Savage Impulse Mountain Hunter: Full Review

Announced in Guns & Ammo’s April 2021 issue, the straight-­pull, bolt-­action, Savage Impulse decidedly earned that year’s Rifle of the Year award. With a starting retail price well under $1,500, the Impulse not only garnered attention for its action type, accuracy and reliability, but it costs significantly less than its European rivals. A few examples of those include the Blaser R8, Merkel RX Helix, Strasser RS14 and Browning Maral. (The Maral is not available in the U.S.)

To follow for late 2022, Savage unveiled its next-­level model called the Impulse Mountain Hunter. The Mountain Hunter is like the existing Impulse Big Game and Hog Hunter, even for cartridge offerings, except for two details. Less significant is that Savage held back its grey-­colored AccuStock system for the new Mountain Hunter  — complete with AccuFit adjustability. Second, Savage installed a carbon-­fiber-­wrapped stainless-­steel barrel from  Proof Research.

If you explore the Proof Research website, you’ll find that a 22-­inch barrel retails for $929. The math suggests that Savage simply passed along the cost for the Proof Research barrel when configuring the Impulse Mountain Hunter, which retails for $2,437. Even at that price, though, the Impulse Mountain Hunter is more affordable than base-­model European straight-­pull rifles.

Saving Weight

One goal of the Impulse Mountain Hunter was to lighten the burden of weight for hunters that climb and stalk. For comparison, I measured the Impulse Big Game model at weighing 8 pounds, 13 ounces — before a scope and rings were attached. The Mountain Hunter, with its lightweight carbon-­fiber barrel, is 7 pounds, 6 ounces. For a real-­world understanding of this rifle with a 3-­9x40mm scope, a magazine containing four rounds, and a padded leather sling attached to sling-­swivel studs, I measured Guns & Ammo’s sample at 8 pounds, 15 ounces.

The rifle sent to G&A for this test had a stainless-­steel thread protector, which is the configuration I used through an August 2022 California blacktail hunt. However, Savage has since decided to protect the 5⁄8-­24 threads with a muzzlebrake instead. I hunted with the Impulse Mountain Hunter chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor so the felt recoil was comfortable, even for the weight. However, I can appreciate the benefits of a muzzlebrake when shooting available chamberings such as the .300 Winchester Magnum and 7mm Remington Magnum. If you don’t hunt with a suppressor, though, you might want to wear a set of in-­ear electronic hearing protection in the field.

Out of the gate, the Impulse Mountain Hunter supports a serious list of cartridges: .308 Winchester, .28 Nosler, .30-­’06 Springfield, .300 Win. Mag., .300 Winchester Short Magnum, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 7mm PRC and 7mm Rem. Mag. Though I believe the 6.5 Creedmoor will be the most sought-­after chambering, this model is certain to attract shooters who want to explore the new 6.5mm and 7mm PRC rounds.

Why A Straight-­Pull Action?

As European hunters already know, once you’ve developed familiarity in working a straight-­pull rifle in the field, it is fast to operate. Craig Boddington schooled me about big-­game hunting many years ago when discussing the importance of being ready to take a follow-­up shot. A technique I’ve practiced at the range regardless of the rifle is to reload the chamber with a live cartridge as soon as I’ve taken a shot on game. A lot of hunters take a shot and try to analyze the animal’s reaction or shot placement through the scope before realizing that a second shot may be necessary. Then, as the animal starts to move or escape, hunters often race to chamber another round. Straight-­pull rifles are known for a smoother, non-­binding operation due to multiple points of contact that guide the bolt inside the receiver’s raceways. If you learn to cycle the action quickly with a straight-­pull action, you will also improve your ability to keep your eyes focused on the target during an adrenaline-­filled moment.

What makes the Impulse more modern than other Savage bolt actions that feature AccuFit, AccuStock and the AccuTrigger goes back to the straight-­pull feature. Every Impulse model sports a bolt handle that is truly ambidextrous; it is removable and can be installed on the right or left, and angled to suit the shooter. The receiver is aluminum, to save weight, because it can be. There are stainless-­steel ball bearings in the bolt head that secure the bolt to the barrel, so the receiver doesn’t have to be forged from heavier steel alloys to support the cartridge. And that leaves almost nothing on the rifle to corrode or rust from use in harsh environments.

The receiver also carries an integral, one-­piece machined, 20 ­MOA rail for mounting a scope. That 20 ­MOA bias simply means that a long-­range shooter could engage targets at farther distances when paired with a quality scope having the appropriate elevation travel. At the back of the receiver is the simple two-­position tang safety, which is also familiar to those who have shot other Savage rifles.

What continues to impress me about the Impulse is that every feature point from muzzle to buttpad contains noteworthy engineering. AccuFit technology offers adjustability to the stock’s length-­of-­pull and comb height. AccuStock technology means that a three-­dimensional aluminum bedding system keeps the action rigid, and recoil distributed efficiently. And let’s not overlook the Savage AccuTrigger, which is adjustable from 1.5 to 4 pounds. It’s all there.

Field Tested

I was afforded one week with Guns & Ammo’s sample of the Impulse Mountain Hunter in 6.5 Creedmoor before heading to California’s Paso Robles wine country for a blacktail hunt. Patrolling hundreds of rows of vineyards from sunrise to sunset in temperatures that swung from 60 to 100 degrees wasn’t what Savage intended when giving this model a name, but the name was my only problem with this rifle. You see, even for deer hunting, I learned to be thankful for a long gun that weighed less than 9 pounds with a scope and sling, and could hold sub-­MOA five-­shot groups. Though I tested the Impulse Mountain Hunter extensively with the complete range of bullet weights for 6.5 Creedmoor, I ended up hunting with Hornady’s new Superformance 120-­grain CX bullet. This was convenient to become familiar with its field results, but especially for the fact that it was the only load available to me that was California approved! To hunt in “The Golden State,” you must use non-­lead bullets. Historically, there has been an accepted compromise in accuracy for the benefits of hunting with an all-­copper projectile, but I found zero sacrifice with using Hornady’s CX. When testing the load on the range, I averaged .76-­inch, three-­shot groups from 100 yards. During the hunt, the deed was complete with one shot on a buck from 156 yards between two rows of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The expanded bullet, which was recovered from the opposite shoulder, weighed 111.5 grains, had an overall length of .684 inch and a final diameter of .479 inch.

Parting Shot

I would like to argue that calling this new model “Mountain Hunter” may limit its reception. This Impulse is more versatile than that, and every hunter can appreciate the merits of a lightweight, accurate rifle. What we have here is an American-­made engineering feat that’s complete with a time-­proven feature set and a tack-­driving Proof Research barrel. Plus, it’s able to feed very-­low-­drag (VLD) bullets in the most popular calibers. 

Savage Impulse Mountain Hunter

• Type: Bolt action, straight pull
• Cartridge: 6.5 Creedmoor
• Capacity: 4 rds.
• Barrel: Proof Research, 22 in., stainless steel, carbon-­fiber wrapped
• Overall Length: 44.75 in.
• Weight: 7.34 lbs.
• Receiver: Aluminum
• Finish: Anodized, matte black
• Stock: Savage AccuStock with AccuFit; synthetic, grey
• Length of Pull: 12.75 in. to 13.75 in.
• Sights: None
• Trigger: Savage Accutrigger, 2 lbs., 7 oz. (tested)
• MSRP: $2,437
• Manufacturer: Savage Arms, savagearms.com

The 6.5 Creedmoor Impulse Mountain Hunter took on blacktail in wine country without a hitch, but we also took the 7mm PRC version out for a spin, hunting moose in the Great White North. Take a look here to see how well it performed.

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