Savage Kicks Off 2021 With the All-New IMPULSE Straight-Pull Rifle
Andy Husek 01.05.21
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to travel to Barksdale, Texas and test out the brand-new IMPULSE straight-pull rifle from Savage Arms. This new rifle from Savage features 13 brand new patents in addition to a couple staples I absolutely love, including the AccuTrigger and AccuFit adjustable stock system. The highlight of the platform, though, is the new straight-pull bolt system which allows for lightning fast follow-up shots with increased ability to keep your head down and on target in between shots.
Straight-pull rifles are very popular in Europe, but not widely adopted here in the United States.
Up until this event, I had not spent much time behind a straight-pull rifle. But after only a few rounds, I could immediately see why they are so popular! I found myself running the bolt very fast while never losing sight picture through recoil, follow through and reload. As a hunter, this is imperative. You need to do your best to see impact on the game you are targeting with your first shot, get another round in the chamber and react immediately based on the results of your first shot.
If you have hunted long enough, you know that poor shot placement can and will happen. With the new straight-pull system featured in IMPULSE, however, you can cut down the time needed to reload and get back on target which greatly increases your chances to get of subsequent follow up shot if necessary. We all know how fast game animals can disappear after the first shot, even if they are mortally wounded. I noticed immediately how fast I was able to run the bolt and reengage targets at the different ranges at the FTW Ranch.
The new IMPULSE comes in three different models: the Hog Hunter, the Predator and the Big Game model.
Impulse Big Game: From the versatility of .243 WIN to stopping power of 300 Win Mag, IMPULSE Big Game is ready for one-shot drops and fast follow-ups.
Impulse Predator: From the speed of22-250 REM. to the do-it-all potential of 6.5 Creedmoor, IMPULSE Predator provides an advantage to anyone hunting at the top of the food chain.
Impulse Hog Hunter: From the ready availability of .308 to the long-range reach of 300Win Mag, IMPULSE Hog Hunter offers efficient pest control in a variety of proven .30caliber chamberings
I personally was shooting the Big Game edition in .300 Win Mag, and I was more than impressed. I worried some about shooting such a large caliber rifle with the straight-pull bolt, but the results spoke for themselves. By the second day I was consistently hitting a 15-inch plate at 1,600 yards! To me, that was quite a feat to be able to shoot a factory rifle at almost a mile with such consistency.
At the heart of IMPULSE is what Savage has named Hexlock:
As the bolt closes into battery, Hexlock’s six hardened steel bearings secure the action. Inside the bolt, a plunger forces the ball-bearings on the bolt head into channels machined into the barrel extension. As the bolt handle moves forward, this plunger locks in place, creating pressure that provides Hexlock’s solid lockup. When a round is fired, the expanding gases inside the chamber act on the bolthead, forcing it back onto the plunger, which adds even more pressure to the bearings, creating a lock-up that tightens relative to pressure increase.
The system, during this cycle, cannot open.
Like many of Savage’s rifles and shotguns, IMPULSE is designed to adapt to your needs. AccuTrigger allows for the trigger pull to be set anywhere between 2.5 and 6 pounds. For those who hunt on the move, a heavier trigger weight may be ideal, while those who shoot from the bench or a rest may want a lighter trigger.
The adaptability that has come to define Savage rifles is built into IMPULSE, too. The AccuFit stock allows for adjustments with four length-of-pull inserts allowing shooters to adjust their LOP from 12.75-13.75”and five different comb height options allow shooters the ability to truly customize their Impulse with a trip to the gunsmith. Now almost every shooter can customize a fit without the need of a custom stock.
And IMPULSE’s multi-positional bolt handle can be aligned at several different angles, on either side of the bolt, according to personal preference. These options allow shooters to easily clear any optics, and the bolt handle can even be removed with the bolt closed on an empty chamber as an added safety measure. With the center-line placement of the two position tang safety, every IMPULSE can be easily oriented for left or right-handed shooters.
Below is a video of what some of us who got a sneak peek at the rifle had to say from our time at the FTW Ranch.
It goes without saying, but I’m more than excited to get the IMPULSE out in the field this year to try it out on some different hunts and hunting applications!
Check back for in-the-field follow ups and practical applications for different hunting situations. For a full list of features and calibers for all of the different models head over to www.savagearms.com and check them out.
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