Review: Savage Arms Stealth Chassis Rifle

When I first saw this rifle, I thought Savage has gone out of this world! I have been a Savage rifle fan for many years.

Taking the super reliable Savage 110 action and fitting it into a special chassis rifle has caught my attention.

Of course, calling this rifle a 110 variant is a great oversimplification. This precision rifle isn’t terribly expensive, but it is very accurate.

At less than $1000, this is a true rule-beater for reliability and accuracy. My rifle, the Savage BA Stealth, is a good example of getting a niche right.

The rifle is more versatile than you would think and very important in my battery for target shooting and recreation.

It would also be a superb long-range hunter.

This is probably the most accurate off-the-shelf .308 Winchester bolt gun for the price in the world, and beats some pretty expensive custom guns as well.

The choice of .308 Winchester is predicated on proven performance and the fact that I have a few thousand cartridge cases on hand.

The 6.5 Creedmoor, also available, is a viable choice.

Let’s look at some of what Savage tells us about the rifle:

• Factory-blueprinted Savage action
• Monolithic chassis machined from a solid billet of aluminum
• M-Lok forend and Picatinny rail for easy configuration
• Adjustable AccuTrigger
• 5/8×24 threaded muzzle with protector 
• EGW one-piece scope rail
• FAB Defense GLR-16 six-position, shock-absorbing buttstock with adjustable cheek

Savage Stealth Specifications:

Savage Features

At nine pounds, it is lighter than some chassis rifles, but no lightweight either. This isn’t a problem in benchrest fire, but an advantage.

For some types of hunting, you may wish to have a super-stable long-range rifle as well.

This chassis-built rifle is super accurate, but it isn’t that difficult to carry around on the range.

The rifle is threaded for a 5/8×24 TPI muzzle brake if you choose to use one.

My Savage Scout is much lighter and with its muzzle break, recoil is very controllable.

The Stealth isn’t a problem at all — it weighs over nine pounds — but a muzzle break would not be a bad idea if you plan long range sessions.

The chassis was developed by Drake Associates. Monolithic and machined from a single piece of aluminum, this is a premium chassis for hard use.

The chassis features a swivel stud and M-Lok forend. The stock is a standard AR-15 type. I like it fine and have not thought of changing it.

This stock features a rubber recoil pad and an adjustable cheek rest. The grip is a Hogue black rubber type. The Picatinny rail easily accepts optics.

I mounted a March F 3×24 rifle scope.

The March is simply superb, a very credible optic and far and above anything I really needed, but it is an excellent all-around rifle scope for long-range work.

Once the scope was mounted, the adjustable cheek piece on the stock was appreciated, and so was the well-designed recoil pad.

How It Operates

Everything about the rifle is easily handled by those familiar with the Savage bolt-action rifle. The magazine is a 10-round center-feeding box.

The release for the magazine is forward of the trigger guard.

The action is smooth and blueprinted at the factory — an otherwise expensive custom option.

The AccuTrigger arrived set at two pounds four ounces so I did not re-set it. This is such a great trigger that everyone has copied it!

The barrel nut design of the Savage rifle is famously rigid and makes for good headspace and accuracy control.

The magazine is handy and easily loaded and locked into place. The oversized bolt knob makes for easy handling.

This rifle is well-suited to tactical use as well and while there are more expensive bolt-action rifles, for institutional use I cannot imagine the Savage not serving well in most agencies.

Firing the Savage Stealth

Firing the rifle is a joy. I had handloads from 125 to 220 grains on hand. All gave good results.

I sighted the rifle in at 100 yards with a handload using 168-grain bullets.

It was easy enough to sight the rifle to fire an inch high, making is useful to 150 yards with that zero. A standout load is the Federal 175-grain Ascent.

Billed as a long-range load, the Terminal Ascent delivers in any rifle I have fired.

Groups in the Savage Stealth rifle averaged 0.9-inch for a three-shot group, with one 0.75-inch group at 100 yards.

I have been able to test the rifle at 200 yards, briefly, with good results.

A three-shot group with the Federal Terminal Ascent went into 1.85 inches at 200 yards. When time allows, I am hoping to travel to a 300-yard range.

The Savage Stealth rifle is an excellent performer well worth its price.

What do you think of the Savage Stealth Chassis Rifle? Let us know in the comments below!