The Savage ML-II Okubo-"GREY WOLF HUNTER". By Craig Smith.
When I first decided to purchase a new black powder hunting rifle, it was a really confusing situation. So many guns, so many claims!! So I decided to do my homework, after many days of reading and web searching I hit on this web site. Well the rest is history! It was no contest. The SAVAGE 10ML is the only choice, when you only have one shot, you better be shooting the best. I started looking for the rifle at my local gun shop, NICK'S SPORT SHOP, INC. in Palmer, MA. Nick stated that this gun is a real performer and one of his best sellers. Luckily, he had a stainless model in stock which I purchased quickly. The decision to customize my new rifle was an easy one. JOHN OKUBO was the man to go to. My first contact with him was a great experience. This man really knows his craft. I decided I wanted a black and gray laminate but with something different!! So after a few conversations with John, we decided to add an ebony tip and cap. John felt confident this would look great and was well within his talents. We had to add another inch and a half in length, due to my size ,so I decided to have John do all of the fitting and the bedding for me so all I had to do was finish the stock. We would call it the GREY WOLF HUNTER.
Click on the photos for a bigger version
It took John a little
over three months to finish the job. He kept me posted every week as to the
progress and I thoroughly enjoyed his calls and e-mails. I look forward to
meeting him in person this spring, probably at a Yankees Red Sox game. Once
the gun arrived the real fun began; John had done a great job on the stock
and it was in a very good finish and did not require a lot of rough sanding.
As we all know, the key to a great finish is getting the wood smooth and my
job was made easy. I started sanding with 120 grit working my way down to
220, 320, 400 and finally to 600 with a 3M super fine sanding sheet.
This process was made easier by using assorted dowels in 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch
and 5/8 inch diameters to do detail sanding around the thumb hole, bolt notch
and ramrod hole. As a finish carpenter this was a real labor of love and it
took about six hours to complete the sanding to a super smooth finish.
Now it came time
to put on the finish, at this point I went back to my roots. I am not a big
fan of spray varnish or polyurethane finishes. I don't like the runs &
sags you get. I also don't care for the dipped in plastic look. I wanted a
hand rubbed look so I decided to go with a fifty year old favorite of bowyers,
gunsmiths and finish carpenters, "WATERLOX ORIGINAL SEALER FINISH"
(www.waterlox.com).
This product is phenomenal!!! It goes on easy with a clean rag and dries in
six to ten hours. Between coats I sanded lightly with ultra fine steel wool.
I ended up putting a total of five coats on the stock.
It really brought out the rich color of the black ebony & the black stained
maple, along with the various shades of gray and tan. Just like the coat of
its namesake the grey wolf. This finish seals and is waterproof and can be
easily touched up at any time in case of a mishap at the range or while hunting.
If you haven't tried this product, I highly recommend it and the results are
great as you can see in the pictures.
As for the rest of the project, I followed the recommendations of Randy and
other contributors of this web site. The barrel was lapped with J-B Compound,
the stock trigger was replaced with a sharp shooter trigger and I also went
with a Nikon 3-9 X40 scope. As for the ramrod, I went a different way, I had
a custom stainless steel rod made and coated to match the barrel by QUALITY
TOOL COMPANY (qtoolcompany@aol.com) 413-267-9500. Jim, the owner, did a great
job. It really works great and matches the rifle.
The gun, of course, is deadly accurate out to the 200 plus yard range. The added mass and weight of the new stock with recoil pad really takes a lot of the "MULE KICK" out of those heavy loads. The whole project has been a real pleasure and I must say it is one of the finest shooting rifles I have ever owned. I look back to my first flint lock long rifle in the early '70's then to my Thompson 56 cal. smooth bore cap lock. THIS IS A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME NOW.
The first hunting expedition for
this rifle will be a wild boar hunt with my ten-year-old son Jason to upstate
New York in the spring. We hope to take two large boars. Photos and story
to come soon. I'd like to thank John for a fantastic job on the stock and
Randy and all the contributors to this great web site. Without their input
and sharing of experiences and information this rifle would not have been
possible.
Craig Smith
John O. at Tiger Rifle and Shotgun
John O.makes
many other styles of stock that'll fit your 10ML Send
him an e-mail!