New all weather rifle

jay007

jay007

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Location
St Albert, Alberta
I am hoping to get a new all weather rifle this fall, with future hopes of using it to go sheep and maybe antelope hunting.

I also want it in a caliber that I don't have.

My short list of calibers.

257 wby
270 wsm
300 wsm
6.5 x 55 ?

Let me know what your choice would be and why? and if you have an opinion on why one is better than the others.

Thanks
 
Sako A7 ss 270WSM with Winchester Supreme 140gr Accubonds or the 150gr XP3 Elites. Great caliber/bullet combo for big game...sheep, elk, moose, deer. Price is right with the pkg deal with Burris scope. Got one for my nephew last year at WSS on sale for $1130 all in.

I have had a few 270WSM's (Tikka T3's and Sako m75) - love the caliber. I should mention I reload with the 140gr Accubonds since 2005. I have several hunting buds that have got a 270WSM shooting the 140gr AB's and they love their rifle as well.
 
Since you didn't give a price range, and since I'm a Weatherby guy there is only one choice that meets all your wants (in my mind).

The Weatherby Vanguard Back Country in 257 bee.

It has a hand laminated fiber composite stock, bedded with an aluminum plate - the spider web patterned stock is the matte gel coated.

The 24" fluted barrel and all the exposed metal (chrome moly) is Cerekote'd.

This thing is not going to warp, crack or rust even if you only "passingly" take care of it.

Plus, it has a sub-moa guarantee.

AND it's a Weatherby (kinda sorta).

Some might say the 257 ammo costs "on the shelf" are high, but given your other choices, it's in the ballpark.

But with a retail in the $1500 to $1900 range, depending on who might have it in stock, it may be "too costly" for sheep and antelope unless they have a good job ;)
 
I haven't hunted sheep or antelope (yet). No season for them in Ontario:). From what I've read, however, I've learned that the weather conditions can be changeable and harsh, shots may be to several hundred yards and you can expect lots of humping to get to the game. To me that means that a light-weight, flat shooting all weather rifle would be in order. I have a Browning A Bolt II Mountain Ti in 270 WSM that I think fits the bill. It is light, flat shooting, hard hitting and accurate. I use it with Federal Premium 150 gr Nosler Partitions for deer and moose out here but the lighter 140 or 130 grain bullets would probably work well (maybe better?) for sheep and antelope. The Mountain Ti has been out of production for several years now. New they were a $2000 rifle that was probably as close to being custom made that you could get from a factory built rifle. They come up for sale every now and again, in fact there's a 270WSM currently listed on EE.
 
im going with a tikka t3 in stainless synthetic in .300wm. i wont settle for anything less personally, i love the feel of them. so slick and crisp.
 
Lighter the rifle, the better for packing up a mountain. As long as its accurate. I have gone up and down a couple of mountains with a 12 pound rifle, after that I sold the gun. My current rifle (Kimber Montana 8400) is no ultra-light but its still very nice to carry when the air gets thin and the incline is steep. As for packing it around while looking for that big whitetail or elk down low, its an extra bonus that its lighter than all other magnums I have used. Out of those you have listed I would pick the 300 and the 270 is a very close second place. Have a good look at the Tikka's and at the Kimber Montana or Ascent. If you have money, spring for a Fierce arms rifle (made in Canada but pricey).
 
The Weatherby Backcountry mentioned above looks good. I looked one over in Cabela's recently and really liked it...but then walked out of the store a little while later with a brand new T3 Superlite. Stainless, fluted barrel, excellent shootable trigger, synthetic stock, chambered in .300WinMag (it probably comes in the goofy short mags as well :)). Under 7 pounds with Talleys and a Leupold. It hasn't printed a group over 1.25MOA yet, with most groups less than MOA, shot with assorted loads...and these were shot while the gun underwent my rigorous barrel break-in procedure: Run a clean dry patch through the barrel when the gun is removed from the box, shoot all day, then clean in the evening. :)

All this for several hundred dollars less than the Backcountry. I wanted a lightweight, all-purpose backup/foul-weather/loaner rifle, but I like this one so much up to this point that I'll probably use it more than I originally planned.
 
I bought a Ruger M77 in 257 bob for the same purpose. Light antelope, deer mountainish rifle. Its wood stock but I like that. And once properly bedded shouldn't have issues with changing weather.
 
Weatherly backcountry is a great choice for sure. As for the Tikka, I think they are great rifles as well but they are definitely not going to take the elements the same. Ask anyone who has left a stainless Tikka in a case wet overnight. You will think twice about supposed stainless guns being low maintenance. Now I do not subject my rifles to those extremes no matter what they are, but something to think about. I would pony up for the backcountry but if you take care of your guns either will do fine. Either will shoot great but I think the Weatherly has a quality advantage.
 
Ha! it does my heart good to see the 6.5x55 on that list...! so awesome.... The .257 is my favourite calibre for all time, I figure... and yup, it's expensive to shoot, but they all will be to a certain extent.... that Backcountry Van 2 Weatherby gets good reviews, and as one of the fellas said already, that will help to care for the rifle in inclement weather... the Mark V is pricey, wood stock, heavier, etc., but a beautiful rifle for sure.... I have one, very proud of it, but then, right away I had to have "shooters", because the Mark V is too sweet to be kicking around in the pick-up, getting wet, etc..... Ha! the .270 WSM sure is popular and gets great reviews... there is a you-tube video of a fella shooting a mulie in Idaho at 700 yards with his.... the .300 WSM is supposed to be very awesome as well, but the short casings don't always feed very reliably, though other fellas report no problems with feeding on their .300 WSM's.... it is probably a matter of purchasing a decent quality rifle, as much as selection of calibre....
 
the 110 Gr. Accubonds in the .257 Weatherby sure are awesome, and I bet you could get use of them at range when looking for that sheep... Optics will obviously be a big priority to you as well....
 
Weatherby Backcountry in 257 WBee - A Great choice ! with 100 Gr Scirrocos or 110 gr Accubonds or 100 gr Barnes TTSX

Could get a WBee ULTRA LITE - there a bit pricey ? as is the SAKO lightweight too !

Tikka T3 SS Lite in 270 WSM another great choice - both are at resonable prices - Put a 3.5-10 Leupold CDS mounted in Talley LW rings and go kill them ! ;) jmo

Cheers RJ
 
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