Savage Impulse KLYM 6.5 PRC
Model: 56301
Savage Impulse KLYM 6.5 PRC
Model: 56301
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
Savage placed a real bet on straight-pull bolt actions when it launched the Impulse line in early 2021 — the first major American manufacturer to take the European straight-pull seriously since the action faded from U.S. catalogs nearly a century ago. The Impulse KLYM is the flagship of that lineup, the model Savage built when it wanted to show what the platform could do at the top of the price ladder. With the Mountain Hunter variant now discontinued, the KLYM is the only Impulse left in Savage's premium ultra-light slot.
Savage's Hexlock action uses six ball bearings locking into a recess in the barrel extension rather than rotating bolt lugs — the same straight-pull principle behind the Blaser R8, applied at a more accessible (though still premium) price point. The shooter cycles the rifle with a straight push-pull motion rather than the four-step lift-pull-push-close of a turn-bolt, which is why the R8 and the older Mannlicher and Schmidt-Rubin actions earned reputations as the fastest manually-operated rifles in mountain hunting.
The build matches the ambition. The barrel is a PROOF Research carbon-fiber-wrapped stainless tube, cut-rifled, 24" with a 1:8 twist and an Omniport brake pre-installed on 5/8-24 threads. The stock is from FBT (Fine Ballistic Tools) — carbon fiber forend and buttstock with an additive-manufactured center section and a one-button adjustable comb. The AccuTrigger is user-adjustable from 1.5 to 4 lbs, the bolt handle is ambidextrous and removable, and the receiver carries an integral 20 MOA rail. Total weight runs 111 oz (6.9 lbs) — competitive with the Christensen Ridgeline at 100.8 oz and lighter than the Springfield Waypoint at 118 oz.
The KLYM is for a specific buyer: a mountain hunter who values the fast straight-pull cycle, doesn't mind paying a steep premium over comparable turn-bolt carbon-stock hunters, and accepts the 2-round magazine as the cost of the action's compact lockup geometry. It's not for someone who wants to spend less on a Waypoint or Ridgeline and put the savings into glass, and it's not for the buyer who already knows their turn-bolt reflexes and doesn't want to learn a new manual of arms. If the straight-pull doesn't earn its cost-jump for how you actually hunt, the turn-bolt alternatives do the same job for far less.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- The only straight-pull centerfire rifle from a major U.S. manufacturer. The Hexlock action's push-pull cycle is faster than any 90-degree turn-bolt — reviewers consistently report split times closer to a semi-auto than to a Browning X-Bolt or Bergara B-14, with no cheekweld break during the cycle.
- The PROOF Research carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel plus FBT carbon stock hit 111 oz (6.9 lbs) — within striking distance of the Christensen Ridgeline's 100.8 oz and 7 oz lighter than the Springfield Waypoint. The AccuTrigger user-adjustable from 1.5 to 4 lbs gives competition-grade pull control without a gunsmith.
- Ambidextrous, removable, threaded bolt handle (5/16x24) lets the owner reposition it for their grip or swap knobs without sending the rifle back to the factory. Left-handed shooters get a true left-hand bolt operation without paying a left-action premium.
- The premium is real. The KLYM costs roughly twice what a comparable carbon-stock turn-bolt hunter from Springfield or Seekins runs. Unless the straight-pull cycle and PROOF barrel are specifically what the buyer wants, a Waypoint or Havak Pro Hunter 3 delivers most of the same field performance for far less.
- The 2-round magazine in 6.5 PRC is the smallest in this caliber group — the Bergara B-14 HMR ships with a 5-round AICS mag and even the X-Bolt Hunter holds 3. The compact straight-pull lockup geometry constrains the mag well, so this is a design limit, not a SKU choice.
- Straight-pull is an unfamiliar manual of arms for U.S. shooters who learned on turn-bolts. The push-pull rhythm has to be learned, and the bolt removal procedure differs from a Remington 700 pattern — a buyer used to dropping a familiar bolt for cleaning will have a learning curve.
- Aftermarket support is essentially nonexistent compared to Remington 700-pattern actions. Replacement stocks, alternative triggers, custom bottom metal, and gunsmith expertise for the Hexlock action are all rare. Owners are tied to Savage's parts catalog in a way Bergara or Christensen owners are not.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Hexlock action lock up compared to a traditional turn-bolt, and is it as strong?
When the shooter pushes the bolt forward and closes it, a plunger inside the bolt body drives six ball bearings outward into a machined recess in the barrel extension — that ring of bearings is what holds the bolt in battery against firing pressure. A standard turn-bolt locks two or three lugs into the receiver via a 60-90 degree rotation. The straight-pull design eliminates the rotation step but distributes the locking load across six contact points rather than two or three larger lugs. Savage rates the Hexlock for the same 65,000 PSI cartridges (6.5 PRC, 7mm PRC, .300 Win Mag) that any modern turn-bolt handles, and independent reviewers have not reported lockup failures. The trade is that the bearings and the recess geometry are tighter-tolerance parts than turn-bolt lugs, which is part of what justifies the price.
What does cleaning and routine maintenance look like on a straight-pull bolt versus a turn-bolt I'm used to?
Day-to-day cleaning of the bore, chamber, and trigger group is the same as any bolt rifle. The difference is in bolt service. The KLYM bolt comes out via a release on the rear of the receiver rather than the bolt-stop-and-rotate procedure on a Remington 700 pattern — fewer steps, but a different sequence to learn. Savage recommends keeping the ball bearings and their recesses clean of grit and lightly lubricated, since dirt in the locking interface is the wear point that doesn't exist on a turn-bolt. Owners on the Savage forums report no unusual maintenance burden after thousands of rounds, but suggest a quick wipe of the bolt face and recess every range trip rather than waiting for a deep clean. The carbon-wrapped PROOF barrel uses the same cleaning routine as any cut-rifled precision tube — patches and a quality bore solvent, avoid abrasive brushes.
