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If the stainless steel barrel was the issue, then recalls would have happened by now. My $.02
Savage Smokeless Explosion
- Thread starter TboneD
- Start date
I know where a brand NIB stainless/camo could be had if somebody wanted one
It's not just the stainless barrels guys.
Many Savages kill a lot of deer every year still and will for many years to come.
complete failure with a factory load without a double load or other problems?
I just don't see it, and I've messed with a bunch of these guns.
They are quickly fading with all the conversions and custom guns these days but they still work.
Many Savages kill a lot of deer every year still and will for many years to come.
complete failure with a factory load without a double load or other problems?
I just don't see it, and I've messed with a bunch of these guns.
They are quickly fading with all the conversions and custom guns these days but they still work.
I bought my stainless ML in either 200 or 2001 and have not had any issues, and hopefully I never will. I have killed countless deer with it.
I have been shooting a stainless one for about 20 years... never an issue... FWIW, I was on forums for years about the ML-II and there are a lot of people hot rodding them and ever using duplex loads (more than one powder at a time)... From what I recall all of the people that blew up the guns were either pushing them hard or using duplex loads... I went with a recommended powder by Savage and a medium load of it and so far so good...
There was a former Savage employee who was fired from Savage who had an axe to grind with Savage. Therefore, he blew up a Savage smokeless ML to ruin the brand. Think about it, if Savage had bad stainless, it would also come out in their centerfire rifles. It didn't and hasn't happened.
TboneD
Well-Known Member
That narrative makes perfect sense and removes any and all doubts unless maybe you have a very detailed and careful friend you know that had his and his ZEISS scope blow up with friends watching that will testify it wasn't on him. And add to that the YouTube I posted of the guy who will only shoot his blued one and the one commenter he had that confirmed his narrative.
I should've already pointed out that I didn't start this thread to make guys doubt their gun, and like anyone with half a brain I knew the risk of accidents with muzzleloading smokeless powder was higher as did my old friend. After seeing what was left of his Savage, though, I was truly curious and thought this was as good as any forum to get some feedback. Thank you for your's.
holstonangler
Well-Known Member
I've used my stainless ml2 for around 15+ years so far with no problems. It's been a great one.
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That is my favorite ML2. I wish I had one just like it with the thumbhole stock.
I had a Knight disc with a thumbhole. Once you shoot one, a regular stock just does not feel the same.
This gun was actually given to me from a friend years ago that we hunted with. Just as what is in the pic. I got down to camp that afternoon and he surprised me with it. I was totally shocked. It's been an amazing gun all these years.
I agree about the thumbhole! It's just been so much more comfortable to shoot.
Had a buddy sighting his muzzleloader. We where talking, he had just reloaded, asked me to shoot it. I sat down at bench, got ready. Touched it off. As gun fired , it kicked me so hard, l dropped it. Felt like it broke my shoulder. There was a wooded lot behind the target. As soon as it fired, l heard a noise toward target like a stick slapping other wood, just briefly..Couldnt figure out what happened. In looking over gun, l asked where was ramrod.. well, down range, fiberglass, shattered. He forgot to remove it. I was very lucky
Omega
Well-Known Member
Ouch! Good thing nobody was hurt, could have been bad. I think going forward I'd load my own.
PillsburyDoughboy
Well-Known Member
Honestly with as tight of barrels as the Savage MLII have to be to fit the sabots and the heat that sabots create and the cool down time for sabots with them there are much better alternative muzzleloaders out there with BH209. Yes I know BH209 cost a heck of a lot more than Smokeless does. But honestly most of the Muzzleloaders on the market that have come out since the Savage MLII are better refined , handle better, far lighter and are just a better muzzle loader IMHO. Not to say they are not great ML. They are and they have their place. Just not for everyone.
BringBackThe80s
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I have been shooting my Savage 10ML stainless for 19 years with book loads, and with non-book and duplex loads after RB, Edge, and others had pressure-traced and tested them for years. I've put hundreds of rounds through mine.
I have no/zero concern that the barrel will fail because if a flaw. I do have concerns about human error, which is why I am fanatical about always follow the exact same procedure every single time.
Before loading I get from the range box one and ONLY one bullet, one sabot, one powder charge, and one primer, setting all four on the table. (I never load the rifle with any components except the four that I set on the table before starting to reload.) Next I look for light through the breech plug, stand the rifle upright and hold the muzzle with my left hand. Then I immediately use my right hand to (1) pour in the powder, (2) thump the stock to settled the powder, (3) insert the saboted bullet, (4) pick up the ramrod and push the bullet down the barrel, (5) smack the handle with my palm three times to seat the bullet firmly, (6) check the ram rod is not protruding more or less than it shouldfor that load, and (7) immediately remove the ramrod from the barrel and lay it on the left side of the bench. (It always goes there so I can see it in its spot even with my cheek on the rifle. Also, the ramrod has a circular handle that, while in the barrel is still clearly visible from all sides even if the rifle is shouldered). My left hand does not let go of the muzzle until loading is complete.
If somebody interrupts me at the shooting bench and I am not 100% positive where I was in the loading process, then I pull the breechplug and dump the load. I have done it multiple times. Only once did I find a mistake, and it was not a double charge, but forgetting the powder altogether. Even though it was not dangerous and I caught it before getting behind the trigger, it reinforced how important it is to not carry on any conversations while shooting muzzleloaders.
Crazy things can happen, and even great products can have a defect. But the number of rifles blown up with BP and BP substitutes is far greater--by multiple orders of magnitude--than the number of blown-up rifles that were designed to shoot smokeless.
I have no/zero concern that the barrel will fail because if a flaw. I do have concerns about human error, which is why I am fanatical about always follow the exact same procedure every single time.
Before loading I get from the range box one and ONLY one bullet, one sabot, one powder charge, and one primer, setting all four on the table. (I never load the rifle with any components except the four that I set on the table before starting to reload.) Next I look for light through the breech plug, stand the rifle upright and hold the muzzle with my left hand. Then I immediately use my right hand to (1) pour in the powder, (2) thump the stock to settled the powder, (3) insert the saboted bullet, (4) pick up the ramrod and push the bullet down the barrel, (5) smack the handle with my palm three times to seat the bullet firmly, (6) check the ram rod is not protruding more or less than it shouldfor that load, and (7) immediately remove the ramrod from the barrel and lay it on the left side of the bench. (It always goes there so I can see it in its spot even with my cheek on the rifle. Also, the ramrod has a circular handle that, while in the barrel is still clearly visible from all sides even if the rifle is shouldered). My left hand does not let go of the muzzle until loading is complete.
If somebody interrupts me at the shooting bench and I am not 100% positive where I was in the loading process, then I pull the breechplug and dump the load. I have done it multiple times. Only once did I find a mistake, and it was not a double charge, but forgetting the powder altogether. Even though it was not dangerous and I caught it before getting behind the trigger, it reinforced how important it is to not carry on any conversations while shooting muzzleloaders.
Crazy things can happen, and even great products can have a defect. But the number of rifles blown up with BP and BP substitutes is far greater--by multiple orders of magnitude--than the number of blown-up rifles that were designed to shoot smokeless.
BringBackThe80s
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Agreed. I am glad I got my 10ML when I did, and it was my only rifle for 11 years. But if I were buying a muzzleader now, I would focus less on max effective range and a lot more on quick handling, ease of use by my kids, and weight for hiking in and out of the mountains.
BringBackThe80s
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Old Toby.
(Gandalf's favorite smoking tobacco, of course. Why--what did you think I was talking about? :winkwink: )
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I love my Hankins CVA scout conversion, it was made for smokeless 45-70 pressures and that is comforting, and I keep it there, safe if I do my part. I just hate the cleaning part with old school muzzleloaders.
