Description
The Savage Axis XP 243 Win is a complete, ready-to-hunt package: a left-hand Axis rifle with a 3-9x40mm scope already mounted and bore sighted at the factory. Sight it in and it is finished, with no separate purchase of bases, rings or optics.
The Savage Axis XP 243 Win pairs a 22-inch barrel with a cartridge that, it is one of the best all-around first rifles available, capable on both varmints and deer with recoil mild enough that nobody develops a flinch.
Savage Axis XP 243 Win Barrel and Action
The 22-inch barrel is button rifled carbon steel with a matte black finish and a 1:9.25 twist, which handles the full range of .243 bullets from 55 grain varmint pills to 100 grain deer loads. Savage’s barrel-nut headspacing system is what allows tight tolerances at this price.
The receiver is matte black carbon steel, drilled and tapped for standard bases. This is a genuine left-hand action, so the bolt handle, ejection port and stock are all built for a southpaw rather than adapted from a right-hand gun.
Stock and Handling
The black synthetic sporter stock is rigid, weatherproof and completely indifferent to humidity. It will not warp, swell or need refinishing after a wet season, which is exactly what you want on a rifle that lives in a truck and gets rained on.
Feeding comes from a detachable box magazine holding four rounds. At 7.6 pounds with the scope mounted, the rifle balances comfortably and is easy for a smaller-framed or younger shooter to hold steady.
Specifications
- Model: Axis XP Combo
- Manufacturer item number: 32014
- Caliber: .243 Winchester
- Capacity: 4+1, detachable box magazine
- Barrel length: 22 in., button rifled
- Twist rate: 1:9.25 in.
- Barrel and receiver finish: matte black
- Receiver: carbon steel, drilled and tapped
- Stock: black matte synthetic sporter
- Length of pull: 13.75 in.
- Optic: 3-9x40mm, factory mounted and bore sighted
- Weight: 7.6 lbs
- Overall length: 42.5 in.
- Hand: left
- UPC: 011356320148
Why 243 Winchester
.243 Winchester is the .308 case necked down to 6mm, and it covers more ground than almost any other cartridge. Light 55 to 70 grain bullets make it a serious varmint and predator round; 90 to 100 grain bullets handle deer and antelope cleanly at any sensible distance.
Recoil is the reason it has been the standard first centerfire for sixty years. It is mild enough that new shooters build good habits instead of a flinch, and mild enough that experienced ones can watch their hits land through the scope.
What the Combo Saves You
Buying a bare rifle plus a scope, bases and rings instead of a Savage Axis XP 243 Win package usually runs two to three hundred dollars more than a combo package, and it means either mounting the optic yourself or paying someone. The XP package removes both the cost and the step.
Factory bore sighting gets you on paper but not zeroed, so plan on a box of ammunition at the range. It is also worth checking the ring and base screws with a torque wrench first, since a loose ring is the most common cause of a rifle that will not group.
Ammunition Notes
Factory .243 is stocked everywhere and inexpensive relative to most centerfires. A 95 to 100 grain bonded or controlled-expansion bullet is the reliable deer choice; 55 to 70 grain varmint bullets open dramatically on coyotes and groundhogs and reduce ricochet risk.
Barrel life is worth a brief mention. .243 is a fast, overbore cartridge and throats erode sooner than in a .308. Normal hunting use will never reach that point, but a high-volume varmint shooter should plan for it eventually.
Who Should Buy It
The Savage Axis XP 243 Win suits the left-handed hunter who has spent years fighting a right-hand bolt, the parent buying a first deer rifle, and anyone who wants one flexible varmint-and-deer rifle that comes ready to sight in.
Learn more from Savage Arms, or browse the rest of our firearms selection.
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