Savage striker: this .300 WSM powerhouse can really change your channel!

American Handgunner, Sept-Oct, 2003 by Charles E. Petty

I'm sure you all have a private list of, "the world's greatest lies." You know, like, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." Most of the others can't be printed here, but one on my list is, "It doesn't kick much." Anytime somebody says this you can almost bet on getting your fillings kicked out of you.

So when Brian Herrick of Savage said this to me about the chambering of their Striker hunting handgun in .300 Winchester Short Magnum, my response was, "Yeah sure." I'd just been to the dentist and didn't want my valuable fillings clinking onto the pavement.

Except -- he was right. Oh you definitely know something big happened, but it's neither brutal nor excessive -- which wasn't at all what I expected. I don't know that I'm any more or less recoil sensitive than the next guy, but I've got a very good memory and shooting guns that hurt almost always leave an impression. Intuitively, I was pretty sure getting stomped was in the picture so, with the intent of minimizing pain, I began with some very modest handloads.

Bullet weights increasing from 110 to 180 grains in normal increments seemed like a sensible idea. Even so, I was not looking forward to that first shot and was truly disappointed. It was basically a nonevent. So was the next, and the next and so-on. After four or five wimp rounds I chambered a factory 150 gr. that was much more eventful and finally a 180 that was a real crowd-pleaser. But none of them really hurt, in spite of the applause from the lanes next to me and the offers to call the fire department.

A Handy Hand-Rifle

Instead of the wrist-wrenching torque we get with big magnum or super magnum revolvers, this one has more of a straight back push that you feel in the shoulder. Much credit goes to Savage's adjustable muzzle brake, which had proven to be very effective on a couple of rifles I've used. Weight helps too. Complete with a Leupold 2.5x8 handgun scope, the whole thing weighs 6.8 lbs.

The design of the stock is hand-filling, but the grip may be a bit big for someone with small hands.

Many of the so-called hand rifles are just that -- a conventional bolt action stuck in a handgun-style stock. A standard right-handed action makes a great handgun for a southpaw. Savage didn't do that. The action is left-handed with a right side loading port that makes it a true right-handed handgun. Other than that the action is standard Savage.

When the gun came I ordered a Leupold base for the Savage action but when I tried to mount the scope it wouldn't work. The spacing of the rings was a tiny bit too wide for the small scope. A call to Savage produced the recommendation to use B-Square Interlock rings, which fit a Weaver-style base. It worked like a champ and the rings have a key that fits into the slots on the base to ensure nothing is likely to move under recoil.

When you watch from the side as someone shoots the Striker, the muzzle flash and blast is truly spectacular. Sort of in the "fire and brimstone" league. But when you're behind the gun it's almost like being in front of a heat gun. If the wind is in your face, a blast of hot air hits you and is instantly gone. A very quick blow dryer.

I've never experienced anything quite like this before. Shooting glasses are an always-thing, but especially important here. But having said all this, the sensation really isn't unpleasant, just tangible evidence of the powerful event that just took place. Lots of fun.

It Gets Better

The stock is a composite material, colored with a leaf camouflage pattern. The forend is flat on the bottom to sit well on a rest but is also rounded to the side for a good hand-grip. The butt is flat -- again to sit well on a rest. One thing missing is any provision for sling swivels and if, as is likely, handgun hunters flock to the Striker, they will need some way to carry it. A sling can also be a valuable shooting aid in the field.

I've already told you about the recoil, but there is much more to say about shooting the Striker. The trigger is challenging. Even though the pull weight is only 5 lbs., there is considerable creep and it takes concentration to avoid jerking the trigger. When I began to shoot the gun, groups were more shotgun-like than anything. But with more trigger time things got better. Finally, I was able to shoot three-shot groups of 3/4" at 50 yards. We know from experience with rifles that the cartridge is capable of very good accuracy and there is no reason to believe the Striker isn't also. The limiting factor will not be the gun, but the shooter.

The Striker has a stainless steel barrel with an effective length of 12", plus two more for the brake. As soon as I mentioned I was going to work with the Striker, somebody wanted to know how much velocity would be lost due to the shorter barrel. After I explained to him I wasn't clairvoyant, I promised to find out. Winchester has three factory loads for now and a while back I tested a Model 70 rifle with a 24" barrel. So here it is:

VELOCITY COMPARISONS

Load                         Rifle  Striker  Loss

150 gr. Ballistic Silvertip  3,249  2,893    356
180 gr. Power Point          2,995  2,558    437
180 gr. Fail Safe            2,934  2,522    412