The Savage 12FV is a bolt action rifle exclusive to Cabela’s. It has a varmint profile (kinda heavy) barrel, oversized bolt handle, jeweled bolt, synthetic stock, and uses a blind top-load magazine. This Savage has the top bolt release, not the bottom one like some other Savage rifles. Although they say it’s a varmint rifle, it’s available in 308 and 6.5 Creedmoor, which are better long range target rounds than varmint rounds. “Varmint” just refers to the barrel profile. At around $500 CAD right now, it’s an incredible deal.
Savage 12 FV Specifications
- 8.75lbs
- Available in 308 and 6.5 Creedmoor
- 26″ varmint profile barrel
- 4+1 capacity
- Does not come with scope bases (needs 2 Weaver #46)
What’s this rifle for?
At nearly 9 lbs empty with no optics and with a blind magazine, this rifle is not a great choice for hunting. Instead, it’s an inexpensive starting platform for long range shooting. Just on its own, it’s a good, value-priced rifle for long range (500-1000 meters). The stock it comes with is inexpensive, but not nearly as floppy and weak as past synthetic stocks, and it’s MUCH better than the wet noodle stock that came with my Remington 783 Heavy Barrel.
If you want to upgrade it to use as a budget PRS rig, you could pair it with a Savage 10 or 12 chassis like the Oryx, and then you’ll also be able to run AICS mags and you’ll get a much better stock system. The only downside to using this rifle as a basis for a PRS rifle is that the muzzle isn’t threaded, so you couldn’t easily add a muzzle brake to it. It also does not use the 5R rifling that everyone’s talking about.
Conclusion
The Savage 12FV from Cabela’s is about the cheapest 308/6.5 target rifle you can get in Canada right now. I found it easy to hit sub-MOA groups with decent ammo, and even got MOA groups with very cheap surplus ammo. If you’re looking for an accurate target rifle on the cheap, this is it.
