The .22 Magnum cartridge was a bright and interesting addition to the rimfire world in 1959. The cartridge is a rimfire but a modern one. Unlike the .22 LR with its soft lead heel-based bullet, the .22 Magnum uses a jacketed bullet crimped in place. This makes for a stronger cartridge that is less subject to damage during the feed cycle or when carried in the pocket.
The .22 Magnum offers an edge in killing power over the .22 Long Rifle on small game and stretches the rimfire to larger game and varmints such as groundhogs, foxes, and even coyotes. Hollow point loads expand well. If hunting for pelts, a FMJ option is available.
I grew up hunting with the .22 LR and only deployed the .22 Magnum later in life. I have always been interested in the cartridge but used it primarily in handguns. The bolt-action rifle illustrated is similar to the hunting rifles I grew up with. The Savage 93 is offered in several versions. My rifle is probably the plainest model with a black synthetic stock and iron sights.
Savage Model 93 Features
This is a bolt-action rifle with a two-position safety. The safety is either on or off, there is no mid position as on more expensive rifles. The rifle feeds from a detachable 5-round magazine. The overall length is 40 inches, and the rifle weighs a little over five pounds.
The 21-inch barrel is nicely balanced. The rife features the famous Savage Accu Trigger. The stock is plain but fits most shooters well. There is checkering located on the semi pistol grip and on the forend. If the rifle were a hard kicker, and it certainly isn’t, the stock would need a recoil pad.
For a rifle that cost less than $300, the Model 92 is well put together and operates smoothly. The receiver is the standard tubular type used in most modern bolt-action rimfire rifles. The bolt is smooth enough with a bolt throw that is fast and easily handled.
You don’t need much bolt travel with a .22 Magnum cartridge. The constant diameter bolt is rather simple in design. The bolt handle is only slightly curved. The handle isn’t checkered, but you don’t need that much leverage on a .22 rimfire, magnum or not. The bolt features dual extractors.
For routine cleaning, the bolt is easily removed. Be certain the magazine is removed first. This is accomplished by pressing the magazine release.
Work the bolt to the rear and visually inspect the chamber to be certain it is empty. Move the safety forward while pressing the trigger fully to the rear. The bolt is pulled from the rear of the receiver. To replace the bolt simply press the trigger down as you slide the bolt in place.
While this is an inexpensive rifle, when I was hunting with rifles as a young man, I could not have had the AccuTrigger at any price. This is a great addition to any rifle, and I am glad to see that Savage has included the AccuTrigger — even in the inexpensive Model 93.
Take-up is minimal with virtually no creep in the action. As it left the factory, the AccuTrigger broke an even three pounds and one ounce. I have not found the need to adjust the trigger.
The stamped steel magazine holds five .22 Magnum cartridges. To insert a loaded magazine, tip the front lip into the magazine well first, and then angle the rear in. Be certain the magazine is locked in place to ensure feed reliability.
Occasionally, a box magazine needs a little tuning to feed properly. The Savage fed well. If your example does not, and the cartridge is feeding too quickly, close the feed ramps a little in a vise. If the bullet nose hits the feed ramp, open the feed lips again — a very little increment. If the magazine is dropped on the feed lips and damaged, it is easily repaired.
Accuracy Results
The rifle is supplied with useful iron sights. Even at this point — I am at Social Security age — I do not wear eyeglasses, save for reading. I grew up hunting with iron sights and enjoy them. To a point, and that point is 25 yards with a rimfire.
Fifty yards is a long stretch with iron sights when firing at small game. Just the same, firing from a solid benchrest at 50 yards provided some useful results. I adjusted the ladder sight up about three notches at 50 yards. Good muscle control is needed in not moving the rifle, and this is probably as important as the sight picture.
Locking the rifle tightly into an MTM K-Zone rest helped. I fired a good selection of ammunition in the rifle, as I had on hand a good bit of .22 Magnum ammunition, and I enjoy firing the rifle. Here are some of my results. Groups were measured in inches.
Loading | Velocity (FPS) | 3-Shot Group – 25 Yards | 3-Shot Group – 50 Yards |
| Hornady V Max 30-grain | 2,300 | .8 | 2.5 |
| CCI Mini Mag 40-grain | 1,899 | .5 | 2.4 |
| Winchester FMJ 40-grain | 1,876 | .9 | 2.3 |
| Speer Gold Dot 40-grain | 1,960 | 1.0 | 2.1 |
| Hornady Critical Defense 45-grain | 1,799 | .5 | 1.95 |
I would say the rifle will easily stay in two inches, or a little less, at 50 yards with good ammunition, but it really needs optics at this range.
I conducted some water testing to gauge penetration and expansion. Coyotes are tough, stringy animals. You need a load with a good balance of expansion.
Load | Penetration | Expansion |
| Hornady Critical Defense 45-grain | 16 inches | .36 inch |
| CCI Maxi Mag 40-grain | 13 inches | .38 inch |
| Hornady V Max 30-grain | 7.5 inches | .40 inch |
With small game, less penetration is desirable. The Critical Defense is among a very few .22 Magnum loads designed for personal defense. For bigger varmints, it looks good. As an all-around flat-shooting load in the standard weight, the CCI 40-grain bullet looks good. The V Max is a great pest popper. Shot placement is critical, especially with predators versus varmints.
Specifications: Savage Model 93
| Action: Bolt | Rate of twist (in): 1 in 16 |
| Barrel color: Blued | Receiver color: Blued |
| Barrel finish: Matte | Finish: Matte |
| Barrel length (in)/(cm): 21 / 53.340 | Receiver material: Carbon steel |
| Barrel material: Carbon steel | Type: Rimfire |
| Caliber: .22 WMR | Front sights: Metal |
| Magazine capacity: 5 | Rear sights: Metal |
| Hand: Right | Stock color: Black |
| Length of pull (in)/(cm): 13.9 / 35.306 | Stock Finish: Matte |
| Magazine: Detachable, box | Stock Material: Synthetic |
| Overall length (in)/(cm): 39.5 / 100.330 | Weight (lb)/(kg): 5 / 2.27 |
Final Thoughts
During the firing tests, the Savage Model 93 proved accurate and reliable. It is quite useful in my neck of the woods. I would probably add an optic if I were to get serious about hunting with the rifle. However, it certainly is accurate enough for most uses to 25 yards or so. With a quality optic and a flat-shooting load, I think it would be a fine 100-yard varmint gun.
What’s your favorite .22 WMR rifle? How does it stack up against the Savage Model 93? Have you shot the Savage AccuTrigger? How do you feel the trigger compares to its competition? Share your answers in the comment section.
If you damage the feed lips they are easily repaired (within reason). It is a wonder to feed a rimmed cartridge. 
The bolt throw was short and smooth. 
The Savage 93 features a blade-type rear sight with ladder adjustment. 
When the safety is to the rear, it is in the safe position. When forward to fire, as illustrated, the red dot is exposed. 
The Savage rifle features an easily manipulated and secure magazine catch. 
The Savage magazine is well made and robust. 
Note the blade-type trigger with the AccuTrigger action. 
While inexpensive, the Model 93 is fitted with the AccuTrigger. The author’s test gun is as plain as it gets. The .22 Magnum offers excellent utility for popping pests with the right load. This camo set up is rare but a very nice looking set up. 
You may spend a little more and get a very nice stock on your Savage rifle. This is the Savage Model 93 Minimalist version. 
Savage offers several very nice stock options. 
When fitted with an optic, the Savage .22 Magnum becomes more versatile.
Purchased a savage model 93 at Walmart when they were discounted to about $100 a few years back. The rifle is a tack driver at 100 yards with the factory iron sights shooting cci ammo. The negatives are as follows: 1) the iron sights will not adjust down far enough for a 100 yard shot unless you cut the slot deeper in the rear bullhorn sight using a dremel tool with a cutting wheel. Once you make that adjustment it is fine. 2). Yes, there is definitely a problem with the stamped steel magazine that comes with the gun. The magazine does not fit very tightly on the metal slider that protrudes from the magazine well on the gun, and you have to crimp and bend and flex the sliding groove of the magazine using needle nose pliers and a very steady hand so that it fits snugly and correctly. Also, and perhaps more important than the above, is that the bullets do not remain securely snapped in to the magazine when fully loaded requiring that you, once again, use the needle nose pliers and a very steady hand to carefully flex, bend and tweak the retention flaps of the magazine so that the bullets will remain securely snapped in to the magazine BUT not so tight as to impede the function of proper chambering when the bolt is worked back and forward. Don’t give up as it can be frustrating to have to basically become your own gunsmith on your brand new purchase. With careful attention to detail and function, your new model 93 can actually perform pretty well down at the range.
I just posted above regarding my brand new Savage 93 22wmr. I also purchased a Savage 93 17HMR, thumbhole laminated stock stainless steel fluted barrel. Shoots 5 rounds under your thumbnail at 80 yds and will not load the last 2 rounds of the mag into the fireing chamber. HOW COULD SAVAGE KEEP DOING THIS ???
This makes me sad. Bought a Savage model 93 wood stock 22wmr after searching for a year for a Marlin 22wmr. I.m a Marlin fan big time. I’m 70 and I still have my 75 year model 80DL my dad gave me when I was 5. It still loads every round into the fireing chamber.
I was trying to sight in the scope today on my new Savage. 1 out of 3 rounds wouldn’t go into the fireing chamber. So disappointing. Last mag was 5 rounds all touching at 50 yds.
I was just out shooting my Savage 93 F to day shot a 3/8″ group at 40 yards. who ever was shooting those groups better go back to school on how to shoot. My largest group was 3/4″ and that was with clod hands and the wind was picking up. I was using Federal 50 grain bulk pack ammo. Have had no problem with the mag or feeding problems. If the wind was down and not so cold would most likely have all groups under 1/2″
Matthew
Perhaps our experience differs. I have a Savage .22 made in the 1960s with a steel magazine
It has been in use for some times and no magazine trouble. Trouble comes when the magazine is dropped.
Thanks for reading
Bob
The Savage 93 series magazine does not rock into place.
There is a slot in the back of the magazine that rides a tab in the magazine well, straight up into the gun.
The article is probably referring to another gun.
The magazines are the weakest part of the model 93. As many can attest; they are very cheaply made and some are very loose fitting resulting in feeding problems. The 93 series is excellent in most other ways except the magazine.
Had the minimalist version of the.22 mag Savage… shot well IF ya could get a round to feed properly… magazine design really needs work… I’m a huge fan of the tube fed rim fires of Henry & formerly Marlin fame… if ya gotta have a traditional box magazine go to CZ Box magazine or the Ruger design ….
I have an older, pre-10, rifle in 22Hornet, which apparently shoots better, has more residual power and has no mag problems. Don’t think a 22Mag is in my future, at least this one. Also have a Savage in 25-20 and with iron sights is the equal of the 93.
I bought a Model 93 with a bull barrel years ago after they first came out, mine would not feed the second round without pushing the bottom of the clip forward. I contacted Savage about this problem and they had me send in a clip that came with the purchase and returned a new clip to try, with the problem continuing I took the firearm to a local gunsmith and had some adjustments to the magazine port reworked and the firearm feeds OK not smooth but OK. If I were purchasing a Model 93 I would suggest cycling ammo through it without firing to determine if this problem exists.
Any info on theCZ455 LR suppressed barrell
My M93 is just like this article says. I concur on all points, including those mediocre 50 yard groups. I’m considering saving up for a CZ.
I have an old tube fed Marlin 22 mag with a nice stock and golden trigger.
It shoots under an inch at 50 yards with just all name brand ammo.
I have a 93 with the bull barrel. It shoots great but shoots really well with the heavier 45 grain bullets. My oldest granddaughter burned up 2 boxes of ammo at the range one day and absolutely loved it. It was her first time shooting. We had no issues with feeding. It will probably go to here when I am gone. It is a great rifle. The Accu-Trigger system works well. The only drawback (if you can call it that) is the price of 22WMR and 45 grain ammo.
I have a Savage 93 in 17 HMR. I love how it blows squirrels away. They don’t run far after getting hit. Accuracy at 100 yards is impressive. It has a 4x scope, no iron sights. No problems ever with the magazine.
Let me start off by saying I am a real Savage fan. I have a couple of 99s and almost a whole safe full of 110s. I have two Savage 93 series rifles. Neither feeds reliably with any of the half dozen magazines I have purchased. By contrast, I have found their newer rimfire bolt actions with the rotary magazines to work great. I also have a couple of Marlins with magazines that appear quite similar to the 93s and they both work great with all their mags. I’m sure the author is correct in explaining his technique for adjusting the feed lips to improve feeding, but it’s not something I feel a customer should have to get into on a new gun with new mags.
Savage 93 22mag 20″ with 3/4 bull barrel is what i shoot with a 3×9 40mm Bushnell Trophy scope. Mine puts Winchester 40gr hp and CCI mini mag 40gr solid nose in the same hole at 100yds. Usually 9 out of 10 shots. The guns good I am not.