What are some good bolt-gun options for hunters who don’t want to deal with a lot of recoil? We reported on 22-250 rifles using loads suitable for deer hunting in the November 2019 issue of Gun Tests and noted the need for proper bullet construction and plenty of speed. Now we turn to a little cartridge that will fit in a standard AR-15 magazine, can roughly equal the energy of a 7.62×39 or a 30-30 Win. round, and has been designed to work well at supersonic or subsonic velocities. We are talking about the 300 Blackout — a cartridge scoffed at by some, but which we find both interesting and useful. Toward that end, we tested three of the current crop of bolt-action rifles chambered in 300 Blackout.

Our test samples were examples of relatively short-barreled bolt-action rifles with threaded muzzles, for those readers who might want to attach a suppressor and shoot subsonic 300 Blackout loads. They were the Ruger American Ranch Rifle 26968, $529; the Savage Axis II 18819, $385; and the just-introduced CVA Cascade SB CR3914R bolt action, $621.

As usual for this team, all testing was done at American Shooting Centers in West Houston. For accuracy comparisons, we fired multiple five-shot groups at 100 yards from a well-sandbagged position. We fired using a 13-pound bag called The Bear, plus a rear bag. Both did a great job of staying where they was supposed to on the bench while supporting the rifle. We learned that The Bear’s sides grip your firearm well and we were not having to reset our long guns every few shots. Available at RecoilGear.us, The Bear sells for $185, and we also used their Medium/Flat rear bag with the non-slip option, $35. The products are made with 1000-denier water-resistant Cordura fabric, put together with UV-resistant non-wicking thread, and every internal seam is at least double stitched, with some being triple stitched. Because of materials and construction methods, the bags are very unlikely to take on water and turn into something resembling a brick, a problem we have seen with other bags. All velocities were measured using a LabRadar device, and we fired three factory loads, two of which were supersonic and the third was subsonic. Those were Magtech 123-grain FMJs, Frontier 125-grain FMJs, and Precision One’s 200-grain Nosler hollow points. Using all this gear to record objective data, we then rendered our buy/don’t buy recommendations based on how the products performed in head-to-head testing.

Gun Tests Grade: B (BEST BUY)

$385

Good reputations are hard to come by and protected jealously once attained. Savage rifles have a long history of providing good accuracy for their shooters without breaking the bank. Constant innovation has helped them maintain that status. They were the first to employ a system whereby a threaded jam nut was used to secure the barrel to the action, thus allowing custom headspace to be set easily and inexpensively. Later, they introduced the AccuTrigger, bringing us a unit that could be accurate, adjustable, and very safe.

But how do you maintain the same standards and take the price down another whole level? Enter the Axis II. This newer offering utilizes the same cylindrical action, which also simplifies the machining required. The company limits the action options to a single size (long), and then uses different magazines to make that work. The 300 Blackout magazine in our sample had more than a half-inch of “dead” space at the rear of the mag and plenty of room left in the mag beyond the nose of the cartridge. Another new feature on the Axis II is the ejection port. The opening is smaller, leaving more steel, thus more strength and rigidity in the action. The aforementioned magazine has a polymer base and real metal parts. Press to the rear on a tab at the front of the magazine and the flush-fitting piece removes easily. Specs on the Savage website state that the magazine capacity is four rounds. We were able to fit in five rounds easily, and it functioned perfectly.

The barrel-attachment method is only part of what Savage uses in the top end of their rifles in their search for accuracy. They also employ a standard-diameter bolt and two-piece locking lugs that are allowed to float a bit as they lock up with the chamber. This helps keep the cartridge concentric with the bore and brings more of the surface of the lugs into contact with the barrel, both of which are a potential boon to better accuracy. The bolt handle projects to a length and at an angle that makes grasping simple and comfortable while maintaining proper distance from any optics. The bolt handle is skeletonized for weight savings and, in a concession to price, appears to be a MIM part. A small button protrudes from the rear face of the bolt shroud, acting as a cocking indicator. The safety is a two-position affair on the tang just behind and below the bolt. It is removed by simultaneously depressing the trigger and a pivoting lever located just in front of the bolt. Please make sure the rifle is unloaded before doing so. There is a Picatinny rail running the full length of this long action, bringing lots of space for the attachment of optics.

The barrel on the Savage is just over 16 inches, as are all the rifles in this test. The 300 Blackout just doesn’t pack enough powder to require a long tube for full combustion. The Savage Axis II also builds a little weight into the tube with the diameter just to the rear of the 5⁄8×24 threads coming in at 0.75 inches. This makes the Savage a hair nose heavy, with a balance point right at the front end of the magazine. The thick barrel fits nicely in the black synthetic stock, allowing it to free-float properly. The fore end slims down at the top, creating a slim grip for fingertips, which we liked. The stock ends in a nice, soft recoil pad perfect for a cartridge that doesn’t kick much anyway.

Our Team Said: The Savage Axis II felt good, cycled smoothly, and functioned perfectly, as long as it was fed from the magazine — a problem we noted before and which we think was much more a result of the short cartridge in the longish action. Average group size, excluding the Magtech ammo, was right at 1.75 inches, with the best group of 1.09 inches coming from the Frontier 125 FMJs. At $385, this is a lot of performance for the dollar. We think the Savage Axis II 18819 in 300 Blackout is a Best Buy.

300 Blackout Range Data

Value Guide: Short-Action Bolt Rifles