Savage Stevens 301 Compact Single Shot Shotgun 20 Review
If "simplicity is the ultimate composure," the Stevens 301 single shot is virtually every bit sophisticated as information technology gets. The new offer from Savage Artillery revives the classic blueprint in three of the most pop shotgun calibers: 12 judge, twenty approximate and .410.
Whether you're a survivalist looking for a trail gun or a parent looking for a offset firearm, the 301'south low toll, uncomplicated functionality and reliability make information technology a neat addition to whatever collection.
The front bead sight was easy to see in the fading light, and the Model 301's low-cal weight allowed for quick treatment.
SPECS
When the prophylactic is switched down and the red dot is visible, the gun is ready to fire.
Bore: 12 gauge (tested); twenty approximate; .410 bore (tested)
Stock Cloth: Synthetic
Weight: five.eight lbs. (12 gauge); 4.8 lbs. (.410)
Barrel Cloth: Carbon Steel
Barrel Terminate: Matte
Barrel Color: Black
Barrel Length: 26 in.
MSRP: $173
Manufacturer: Fell Arms
Stevens Going Barbarous
Savage bought the Stevens brand in 1920 but stopped manufacturing firearms nether that name in 1991. Savage revived the Stevens Series in 1999 and has since been manufacturing reliable, low-cost rifles and shotguns nether the Stevens trademark.
The Stevens 301 is elementary and reliable.
Savage offers the Model 301 in both standard and compact sizes. The standard size comes in 12 approximate, 20 gauge and .410 bore. The compact size, intended for younger or smaller shooters, is available in twenty gauge and .410 bore. The standard size features a 26-inch barrel and the compact size features a 22-inch barrel.
Features and Functionality
The writer's niece did a great chore with the .410. She started shooting balloons with bird shot, only past the end of the afternoon she was hitting atomic number 26 targets with slugs.
Youngsters have been learning to shoot with single-shot .410 shotguns for decades, and that tendency will no doubt continue with the like shooting fish in a barrel-to-use Stevens 301. A takedown lever located to the correct of the hammer allows the shooter to swing the barrel forward and expose the sleeping accommodation. Shells are loaded one at a time and fired by cocking the hammer and merely squeezing the trigger.
The safety is located on the left side of the firearm. I found information technology to be a fleck loose, and it lacked a firm, tactile click when engaged and disengaged. Still, it functioned as it was supposed to and kept the hammer from striking the firing pin.
The 301's simple intermission downward is one of my favorite features. A push button located on the front of the handguard allows the shooter to remove the baby-sit and lift the barrel out of the stock. The handguard can and then be reinstalled to the barrel, so the gun consists of two pieces rather than iii.
Survivalists dear rifles like the .22-caliber Henry AR-seven, and with good reason. But if you lot need to survive two weeks in the forest, you lot might also consider the Stevens 301 in .410. The shotgun fits easily into a haversack after removing the barrel, and the ability to shoot both birdshot and slugs allows for the harvesting of a wider variety of game. The uncomplicated design makes information technology virtually fail-proof and the carbon steel barrel makes it extremely rugged. Plus, with an MSRP of $173, y'all can probably afford to purchase a backup 301 for the price of many survival rifles.
The standard size 301 was a scrap too large for the writer's nephew, but he hung in there and did his best.
Range Time
I tested the standard size 301 in 12 gauge and .410 over the course of several days and hundreds of rounds. The guns are identical, notwithstanding the barrel diameters. I was especially curious to run into the patterning the guns produced, as single-shot shotguns permit for longer barrels with shorter overall lengths compared to other types of actions. Pump, lever, and semi-automatic deportment take up space between the barrel and the stock, space that break-activity shotguns use to increase barrel length.
Fifty-fifty the standard size 301 is much more compact than pump action shotguns that feature barrels of similar lengths.
Both of these scatterguns featured 26-inch barrels with overall lengths of 41 inches. For comparison, the Stevens 320 I reviewed last month has a barrel length of 28 inches with an overall length of 48 inches. The barrel on the 301 is only 2 inches shorter, but the overall length is seven inches shorter, as you can encounter in the picture show.
The shotgun breaks downward in seconds and easily fits into a backpack or duffle.
I shot patterns at 15, 25 and 35 yards with both the 12 gauge and .410 bore using a modified choke. In the 12 gauge, I used one 1/8 ounce Federal Gilded Medal Grand target loads and Federal Premium 00 buckshot. In the .410, I used 11/sixteen oz. Federal High-Brass loads and Federal Premium 000 buckshot.
I was pleased with the patterns both gun produced. The spreads with the target loads were good at 15 and 25 yards. The 12 judge produced a 14-inch spread at 15 yards and a 23-inch spread at 25 yards. The .410 produced a 12-inch spread at 15 yards and a 26-inch spread at 25 yards. The 12 approximate patently performed better than the .410 at 35 yards, simply my targets were not big enough to get an accurate spread measurement. Withal, you can run across that both guns spread the shot evenly across the targets, and the diameters appeared to be consistent with what I would expect with a modified choke at 35 yards.
The 301's single-shot, interruption-action pattern makes it ultra-reliable. There are very few moving parts, which lessens the chance that the gun volition malfunction. The shotgun breaks downwardly into three major parts: the barrel (pictured), the action and the forend.
Shootability
Both guns are fun to shoot, only the 12 judge delivers a fleck more felt recoil than other shotguns I've tested. This isn't surprising, given its 5½-pound weight and meaty package. I enjoyed shooting target loads, merely buckshot and slugs left my shoulder throbbing. The gun doesn't include a robust recoil pad, and the break-action design transfers all the energy from the load direct back into the stock.
Also go on in mind that shouldering the 301 might feel strange if you're used to a pump action or a semi-automated. Because at that place's no need for a receiver, the handguard doesn't extend as far forrard as most pump-action shotguns. This reduces the overall length of the gun, merely information technology takes fourth dimension to acclimate to the shorter dimensions.
Still, the 12 estimate handled nicely during my clay shooting session, and I e'er enjoy the tactile, hands-on feel of unloading and loading each individual trounce.
The Stevens Model 301's in .410 and 12 approximate are compact and light weight.
The .410 was the existent highlight of the day. As these guns are geared towards youngsters, I wanted to get some feedback from someone whose parents might consider purchasing the 301 as their child's first gun. My sister-in-law's younger siblings were kind enough to help me with this review, and we spent a fantastic afternoon shooting tin cans, balloons, and once they acclimated to the firearms, clay pigeons.
My niece is 13 years quondam and my nephew is 11. We began past letting each of them shoot stationary targets with the .410. My niece had recently attended a marksmanship clinic, so she had no trouble with the gun. Both the activeness and the hammer are fairly stiff, though, so at times, she struggled at times to load the shells. But she always managed to chamber and burn a new round without any help, and the recoil was manageable. She likewise fired a few slugs and didn't feel much difference.
The Model 301 gave my 11-twelvemonth-old nephew a challenge. The recoil afflicted him much more than his sis. Again, the interruption-action blueprint transfers quite a bit of energy from the circular to the stock to the shooter's shoulder. He opted for the .22 lever gun my begetter-in-constabulary had brought to the range after a few rounds.
It'south worth noting that my nephew may take enjoyed the compact 301 more than the standard size. The gun was conspicuously a bit too big for him, and the shorter butt would have allowed him to hold the gun more
To pause open up the single-shot .Model 301, merely actuate the small-scale lever on the right side of the hammer.
easily and maintain a more than solid shooting base. Once we had destroyed every tin can and balloon in sight, we moved to the back pasture to shoot clays.
In one case we had destroyed every tin tin and balloon in sight, we moved to the back pasture to shoot clays. I also tried my hand with the 12 gauge, and after some practise I was able to hit with my usual consistency.
Lasting Impressions
For the price, it's tough to beat the Stevens Model 301 in terms of simplicity, reliability, and function. We experienced no malfunctions during the grade of our testing, and both guns performed well.
The simple have downwardly method and ease of reinstallation makes the Model 301 ideal every bit a backpacking firearm.
The 301's ability to break downward quickly and easily makes it ideal for camping ground and hiking. I call up the .410 would perform especially well in a survival state of affairs, given its light weight and the wide variety of loads it can shoot.
The .410 is also a nice option for immature shooters. The Stevens 301 provides a fun, simple introduction to the wonderful globe of shotguns.
To larn more about the Stevens Model 301, click http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/Stevens301.
To purchase a Stevens shotgun on GunsAmerica, click https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?Keyword=Stevens.
has been reviewing firearm-related products for over six years and enjoying them for much longer. With family in Canada, he's seen first mitt how rapidly the right to cocky-defence force can exist stripped from police force-abiding citizens. He escaped that statist paradise at a young age, married a 6th-generation Texan, and currently lives in Tyler. Got a hot tip? Send him an e-mail at hashemite kingdom of jordan@gunsamerica.com.
jacobsennoeve1936.blogspot.com
Source: https://www.gunsamerica.com/digest/stevens-301-single-shot-full-review/
0 Response to "Savage Stevens 301 Compact Single Shot Shotgun 20 Review"
Post a Comment