Hi Gunny’s,
Looking for some info/thoughts on a Do-All Bolt rifle configuration/setup.
From lowland bush to goat country, and everything in between, I’m looking for the ideal hassle free setup. Nice and light but heavy enough to shoot well. Thinking CRF action for the toothy critters. Wanting to shy away from the talley lightweights for a worry free mount.
With the plethora of well knowledgeable and worldly hunters/guides I’m sure someone has sorted this out.
Thanks in advance.
-Mad
There is a lot of knowledge out there in this community, I'll offer what little I know from experience and learning.
FWIW, my iteration of what you are describing is a 1959 Belgian Browning, Olympic Grade in 3006. I picked it up off a used rack in Williams Lake back when Al still ran the store. It shot pretty good until the stock cracked at which point it got a MacMillan Hunter. The iron sights that were on it are perhaps the best iron sites I have ever used. It wears a 3x9x40 Zeiss scope with a ballistic reticle (hold over lines). I also bought very good quality rings and mounts. Not super light but certainly not heavy and it shoots well.
Cartridge importance, rifle make and model, action, and of course CRF vs Push Feed, brand of glass, and barrel length.
Cartridge selection - honestly, anything from a 6.5 Swede to 375 H&H will do. Having said that you will want the penetration for toothy critters that take offence to being aerated. Wound channels kill not hitting power. Hitting power helps make nice deep wound channels. If I was to do it all over again with this many decades of experience I would pick 3006, 308, or 280 Remington.
Reliability is, to me, of the utmost importance. Only you can answer what is reliable enough. For me that means a good bolt action - like my Belgian Browning or I have a detachable magazine Parker Hale sitting in my safe that would look nice with 280Remington barrel on it. These two to me are extremely reliable and both happen to be CRF. Having said that my old Winchester 670A was a pushfeed and in my view was as reliable as the other two.
I think glass brands used to matter more because there are a lot of very good glass brands these days. What is important is what you can see with the glass. To explain; when I bought my bino's I chose the top end Swaro's. Why, because for me they were the clearest for my eyes. The final evaluation happened at dusk looking across a valley in some guys yard - at least 2km away. With the top end Bushnells I could see a greyish blob in the yard. With the top end Vortex I was pretty sure it was an animal. With the leica and Zeiss I was pretty sure it was a dog or a cat. With the Swaro's I could clearly see it was a grey Scotty dog and he was pinching a loaf. You will hear; oh yeah I looked through a Leica spotting scope at the range my entry level spotting scope is just as good. And in broad daylight, at 100 to 300 yards it probably is, but at last light, under a tree, across a valley, at 3km I say: nay, nay.
And finally, barrel length. In terms of actual ballistics my view is that it is kind of like cartridge selection, far more is made of it than it actually warrants. You will hear; "...and that is why you must have an 18" barrel, because it is "handy" in the bush..." I think a lot of this depends on your build, your physique, and personal preference. I have hunted most every kind of condition and my 26" barreled 338 Model 70 has never held me back or been an issue because it wasn't "handy". I have a rifles with barrels ranging from 16" to 26", I just prefer a longer barrel because the longer barrels seem to aim and handle better for me. That may be affected by the fact that I am around 6'4" and have a powerful physique.
Hope this helps.
! So get ready for a lot of different takes on the subject !!
