot at a deer and rush the action it will invariable bind up. Just terrible.

But....I do love the accuracy. I just have to remind myself to make the first shot count, because a quick follow up may or may not happen.

I've never loved the plastic stock. And the factory pic rail had the scope placed a little too high for proper eye alignment without breaking cheek weld. I decided to throw a new Boyd's stock on it and then took it to a gunsmith to see what he could do to lower the scope. To get it to sit lower I had to swap out to a scope with no front objective housing. It's a skinner 1x4 with a red dot option. He also polished the bolt face and did some work to smooth the action. It's still not great...but better.

What do ya think? Thoughts on the Savage 220? Your favorite slug gun/ammo combination?

 

[H20fwler]

That looks sexy!
You really dressed it up, I am a Savage fan. I will be buying one of the new Legend 400's, 110 Apex with Vortex Crossfire combo for deer gun here. My son won one in a raffle last year and I borrowed it second day of gun season...fell in love with it.

 

[birdog]

That is a very nice 220. Love the stock. My bolt wasn't silky smooth either which for me was somewhat expected considering the price. However the more I shot it the better it got.

I bought my 220F about 14-15 years ago also. If you keep the plastic fouling out of the barrel it is a accurate slug gun. I always shot the 3 inch accutips with great accuracy.

Since Illinois allowed straight wall cartridges I switched to the CVA Scout in 450 Bushmaster. My 450 is more accurate than my Savage.

Check out tarhunt.com for barrel upgrades for the Savage 220. I was going to send mine in for a new barrel until the straight wall cartridge was approved. I think a stainless barrel on a blued receiver looks pretty good.

https://www.tarhunt.com/savage-220-barrel-upgrades/

 

[Mtyhunter]

One of my hunting buddies from Ohio came to Ok, and it was my first experience with a rifled slug gun. He had this exact Savage 220, i think he's had it for a few years now, so it may be an early model. He also replaced the stock with a laminated Boyds thumbhole stock. (I also have 2 rifles with a Boyds thumbhole stock, and while a little heavy, I love them) Like you said, probably one of the worst actions I've ever felt, and the mag feed seemed clunky at best, but he said he's never had an issue with it. But, the damn thing was shockingly accurate to 100 yds. If I remember right, i think he was shooting Remington accu-tips?
We went out to do some hog hunting, and got him on 2. A small 30lb and a big sow maybe 150lb, and both had half a skull left on 50 yd shots.
I was totally impressed with this rifled shotgun, and now i want one. But I admit i wasn't impressed with the action, and the feed from the mag.

 

[birdog]

I killed a doe at 163 measured yards with mine using the 3 inch Remington Accutip. I put my crosshair level across her back expecting significant drop. I ended up hitting about 2-3 inches below my crosshair and dropped her right in her tracks! I knew the rifle was accurate enough to make the shot.

I sat in chair in front of the tv for weeks working my bolt back and forth. Thankfully I never had any feeding issues.

 

[bigboreblr]

Looks great. Back in my begining days of hunting I thought I could buy a 20ga 870 combo and a 22lr and have everything covered. MAny guns later, still need a few. I found my cantilever slug barrel to be so-so, like 2-3 inch groups at 100. I could shoot better groups with clip on sights with the smoothbore. Spent plenty of dough on fancy ammo, got fustrated and bought a tack driver of a marlin 336. NY lifted the shotgun only resitrciton on my neighboring county years ago, so its been rifles ever since.

Hows the recoil on that gun? You could inlet the stock with some lead weight to soften the recil down. Even 8-12oz of lead is very noticeable. pacmyer makes slip on recoil boots if oyu need a little more cushion.

My browning BLR is grey laminate, its my favorite modern gun stock pattern. I am messy with gun solvents, so plastic stocks aren't a big negative in my opinion either.

I basically shoot a reloadable slug gun, the 450 marlin.

PErhaps your stiff bolt issue could be remedied with handloading. Saw grafs had a 20ga sabot. maybe you can upgrade the bullet if needed.

PULL DOWN 20ga POWER SHOK SABOT SLUG 100/bx - Graf & Sons

PULL DOWN 20ga POWER SHOK SABOT SLUG 100/bx

www.grafs.com

 

[Bill]

I had a 210. That thing was accurate. Gave up hunting where I could use it and let it go. Action was crappy but I never needed a second shot

 

[Natty Bumppo]

That is a very nice 220. Love the stock. My bolt wasn't silky smooth either which for me was somewhat expected considering the price. However the more I shot it the better it got.

I bought my 220F about 14-15 years ago also. If you keep the plastic fouling out of the barrel it is a accurate slug gun. I always shot the 3 inch accutips with great accuracy.

Since Illinois allowed straight wall cartridges I switched to the CVA Scout in 450 Bushmaster. My 450 is more accurate than my Savage.

Check out tarhunt.com for barrel upgrades for the Savage 220. I was going to send mine in for a new barrel until the straight wall cartridge was approved. I think a stainless barrel on a blued receiver looks pretty good.

https://www.tarhunt.com/savage-220-barrel-upgrades/

Thanks for that link to tarhunt. I'll check that out.

And yes, I agree....the Remington accutips in my 220 are a deadly and accurate combination.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

One of my hunting buddies from Ohio came to Ok, and it was my first experience with a rifled slug gun. He had this exact Savage 220, i think he's had it for a few years now, so it may be an early model. He also replaced the stock with a laminated Boyds thumbhole stock. (I also have 2 rifles with a Boyds thumbhole stock, and while a little heavy, I love them) Like you said, probably one of the worst actions I've ever felt, and the mag feed seemed clunky at best, but he said he's never had an issue with it. But, the damn thing was shockingly accurate to 100 yds. If I remember right, i think he was shooting Remington accu-tips?
We went out to do some hog hunting, and got him on 2. A small 30lb and a big sow maybe 150lb, and both had half a skull left on 50 yd shots.
I was totally impressed with this rifled shotgun, and now i want one. But I admit i wasn't impressed with the action, and the feed from the mag.

Yeah, the Remington Accutips in this 220 are accurate...100 yards all day long. Even out to 120, 130 with the proper hold I am confident, though almost every deer I have taken in New England with this shotgun has been 40 yards or under.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I killed a doe at 163 measured yards with mine using the 3 inch Remington Accutip. I put my crosshair level across her back expecting significant drop. I ended up hitting about 2-3 inches below my crosshair and dropped her right in her tracks! I knew the rifle was accurate enough to make the shot.

I sat in chair in front of the tv for weeks working my bolt back and forth. Thankfully I never had any feeding issues.

That's exactly the accuracy that prevents me from selling this shotgun. Just got to make the first shot count.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Looks great. Back in my begining days of hunting I thought I could buy a 20ga 870 combo and a 22lr and have everything covered. MAny guns later, still need a few. I found my cantilever slug barrel to be so-so, like 2-3 inch groups at 100. I could shoot better groups with clip on sights with the smoothbore. Spent plenty of dough on fancy ammo, got fustrated and bought a tack driver of a marlin 336. NY lifted the shotgun only resitrciton on my neighboring county years ago, so its been rifles ever since.

Hows the recoil on that gun? You could inlet the stock with some lead weight to soften the recil down. Even 8-12oz of lead is very noticeable. pacmyer makes slip on recoil boots if oyu need a little more cushion.

My browning BLR is grey laminate, its my favorite modern gun stock pattern. I am messy with gun solvents, so plastic stocks aren't a big negative in my opinion either.

I basically shoot a reloadable slug gun, the 450 marlin.

PErhaps your stiff bolt issue could be remedied with handloading. Saw grafs had a 20ga sabot. maybe you can upgrade the bullet if needed.

PULL DOWN 20ga POWER SHOK SABOT SLUG 100/bx - Graf & Sons

PULL DOWN 20ga POWER SHOK SABOT SLUG 100/bx

www.grafs.com

The recoil is negligible. It has a nice, two stage trigger. It's really a joy to shoot...except for the damn bolt. I wonder if Savage made improvement in the past 14 years or so? Maybe I should check out a newer model?

I started back in the 80's with my gramp's old 12 gauge Ithaca 37 Deerslayer...that thing was not fun to shoot. Then I bought myself a 12 gauge Remington 11-87 with the rifled barrel and a cantilever scope mount. That was accurate out to 100 yards with a proper hold. I still have both and hunt with them during different conditions...tracking vs. stand hunt.