Either of these Savage rifles would serve well as a varmint gun for use in areas where noise would be detrimental to the rifle’s use, such as in a suburban or urban setting. While it might be legal to fire a rifle in your back yard, in some areas, this might be disturbing to your neighbors, and they would probably call the law. There are many vermin and pests that sometimes need to be eliminated in a community, and a sound-suppressed rimfire would draw no unwanted attention at all. Besides that, it is just polite to go about as quietly as we can. Just as we have mufflers on our vehicles, a muffler for the rifle is a good idea.

To me, when I first heard of these new threaded Savage rifles, I immediately thought “Squirrel Rifle!” Squirrel hunting is one of the simpler pleasures of the hunting world. Most of us, no matter where we live, are not too far from a squirrel population, and can slip out to the woods for a squirrel safari without a lot of preparation or planning. No need to book a guide, no need to update the passport, and no great expense required. Squirrel hunting is a relaxing type of hunting, and a type of hunting for which I should take more time, as I believe most of us should. Sitting under a tall hickory or white oak on a cool Fall morning, watching the woods come to life as the first light of the sun slips into the woods through the lessening canopy of colored leaves, it just does not get any better. However, popping that first gray squirrel usually means either waiting a long spell before another target appears, or moving to a new spot. With a suppressor on the end of the barrel, the sound is minimal, and does not disturb the order of activities in the woods. A hunter can sit in the same spot until he bags his limit or the game supply plays out.

Testing the two Savage rifles for accuracy, I mounted my Leupold 8.5 to 25 power target scope, to see just how accurate these rifles could be. For hunting, a scope of less magnification would be best in the woods, but the target Leupold would be ideal for ground squirrels in the open. Both rifles were, as expected, very accurate. I fired both with an assortment of high velocity hunting ammo and with standard velocity target ammo. The suppressor that I used was the excellent little Tactical Solutions Cascade model. This suppressor is as quiet as any that I have tried, and is very affordable. Made in Boise, Idaho by a great bunch of folks, the Cascade is very efficient, greatly reducing the sound signature of the 22 Long Rifle cartridge, yet weighs only eight ounces. I also checked for velocities from both rifles, with and without the can attached, and the velocities recorded were within just a few feet-per-second, with either rifle. The longer barrel had no velocity advantage, and I also noted no change in velocities with or without the can. All velocities, in either mode, were within the normal variation of the ammunition. Accuracy was also not effected by the suppressor. If anything, the accuracy improved slightly with the can attached, but the difference was so little as to be inconclusive. Accuracy was checked at fifty yards by shooting five-shot groups with each type of ammo tested, with and without the suppressor attached. I rested the rifles in a Target Shooting, Inc. Model 500 rifle rest for absolute stability. Accuracy was superb. Every group fired measured less than one inch across, center-to-center. While all ammo had the sound signature reduced enough to make shooting without ear protection pleasant, the quietest ammo was naturally the target grade Wolf and PMC, but even my favorite hunting ammo, the Winchester DynaPoint, was both quiet and very accurate from the suppressed rifles.

Sitting here in late July, the Tennessee squirrel season is still a month away, and I always wait for cool weather to set in before hunting them anyway, so I could not take the Savage rifles hunting. There are some beaver that need killing nearby, and I will likely give that a try in a few days. When I do, I will take the FVSR with me, with the Tactical Solutions can attached. I also like the TRSR, but the FVSR is over two pounds lighter, six inches shorter, and a whole lot handier. It is also about one hundred and fifty bucks cheaper, so I will be keeping that one. Both are really nice, and that target style stock on the TRSR is really comfortable to shoot off the bench, but if forced to choose, I will take the FVSR.

Check out these and other fine firearms online at www.savagearms.com.

As stated above, these two rifles are only available from a Lipsey’s firearms dealer. For the location of a Lipsey’s dealer near you, click on the DEALER FINDER at www.lipseys.com.

If your favorite dealer is not a Lipsey’s dealer, have him to contact Lipsey’s at 1-800-666-1333 to correct that problem.

Jeff Quinn