<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Limb Chicken</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Alright Randy, swear to God... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
Talk to me about this muzzy... You got the thumbhole? How often do you clean it and what in your opinion are the drawbacks other than the weight and the length? I am interested... </div></div>
Unfortunately Savage does not offer a thumbhole stock from the factory. They have a black or camo synthetic (which has been nicknamed the "Tupperware stock" and everyone but me seems to hate it) or you can pay a little more for a wood laminate (adds a little more weight). It I was in the position to buy again, I might go laminate but I like my camo synthetic because I'm a utilitarian and not too caught up in looks. It doesn't bother me if I scratch it. You can get an aftermarket thumbhole. The Savage crowd has a couple of "preferred" vendors that I'd have to look up since I'm not really interested in buying one.
I haven't owned mine 15 years yet, so my cleaning frequency is a little more often that Muddy reports. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif It is true though that I've done range time in Sept., hunted early muzzle, shotgun and late Jan. antlerless without cleaning it until the end. I will wipe down the outside of the barrel with an oily patch, but don't bother with the bore. At the end of the season, I tear the gun completely down for a thorough cleaning before storage. So I really like the maintenance of the gun (or lack thereof)!
I also like the fact that I can shoot smokeless, black powder, and black powder substitutes. Don't know why I would be shooting BP or BP subs, maybe traveling to a state where smokeless isn't allowed?
Loads for this gun are in a constant state of flux. Some people are always working up a pet load (some are fools who are skating on thin ice). If you read enough to sift the sages from the fools, you can work up the load you desire. Maybe you want a "Magnum" load shooting heavy projectile (Savage does not recommend anything over 300 grains) or maybe you want a mild recoiling load for a youth hunt. You have options on which powder, how many grains and how heavy of a bullet. It's not the, "Well, should I shoot one, two or three pellets?" question. Granted there is granular BP and BP subs, but it doesn't seem like many are messing with it because they like the convenience of the pellet. I bet that most would gain some accuracy with their current MZ if they spent the time in the off season finding how many grains of loose powder gave them maximum accuracy with maximum velocity.
Savage is not the only smokeless gun going, just happens to my "gateway drug" of choice. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
Gotta head out to hunt! See ya later.
