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  #31  
Old 11-13-2017, 09:55 PM
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CMichaud CMichaud is offline
 
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Bought an Axis in Nov 14. All in cost after taxes and factory rebate was $288.25

Did the trigger spring job and re-torqued the mounts.

Just recently swapped on a Bushnell AR 223 scope and added a cheapish bipod.

I have a lot of rifles but I must admit that I quite like my fugly Tupperware-gun.

It is accurate and cheap to buy and cheap to shoot.

I had it out one day with my buddy who has a Remy 700 in 223. The 5.56 he was shooting kept key holing and he told me this is why some surplus ammo is really poor.

I tried it in the cheap Axis and it shot quite nicely to our surprise - it was a twist rate issue. IIRC, his Remington was 1:12 and the Axis was 1:9
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  #32  
Old 11-13-2017, 10:14 PM
bigwolf bigwolf is offline
 
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I have a ruger American .270 and a 783 in 22-250. Both shoot sub moa and no issues with either.
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  #33  
Old 11-13-2017, 10:18 PM
bighorn1 bighorn1 is offline
 
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I have a 270 savage 111, put it in a boyd's stock and put decent glass on it and it is one of the most accurate rifles i own, and i have had zero issue's with it going on 12 years
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  #34  
Old 11-13-2017, 10:21 PM
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KGB KGB is offline
 
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I also bought Ruger American 22-250 last year and after appropriate treatment and break in this rifle shoots amazing even by me- and I'm not the best shot out there! In a 100 meters shoot using a factory rounds(Remington) the shots were touching each other... I was very proud of myself!
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  #35  
Old 11-13-2017, 11:03 PM
PartTimeHunter PartTimeHunter is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flieguy View Post
who has actually had these rifles break or fail on them? I've heard lots of horror stories about the package scopes, but not many about the actual rifle itself breaking or failing.

happen to anyone?
I have an Axis II (I think it is) youth model that was a .223. I rechambered as a 20 Extreme with a short barrel for my wife as she wanted something to shoot coyotes that were coming in the yard in spring when the foals were hitting the ground. Everything I did was to save weight for her as she was losing strength - short barrel, fluted, synthetic stock, straight power scope. This thing was accurate to maybe 125 yards then it was more like shot gun patterning which was fine cause the longest shot she would have had was 100 yards. About a year after I lost her I was looking at this gun and it was ticking me off that it wouldn't shoot better - I know it isn't the cartridge. I put a Boyd’s stock on it and bedded the action - wow what a difference! I can hit a 4" gong at 300 yards pretty much all the time, 400 yards I'm hitting a 4" gong more like 7-8 out of 10.

I picked up that Savage when it was on sale with a $50 (?) U.S. rebate. In the end it was dirt cheap. Would I knock Savage or any entry level gun - no. After this experience I can see that they can shoot good and would consider another though my next build will likely be on a custom action. Never say never and I would never say that I would never buy a cheap Savage again - it's shooting good.
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  #36  
Old 11-14-2017, 08:02 AM
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The Flint&Fly Guy The Flint&Fly Guy is offline
 
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My Savage Edge would sometimes let the firing pin down after I had opened the bolt, then it was a beast to cock by hand to close it. It did this once when there was a white wolf maybe a hundred yards out! No more cheap savage for me!
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  #37  
Old 11-14-2017, 05:45 PM
hilt134 hilt134 is offline
 
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The barrel band screw on my marlin 336w 30-30 snapped like butter and apperently if you don't get a titanium screw made it will keep happening. Very sad liked the gun but with out that screw there's no stability or accuracy. Of course the price hike to the Henry sucks as well. And they don't side load. So definitely would not suggest the new marlins
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  #38  
Old 11-15-2017, 08:55 AM
ceadog ceadog is offline
 
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I'm on my second season on a Rem 783 in .308 and it's sub MOA using Hornady superperformance SST. Cheap as can be and I couldn't be happier.
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  #39  
Old 11-15-2017, 10:07 AM
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covey ridge covey ridge is offline
 
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Got a Ruger American in .243 because the price was right. A bit ugly but light. My mule deer was a bang flop. Last week when I was loading up to put the move on a white tail I found that the plastic magazine would not stay put and dropped in the snow. The latch on the mag had broken. Called snap shots and they said that they would send one out immediately.

Lucky I have other rifles
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  #40  
Old 11-15-2017, 11:27 AM
Don_Parsons Don_Parsons is offline
 
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A few folks came to the range this year with the budget Axis, Savage, and Remmy.

All I can say is WOW.

Yes they are not the cream of the crop, but there not the lesser either.

None of them had issues reaching the targets, and they are really geared up as Harvesting rifles.

The riflings looks ruff down the barrels of some of them, but even then they shoot just fine.
Don't know if the barrles are lapped or not, but they still shot good.

I just about went this route, having the extra funds put me in the next category.

The folks that showed up at the range with them were pretty happy to see good results down range.
They claim that once you pull it out of the box and clean the barrle your good to go.

Sure nice to see price point firearms for folks that choose this path. It helps bring the Begining crowd into the actives of good times.

Don
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  #41  
Old 11-15-2017, 11:33 AM
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Sask Bearman Sask Bearman is offline
 
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I've owned several Axis II's. All were dependable and shot well. Take the junk factory rings off and replace them and you are good to go.
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  #42  
Old 11-15-2017, 12:11 PM
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have handled 3 different AXIS rifles.

Scopes replaced on all 3. All feed and shot just fine. A 7-08 that had acceptable accuracy and a 25-06 and 243 that were very accurate.

no complaints.
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  #43  
Old 11-15-2017, 12:55 PM
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Stevens 200 in 270, plenty accurate and goes bang every time. It has the old school savage trigger that will a little tweaking is nice and crisp.
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  #44  
Old 11-15-2017, 01:12 PM
jpohlic jpohlic is offline
 
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I have a few cheap rifles that shoot just fine.

First is a Stevens 200 in 7mm-08 with a rifle basix trigger that I'm into for all of $375. I added a Bushnell Elite 4200 scope and its moa at 200 yards with factory ammo. The action is super smooth - a previous owner must have done some work on it. Someday I might upgrade to a Boyds stock but for now its a decent hunting rifle that's taken numerous deer, grouse, and a 52" bull moose.

Next is a Traditions Deerhunter .50 cal caplock muzzle loader that I bought used for $140. I added a bushnell first strike red dot sight that I got on sale for $100, a decelerator slip on recoil pad, and it shoots patched round ball or 385 grain bullets in a 2" group at 50 yards or close to 4" group at 100 yards. The groups are a little better with the factory open sights but I prefer hunting with the red dot. This little rifle weighs only 4lb 15oz with a hunting load!!! (which is why I added the recoil pad)

Then I also have a Marlin 30AS 30-30 that I got cheap, added a Vortex SPARC red dot, and can consistently hit the 150 yard gong with.
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  #45  
Old 11-15-2017, 01:13 PM
JDK71 JDK71 is offline
 
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I have a 243 30-06 300 that were gave as gifts to me have used all three a lot and no trouble yet and they are used in the cold all the time
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  #46  
Old 11-15-2017, 03:37 PM
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fordtruckin fordtruckin is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Prairiewolf View Post
Maybe the issue is some people buy budget rifles and treat them like budget rifles? Maybe if a person spent alot of money on say, a Cooper, it may not see the same abuses that an entry level Savage might?
I don’t know how you treat your stuff but to me a rifle is a tool. Despite how much that tooo cost I always treat them well. Most people I know including myself don’t have the spare cash to go replacing tools all Willie Nillie because they treat them as disposable budget items. Just my thoughts though
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  #47  
Old 11-15-2017, 05:06 PM
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covey ridge covey ridge is offline
 
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I wish Savage would market the Stevens 200 again. When I sold guns part time I sold a bunch but never bought one for myself.
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  #48  
Old 11-15-2017, 10:18 PM
FellSwoop FellSwoop is offline
 
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About a year ago I had marster throw in a JW105
223 bolt action into an order of another rifle (Ok I was on my second scotch at the time). The fit and finish was poor but with a few hours work it was cycling and looking ok. Thinking that this might be a cool challenge for a cheap "all new parts" varmint stalker, I looked for parts to fit this mission. With the advice from a fellow AO member I glass bedded the stock (he gave me the advice for my Enfield but I would rather experiment on a Norinco). I mounted a VOMZ Russian straight 4X scope with some new Chinese rings I had. It even has a new several year old Cabellas sling on it. Every time I went to the range this year I found an excuse to bring something else, probably because I suspect that it will perform poorly. Anyway I am heading out to hunt next week and decided to bring it. There is sight in time first day when checking zero of the big game rifles and plenty of yotes where I go. Somehow I am more worried about the scope performance than the rifle.
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  #49  
Old 11-16-2017, 12:02 AM
Beached Whale Beached Whale is offline
 
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I had on axis in 308 that shot okay but like others have said, the trigger was awful and was eventually fixed with some lapping compound and a couple of hours of spare time. I ended up selling it though because I preffered to own a nicer rifle.

Which brings me to my next point......the budget rifle thing in general. Sure an Axis or American or 783 at $400 seems like a great deal, but you can easily get into a much nicer gun like a Vangaurd or a Savage 16/116 for $700. If you carried the nicer gun through your whole 40ish year hunting career it costs you an extra $7.50 per year to have the nicer rifle.

But then again the $300 savings can buy a better scope or a lot of ammo, so in the end maybe that is where the true value of these guns lie.

It's nice to have options I suppose
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  #50  
Old 11-16-2017, 05:02 AM
Savage99hunter Savage99hunter is offline
 
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When I wanted to buy a varmint rifle, I almost ended up buying an axis just because they are so cheap. I held off and I’m happy I did, I found a new condition Model 70 in .223 for a couple hundred more.

Point being, deals are out there, hold off until you find something quality for a good deal. Then you won’t be kicking yourself for buying a gun that’s made as cheaply as it possibly can.
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  #51  
Old 11-16-2017, 05:04 PM
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NSDucknut NSDucknut is offline
 
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I got a Marlin X7 in .270Win years ago before they stopped production, wish I had bought a few different calibres - excellent rifle. Mine was something like $290 taxes in at the time. Shame you can't get them anymore - that being said, if you ever get a chance at a used one, I'd snap it up.
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  #52  
Old 11-16-2017, 05:25 PM
Don_Parsons Don_Parsons is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Beached Whale View Post
I had on axis in 308 that shot okay but like others have said, the trigger was awful and was eventually fixed with some lapping compound and a couple of hours of spare time. I ended up selling it though because I preffered to own a nicer rifle.

Which brings me to my next point......the budget rifle thing in general. Sure an Axis or American or 783 at $400 seems like a great deal, but you can easily get into a much nicer gun like a Vangaurd or a Savage 16/116 for $700. If you carried the nicer gun through your whole 40ish year hunting career it costs you an extra $7.50 per year to have the nicer rifle.

But then again the $300 savings can buy a better scope or a lot of ammo, so in the end maybe that is where the true value of these guns lie.

It's nice to have options I suppose

^^^ Bingo.

That's exactly the route I ended up going.

I had a few of them in my hands, something just didn't click for me.
Its wise to not have a budget and mid quality rifle on the counter at the same time.

Once a person picks up a higher price point rifle there is no going back.

At least for me that is. Pretty lucky they didn't set the Westherby Lazer Mark on the counter that day.

LOL

Don
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  #53  
Old 11-17-2017, 10:33 PM
petew petew is offline
 
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Some of us remember how the Remington 788 was bashed into the ground and discontinued. The funny thing is if you have one now and want to sell it they sell in a flash for a lot more than the original price tag. Makes me wonder how they managed to get better after 40+ years.

The gun writers of the day never had anything good to say about them, just like the axis gets trashed today. Its amazing how the Axis was doomed to be a 1 year gun too when it was introduced, yet there must be thousands of happy owners . It just seems to do what it is supposed to, much to the dismay of the experts.

Sure some have had a problem , but oddly enough some very expensive shiny guns seem to need repair and warranty also. We read about how bad the bolts are, but oddly they seem to consistently remove fired cases and chamber the next round without jamming. Sure the trigger is heavy, but it seems to do what it is supposed to, and when looking at a deer, the trigger could be 20 pounds and I wouldn't notice. It seems that those that treat the Axis and other budget guns with some care and don't abuse them , toss them in the trunk etc . they do exactly what they were supposed to do.

We all know the clip has issues with the plastic breaking, it seems logical to carefully insert it, and not try to ram it in like your next shot is going to save your life. They do what they are supposed to . The price is good, and I am sure that in the years to come they will still be killing things.

They are not for me, I like deep blue or brown, and nice wood, but they are good for lots of people on a budget.
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  #54  
Old 11-18-2017, 02:29 AM
LarryG LarryG is offline
 
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There have been many bargain guns through the years that I thought I wanted to buy based on what I read. But when I held them in my hands, I lost all interest as they struck me as cheaply made/fitted/finished. After already having inspected the nicer guns like the Remington 700 etc, there was too much disappointment for any serious cash to be laid down.
The old Remington 788 was one such gun. As I recall, in those days, these were in the $400 range in Canada, so not chump change. Other unimpressive guns were the Garcia bronco, Savage axis and T/C dimension.
The Savage 11 is a better gun/yet nothing special for almost the same money that I would pick over the axis. Also preferred is the Ruger American. The first Ruger RAR bolt action .22's were nicely made/blued. A great value for $325.
Also, I give most Norincos a pass because they're so cheap, and clean up to be nice shooters.
Regarding those package scopes, in my experience they are bottom of the barrel junk. I have a number of pretty good but not expensive chinese scopes, but the package scopes don't come close to even them. So in my case I toss them. IMO package scopes are only used by people who have never looked through a good scope or can't afford anything decent.

Last edited by LarryG; 11-18-2017 at 02:54 AM.
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  #55  
Old 11-18-2017, 05:24 AM
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1899b 1899b is offline
 
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My el cheapo Savage 110e topped with an El Paso Weaver K4. 200.00 for the rifle and 60.00 for the scope. Love those ugly Savages...

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  #56  
Old 11-18-2017, 07:23 AM
elkhunter11 elkhunter11 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LarryG View Post
There have been many bargain guns through the years that I thought I wanted to buy based on what I read. But when I held them in my hands, I lost all interest as they struck me as cheaply made/fitted/finished. After already having inspected the nicer guns like the Remington 700 etc, there was too much disappointment for any serious cash to be laid down.
The old Remington 788 was one such gun. As I recall, in those days, these were in the $400 range in Canada, so not chump change. Other unimpressive guns were the Garcia bronco, Savage axis and T/C dimension.
The Savage 11 is a better gun/yet nothing special for almost the same money that I would pick over the axis. Also preferred is the Ruger American. The first Ruger RAR bolt action .22's were nicely made/blued. A great value for $325.
Also, I give most Norincos a pass because they're so cheap, and clean up to be nice shooters.
Regarding those package scopes, in my experience they are bottom of the barrel junk. I have a number of pretty good but not expensive chinese scopes, but the package scopes don't come close to even them. So in my case I toss them. IMO package scopes are only used by people who have never looked through a good scope or can't afford anything decent.
The 788 was sold with a Tasco 4× scope for $199 back in the 70s, and they typically sell for double that used these days. They were plain no frills firearms, but the quality was much better than the 710/770 rifles that followed them. The 710/770 was likely the lowest point for Remington , and the 783 is a huge improvement, but if I was looking for a cheaper rifle now, I would be looking for a sale on a Vanguard.
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  #57  
Old 11-18-2017, 07:31 AM
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[QUOTE=1899b;3669819]My el cheapo Savage 110e topped with an El Paso Weaver K4. 200.00 for the rifle and 60.00 for the scope. Love those ugly Savages...

And cheap rings too!!! Haha Love it, I have the same on my $340 6.5X55 that shoots .2 MOA any day that I can hold it still. And my ammo is loaded with cheap Lee dies! Oh! The humanity!!! I need a raise.
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  #58  
Old 11-18-2017, 08:25 AM
Xbolt7mm Xbolt7mm is offline
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I’ve had a few of the savage kits and as everyone says, fix the trigger pull, either buy a new one or I’m sure there’s a fix on the original. You hear lots of stories about bad scopes. My experience is that mine where fine up to a 30-06 but the 300wm and the 7mm rm and bigger have too much kick for the cheap scopes. Most of the kit guns are too light for the mags and for me kick too much and that’s what kills the scopes. My experiences have all been with savages, they where all accurate and dependable for me. When the dollar was at par ish I even but a few Boyd’s stocks on. Didn’t shoot any better but kicked less and look darn fine.
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  #59  
Old 11-18-2017, 10:29 AM
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covey ridge covey ridge is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by petew View Post
Some of us remember how the Remington 788 was bashed into the ground and discontinued. The funny thing is if you have one now and want to sell it they sell in a flash for a lot more than the original price tag. Makes me wonder how they managed to get better after 40+ years.

The gun writers of the day never had anything good to say about them,
I remember the 788 well! I have owned a few and I even have one now. I do not recall gun writers saying much bad about them. I remember many suggesting the action for building a bench rifle. I think it was the gun snobs including myself that did not want to be seen with a cheap rifle. I think that the success of cheap gun itself was threatening to Remington. Many questioned why their more premier guns like the bdl did not preform as well.

When Savage introduced the axis they already had a winner in the Stevens 200. I once asked a rep as to why the need for the axis when the 200 was doing so well. After getting the usual run around about the desire to offer the customer more choices he eventually told me that the 200 was being replaced just because of cost to manufacture.

This year I bought a Ruger American just because I wanted to hunt with a .243 and the Ruger Am was cheap. It shot well and was light and a pleasure to carry and did what it was supposed to. Later when it got colder and my hands became numb I managed to break the clip on the magazine which I can only describe as a POS. My fault but I did get what I paid for.
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  #60  
Old 11-19-2017, 02:09 PM
FellSwoop FellSwoop is offline
 
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Update on the cheap Norinco I mentioned earlier. It is grouping one inch at 100 with occasional fliers. The trigger seems poor and is causing the fliers. The bolt is covered in chicom cosmoline and I suspect that the trigger is too. The rim fire was the same, weeps it out and needs recleaning. Impressed with the clarity of the Russian scope and it didn't fog up bringing it in and outside. Nor sure if I would recommend this combo over an axis.
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