Mountain/ Lightweight rifles
- Thread starter tttkl5
- Start date
By keeping price in mind, what is the budget?
Need brand new or willing to go used if the right gun comes along?
If you are looking for a 'do all' gun I would say .270 caliber the minimum if sheep and elk are in the picture here. More oompah without too big of recoil.
The member Nugget has used his 270 Winchester on a pile of game, all but one are 1 shot kills from all kinds of ranges.
From my first six years of my wannabe sheep hunting trips I have learned the less weight the better. Went chasing sheep with a Brno 21H in 7x57 this year, topped with a Leupold 2.5-8 x 36 vari-xIII. It will also be chasing Elk and Whitetail this fall.
I really like this gun for it's classic appeal but it is also a good all around cartridge for the game you mentioned. Maybe not the best but it will do it's job if I do mine. In all it weighs about 7 3/4 lbs.
Depending on your strength, you might be able to go heavier. I am not a burly man by any means so this is about the max I like to pack.
If you are looking for brand new stuff, I am sure there will be no shortage of references very soon. I don't have any new goodies, raised to love old school firearms. :roll:
You want a compactish scope too and try to get it mounted as low as possible.
Hope this helps!
Need brand new or willing to go used if the right gun comes along?
If you are looking for a 'do all' gun I would say .270 caliber the minimum if sheep and elk are in the picture here. More oompah without too big of recoil.
The member Nugget has used his 270 Winchester on a pile of game, all but one are 1 shot kills from all kinds of ranges.
From my first six years of my wannabe sheep hunting trips I have learned the less weight the better. Went chasing sheep with a Brno 21H in 7x57 this year, topped with a Leupold 2.5-8 x 36 vari-xIII. It will also be chasing Elk and Whitetail this fall.
I really like this gun for it's classic appeal but it is also a good all around cartridge for the game you mentioned. Maybe not the best but it will do it's job if I do mine. In all it weighs about 7 3/4 lbs.
Depending on your strength, you might be able to go heavier. I am not a burly man by any means so this is about the max I like to pack.
If you are looking for brand new stuff, I am sure there will be no shortage of references very soon. I don't have any new goodies, raised to love old school firearms. :roll:
You want a compactish scope too and try to get it mounted as low as possible.
Hope this helps!
john-brennan
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Vancouver Island B.C.
featherweight
I am a 700mountain rifle fan, but just bought a Win. M70 featherweight in 270WSM and it is one of the most accurate rifles i have ever shot, 6lb.10oz. a great gun.
I am a 700mountain rifle fan, but just bought a Win. M70 featherweight in 270WSM and it is one of the most accurate rifles i have ever shot, 6lb.10oz. a great gun.
This might not be the most popular choice but I have a Rem. 700 stainless/Syn in 300 SAUM and it's light, accurate and has some good punch also because of all the hype for the WSM's there's some pretty good deals on the SAUM rifles and ammo.
If you can pick up one of these for a good deal and upgrade the stock to something of a bit better quality and a bit lighter if you can handle the recoil it should do everything you need it to do.
I'm also a Sako fan and a Finnlite would do also.
If you can pick up one of these for a good deal and upgrade the stock to something of a bit better quality and a bit lighter if you can handle the recoil it should do everything you need it to do.
I'm also a Sako fan and a Finnlite would do also.
I found the 700 mtn rifle in 30 06 nasty to shoot. My wife of smaller frame had no problems. Fit matters! I'd love to have at titanium one in 260. The tikka's are pretty decent rifles for the money and very few factory rifles rival the beauty of the Win. Featherweight. All usually shoot well for at least the first 3 rds but some (not all) wonder when the barrel starts heating up.
I'd think 270 or 7-08 is about as big as I'd want to go.
I'd think 270 or 7-08 is about as big as I'd want to go.
I can echo what MaxKW said with the 300 saum too.
Nugget got one of these this fall and it really rips if you like that kind of gun.
180gr slugs cruiseing at 3000 fps, and nowhere near a max load!
Even with the big 6-18 Leupold he set on it it is still lighter than my Brno.
He is set for anything this side of a Kodiak. (besides the scope.)
Crazy Ike is bang on with those butler creek slings too, I have two of them and swear by 'em. They make great stocking stuffers for your jealous brother in laws.
:lol:
Nugget got one of these this fall and it really rips if you like that kind of gun.
180gr slugs cruiseing at 3000 fps, and nowhere near a max load!
Even with the big 6-18 Leupold he set on it it is still lighter than my Brno.
He is set for anything this side of a Kodiak. (besides the scope.)
Crazy Ike is bang on with those butler creek slings too, I have two of them and swear by 'em. They make great stocking stuffers for your jealous brother in laws.
:lol:
I agree with most posters, on this topic. I personally would/have gone with either a 700 mtn rifle or a 70 featherweight in 270/280/30-06. I tend to be a bit cautious on too small a rifle if there is the possibility of a grizzly on the same mountain. Definitely a Leupold scope, and not a compact. I'll take the full size for the better light gathering, and carry the couple extra ounces.
Pat
Pat
I have an elite 3200 on my m700 in 300 SAUM and it seems to fit perfectly, there may be better scopes out there but this is what I have and it does the job, I agree with going with a full size scope and if the weight is an issue you can always save it somewhere else, 1 less sandwich in your pack would balance the weight difference and you'll get the extra performance from your optics.
for a reasonably priced factory rifle, I'd have to go with either the stainless/laminated Mountain Rifle or the laminated Model Seven, either one in 7mm-08. Top it with a Leupold VariX-III in 2.5-8X and you're set.....IMHO.....but I've never even seen a sheep outside of the Waterton Lakes park.... :roll: :lol:
Guess I should have worded my compactish scope differently. It should have been more like a realistic sized scope. Along the lines of the 2.5-8 to even a new
vari xII 3-9x40. I guess if you are a superb shot and have one of these whiz bang mags you could go up to 10x on the high side. Much bigger than that and it's a pain for bulkiness.
Who the heck can use 18x on a breezy mountain side anyway? :lol:
Rembo, I feel your pain man! I can get to within 40 feet of the buggers out of season, but have yet to even see a legal ram when it is open. :|
vari xII 3-9x40. I guess if you are a superb shot and have one of these whiz bang mags you could go up to 10x on the high side. Much bigger than that and it's a pain for bulkiness.
Who the heck can use 18x on a breezy mountain side anyway? :lol:
Rembo, I feel your pain man! I can get to within 40 feet of the buggers out of season, but have yet to even see a legal ram when it is open. :|
Awsome feed back! I knew there would be vering opinions on this subject . I have researched all of these rifles before. I already have a 2.5-8X36 leupold xv-III sitting on my self waiting for this mountain rifle. I love the 280 Rem. However I already own one and was looking towards something else. I have been really looking at 30 or 25 cal. A friend of mine won a Tikka T3 lite at the FAWNS banquet 30-06. It seems to shot well, however I personally have been scared of all the plastic. The 30 cal. short actions mags interest me. which is the best?
Again thanks for the feedback!!
Again thanks for the feedback!!
better 5 lbs off the old gut than 1 pound off the rifle.
if you are just going on day or overnight trips, the weight of the rifle shouldn't really matter... now if you are packing in for a week, go light on everything (except binoculars). break your toothbrush in half, take chlorine tablets instead of a water filter, leave the cotton towel at home and bring a vicose one, repackage your food in ziplock bags. skip the "cookset", bring one pot and eat of out it.
caliber, something from .270/7x57/7-08 to .300 winchester (long or short) should do just fine.
and please, don't shoot a sheep with a plastic rifle.
if you are just going on day or overnight trips, the weight of the rifle shouldn't really matter... now if you are packing in for a week, go light on everything (except binoculars). break your toothbrush in half, take chlorine tablets instead of a water filter, leave the cotton towel at home and bring a vicose one, repackage your food in ziplock bags. skip the "cookset", bring one pot and eat of out it.
caliber, something from .270/7x57/7-08 to .300 winchester (long or short) should do just fine.
and please, don't shoot a sheep with a plastic rifle.
Quote by Mig25:
and please, don't shoot a sheep with a plastic rifle.
Amen brother, amen! :lol:
If you already have a 280, why not dress her up with a custom stock to shave some wieght? That should be a great caliber. You could even rechamber it for 280 Ackley or 7 Gibbs if you reload and really have a wicked machine.
Here is my current mountain favorite, just needs some lower scope rings, that's in next year's budget, maybe. :roll:
and please, don't shoot a sheep with a plastic rifle.
Amen brother, amen! :lol:
If you already have a 280, why not dress her up with a custom stock to shave some wieght? That should be a great caliber. You could even rechamber it for 280 Ackley or 7 Gibbs if you reload and really have a wicked machine.
Here is my current mountain favorite, just needs some lower scope rings, that's in next year's budget, maybe. :roll:
