Heavy barreled rifles...

1899

1899

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I am considering a heavy barreled rifle for shooting big game, mostly deer and moose with the odd elk a possibility. My father used to have a Sako in 7mm RM and it had a heavy barrel and the wood stock was reddish. Anyways, I like the way the barrel wouldn't heat up so fast and the accuracy was great too.

I checked out the usual suspects:
Remington Sendero
Remington 700P

Both in either 7mm RM or .300WM

Then there is the Sako Varmint - discontinued in 7mm RM and .300WM, but still available
and the Tikka T3 Varmint in both blued and SS.

Are any of you familiar with these last two? I like that they are available with a set trigger, which I find very usefull. Any hints or tips?
 
Does the barrel heating up really make a difference when hunting big game? How many shots are actually fired. If you plan on using it at the range the heavy barrel would be great.
 
I don't know...You're in BC, so there is a good cahnce that you will be heading up mountains from time to time to hunt elk and deer.

If you stick close tot he road, or hutnin the flatlands of BC, then I suppose it would be okay.

I've never bought a HB hunting rifle, becasue they are too heavy, and a sporter contour rifle can be completely accurate enough for hutning, as you rarely take more than 1 or 2 shots, anyway.
 
Well, I like to practice lots and I want to shoot more at longer range. I have a rifle that shoots well, but three rounds and it needs to cool for 15-20 minutes. I will hunt from a stand 99% of the time so the weight doesn't bother me.
 
go for a Savage 12FVSS http://www.savagearms.com/12fvss.htm
HEavey barrel, not to expensive, accurate as can be, and fully adjustable trigger. Get it in 300WSM and you'll be in business.

SAKO and Tikka varminters are $1700 range rifles with similar performance to the savage. However, if I had that much money, I'd buy a Tikka or a Sako in a heartbeat. :)
 
I hunted last year w/ a Winchester Stealth with all the tactical goodies and it really sucked and this was wondering around in the plains of Sask. Carrying around a 14 pound rifle all day long gets old fast and its hard to do a standing shot if something comes out of the bushes in front of you.
I love em for targets and plinking varmints but found them just to heavy to hunt w/.

Cheers!!
 
I know of a Sako Varmint for $1300, and Wholesale Sports has the Tikka SS for $1000.
The Savage 112BVSS is $759.95. I've been thinking of Savage for awhile, but I have to admit, I am not experienced with them at all. The fact that they are known for lower priced rifles makes me have a hard time wanting to spend the $ they ask for their varmint and police rifles. On the other hand, I've also read that under 1 MOA out of the box should be expected, and 1/2 MOA is a possibilty. Hard to argue with that.
 
They look like cheap guns. but they shoot like custom guns..or so I've heard from everyone that has one. :) The 112BVSS is a single shot. You want the 12FVSS (I don't think they make a long action in that) a 112FVSS would be nice..

Omer
 
I'd try to find a Sendero or if you want to spend the $$, a Weatherby Accumark


both should shoot the lights out 8)
 
If you are sold on the HB, then go for it. SInce you will hunt alot from stands, just make sure you have a good support to for it, so you don't tire your arms out holding it.

I am a pretty big, strong guy, and holding my HB 22-250AI Remington is hard to do form an offhand position. But it's reallly heavy! :mrgreen:

I know bartel had great accuracy from his Sendero, I think it was qa 7RM.

I think a 7RM is an ideal longer range shooter, and in a HB gun recoil would be reduced. :wink:
 
These two were both built for a specific type of hunting , stands and rivers, with a short walk or stalk involved .The top is 12lbs, the bottom one is ten lbs.

You wouldn't want to be packing these things up a large hill too many times, let alone a mountain.
They ar deadly when used as they were intended, however
Cat


MVC-057F.jpg
 
I hunted with my Remington 700VS before for Caribou and Moose. I'm a big guy, so the weight wasn't as big an issue, but at the end of a long day slogging though Newfoundland bogs and over barrens it got kinda' old. If you're sticking to old logging roads, cut-overs and/or sticking to the ATV then its okay. Off hand shots at longish ranges can get a little dicey. Its one reason why I stopped using it and am now hunting with a sporter profile 700 in 7mm Rem Mag. Even with the laminate LSS stock I installed, its pounds lighter than the VS and shoulders really well. Off hand shots are no problem.
 
I really don't see any advantages to a heavy barrel for biggame hunting, unless your thinning a herd :lol: and barrel heating is an issue.

I have a rifle (Ruger M77 in 7mm Remmag) that does strange things as the barrel heats up and needs to be bedded but it shoots just fine cold so I have it sighted in cold. No problems when hunting, its the first shot that counts and the second is only for when you screw up the first.

I personally would be looking for something in the 9lb range for hunting, If you really want a heavier barrel look for something fluted.
 
1899, my recent experience with 4 savage/stevens rifles has me very impressed. As a factory box stock rifle, they shoot too well for the money spent. Of course, the normal tuning and ammo development is needed. Both my 270 and 7RM shoot SUB MOA and will do so out a very long ways. The other two are donor actions and are making very accurate BR rigs.

I prefer the 7RM for your application. As I have said before, we hunt in similar fashions. I am shooting the 162gr Amax and am simply amazed at how well this bullet flies at LR.

The 7RM is the 110 package rifles with detachable mag and orig trigger. I put on a muzzle brake, hogue recoil pad, bedded the action, opened up the stock channel, swapped in a Sharp Shooter trigger (versions of triggers can go to pulls under 1lb), and a few handling improvements.

This barrel is a standard hunting sporter barrel but will still stay true for the number of shells in the mag. More then anyone would need in a hunting situation (hopefully). The recoil with the brake is mild enough that I can spot my own hits.

When at the range, just wrap the barrel with cold wet towels. The barrel will cool in the time it takes to check your target and come back. Allows you to do alot of shooting in an afternoon. A heavy barrel is certainly not needed and does not guarantee any better accuracy then a sporter barrel. However, I own many heavy barreled rifles which I use for bench top LR target shooting. So the final decision is what floats your boat.

Even doing all this to the rifle, I am still under the purchase price of the new Rem's, Tikka and Sakos. The action is very smooth with the normal Savage quirks. The stock is functional and weatherproof (the stevens stock actually have very stiff foreends). Best part, even with an Elite 4200 6X24 scope and steel rings, I am around 8.5lbs. Doesn't give me a hernia if I need to change locations. My kind of LR tactical/hunting rifle.

This is a working rifle, not a glossy show piece. It performs right up there with my custom rifles that cost a couple of times more.

Jerry
 
Heavy Barrel Rifles...

Personally I like HB rifles. Have three in .308 and two in 7mm-08. Would eventually like to pick up a Rem 700 VLS in .260 Rem, too. But just try & find one, though... :(
 
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