Savage Alaskan Brush Hunter in 338 Win Mag
- Thread starter baldtop
- Start date
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Savage rifles have a reputation for fine accuracy. A short barrel is stiffer than a long barrel having the same contour, which enhances accuracy, so the rifle has all the ingrediants to be a good shooter. A .338 is a powerful cartridge, so the rifle will recoil, and if the rifle is a light one, it will recoil hard. Short barrels put muzzle blast closer to the shooter than longer barrels do, but as a rule, the larger the bore, the less objectionable the blast is to the shooter. If you're hardened to recoil and blast, you probably already handload. But if this is your first experience with a powerful rifle and you don't handload, its time to start. Handloading increases the versatility of your rifle, and allows you to tailor the recoil and blast to your comfort level.
Thanks Boomer. I normally hunt with the .308 Winchester. I've done some fullbore competition with the .308, and am comfortable with it out to 400 yards or so on game. The trajectories of .308 and .338 are very close, so I figure I will have the hold over more or less down. I just feel the .308 is a little light for bear defense, and will feel more confident with the .338 in bear country. I know the muzzle blast will be viscious with the 18.5 inch barrel of the Savage. I can't justify spending 2 grand on a Sako Kodiak (21.5 inch barrel) when the Savage will do essentially the same thing for $650.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
If the rifle is for defensive use rather than for hunting, I'd consider a Ruger Alaskan in .375 Ruger ahead of the Savage. If you can shoot a .338 effectively, you could also shoot a .375 effectively. To my way of thinking, its a mistake to choose a protection rifle based on price alone, in other words, what's your life worth? But neither does cash alone answer the problem. I had a custom rifle built for bear defense, the price of my rifle was about $5K. When the Ruger Alaskan appeared a few years later, it had many of the same features, it was similar in size, its action was smoother, its trigger better, and it had the same terminal performance with normal weight bullets, all for about a fifth of the cost of my custom rifle.
Comparison between my pal's Ruger Alaskan and my custom bear gun . . .
In the bear defense scenario, the accuracy of your rifle is its least important asset, its most important is reliability, and this becomes the challenge if the rifle is exposed to the elements for extended periods of time in wilderness. Should you face a bear attack, the action will be fast, the range will be short, and the target will be in motion. Your rifle is only useful if you get an effective shot off in time.
Comparison between my pal's Ruger Alaskan and my custom bear gun . . .
In the bear defense scenario, the accuracy of your rifle is its least important asset, its most important is reliability, and this becomes the challenge if the rifle is exposed to the elements for extended periods of time in wilderness. Should you face a bear attack, the action will be fast, the range will be short, and the target will be in motion. Your rifle is only useful if you get an effective shot off in time.
I liked the Savage version of that gun so much after seeing and handling one that I just had my old Ruger 77 stainless .338 shortened to 18.5 inches (from 24) and open sights added. The gun shoots slightly more accurately now, handles wonderfully, and is noticeably louder. Recoil feels more or less the same, but with a bit more muzzle jump. A very worthwhile modification, IMHO. I already had this gun and one other in .338 and load for both, but if I had no investment in that chambering and were buying a new gun I would also go with the .375 Ruger. The Hogue stock on the Ruger Alaskan is the same stock I have on my shortened 77, and it is the most comfortable shooting and best feeling stock I've ever used on a hunting gun...although, IMHO, butt ugly!
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Where you put it matters more than which you use. Given the circumstances of a defense shooting, I doubt that the bear could tell the difference between a .338 and a .375 if both are loaded with good bullets. Twice I've carried a .338 M-70 while doing bear work, and in neither instance did I feel under gunned. If you're confident and competent with the .338 you know, that trumps the .375 you don't. But as far as ubiquitous cartridges go, as soon as you have a few hundred pieces of brass, its ubiquitous. I have about 400 pieces of brass for the .375 Ultra, 200 for the .375 Ruger, 500 for the .458, and 300 (thus far) for the 9.3X62. In my house, their ubiquitous.
If you do decide to go with the Savage, before you take the rifle into the field, strip the bolt, and you'll see a cross-pin just behind the bolt head that the firing pin passes through. Find some high quality cold temperature grease and smear that pin in it. It floats freely in its position in the bolt body, and if it begins to corrode and sticks slightly to one side or the other, it could put enough drag on the firing pin to cause a misfire. I saw that happen this summer to a Savage target gun . . . the Bush Rifle uses the same bolt design, and you don't want those sort of problems to occur in a dangerous bear scenario. If the rifle is going to be used for recreation and hunting the Savage is great, but if you are involved with bear work in a commercial capacity where you are protecting other people as well as yourself, you can't afford not to have better. If you don't like the Ruger, the CZ 550 is a good rifle, as its predecessor the Brno 602, and the new FN manufactured M-70 is a good rifle if mine is typical.
If you do decide to go with the Savage, before you take the rifle into the field, strip the bolt, and you'll see a cross-pin just behind the bolt head that the firing pin passes through. Find some high quality cold temperature grease and smear that pin in it. It floats freely in its position in the bolt body, and if it begins to corrode and sticks slightly to one side or the other, it could put enough drag on the firing pin to cause a misfire. I saw that happen this summer to a Savage target gun . . . the Bush Rifle uses the same bolt design, and you don't want those sort of problems to occur in a dangerous bear scenario. If the rifle is going to be used for recreation and hunting the Savage is great, but if you are involved with bear work in a commercial capacity where you are protecting other people as well as yourself, you can't afford not to have better. If you don't like the Ruger, the CZ 550 is a good rifle, as its predecessor the Brno 602, and the new FN manufactured M-70 is a good rifle if mine is typical.
Comparison between my pal's Ruger Alaskan and my custom bear gun . . .
Wow, this scope is about 8 inches away from shooter's eyes! How does it work?
RememberTheSomme
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
Baldtop a review and pics would be appreciated when you get it, it caught my eye on their website, and looked like a powerful compact package that doesn't break the bank, but only if it works well of course.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Boomer - I think you are the kind of fellow that would appreciate Ryan Breeding's short barreled thumpers...I believe you're right, either of those look good to me, that .505 makes the .458 look like a light mountain rifle.
Here's my current .458.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Well, now, I haven't been accused of that too often!
Nice gun, Boomer...very serious-business-looking.
What's with the dual front swivel studs? I see you use a hasty-sling type of shooting hold...did you add the stud at the tip of the fore-end because of POI changes if you used the barrel-band? Just curious. Whatever the reasoning, that is a beauty.
What's with the dual front swivel studs? I see you use a hasty-sling type of shooting hold...did you add the stud at the tip of the fore-end because of POI changes if you used the barrel-band? Just curious. Whatever the reasoning, that is a beauty.
