Shooting Outside the Box

Objective:

Savage Arms has no problem coming to mind when someone is in the market for a new rifle. The 125-year-old company has staying power in no short supply. The task Savage had for us was to help showcase their legitimacy and prove one of their biggest taglines: Accuracy Out of the Box.

The price point is indisputable — Savage rifles are, on average, on the low end of the spectrum. So for new shooters, or those on a tight budget, the guns are very accessible. Our goal, then, was to demonstrate that the design, construction, quality and durability of their products made them a solid choice not only for the entry-level shooter, but for the intermediate, experienced and professional-level shooter as well.

Those that know Savage rifles know that they shoot well above their price point. Luckily for us, there was plenty of “walk” to back up the “talk.” The engineers behind the products have long integrated design features, manufacturing techniques and materials more commonly seen in firearms that cost four or five times what the average Savage rifle costs.

Strategy:

To accomplish our goal, and get discerning shooters to take notice, we knew we needed to show a product in action. Our audience is very discerning, and can smell marketing BS from a mile away. As a third-party entity, we knew they would trust our test beyond what Savage could orchestrate on their own.

Savage sent us a 11/111 DOA Hunter XP rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor to test, and connected us with world-class marksman Stan Pate. Stan agreed to come out and shoot our test. With multiple world championships under his belt, his word and affiliation alone would help us lend credibility to the brand.

On a frigid morning up Parley’s Canyon, Stan took a $600 rifle-and-optic combo — straight out of the box and with tags still intact — and shot six three-shot, sub-MOA groups. Of the six groups shot, the smallest was .5516 inches, but the average was .8299 — more than noteworthy for an ethical hunting shot, but also remarkable in the competition world.

The experience was eye-opening, and certainly accomplished the intended objective. A closing quote from Stan Pate demonstrated why he has remained a loyal member of Team Savage, when he could certainly shoot for any firearm manufacturer on Earth:

“In over a decade with Savage, I’ve still never signed an actual contract. We all just give each other our word, and that’s enough.”