Well, in all honesty, this gun was not really a planned purchase. I had been considering an AR-15 as my first rifle. But after talking with a friend (Jamie), I sort of wanted to wait. Plus, after shooting my other friend's (Jody's) Marlin Papoose (.22LR) scoped rifle for the mini-Appleseed clinic on June 10th (2006),  I realized that these small caliber rifles can be a LOT of fun, and cheap to shoot. It sparked my interest in marksmanship, and possibly entering competitions. Besides, it's a great first rifle to learn the basics with, and when I'm ready, I can get another rifle and increase the caliber.  :)

So, when attending the gun show that weekend, I asked Jody to sort of keep his eye open for an accurate yet affordable rifle for me. We saw a few possibilities: A Marlin Model 60 (which was used), a Ruger 10/22, and a Savage Mark II, both in natural and synthetic stocks. 

So, after some thought, input from Jody (and some arm-twisting), I picked this rifle up at a Gun Show at the National Guard Armory in Philthydelphia on June 11, 2006. It was the most accurate out of the bunch we saw. Specifics can be found on Savage Arms' website here.

(Source: Savage Arms' website)

The Accu-Trigger really rocks. By the time you just start to pull the trigger back, BANG! There goes your shot. I only wish my XDs had that sort of trigger pull. 

Jody and I did a head-to-head comparison between the Savage Mark II and the Marlin Papoose. The Savage was definitely a very accurate rifle right out of the box. 

I definitely need more magazines for this thing!! Constantly reloading only one 10-rounder is a little painful, especially when you want to keep shooting and stay in a rhythm. So far, I've only found 5-round mags at my local gun dealers. The hunt continues....

After shooting this thing at the range, I realized that I'm more blind than I thought. So, I invested in a decent scope for this gun, but with the option to swap it out onto another rifle in the future.

After much research, and asking for opinions on the forums, I decided on the Mueller Tactical 8.5-25x44AO scope.

BKL #263 rings were ordered a week later.

Together as a system, this rifle, scope, and rings makes a really accurate rifle for target shooting/plinking.

My fiancee was kind enough to zero the scope for me on 8/26/06. By her evil laughter after each shot, I'd say she has it pretty much dead-on now (at least to 50 yards).

This rifle was also the first "guinea pig" in my homemade rifle rest. It worked as designed. However, it is definitely too high for practical bench shooting. See the page on the rifle rest for details. 

Update: I found more 10-round magazines at my local gun shop over the weekend. I only picked up one, due to my budget restraints. I tested it yesterday in my basement. It feeds just fine.