Savage, like many American gunmakers, keeps around half a dozen rimfires in its line-up, because demand for .22 and .17 rifles is as strong as ever.
So much is built down to a price now that when the new Savage B Series Timberlite Thumbhole turned up, I expected the usual light, plastic, workmanlike rifle that most US rimfires are. The Timberlite, as the name hints, is different. Its ambidextrous thumbhole stock is painted in grey and black speckle, but underneath is wood rather than plastic, and that makes a big difference to how it handles and feels in the hands, as we will see.
The Lite part comes from the 18in carbon-fibre wrapped barrel, which keeps this compact 36in rimfire down to only 5.3lb. Add the AccuTrigger, which dates back to 2003, a handy 10-shot rotary magazine and a one-piece scope rail, and at £1,050 it has plenty to prove. Here is how it got on.
Savage B22 Timberlite Thumbhole specification
- Type: Bolt action
- Calibre: .22 LR on test; .22 WMR and .17 HMR also offered
- Barrel: 18in, carbon-fibre wrapped, ½in x 28 UNEF muzzle thread
- Overall length: 36in
- Weight: 5.3lb
- Stock: Hardwood with painted finish, ambidextrous thumbhole
- Finish: Matt blued receiver
- Trigger: AccuTrigger, 2.5lb to 6lb
- Magazine: 10-shot rotary
- Price: £1,050
- UK distributor: Viking Arms, vikingarms.com
Prices are RRP at the time of publication and may since have changed.
Bruce also filmed the test, and you can watch it on YouTube.
The action
The B Series has been around for eight or nine years now and is a plain, no-nonsense turn-bolt rimfire. The receiver is long, at 8in, and the bolt is best described as reasonably smooth. It never missed a beat on test, and a few hundred rounds will slick it up nicely.
The bolt handle sits further forward than normal, closer to the trigger guard than the blade, and has a tactical teardrop shape. It is not knurled but falls in the right place for positive operation.
Like most designs of this kind, the bolt lifts through 60 degrees and locks at the back on a single lug. The front of the bolt stays in line while the rest of the body rotates and locks. Extraction is especially good, with a pair of large opposed claws that held every round tested firmly, and a spur through a slot in the bolt base does the ejecting.
Lock time is on the slow side, so good follow-through matters, but the excellent AccuTrigger helps a great deal. It has been with us a long time now, giving a safe trigger that adjusts from 2.5lb to 6lb.
Take-up on the skeletonised inset blade is barely noticeable before a clean break, which is very good for a rimfire at this price. There is little to fault in these triggers: they work well and they are safe.
On that subject, the safety sits on the tang, which I think is the most practical place for it, being easy to reach and simple to use with the thumb. It is noisy, as the video shows, but pressing down as you move it quietens it a lot. It blocks the trigger only, so the bolt can still be worked.
The 10-shot rotary magazine fed perfectly, with not one stoppage during testing. It is tough black polymer, so light and rustproof. Loading takes a knack, with a firm push-and-slide for every round, but I like the release lever built into the front, which makes getting the magazine out quick.
Barrel and stock
The stainless barrel is 18in long and measures 0.80in at the muzzle, but that is the carbon sleeve around a much slimmer barrel inside. The wrap saves weight and adds some stiffness, and the barrel finishes in an end cap threaded ½in x 28 UNEF for a moderator. Barrels screw into the B Series action and carry the familiar Savage knurled headspace nut if you like to tinker. The carbon finish looks great and helps both the accuracy and the handling.
The stock is just as interesting. It looks synthetic until you pick it up and find how solid, well balanced and pleasant to hold it is. Under the grey paint and black spiderweb pattern is hardwood. The finish carries on into the bedding area, keeping moisture out and the accuracy consistent, and it gives such good grip that chequering is not missed. The forend has a slight step just ahead of the magazine well and a rounded, tactile shape that works equally well on a bag or a bipod.
The small, soft recoil pad will not snag and the sling studs are useful, but the ambidextrous thumbhole is what really earns top marks, giving a secure hold and a steady aim.
Which .22 LR shot best?
The rifle came with a Leupold VX-3HD 4.5-14×50 scope and an ASE Utra ECOi rimfire moderator, and testing began at 50 yards. The Leupold was crystal clear, and the moderator, with its new two-piece removable baffle stack, was handy and very quiet.
CCI Suppressor is a favourite of mine, a heavier 45-gr hollow point that is well subsonic, quiet and consistently accurate. From the Timberlite it grouped 0.65in at 50 yards at a hushed 947fps and 90ft/lb.
Winchester Subsonic Max, another good subsonic with a 42-gr bullet, opened up to 1in at 1,101fps and a useful 113ft/lb.
Norma Subsonic 40-gr is always very quiet, and at 917fps it was nearly silent while still giving 75ft/lb and five shots in 0.80in at 50 yards.
Having run out of CCI Suppressor, I took Eley Subsonic after rabbits. It struck a good balance, with 0.72in groups, quiet running at 1,023fps and a respectable 88ft/lb.
In the field
After four rabbits I swapped the Leupold for a new HikMicro Alpex Pro A50PL and went out to the warrens. Filling the magazine with ten Eley Subsonics still took a knack, but it meant plenty of shots between reloads with so many rabbits about.
What I most enjoyed about the Timberlite was how light and nimble it is when walking the fields and crawling through hedges. I liked the solid feel too, and before long a couple of head-shot rabbits were in the bag.
The light AccuTrigger helped with head shots out to 94 yards, which I managed to film, and that left me with real respect for how this rimfire shoots.
I shot mostly off a bipod, but it is just as happy as a walk-and-shoot rifle off sticks, freehand or rested on a branch. The accuracy and consistency, along with the handling, gave me the confidence to take rabbits at whatever range the Alpex ballistic reticle showed. Thirteen rabbits later, at 29 to 94 yards, I think anyone buying one would be very pleased with it.
Verdict: is the B22 Timberlite worth £1,050?
Savage has clearly raised its game here, mixing old and new materials to make a rimfire that handles beautifully. With the right ammunition it shot tiny groups at 50 yards and took rabbits with head shots out to nearly 100 yards. The AccuTrigger plays a big part in that accuracy, and the thumbhole stock and its finish are ideal on a vermin rifle.
- Best for: The rabbit shooter who walks and stalks and wants a light, accurate, weatherproof rimfire
- Worth knowing: The rotary magazine takes practice to load, and the tang safety clicks unless pressed down as you move it
- Price: £1,050
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Savage B22 Timberlite Thumbhole?
£1,050 RRP, through UK distributor Viking Arms.
Is the stock wood or synthetic?
Wood. It is hardwood under a grey and black speckled paint that makes it look synthetic, and the paint runs into the bedding area to keep moisture out.
Which calibres are available?
.22 LR as tested, plus .22 WMR and .17 HMR.
Can it take a moderator?
Yes. The barrel ends in a cap threaded ½in x 28 UNEF, and an ASE Utra ECOi was fitted for this test.
Which ammunition grouped best?
CCI Suppressor, with 0.65in at 50 yards. Eley Subsonic managed 0.72in, Norma Subsonic 0.80in and Winchester Subsonic Max 1in.
Related articles
Savage B22 Precision Lite – the target-shooting member of the same family.
Top 6 long-range precision rimfire round-up – how the B22 platform compares with its rivals.
Summer vermin control: 11 pieces of kit – more kit for rabbits and vermin.
Photographs: Jake Potts
