Savage Axis II Precision

The Axis II Precision is the cheapest factory rifle that ships in a real MDT chassis. Savage pairs the budget Axis II action with a black aluminum chassis MDT designed for the platform, wraps it in an olive drab injection-molded skin, and adds an M-LOK forend and an MDT pistol grip. Comb height and length of pull both adjust, so the rifle fits a shooter the way a far more expensive chassis rifle does.

The 6.5 Creedmoor barrel is a 22-inch carbon steel button-rifled heavy contour measuring .745 inch at the muzzle, cut with a 1:8 twist and threaded 5/8x24 for a brake or a suppressor. Feeding is AICS, which matters more than any other single spec on a budget precision rifle because spare magazines then cost what everyone else pays.

The user-adjustable AccuTrigger covers 2.5 to 6 lb, the tang safety is two-position, and the rifle carries a one-piece 20 MOA rail. What it gives up against a Howa HCR or a Savage 110 Precision is action pedigree: the Axis II is the economy Savage action, not the 110, so the aftermarket for triggers, bottom metal, and barrels is thin.