Savage Mark II FV-SR vs Ruger precision rimfire?

[Jamie12obie]

I'm looking to buy between these two setups and need some help picking the winner. I need one with crazy precision out of a .22LR.
Should I go with the Savage Mark II FV-SR and drop it into a Boyds AT-One stock, or just grab the Ruger Precision Rimfire and call it a day?
The Savage has that legendary tack driver reputation, but the Ruger looks like a beast right out of the box. Which one would you choose for stacking holes at 50 and 100 yards?

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

Here is my Savage 22lr target rifle. It's an A22 target.

 

[Tacoma]

Here is my 2 cents having owned both ( and many others).
The Ruger is far from a "call it a day" rifle. Most of the RPR's I've encountered (and certainly the one I owned) suffered from poorly fit and cheesily made stocks that flex badly. Consequently while there is latent accuracy that can be lilked out of them, it's often a journey to get there. The rugers generally have crunchy actions that can bind if you run them with too much speed or not enough attention. I sold mine within weeks of buying it as I felt it was just cool looking junk.
The Savage FV-SR, IMHO, has a much better action and barrels that are often very good as well. The failure of the rifle is in it's cheap and super flexable stock. I actually spent time on mine epoxying in stiffners and weight. If you plan to replace the stock , then I think you'd have a much better rifle in the end.

That said, either rifle/project is going to put you within a hundred or two dollars of a CZ 457 . I currently own 5, 457's and have owned/set up 3X that many for fellow shooters. The CZ 457 is by far the best value in 22 rimfires out there. Generaly speeking, their actions are very smooth and superior to both mentioned above. Their barrels are also rediculously good for a production rifle with many advantages over the competition. ( I never had one that wouldn't shoot MOA or less with good ammo.) They also enjoy an extensive aftermarket support that allows changing/upgrading of stocks, barrels, bolt handles, ...
So of the two mentioned, get a Savage. However, if you want a rifle you won't have to fiddle with, get a American, CZ 457 At-One, Varment, Pro Varmint.....

 

[blueMug]

I’ve got an FV-SR and love it, but honestly, it’s a tough call against the RPR
The Savage is a bargain, costing less than the Ruger. It’s got a great trigger and a beefy bolt handle that feels solid.
The catch is that the stock is literal trash, and Savage mags are low-capacity and overpriced. The Ruger, meanwhile, uses cheap, reliable 10/22 mags and comes with a fully adjustable chassis right out of the box.

Bottom line: If you like a DIY project that punches way above its weight in accuracy, go Savage. If you want a finished rifle with better mag options, the Ruger is worth the extra $200.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I love my 457. It's a 22 mag.

 

[6clint]

I own both of them. As for MY rifles, the Savage is ridiculously accurate, loves CCI mini-mags and stacks holes on top of holes. I bought the Ruger Precision Rimfire because I wanted the chassis & I THOUGHT it would be as accurate as the Savage. I was wrong. I still have them both, but the Savage is my backdoor varminter while the Ruger sits in the rifle rack collecting dust. YMMV.

 

[WNYBILL]

Have you checked out the "Walmart Special", it has the Boyds adjustable stock. I am happy with mine and the accuracy is pretty good. I haven't fooled with the 20 bucks a box stuff, but mine shoots CCI SV pretty good, I do sort them.

 

[american_fusilier]

I've got the Savage only, and I've never shot the Ruger RPR.

I would agree that the FV-SR shoots above its class, however there are some things you should know about it:

As others have posted the mags leave something to be desired. They work, but they're not well made.

More importantly, I had a lot of extraction issues at first. It's a known issue, but Savage doesn't seem to want to fix it. I fixed it myself by doubling up on the "C" clamp (you'd have to Google it), I haven't had any issues since. But it was a step I shouldn't have had to do.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[Paddyd]

Since the Ruger allows easy barrel upgrades, for me its a no brainer

 

[Frontiersman]

I just picked up a new savage. But that Ruger hasn’t left my mind. They look like a lot of rifle out of the box. I’m thinking of finally trying the HMR.

 

[Tacoma]

I just picked up a new savage. But that Ruger hasn’t left my mind. They look like a lot of rifle out of the box. I’m thinking of finally trying the HMR.

The problem with the RPR is just that. It looks like allot of rifle but it's just too cheaply built to be allot of rifle. The stocks are super flimsy and the actions sloppy/crunchy. I've seen several bind up tight where people tried to run the bolt quickly in PRS matches. The internet is full of peopel doing all kinds of things to thes rifles to get them to should as they should have. It's a big opertunity lost for Ruger. You made the right decision.