Savage Striker

[MachV]

Traded an AR upper for a Savage striker in 22-250 a while back. Was not real impressed with the outfit for shootin prairie dogs= it would hit dogs but even with blue-dot loads a guy just cant see the carnage as it unfolds like a rifle.
Here in Wyoming it takes at least 6MM to hunt big game so the 22-250 barrel had to go. Plenty of Savage barrels laying aroud here but they are all 22" or more long. Grabbed a sporter 243 barrel I had for another project. Being the titewad that I is I introduced the 22" 243 barrel to the sawsall and ened up with 2 barrels= One 15" long and another real cute little 7 incher
After a little hand stoneing on the crown and a good cleaning the bare metel got painted with a black magic marker. No I aint gonna show no pics cause it aint worth lookin at.
Now I needed a load for the little beast, there are three other 243s in the safe but all loads are geared tward varmints. Looking through the bullet invintory I found some 85 and 95 grain Partitions to go in front of some IMR4831 that isnt getting used for anything else.
Range day found me loading all the big game candidates into the Tahoe.
Ruger 308 Baer topped with a 16x IOR
Ruger 7Mag topped with a 16x IOR
Savage 708 topped with a 4-14 Leupold
Sporterized 6.5x55 Swede engineers carbine with original military sites
Savage single shot 25-06 with 12x Leuplod
Savage striker with the new custom 243 barrel topped with a bushnell 2-6
Long story made a little shorter the Striker was the hands down winner putting everything I shot through it inside an inch @ 100 yards and the Partitions stayed MOA to 550 yards. Even busted a few coyote sized rocks out past 800 yards... Not on the first shot but it should be a little easier when a rifle scope gets swapped in.
Been a while since I've had a gun that was soo easy to get shooting let alone a pistol. The 243 might be a little on the small side but as good as it shoots I'm in no hurry to intoduce the 6.5-284 or 30-06 barrels to the sawsall. Sure feels good to finaly scratch that pistol ich, October 15 seams way too far off

 

[Ernie]

Good to see that SP win over all those "R's"!
Good luck come hunting season.

 

[RT2506]

I hope you have a blast hunting with your striker. I am getting into using my Contender's for hunting more these days. It is really not much of a challenge any more to pick off a deer between 200 and 400 yards with rifles like my 25-06 or 264 Win mag that will shoot sub-MOA. It is another thing when it comes to picking one off with a pistol. It puts a little more challenge into it. I have been using a 10" 357 mag and a 14" 6mm-225 Win to take a few deer with but I have been using them on a stand that my longest shot would be 140 yards. Most of my shots have been 98 to 117 yards. I got a 14" 30-30AI barrel for last Christmas and I am ready to stretch things out a bit now. My 6mm-225 Win has the horse power and the accuracy to shoot longer ranges but I am limited on the bullets I can use. It has a 14" twist and will not stableize a bullet much over 80 gr. I have been using the Sierra SSP 80 gr bullet but on the 3 deer that I have shot with it I was not satisfied with the bullet. It really came apart a little too much for me on a shoulder shot placement. I was going to get some Nosler 85 partitions and try them but Santa dropped off the 30-30AI barrel and it will fill the deer shoot requirements as far as I care to attempt a shot now. Going to try some lighter varmint bullets in the 6mm-225 Win on varmints. One of these days I may go whole hog and build me a pistol on a Savage action in something like a 6.5X55 Swede because I already have the loading stuff for it.

 

[Ernie]

MacV,
Are you aware that here will be a group of specialty handgun hunters in Casper for opening of antelope season?

 

[winmagman]

Glad to hear you've got that itch scratched

Wait til you take your first critter with it, talk about rewarding on a whole other level. Took my first deer last year with my 6.5wssm @ 375 yds made me feel like a kid again.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Chris

 

[MachV]

Thanks guys.
Had an Encore(223,708 and 454Casull) years ago that just didnt work for me at all. Got a nice whitetaill with the Ruger Super Red Hawk in 454 a couple years ago @ 125 yards but it took a lot of work to get it shooting....still working on it in fact.
Took the 16x IOR off the 308Baer as the barrel is toast. Looking forward to what the Striker will do with a better scope on it and a little more load development, hopeing it likes the 105 grain Amaxes.

Ernie
Have herd rumors of the pistolaros out after goats. Got to meet Matt and Mike last year, they kinda sparked my intrest in pistols and this Stiker has me believing they aint half bad

 

[Ernie]

Mike and Matt are good folk for sure.
I will be in Casper on the 24-25th of this month.
Friday, the 24th I will be at the range for a good part of the day, but intend to spend more time at the longer distance steel range there.
I will PM you my cell#

 

[zuba]

I wish I could make it out there this year! Work is just too busy and I gotta take it while I can...
Cliff, Sounds like a shooter! I would recomend meeting up with those guys. They are a bunch of super helpful guys. And I believe they are staying at the campground in Bar Nunn. Just beware, if you meet up with Ernie your going to see about 100 other things your going to need in the near future

 

[MachV]

Sorry to hear your not going to make it out Matt...maybe next year! Sure glad I moved out here or I'd have to pass myself. Been a year with out any overtime but its looking like we should have plenty till the first of the year? Used to check the boards every day but am lucky to find time once a week these days.
Looking forward to meeting up with Ernie, even if it cost me a little.
Got to looking at the energy levels of the little 243 and decided to sacrifice the 30-06 rifle barrel. Took a lot of sanding to make room for the heavier barrel but it fits now

Have yet to get it to the range but hopeing it shoots as good as the 243 barrel does.

 

[Ernie]

Give me a call this week and I will give you my cell #.
My home # 307-257-7431

 

[Nimrod]

Hey MachV,

I did the same thing as you, got a Super Striker in .22-250 and lopped off an orphaned .243 barrel. I haven't had as much time to work out the bugs as I would like but IMR 4831 and 95 grain Nosler Ballistic tips did the trick. I got to looking at the energy levels too and decided to impose a limit of 300 yards on the pronghorns, maybe a little farther under ideal conditions. I'm still optically challenged and my trigger is still pretty deplorable too but I don't have time for a tear down and rebuild at this point.

I'll be leaving for unit 71 Saturday morning to hunt for a few days then on the 23rd. I'll be at the Bar None KOA for three days to meet the SP bunch and hunt the Hat 6 for a day or two.

Look forward to seeing you all there!

Bob

 

[yotefever]

Welcome to the short side Cliff.
I wish we were going out there this year and you could shoot our little pea shooters to check out how well the breaks work so you can use a rifle scope on bigger calibers.
I have been off of work for a year now and there is a chance I might get back to work before the end of the year. Construction is still over 20% unemployed.
Have you been doing anymore rescue work out that way ;-)) I sure do appreciate all your time and effort helping us/me out last year.
Enjoy that Striker!!

Take care,
Mike

 

[MachV]

Just a little update on the Striker project...The 30-06 barrel is not quite the shooter the 243 barrel is so far but the downrange energy should make it a better choice? The 06 also kicks enough harder that you dont dare kreep up on the rifle scope.......Dang near knocked myself out sighting the 06 in. As long as I keep my elbo straight its a pussycat but bend your elbo a little and it'll bite ya!! A brake is in the works now.
Got Thursday and Friday off and hopeing to meet up with a few others

 

[MSU Marksman]

Just a little update on the Striker project...The 30-06 barrel is not quite the shooter the 243 barrel is so far but the downrange energy should make it a better choice? The 06 also kicks enough harder that you dont dare kreep up on the rifle scope.......Dang near knocked myself out sighting the 06 in. As long as I keep my elbo straight its a pussycat but bend your elbo a little and it'll bite ya!! A brake is in the works now.
Got Thursday and Friday off and hopeing to meet up with a few others

That must be pushing quite the fireball out the end. Have you shot the 30-06 over a chrony yet?