CANADIAN GUNSMITH COMPANY

Stevens Model 200

A True Workhorse

Here was a rifle that was what I was looking for in a truck: a no-frills tool--plain and simple. There's no wood to warp, no delicate finish to scratch. It's a rifle. 

It obtains its performance heights in terms of function first and foremost. That it uses the time-tested Savage Model 110 action assured me it was strong, and free-floated, button-rifled Savage barrels have always provided me with accuracy that belies their moderate price tags, so I was confident about its accuracy. 

To get the price tag down without sacrificing quality, Savage (Dept. ST, 118 Mountain Rd., Suffield, CT 06078; 413-568-7001; www.savagearms.com) did exactly what auto manufacturers do--offer a base product that's essentially the same under the hood as the higher end models and then let the higher end models with the extra bells and whistles carry the margin. In terms of automobiles, then, the Stevens 200 can be thought of as the base, with the Savage-brand being the upgrade thus carrying more options such as left-hand, different finishes, wood stocks, and muzzle porting.

A No-Frills Work Gun

That's not to say the Steven's is a cheap gun. In fact, if you turn the calendar back a few years to when Savage offered a more limited selection of rifles, the Stevens is essentially the basic blued and synthetic Savage rifle. It's different from the past guns, though, because it offers advanced features, such as dual pillar bedding, long- and short-action lengths, and even magnum chamberings. Distinguishing it from the current Savage line are features such as a matte metal finish obtained by hand-polishing in contrast to the high-polish (and more expensive) finish on Savage rifles derived from "tumbling" the parts in huge vibratory polishers. 

It didn't save any money at the manufacturing or retail level, but another thing Savage did with the Stevens line was instead of waiting to retire an on-line and fully functional Savage synthetic stock mold, the company bought a new mold for the Savage line and relegated the "hand-me-down" mold to the Stevens line. 

This is an effective use of equipment as it ages, and at Savage it isn't unique to the stocks. While visiting the factory a few years back I saw where barrels go through a multiple reaming process called "broaching." The oldest reamer in the series does the first cut, and when the barrel gets the final "broach," it's done by the newest reamer, resulting in the best possible finish.

Just like a base model truck may come standard with a bench seat with the next higher version having captain's chairs, the Stevens comes with the familiar Savage trigger. It's hand set at the factory to a reasonable pull weight and can be further adjusted by a competent gunsmith. The trigger upgrade, if you will, is the AccuTrigger. It has added safety features and is user adjustable down to about 11/2 pounds of pull, but you have to upgrade from the Stevens rifle to a Savage to get it.

While you can often get base model vehicles in a limited variety of colors, the Stevens Model 200 comes only with a gray synthetic stock and blued steel. Variety kicks in with calibers. You won't find base trucks with much in the way of engine choices, but in the Stevens Model 200 you'll find no less than five short-action chamberings from .223 Remington to .308 Winchester. Available long-action chamberings include .25-06, .270 Winchester, and .30-06 Springfield, you can also have 7mm Remington Magnum or .300 Winchester Magnum.

Possibly The Best Value In Bolt Actions

In the Stevens Model 200 I had found in a rifle what I continued to seek in a truck--a sturdy, well-made, task-specific tool. Of course, that task was launching well-aimed shots, and at the range well-aimed shots were rewarded with good groups. At my experience level as a shooter and hunter, I'd gladly tote a Stevens Model 200 into the woods, but I reasoned that most Stevens purchases will be made either by shooters on a tight budget or as entry-level guns. 

Budget-conscious shooters shoot inexpensive ammunition, and entry-level shooters should start with low-recoils loads. For those two reasons, I included Golden Bear ammunition as an economy load and Remington's Managed Recoil as a low-recoil load. 

Savage says the Stevens Model 200 "is the best value in a bolt-action rifle." Honestly, I don't know the retail prices of all bolt-action rifles, and I sure haven't shot all of them, so I can't say with absolute certainty if that's the case with the Stevens. Even so, I think it's accurate for me to say that if the Stevens isn't the best value in a bolt-action rifle, it's darn close. 

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