If you are a fan the German engineered Mauser then you might wish to check out the newest variant of the Mauser M18, the Savanna. The original M18 was unveiled at SHOT Show 2018. Now for 2022 the Savanna M18 bolt-action rifle has been released to the American market via Blaser Group.
According to Jason Evans, CEO of Blaser Group, “The new Mauser M18 Savanna presents the opportunity for even more American hunters to experience the benefits of German engineering and manufacturing, this ultra-rugged rifle is a true value delivering superior reliability, durability, and accuracy in its class.”
Overview of the Mauser M18 Savanna
This newest M18 features a Savanna tan stock with grip inserts and a threaded barrel for the addition of a suppressor or muzzle brake. The M18 rifle features a cold hammer-forged German-steel barrel, three position safety, and adjustable trigger that allows you to set your own preferred pull weight from 2.25 – 4.25 lbs.
The three safety positions are:
- Fire
- Bolt open, but firing not possible
- Completely locked
The 60-degree oversized bolt with three locking lugs and two extractor pins allows for quick and smooth cycling of cartridges from the standard five-round magazine. Ten-round magazines are also available.
Another nice feature is the removable rubber shoulder pad that covers a hollow space in the stock for storing tools, cleaning kit, or perhaps survival gear. The total weight of the Savanna is 6.4 pounds without scope and mount.
The Savanna accepts Remington 700 LA-style mounts and is available with a 1/2 x 28 threaded barrel in .223 Rem, .243 Win, .270 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, and 7mm Rem Mag chamberings. The 9/16 x 24 threaded barrel is offered in .30-06, .300 Win Mag and .308 Win.
Hunters are sure to like is the Mauser M18 Savanna sub-MOA performance guarantee and 10-year factory warranty. With and MSPR of $849.00 and real-world pricing coming in the $600 to $700 range this rifle is not to be overlooked.
On the Range and in the Field
Field testing of the Savanna M18 began by outfitting the rifle with the LUCID L5 4x-16×44 Rifle Scope.
The Lucid L5 rifle scope with 30mm tube, offers precise 1/8 MOA windage and elevation adjustments on lockable, tactical style turrets. A side parallax adjustment along with the ocular diopter adjustment provides for a crisp target image over the entire magnification range of 4x-16x.
The L5 Reticle also serves as a precise MOA measuring device with 2 MOA increments below the rifle’s zero along with viable windage values built in.
I mounted the L5 to the Mauser using the American Defense Recon (quick release cantilever) medium height scope mount which has always been rock solid in my considerable experience with it.
The M18 Savanna I tried out was in the 30-06 Springfield caliber. Utilizing Sig Sauer’s Elite Hunter Tipped 165 grain ammo, I had no problem in shooting several 3 shot groups that were sub-MOA at 100 yards.
Wanting to put the overall package to the test I carried the M18 on and off for five days in the field on a New Mexico deer hunt. Although I did not take a mule deer on this hunt, only because I did not find a buck to my liking, I did carry the Savanna for many miles.
The rifle as mentioned weighs only 6.4 pounds, making it easy to carry. A lighter overall scope and mount package would make it even more enjoyable to carry all day.
Conclusion
With the accuracy and light weight of this rifle (I admit I like the tan stock for hunting) the M18 Savanna is a viable and affordable option for today’s hunters. The shelve price of $600 to $700 also makes the Savanna competitive with most any factory-built hunting rifle on today’s market.
I hope to try out the Savanna on a Barbary Sheep hunt soon. As with any real-world hunting there are no guarantees … but stay tuned.
For more information visit: www.mauser.com.
