JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.
Me and my wife both love combo guns, the savage 24 has so many different versions over the years you basically have your choice of options/accessories.

I was curious, what's your experience with accuracy and separate barrels vs fused barrels? If they have hangers are they adjustable?

I really want 223/12 I think it would make a great timber coyote gun and the wife wants a 22wmr/20 for small game and hiking.

Gorgeous guns guys

Accuracy:

As alluded to here, Savage experimented throughout the 24's production with methods of attaching the rifle barrel.

1) Welded full length to the shotgun barrel: This seems to produce the best accuracy. Especially when the shotgun barrel is thick-walled, this method of attachment turns the rifle barrel into a "fat-barrel" gun as far as accuracy is concerned.

2) Welded only at the chamber area, gapped for the rest of the length, then welded only at a small steel "brick" between the barrel tips.

3) Welded at the chamber area, then a "carbine style" barrel band near the tip. (Some flat exterior, some round, some with integral front sight).

With barrel warming, the "barrel band" and "brick" method guns can begin to produce expanded groups. Bench strategy should include TOTAL cooling between shots. Since real-world field usage is almost entirely restricted to one rifle shot only, this is actually the true, practical method of sighting in, rather than a "crutch" to make the gun seem more consistent. The guns do very well on the paper when they are shot as they might be in actual use.

As to impact of the shotgun barrel in relation to sights set for the rifle, this should be tested on paper as well. A "rough bead" (front sight elevated in the picture related to the buckhorn) is usually sufficient to gain "regulation". Of course, shot and slug may differ, and this warrants more experimentation.

In the 24-V's (centerfire rifle) that might be scoped, the lower vertical duplex post can serve quite well as an aiming point for the shotgun.
 
Truck Racks:

Probably not a good idea to put your nice 24 in the window rack of your truck. Aside from theft concerns, most guns put there go for the ride upside-down. (My dad's hunting guns without exception have a little polished spot on top of the barrel indicating how much traveling they did in that seat.)

A "barrel band" 24 in .22 over .410 came thru here some years ago. It was what I call a "dog but salvage-able" (or so I thought).

Overhauled and refinished, targeting indicated the rifle barrel would send the bullet far north of the sights. Like, to the North Pole. Buckhorn adjustments were sorely inadequate to compensate.

A glance down the side of the rifle barrel (using the shotgun barrel as comparator) showed a visible dip. Polish mark on top of the barrel was the badge of a "truck gun", achieved by probably decades in the rack presumably over hundreds of rough road miles.

It was so bad that when the barrel was cleaned, the eye could discern the rifling more polished on the lower side where the bullets were bearing hard to make the curve. (Old literature talking of "curved barrel guns for trench warfare" came to mind.)

My brother took it to Alaska where (despite the warning he gave) it made a Native American quite happy. Combo guns are coveted up there.
 
NOW you have established your hard credentials toward experience with a combo gun, or at the least an adherent of Murphy's Law!.
(I could not in good faith deny having experienced similar).:D
I never said I had any experience with Combo guns.
Only stating my opinion on the concept....as I stated in an earlier post, we're all due out own opinions. Which we are.
It's ok if you disagree.

Dean
 
I do remember one elk hunt near Tollgate where I stumbled upon a nice fat grouse sitting on a log. Wish I had a shotgun that day.
That's what your sidearm is for. Assuming you want to ruin your chance at a nice elk in exchange for a pound of bird meat...

I remember when I was on my first elk hunt, my dad and I were hiking into an area with several record-class bulls and we flushed out a nice whitetail. I mean, a really NICE whitetail buck. My dad said it was probably the biggest whitetail buck he'd seen in Idaho, and he was a world-class big-game hunter. He said I could either take the record buck, or go on and take a nice bull elk. But if I shot that buck, it would ruin my chance at an elk.

I was 13 and chose to continue on and take the bull. I ended up with a cow elk. :oops:

I should have taken the whitetail buck.
 
That's what your sidearm is for. Assuming you want to ruin your chance at a nice elk in exchange for a pound of bird meat...

I remember when I was on my first elk hunt, my dad and I were hiking into an area with several record-class bulls and we flushed out a nice whitetail. I mean, a really NICE whitetail buck. My dad said it was probably the biggest whitetail buck he'd seen in Idaho, and he was a world-class big-game hunter. He said I could either take the record buck, or go on and take a nice bull elk. But if I shot that buck, it would ruin my chance at an elk.

I was 13 and chose to continue on and take the bull. I ended up with a cow elk. :oops:

I should have taken the whitetail buck.

In most states, it is illegal to shoot most game bird with a rifle - except turkeys and grouse (the latter only with a rimfire). Oregon included. I had a pistol with me that day, but the bird flew off before I could take it and I did not have a stamp. Had I had a combo shotgun I may have been able to raise the shotgun to my shoulder in time to take the grouse. But yes, a rimfire pistol or rifle would have been able to take the bird.

I only saw cow elks during that hunt, but did not have a cow tag. I would have gladly taken a cow - I hunted mostly for the meat.
 
That's what your sidearm is for. Assuming you want to ruin your chance at a nice elk in exchange for a pound of bird meat...

I remember when I was on my first elk hunt, my dad and I were hiking into an area with several record-class bulls and we flushed out a nice whitetail. I mean, a really NICE whitetail buck. My dad said it was probably the biggest whitetail buck he'd seen in Idaho, and he was a world-class big-game hunter. He said I could either take the record buck, or go on and take a nice bull elk. But if I shot that buck, it would ruin my chance at an elk.

I was 13 and chose to continue on and take the bull. I ended up with a cow elk. :oops:

I should have taken the whitetail buck.

Ah, the old bird in the hand...I probably would have made the same choice.
 
That's what your sidearm is for. Assuming you want to ruin your chance at a nice elk in exchange for a pound of bird meat...

I remember when I was on my first elk hunt, my dad and I were hiking into an area with several record-class bulls and we flushed out a nice whitetail. I mean, a really NICE whitetail buck. My dad said it was probably the biggest whitetail buck he'd seen in Idaho, and he was a world-class big-game hunter. He said I could either take the record buck, or go on and take a nice bull elk. But if I shot that buck, it would ruin my chance at an elk.

I was 13 and chose to continue on and take the bull. I ended up with a cow elk. :oops:

I should have taken the whitetail buck.

Great story! Combines a critique of fatherly advice (not always the best), along with the impetuousness of youth (occasionally beneficial). Variability of outcomes there is significant.

But the bottom line is that killing an elk (ANY elk) on your first elk hunt is a trophy hard to beat. Outside chance Dad was right.
 
In most states, it is illegal to shoot most game bird with a rifle - except turkeys and grouse (the latter only with a rimfire).

FYI...



Forest grouse represent an exception to the rules governing hunting of most game birds. Forest grouse may be taken legally with shot, rimfire, centerfire or muzzleloading firearms as well as with bow and arrow. Rocks and sticks are allowed for forest grouse. Unlawful are traps, snares, nets and crossbows. Air rifles and pellet guns are not legal. The reason for the liberal rules about taking forest grouse is that the birds are traditional camp food for big game hunters. Big game hunters often do not want to fire a loud firearm in their hunt area.
 
For SHTF, it won't matter.

I envision that if SHTF, my two combo O/U long guns would be handed to youngsters (10 or older) for hunting small game - assuming they have enough firearm safety training, skills and desire to hunt. The 20/.223 would be okay for deer.
 
Deer / grouse gun?
in 1962, I stumbled on to a guy (or he came upon me) who was deer hunting that had red painted (I assume painted) 303 cartridges in his belt holder with unpainted ones. When asked why, he said they were no good for deer, loaded "special" real light for "chicken (grouse), squirrels and the like" . He claimed he never went back to camp empty handed. He had a pocket in the back of his jacket where he pulled a grouse from, missing its head! :eek: I was summarily impressed. (Not a large feat for a young'un.) He could of just as easily wrung it off and I wouldn't of known. Still, I only had a squirrel I'd shot in the shoulders:oops:
 
That is exactly what I reload for - light loads for small game. I have some in .44 mag and some in .308. Hardcast bullets over 5-10 grains (4.5-5 in the mag, 10 in the .308?) of Bullseye (IIRC) with some dacron on top to hold the powder in place.

I don't remember the .44 mag bullet weight, probably a standard 240 gr. The .308 was a gas check flat point 110 grain IIRC.

These are for birdies and rabbits and such.
 
Deer / grouse gun?
in 1962, I stumbled on to a guy (or he came upon me) who was deer hunting that had red painted (I assume painted) 303 cartridges in his belt holder with unpainted ones. When asked why, he said they were no good for deer, loaded "special" real light for "chicken (grouse), squirrels and the like" . He claimed he never went back to camp empty handed. He had a pocket in the back of his jacket where he pulled a grouse from, missing its head! :eek: I was summarily impressed. (Not a large feat for a young'un.) He could of just as easily wrung it off and I wouldn't of known. Still, I only had a squirrel I'd shot in the shoulders:oops:

My uncle's only deer/elk rifle was an original '03 Springfield he bought at Fred Meyer (I think 1958). He was a true Coast Woodsman in every sense of the word: Logger most of his young life, and could smell a pitch spire a canyon away in order to start a hot blazing warming fire in the worst downpour.

A box of shells would last him 4 or five years at least, including the ones he expended on grouse heads. Surgical accuracy and I never saw him miss one.
 
I recently inexpensively picked up a Chiappa in 22LR/20ga. It'll be nice to have that with me when I'm out foraging for mushrooms in the fall, in case I come upon grouse. I've heard the 20ga barrel is not always well regulated on those guns, so I have to take it out to the range and see how she shoots...
 
I recently inexpensively picked up a Chiappa in 22LR/20ga. It'll be nice to have that with me when I'm out foraging for mushrooms in the fall, in case I come upon grouse. I've heard the 20ga barrel is not always well regulated on those guns, so I have to take it out to the range and see how she shoots...
I am interested in those as well....looking forward to hearing a range report.
Andy
 

Upcoming Events

Tillamook Gun & Knife Show
Tillamook, OR
"The Original" Kalispell Gun Show
Kalispell, MT
Teen Rifle 1 Class
Springfield, OR
Kids Firearm Safety 2 Class
Springfield, OR

New Resource Reviews

New Classified Ads

Back Top