Today I am taking a break from my “end of the world” prepper series to discuss a specific rifle in my prepper plan. Savage MK II TR is a recent purchase but I have spent enough time behind her to give you the rundown. So here it is.
If I had to use one word to describe the Savage MK II TR that word would be “awesome”. I just don’t have a single complaint. It looks great, handles great and shoots even better. Let’s go over a few tech specs and some of the shooting and ammo tests I have done with her.
Specs: The TR weighs in at 7.5 lbs without the scope. It is 40 inches in length with the 22 inch 1/16 twist fluted heavy barrel. The stock reminds me of a McMillan style with a comfortable pistol grip and a pleasing profile. It is made of wood with a flat black crinkle coated texture. The metal finish has a texture as well and is flat black also.
It comes with one 5 round magazine and the scope bases mounted from the factory. Also with a large tactical style bolt handle and the really nice “accu-trigger”. The accu-trigger is a superb, lite, crisp and adjustable trigger which has gained a reputation as being a very good thing to have. Owning both, I prefer it over the Remington 40X trigger that comes from the factory on a lot of 700’s.
This rifle feels perfect to me and looks just as good. There are 18 models all together so if this one doesn’t suit you they probably have one that does. I had mine threaded for the day I finally get my tax stamp through the system for a suppressor, you can buy it threaded already and that model is the “MK II TRR-SR”. This MK II TR one was available though so I just took it and had the work done.
Price: At less than $450 to my door I can’t complain about a thing. Many of the other models are cheaper, some at $250 that looked pretty good too. I thought about getting one of the cheaper ones but the TR is very “tacti-cool” so I plunked down the extra cash. Truth be known I bet the similar HB versions with the cheaper stocks, small bolt handles and less expensive finishes shoot just as well. All in all as a precision target rifle, for the money, I think I made a great choice. I do suspect though you can have a gun that shoots just as well for 3 bills. 
Accuracy: Pictured are some of the groups I have fired from the 50 yard line using the correct target for 22 rifle’s at that range. As you can see if you do your part the Savage won’t let you down. I expected it to shoot good. I have to admit though I did not expect to get the groups the CCI Standard velocity gives me. They are better than I had dreamed of. The CCI mini-mags are good, the CCI Standard is GREAT! I have yet to try Velocitors but will when I get a chance and update.
The Winchester Dyna-points group alright I guess, larger than the CCI but they were consistent. Good enough for small game but not for shooting out the 10 ring. The only thing with those was the last round in the mag never wanted to feed.
The Federal Bulk Pack shot for crap but that, in my experience, has been pretty normal for that stuff. For me it hasn’t been good for much but shooting at coffee cans with a new shooter. My bottom line is get some CCI ammo first and see what happens. I suspect you will be happy with the results.
Wrapping up the shooting portion I have had zero misfires out of any ammo tried and zero “flyer’s” using CCI ammo that were not shots I messed up myself. The performance has been consistent and better than I had hoped for.
Summary: I remember having an opinion that was formed way back as a kid. That opinion was that Savage’s were a second rate gun. As 10-12 year old’s, a lot of us got 22’s for X-mas and B-days and such back then. The kids that got the Ruger’s, Remington’s and Winchester’s were somehow supposed to be superior to the kids that got Savage’s..I don’t know why, I guess because we were kids. Never the less that stigma stuck with me. Then one day about 12 years ago I was at my Agencies regular weapons qualification and afterwords the “gun nut” officers would hang around and shoot our personal stuff for fun. A dude out there had a bolt action HB 308 and was nailing that X-ring over and over. I asked him about the rifle and he said it is a stock Savage Tactical 308. I was like really! I never thought those Savages were “all that”. He was a good guy and went over all the good things Savage had to offer and said he felt the company had come a long way in the last few years. I walked away with less of that stigma and a new respect for what Savage was turning out. Now that I own my first Savage and it is an absolute tack driver, that stigma is gone entirely. I think this rifle would serve just about anybody looking for a precise 22 well. I am so glad I bought this rifle and I think you will be too.
As always thanks for reading and train often.
By: Cary Kieffer
2-2017 Update: I had my barrel shortened to shortest legal length and added a suppressor about 3 years ago. This Savage continues to do what it always did which is land bullets right on top of the previous bullet! Just love this thing. With the Can on all you can hear is the firing pin hitting the rim. It’s super quiet. I have a 1 inch spinner target in my backyard 63 yards out the back slider door. In the winter I regularly get down prone with Kelly and we shoot at that 1 inch spinner. 99.9% of the time we will both go 10 for 10. The rifle really shoots well and this is about 7000 rds later now. I found some stronger metal for the stock and replaced the factory stuff, cheap to do and worth it. I’ve cleaned the barrel twice in all that time is all. Also my zero has remained virtually unchanged the last 4 years. About 800 rds ago for some unknown reason I had to give it .5 moa elevation boost, no big deal. This rifle has been worth every penny.
Cary Kieffer
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I purchased the TRR-SR & the Zephyr II at the same time from Speers. I was a little worried at 1st, groups weren’t consistant and CCI Standard randomly wasn’t ejecting. I found CCI rounds had just too mux wax applied, poor QC. Luckily a variety of 22lr ammo was on hand from previos ammo tests I performed on my kid’s 22s (Marlin M60 &Mark II Minimalist). So I cleaned the rifle at the range and tested to 100 yards. Over the years 50 yards is not a measure I trust in ammo or the rifle setup.
Moving on, I tested 5 HV types, and 14 subsonic types. 2ea. 5 shot groups, Arken 6-4×50 SH 4 G2 MOA scope.
Results of top 3 average @ 100 yards, less than 2 mph wind:
HV
1. Blazer 40gr .659 Group
2. Eley High V HP 38GR .791 Group
3. CCI Minimag HP 36GR 1.122 Group
Subsonic
1. Fiochhi 320 40gr .648 Group
2. Eley Match 40gr .794 Group
3. Lapua Center X 40gr .843 Group
For fun:
Results of top @ 200 yards _ 3/7 mph wind
CCI Velocitor HP 40gr 6.7″ group (all rounds cleaned of wax, inspected for deformation & weighed)
These Velocitor rounds @ 100 yards came in last place.
The Zepher II, on overall averages of all ammo tested was more consistant and better/smaller groups achieved, not by much on some, others were significant. I didn’t shot out any further than 100 yards, it is my hunting rifle were as the Savage TRR-SR is my plinker for the range.
750.00 US 4 the Zephyr
500.00 US 4 the TRR-SR
Thanks for sharing this article.
The Savage won’t let me down. Thank you for what you are sharing very helpful!
This .22 shoots like a target rifle with the right match .22 LR ammo.
I have to say savage makes great guns. I have a bolt action savage in .17hmr and it’s super accurate!
Thanks for the comment! I look no farther than a Savage. I’m done with anybody else’s bolt guns.
I have the savage MK II TR and love it but I got it to keep the coyote away. and under scoped it I have a Nikon 4 x 32 rim fire on it. would like to use it for target and get a MK 1 G for the coyote and put the Nikon on it.
What would be a good scope for the MK II I am 68 so will not be doing much long range may be 200 yd. tops.
Hilton, for the last few years I’ve had a leupold 3×9 on it. One of the early AR scopes. No frills, has a fine mildot reticle. My 50 yard groups are smaller than dimes every time. I have a one inch spinner in the backyard even further out, never misses. I’ll try to find the exact model number and post it later. I have 4 Sig Tango 4 scopes also…any of those would be great but priced higher than the lower tier Leupold I have on it.
Depending on your budget really any decent name brand with at least 9x and maybe 12-16x at most that has a very fine reticle with some kind of scale in it ought to do just fine. It’s not like the 22lr is going to be trashing scopes. I’ve used many a Weaver Kaspa in 2-10x with an illuminated mil reticle and they’ve withstood all the 308 I ever shot. They also come in 12 and 14x. Hope I helped. Cary
Anyone else bought a Mk.II TR recently (NIB) that shipped WITHOUT the “Tactical” bolt handle (as shown on Savage’s website, and in numerous reviews)? After seeing (and shooting) a buddy’s at the range, I ordered my own. Didn’t notice when I picked it up from the FFL, but mine had a plain old round ball “foo-foo” bolt handle, not the tactical one! Imagine how p***ed I was! So far, I’ve found Savage’s customer service to be less-than-stellar as well. May have bought my LAST Savage!
Keith, if you don’t have any luck at home with customer service have your dealer try. I had a frame crack on a pistol one time.(EAA) The company wasn’t listening to me but they did my high volume dealer when they said fix our guys gun or no more of your crap in our shop…They fixed it.
I hope they get it staitened out to your satisfaction. I DEFINITELY understand “bought my last…” Remington royally pissed me off with a scrap pile they called a long action 700 in 300 WM and a case of subsonic 300 blackout ammo I had bought about the same time. They did everything to be as difficult as possible, it was pathetic. They refused to even hear the ammo had dud primers here and there and then wanted to argue the rifle up and down when it was at Charlie Robertson’s shop, one of the best and longest working 700 smith’s in the country. Even the “Customer Service” lady knew who he was but still no help… If he says so then it’s true…long story short I sold the POS and will start over when Ruger releases an RPR in 300 WM and if that doesn’t happen, a Savage BA-110. Never, never again will I buy a remington or any subsidiary of them.
Anyway, I had mine out last week, first time in a long time. 10 rounds of CCI standard velocity and I spun the 1 inch spinner in the backyard all 10 shots at 63 yards. Those Mk 2’s will shoot! I have a Leupold AR scope on it. An early one, 3×9 with a very fine mil dot reticle. The scope is perfect for that rifle. (For me anyway) The fine reticle allows me very precise aiming. I put it on the rifle with a set of those Dura-mount steel rings ($20) and it’s held zero for a few years now. Good combo.
Thank you for such a detailed review, I am currently doing some research and found exactly what I was looking for. Pls keep up the good work
I always thought Savage was awesome. I mean c’mon the model 99, the Savage built 30-06 Lewis guns and SMLE no.4’s of WWI and WWII. My Dads first deer gun was a Savage bolt gun in 30-30 that he took many whitetails with. All excellent guns! Now the Savage models 10, 11, 12, 93, MkII all excellent rifles as well.
Erm, Astigmatism is an ocular condition requiring spectacles to correct. I think the word you’re looking for is “Stigma”.
Savage and Marlin have all the accuracy anyone could want, but the construction method kind of put me off. I have a CZ452 and a Norinco Mauser copy. I can’t shoot for beans. I blame my poor eyesight, but probably my technique is to blame. You Sir, are a fabulous shot. Much Kudos to you.
Martin B, THANK YOU! I KNEW it!! I knew I was correct when I wrote that the first time but my edit/spellchecker kept throwing it back to me. So I gave in and put the “a” in front of it. An english lit. major I am not 🙂 so I trust the stupid edit thingy online. Next time I’ll double check it elsewhere when I am that sure it’s wrong for once instead of me.
Anyway, I hear awesome things about the CZ’s..perhaps we could get you to write one up?? Anybody can submit you know. Just use the easy to use tab on the site for that. I’d love to hear about your 452. One of the site owners really speaks well of his.
I am going to have a short update to this article when an aftermarket part gets here I bought. I don’t know for sure what you meant by construction method but the bottom metal needs to be replaced with something that doesn’t flex like a sheet of paper 🙁 That piece needs attention from the factory. Aftermarket pieces are available but it just shouldn’t be that way. I’ll put out an update notice on it when I am done fixing it.
Thanks again for the word usage correction and for the shooting kudo’s. Being perfectly strait I was having a good day, they are not all that pretty. For every one day like that I have 3 mediocre days and 1 day I can’t shoot myself in the foot with the muzzle on my boot. Thanks for stopping by TGR. Cary
Question for you. My Mark 11 has a threaded bbl and would like to get a suppressor for this fine rifle. What would you recommend for a suppressor?
Made and Model?
Many thanks,
Lee
Lee, I have a pair of HunterTowns I bought probably 7ish years ago. The dealer was pushing them hard and they were cheap. They work…but it was my first suppressor buy. HunterTown is known for a complete lack of customer service which I found out later for myself when they had my 308 can for a year and wouldn’t answer the phone. It wasn’t concentric and half inch groups turned into 6 foot groups with it screwed on. They had it a year and it took a call to the ATF to report it stolen to get them to call me back and return it. After that fiasco, never again will I buy their stuff. We have lots of 22 can reviews on here. Try the search engine. You’ll find a good one. Thanks for stopping by TGR. Cary