Savage 220 length – it varies

So I get my new 220 and am looking it over and, to make a longer story shorter, I measure it and it’s just a hair over 43 inches (length of pull, about 13.5). I’m like “what the heck, this gun is supposed to be 44.75 inches long.” I check the stats and measure again. Yup, 43 inches. I’m wondering if they could have accidently put a youth stock on the gun, so I call Savage. I give the lady the serial number and she says, “ya, its supposed to be 44.75 inches”. She checks with the Savage expert on site, comes back and says “the 220 length can vary a bit”. A bit? 1.75 inches is a bit? She also said barrel length can vary – “a bit”. Not sure where they measure from but my barrel may be less than 22 inches. I asked about the recoil pad – ‘it can vary, and they may have changed it and the updates may not show on the web site yet (something like that)”.

Anyway I was kind of dumfounded, but I haven’t shot the gun yet. If it shoots like they say it will I guess it doesn’t matter. I never thought a gun could “vary” so much. The stocks seems a little short but when packed with cold weather clothes it may be “just right”.

Anyone else have a “variable” length 220?

Does the rifle fit you? If so I do not see a problem. Relax and enjoy her.

I think it will work. I haven’t scoped it yet and if it’s too short I can lengthen the stock. I do find it interesting that a gun that is one of the most accurate slug guns ever made can have such loose specs. I just read a Chuck Hawks/Randy Wakeman article. The gun in that test was 42.5 inches. 2.25 inch theoretical differences in guns is weird to me, but if it works it works.

I am thru my 1st year on mine.
I’ll have to measure mine and see what length it is.
I do know that I sighted it in using 2 3/4″ slugs and then right before the season needed more and couldn’t find them. Out of stock. I had to get 3″ and sight it in again.
I couldn’t get near the grouping with the 3″ shells and it kicked like a mule.
I’ll be buying a supply of the 2 3/4″ soon and expect much better groupings again. It’s a 20 Ga by the way.
It’ll be interesting to see what you use and your results.

My gun came with a fairly hard recoil pad, not the softer one. Depending on how hard it bucks me and which sabots it likes I may end up with a kickeez type pad. I’ll post the results when I get it figured out.

I got out this morning to get acquainted with my new gun. A couple things I noticed about this gun that is on the web everywhere:
* Ammo choice will be either the Rem Accuptips or Federal Copper Solids. I couldn’t even get Horniday SST’s on the paper. The 2 3/4 shells kick considerable less than the three inchers – almost pleasant. How do you guys with 12 gauges do it? Ouch!! If I can get the 2 3/4 inchers to group decent I’ll shoot those. If I shoot this gun much in warm weather I’d spring for a Limbsaver type pad.
* Barrel heat starts widening your groups – at least with my gun.
* This is an accurate gun. My two best groups at 83 yards are below. It can only get better with some practice.

Attachments:

1. 

   three-inch-federals.jpg
   

2. 

   Two-inch-accutip.jpg
   

I was getting groups like that at 200 yards with the Accutips 2 3/4 inchers.
Now that was something I never thought I’d see with a slug gun.
So far my local gun dealer has not got the 2 3/4″ shells in so I may have to go elsewhere to get them.

Shooting these slugs gets to be an expensive proposition. Ordering online cuts down on the expense. Cabela’s currently has both lengths in stock.

Expensive is an understatement. I shot about 6-7 boxes of the 3″ trying to get the dam things to group. At $15 a box…it really hurt!
I also had an issue with the scope so I wasted a couple more boxes dinking with that…dammit!
But it’ll be worth it in the long run if I get it dialed back in with the 2 3/4″ slugs.
Sweet and accurate little gun.