Shoots100
.44 mag
Finally got my hands on the Impulse Predator in 243.
My initial impression ;
It's a nice straight pull rifle, but if your expecting Blaser like quality for less than what a Blaser barrel costs, your dreaming.
Unlike the blaser, where the bolt assy rides on two rails, the Impulse bolt rides on the bolt release and the lock up ball bearings.
It's a little rough, but with some slide glide and kroil lube, it's a lot smoother and should get smoother with use.
With the bolt riding on the bolt release, you need to pull straight back or the friction slow's the bolt down because it's riding on the bolt release.
It's especially noticeable when using it left handed, but bolt movement is a lot smoother in the right hand configuration.
To me, it's due to the fact that there's less pressure being applied on the bolt release with the bolt handle being on the opposite side of the bolt release.
If you place the bolt position a little foward, the binding is minimalized, as when the bolt handle is facing straight down, you tend to pull it upward's and back, not straight back to cycle it.
I removed the barrelled action from the stock and the stock machining is nice and smoothe, with no noticable gaps between the aluminum bed and stock.
It's a light stock and all the weight is in the barreled action, so like most american made rifles, the rifle is barrel heavy.
I was hoping to elimiate some weight from the stock to make it lighter, but I think the only options to make it lighter and balanced, is to have the barrel fluted or get a thinner profile barrel.
The barrel is fluted on the Big game impulse and I don't know why they didn't offer that with the Predator and Hog hunter models.
Action and barrel finish is even and smoothe.
I didn't try to remove the barrel from the reciever, even though I want to get a look at the barrel extension.
I want to see how accurate it is out of the box and also don't want to take a chance on screwing it up before I get to fire it.
The supplied magazine works flawless, but it's long, noisy and a little loose when locked in.
Being it's metal, when it's partialy empty and/or empty, it's annoyingly loud.
Not what you want in a predator rifle, especially when hunting at night.
I don't like how far the 10rd magazine sticks out from the stock, so the 5 round Pmags I ordered and am waiting on will be a welcomed addition.
The threaded barrel cap is fitted nicely and the threads are clean.
Two 5/8-24 muzzle brakes threaded on and off without any binding.
The trigger breaks clean at 2 lb's, on both the digital and mechhanical pull gauges.
Thats the out of the box factory set trigger pull weight.
I prefer a 3 lb pull for a field rifle, but if it passes the drop test, I'll keep it at 2 lb's.
I then cleaned, assembled and lubed the rifle.
Mounted + boresighted the trusted fixed pwr leupold test scope.
I have some factory and proven reloads in different bullet weights at hand.
Range results will be forthcoming.
I would attach pic's, but it's no different then whats pictured on Savages website, except mine has a titanium muzzle brake on it.
SJC
My initial impression ;
It's a nice straight pull rifle, but if your expecting Blaser like quality for less than what a Blaser barrel costs, your dreaming.
Unlike the blaser, where the bolt assy rides on two rails, the Impulse bolt rides on the bolt release and the lock up ball bearings.
It's a little rough, but with some slide glide and kroil lube, it's a lot smoother and should get smoother with use.
With the bolt riding on the bolt release, you need to pull straight back or the friction slow's the bolt down because it's riding on the bolt release.
It's especially noticeable when using it left handed, but bolt movement is a lot smoother in the right hand configuration.
To me, it's due to the fact that there's less pressure being applied on the bolt release with the bolt handle being on the opposite side of the bolt release.
If you place the bolt position a little foward, the binding is minimalized, as when the bolt handle is facing straight down, you tend to pull it upward's and back, not straight back to cycle it.
I removed the barrelled action from the stock and the stock machining is nice and smoothe, with no noticable gaps between the aluminum bed and stock.
It's a light stock and all the weight is in the barreled action, so like most american made rifles, the rifle is barrel heavy.
I was hoping to elimiate some weight from the stock to make it lighter, but I think the only options to make it lighter and balanced, is to have the barrel fluted or get a thinner profile barrel.
The barrel is fluted on the Big game impulse and I don't know why they didn't offer that with the Predator and Hog hunter models.
Action and barrel finish is even and smoothe.
I didn't try to remove the barrel from the reciever, even though I want to get a look at the barrel extension.
I want to see how accurate it is out of the box and also don't want to take a chance on screwing it up before I get to fire it.
The supplied magazine works flawless, but it's long, noisy and a little loose when locked in.
Being it's metal, when it's partialy empty and/or empty, it's annoyingly loud.
Not what you want in a predator rifle, especially when hunting at night.
I don't like how far the 10rd magazine sticks out from the stock, so the 5 round Pmags I ordered and am waiting on will be a welcomed addition.
The threaded barrel cap is fitted nicely and the threads are clean.
Two 5/8-24 muzzle brakes threaded on and off without any binding.
The trigger breaks clean at 2 lb's, on both the digital and mechhanical pull gauges.
Thats the out of the box factory set trigger pull weight.
I prefer a 3 lb pull for a field rifle, but if it passes the drop test, I'll keep it at 2 lb's.
I then cleaned, assembled and lubed the rifle.
Mounted + boresighted the trusted fixed pwr leupold test scope.
I have some factory and proven reloads in different bullet weights at hand.
Range results will be forthcoming.
I would attach pic's, but it's no different then whats pictured on Savages website, except mine has a titanium muzzle brake on it.
SJC
