Savage 116 Alaskan Brush Hunter

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madashell

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Savage 116 Alaskan Brush Hunter.

.375 Ruger or .338 win mag ????

Don't really have too much need for a brush gun that's larger than .30 cal but I love shorter brush guns.

Would probably leave it just irons but a light low power non-variable would seem perfect for it.

What's the scuttlebutt of this guy ?
 
I owned the 338win mag. I really liked it. Had it in the bush many times. My complaint is the classic Savage plastic stocks really didn't suit this rifle. It was heavy but nice and short with the 18.5" barrel.
If I was to buy another one, or kept that last one, I would invest in an upgraded stock. I put a VX2 3-9x40 on it and was great.

My opinion. The 338 ammo was fairly easy to find, as I'm not a reloader.
 
I looked at them and ended up going with a slightly higher end option. Short of cutting and crowning the barrel on a weatherby .375 or doing the same and adding sights to a .338 tikka I don't know if you can get anything similar without moving up in cost substantially.

My original plan was to cut my .338 t3 lite but after using and carrying it I found it well balanced with the long barrel and already light enough for my needs. In thick brush it can be carried easily in one hand.

Feels like a savage. Probably kicks like a mule. I would not order it sight unseen. It seems cool as a concept but it is a clunker. I bet that massive bolt handle will leave a few marks on your shooting hand if you aren't careful.

Savage's iron sights don't have a good track record for staying on their .308 hog hunters, I don't know how well they would do with the larger calibers.

Factory .338 ammo is super expensive and going up, and its not even that cheap to reload it. *sigh*
 
Not a fan of the irons on the brush Hunter.
As for cartridge I am a 375 ruger guy.
Wouldn't limit your self to a low power scope.
Even with a short barrel. They will run out to 400yrds like nothing.
I was testing mine at 300yrds today with some 235g TSX.
 
conor_90,

I think you're correct about it being a clunker.

In the brush gun thread Superbrad posted the weight/length specs of this rifle. I've seen them before of course but didn't really sink in until he posted em. Clunker indeed.

To me a brush gun should be under 40" OAL for sure, closer to 35-36" even better. Base weight is a little heavy for a brush gun as well.

Kimber Adirondack is about the perfect brush gun to me. Have just been curious of larger caliber bolt action BG's as well.
 
madashell said:
conor_90,

I think you're correct about it being a clunker.

In the brush gun thread Superbrad posted the weight/length specs of this rifle. I've seen them before of course but didn't really sink in until he posted em. Clunker indeed.

To me a brush gun should be under 40" OAL for sure, closer to 35-36" even better. Base weight is a little heavy for a brush gun as well.

Kimber Adirondack is about the perfect brush gun to me. Have just been curious of larger caliber bolt action BG's as well.
Click to expand...

It's a really wierd category, and that is why I like it..... It's all in what a guy wants to carry..... And weight versus caliber.....

I certainly wouldn't want to have my scout across my back in grizz country...... It isn't a defence cal or rifle ...... But in my neck of the woods, it is absolutely perfect....
 
The Alaskan brush hunter is a real club. Obscenely thick barrel leads to poor balance, and it kicks like a mule. Probably my last choice for a down and dirty working gun.
 
Weight and length are still below average.

The balance is off with the hollow stock and heavy barrel as Slimbo notes.

And why does it have the huge bolt knob? Why? Why? Why? Did the savage design team think it would come in handy when you are being charged by a big mean bar?

I'd take a 43 inch light gun over a short clunker any day.
 
Clunker? I would not agree. Having owned and used one in the northern bush with grizzly... It was never noted as a clunker.
I would say buy one on the lower end. Compared to a Kimber? Cmon. It's a lower priced bush gun. It never failed me when shooting and was just fine out to 300. The max I shot it.
You can't have it all. If you want a cheaper bush gun, it's alright. The stock needs to be replaced for off hand shooting. That's what it came down to for me.
 
And thanks for chiming in. But if you've never owned or carried one or actually fired one.... How would you have an opinion on one? Kicked like a mule? I didn't think so. And I've shot many mag rifles. It was just fine in the "kicking like a mule" category. But I am a young man and haven't had an issue with a rifle kicking me around yet.
Perception is reality.
 
^ Just because you own the gun it is not a clunker? Compare it to other guns in its class.

How do I have an opinion on one? I drove 100km last year to handle one and see if it was good for me, what a disappointment.

I was responding to Madashell in my kicks like a mule comment. Kicks like a mule is not relative, this is not a tough guy contest. I own and shoot a .338 that is far lighter than the savage. Lots of guns are in mule territory, they are still good guns.
 
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What makes you think I havnt owned or shot one? Admittedly it was a short relationship due to the rifles characteristics. Remember, everyone is entitled to their opinion. No need to get your panties in a twist because someone else didn't like your favourite gun.
 
If one was not going to use the irons anyways couldn't they just buy a used synthetic stock rifle in .338 from a major manufacturer (featured on used racks all over the country), cut the barrel and go to town?

Ruger should make a ruger american magnum in .375 ruger that is a knock off of the Savage.
 
MackForce said:
And thanks for chiming in. But if you've never owned or carried one or actually fired one.... How would you have an opinion on one? Kicked like a mule? I didn't think so. And I've shot many mag rifles. It was just fine in the "kicking like a mule" category. But I am a young man and haven't had an issue with a rifle kicking me around yet.
Perception is reality.
Click to expand...


per·cep·tion
pərˈsepSH(ə)n/
noun
noun: perception; plural noun: perceptions

a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something; a mental impression.
"Hollywood's perception of the tastes of the American public"
synonyms: impression, idea, conception, notion, thought, belief, judgment, estimation
"popular perceptions of old age"




re·al·i·ty
rēˈalədē/
noun
noun: reality

1. the world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.
"he refuses to face reality"
synonyms: the real world, real life, actuality; More
 
I;m no engineer/physicist but dictionary definitions aside, recoil is reality.

It conforms to the laws of physics, it is reality. And boy can it ever conform to the laws of physics once you pass the 250 grain barrier in an open sighted lightweight .338.

I wanted something similar to the savage, I looked at it and did not like it. Them's the breaks. A heavy barrel and tactical bolt knob with a crappy pair of iron sights, the same make as those that fell off my friends .308 (anecdotal evidence abounds today).

One positive of the gun; a 1:10 twist. So you can really hammer those marauding grizzlies.
 
So ....
What I've gathered about the Savage Alaskan Brush Hunter :

- most think it's clunky, some do not
- almost all do not like the stock
- most think it does not balance well because of heavy barrel
- all think its iron sights suck
- most think it has heavy recoil, some do not
- still can't tell which is the better caliber for this rifle ... lol

- seems to be a huge gap in the carbine length brush gun bolt action market

Doesn't sound like this rifle is for me.

So what do you guys think the ideal carbine bolt large caliber brush gun is ??
 
^ruger guide gun

get your wallet ready. It is also "heavy", though maybe it becomes "light" in .416.

or like I said, slice the barrel on whatever you like in .338 wm and call it a day. Throw on a skinner reciever sight and fiber optic front and you are golden.
 
If you're going to get a 375, its pretty darn hard to beat a ruger alaskan for the money. Solid stainless CRF action, great sights, quick detach rings from the factory. The hogue stock is a bit chubby but if you're in a marine environment its hard to beat it. Well worth the extra money over the alaskan brush hunter...and then some.
 
Slimbo said:
If you're going to get a 375, its pretty darn hard to beat a ruger alaskan for the money. Solid stainless CRF action, great sights, quick detach rings from the factory. The hogue stock is a bit chubby but if you're in a marine environment its hard to beat it. Well worth the extra money over the alaskan brush hunter...and then some.
Click to expand...

My sentiments exactly. I LOVE MINE, and I literally have given my wife instructions to bury it with me. (along with a special handgun I own) I mounted a 2.5-8x33 Leupold VXIII and it is the perfect magnification for it.
As far as the original question of this thread, if you do stay with a Savage, get it in .375 Ruger. I've owned two different .338's over the years and ended up moving them in favour of going bigger. I do not find recoil any worse with the .375 Ruger than either of the .338's I owned.
 
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