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Savage B22 precision

Savage B22 precision

Savage are a strong force in the rifle world and seem to lead with inventive and innovative products that ride new shooting trends. They were one of the first to get into the chassis rifle market with Model 10 BA and 110. The good designs tended to reinforce the brand’s image for accuracy and thorough engineering, which suited the heavier precision rifles. Well, now the B22 is here, Savage have yet again entered the surf to catch a wave in the precision rimfire ocean.

Combined effort

The B22 starts with a slim, tubular receiver with a single lug, rear locking 162mm long bolt, whose handle is mounted 1/3rd forward of the rear shroud. The base of the handle locks the action closed on a round chambered by the control feed face with twin extractor claws. Ejection is a fixed blade below the bolt, exposed as the bolt is drawn back across it, flicking the case up and out.

Operating the bolt handle is the first mechanical interaction you are ever likely to have with any rifle, judging mechanically smooth operation of the action and if handles get too long, can be detrimental. The B22 is like Goldilocks’ porridge, just right. The handle projects 61mm laterally with 90mm in front and 65mm to the rear, creating a mechanism in tuned balance that can be operated at any speed without the likelihood of a jam or even sluggish stutter. It is tipped with a cylindrical nob, 18mm in diameter, which is ideally proportioned to the small rimfire cases being used, with minimal human exertion requirements. Circumferential grooves add visual appeal, but no specific handling benefit. At least it is not aggressively knurled for pure assumed aesthetics. A 70° lift cocks the action with a 48mm reciprocating stroke to cycle rounds without any hint of undesired force to disturb your aim.

100% functional

Ammo feeds from a rotary magazine with a frontal release catch on the mag itself and when unlatched, it automatically draws into your waiting palm. Each round gets clipped in from the top with a slight front/right entry angle before a rearward push to seat it back. It is exceptionally reliable and suffers far less from the gumminess of some ammo. It is strongly sprung and ergonomically, shows slight favour for right-handers, the mag held in the left hand with the opposing hand and thumb ‘rolling’ the rounds into place, away from your body. In the rifle, it’s 100% functional without any damage to the soft lead nose of the bullets. Two magazines are supplied for plentiful use. Extraction and replacement of the unit in the gun’s underside are clean and precise without any fumbles, the mag easily directed up into the well without snagging.

Trusty trigger

Savage has used their trusted AccuTrigger on the B22, with an orange inner blade enabling a light crisp pull with assured safety. I like AccuTriggers, they are honest and do what they claim they can. Combined with an extended length of pull from the AR-15 style grip, you can happily seat the pad of the index finger on the centre blade, drift confidently through the inner blade’s primary stage and allow your finger to sit comfortably, with assured readiness, for the secondary squeeze. The pull is 99% crisp, with about 2mm of overtravel beyond the break at the blade’s tip. I don’t dismiss AccuTriggers, I find them reliable and in a market with liability fears, certainly better than extremely heavy units with massive creep! This one averaged just over 600-grams and never varied in feel as it bedded in.

The safety catch is embedded in the tang below the bolt shroud, accessible with the thumb. You need quite a deep angle to slide it forward for FIRE, rear for SAFE. The bolt does not lock in the safe position and shows a red cocked action indicator in the centre of the shroud, making life easy when you are first setting up for primary reticle alignment.

All buttoned up

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The barrel shows a parallel profile, matt black finish and a standard 1:16 twist rate through its 18” overall length. The muzzle diameter is 20.3mm and a barrel nut is used for attachment to the receiver, which controls headspace (another Savage trend). It all terminates with a 1/2” UNEF thread for a moderator or brake and a cleanly cut crown. The breech face is coned to assist the diversion of any lead and grease, from ammunition interaction, away from the bolt face, and I like this additional design subtlety.

Sign of the time

A one-piece MDT aluminium chassis with simple functionality is pared down for a sleeker design. No nasty sharp angles and plastic components or fasteners, it is 100% solid in use and feel. The forend is M-LOK compatible with a sling stud located at the front. The barrel is fully freefloated with masses of airspace around it, not so much needed for cooling on a rimfire but ultimately offers masses of space for the front hand and other accessories underneath or on the sides. Cross-sectional area equals stiffness without undue mass but there is no specific barricade stop, which is a slight shame for more PRS oriented shooters who may appreciate one.

The trigger guard is screwed into position retaining a flowing profile along the rifle’s underside, with plentiful space for a gloved finger within. The injection moulded polymer continues the matt black finish of all other aluminium and steel. The spine of the stock shows smooth machining with neat details. It remains slender and comfortable when used or carried and this becomes especially noticeable when out pest controlling. It’s neutrally balanced and mounts smoothly without snagging on clothing.

Ergonomics

The underslung grip is spaced away from the trigger group, offering better comfort with a medium ambidextrous palm swell. MDT’s own bolt-on polymer recoil pad assembly has no flexibility or annoying loose joints and two spacers are supplied to modify the length of pull from 12.75-13.75”. The firm recoil pad shows ribs for grip that comfortably seat the rounded profile securely into your shoulder pocket, without slipping if a heavy head is welded to the comb. When it comes to ‘loading’ shoulder pressure into the rifle, you can judge pressure on the bipod’s feet with the ground and never feel like the gun is too compact and overwhelmed. A bag rider/butt hook underneath offers required functionality and a location for additional accessories. No rear sling point was evident, not even moulded in, which might be the only caveat of the whole rifle. The cheekpiece offered 30mm of vertical adjustment, with twin screws on the right side to lock it in position. There is a slot on the front of the comb for bolt removal, facilitated by a longer pull of the trigger to release it. A Picatinny rail is screwed on top of the action for easy scope mounting.

Paper punching

I used reliable 40-grain Winchester subsonic hollow points for any pest control and SK Standard Plus round nose for targets. Zeroing was no issue, the SK a little tighter on target but both rounds printing small groups of 5-rounds at 50m whilst chronographing. The SK developed 1036 FPS at the muzzle and I pushed them out to a maximum of 230m on steel targets, which was the maximum the scope would allow. Experimenting with ammo is what rimfire shooting is all about because with extreme spreads of 25 FPS, it’s easy to see the vertical dispersion created when pushing well beyond the .22’s everyday ballistic comfort zone. At 100m, I was still below 50mm for 5-rounds on paper.

I found the trigger reliable, easy to time and confidenceinspiring from less stable positions but more so than that, the overall feel of the rifle was homogenous, more than a combination of ‘just some parts’. I liked the comfortable stock adjustment and its solidity, which was especially noticeable from prone where the bipod loading feel was secure.

Slick bolt operation with minimal required force allowed me to maintain my sight picture and spot bullets in flight onto the target. I appreciated the magazine starting to loosen up a little after the first few ammo boxes. There were no failures to feed or ammunition damage from mag to chamber and the coned breech certainly meant no lead or lubricants were compacted around the bolt or breech faces.

Conclusion

Savage has supplied an ergonomically superb rifle, modest in dimensions but wide-ranging in capability, with a good grip and quiet bolt operation if hunting. I love rimfires and this is ‘one gun’that can be relied upon.

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  • Savage B22 precision - image {image:count}

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  • Savage B22 precision - image {image:count}

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  • Savage B22 precision - image {image:count}

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  • Savage B22 precision - image {image:count}

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  • Savage B22 precision - image {image:count}

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  • Savage B22 precision - image {image:count}

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  • Savage B22 precision - image {image:count}

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gun
features

  • Name: Savage B22 Precision
  • Barrel: Length: 18”
  • Calibres: .22 LR (on test) .22 WMR available
  • Magazine Capacity: 10 DM
  • Length of Pull: 12.75-13.75”
  • Overall Length: 36.625”
  • Twist Rate: 1:16
  • Stock Material: Aluminium
  • Weight: 7.38 lbs
  • Trigger: AccuTrigger, adjustable (1.5-5 lbs)
  • Price: £800
  • Contact: Edgar Brothers shootingsports.edgarbrothers.com
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