Short range thumper suggestions.
- Thread starter Cbob
- Start date
- Location
- North Coast BC
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My short range thumper. But not really limited to short range.Remington model seven KS 350 rem mag.5 3/4 pounds before scope and shoots 225 partions at 2700 fps with a 20 inch barrel.2.5-8 leupold.
Great Yukon bush gun just hard to find.
Great Yukon bush gun just hard to find.
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Barnes_270
Regular
- Location
- Langley, BC
This suggestion is going to be a bit different than the others, so take it for what it's worth...
If you really want light, and a short barrel, and it is to be a short range rifle, then a Savage 340 carbine in 30-30 might (?) fit the bill. It would certainly be inexpensive. If you're not familiar with it it's a bolt action 30-30, of mediocre but adequate quality. The 160 grain FTX with Leverevolution powder and Bob's your uncle. I have a few, I can try weigh one tomorrow.
Buy a short action rifle, used, lightest you want, and take it to a gunsmith and put a pencil thin or carbon wrapped barrel on it. Add low power scope, and done! Caliber of your choice too - You may even luck out and find a used barrel with good rifling that the smith can cut and rechamber.
For factory its hard to beat a T3 lite or a Fierce.
I too would stay with 338 fed or 358 win
For factory its hard to beat a T3 lite or a Fierce.
I too would stay with 338 fed or 358 win
The Adirondack also comes in .308. That splits the difference and you have some good projectile options - even without the fact that you reload, there are factory loads for the .308 going all the way up 220 grain.
You strike me as someone that wants to invest a bit of time (and the money that comes with it) - in order to get a rifle that you are completely happy with. Based on that, here's a thought. If a larger bore is a must-have, then you can buy the rifle you actually want (regardless of the barrel that happens to be on it). Then take it to a smith and have him put on a new barrel in .338 Federal or .358 Winchester. Just bear in mind that a larger bore diameter will mean more material in the barrel - so for a given barrel profile, the barrel will weigh more.
Weight seems to be rather important to you. In my mind that speaks of someone that expects to carry their rifle quite a bit...and lines up with my line of thinking too. If weight is a priority, the Kimber looks even better.
Even without taking the gel out of the stock, that will give you very good performance and you will be well under 7 pounds even after adding a scope, rings, and a sling. Here's my thoughts on the math.
Kimber Adirondack .308 4 lb / 13 oz
Leupold FX-II Ultralight scope 0 lb / 6.5 oz
Talley rings for Kimber model 84M - 1" low 0 lb / 4 oz
Quality 1" Rhodesian or ching sling with hardware - 0 lb / 12 oz
4 rounds of .308 @ 0.85 oz each - 0lb / 3.4 oz
Total weight - 6 pounds, 7 ounces when loaded
To be honest, the weight for the Talley rings is probably at least an ounce heavy, since they only list one weight for the entire list of rings for that rifle - from 1" extra low to 30mm extra high. If you get aluminum rings, you can probably whittle that down even more...but since there is no backup sighting system, perhaps the solid steel rings aren't a bad idea either.
If you don't like the fixed power scope, you can take a (large price) jump up to something like the VX-6HD 1-6x24mm, a Swarovski Z6 1-6x24, or a Kahles K16i 1-6X24. Those three are all similar in weight, and would add +/-10 ounces over the fixed power scope. That would nudge you up 1 ounce over your 7 pound goal. I personally think that the 1-6 options are more scope that you'll ever need when engaging targets that are inside 200 yards - but my eyes are not your eyes, and my shooting experience is not your shooting experience...so scope your new rifle in the way that makes sense to you.
I would only have two concerns about a Kimber set up in that way - and both of them are definitely YMMV points that are based on my own experiences and preferences.. First is that the length of pull is about an inch and a half longer than I prefer for a rifle being used in relatively close country. The second is that it doesn't have any iron sights.
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How about one of the special run Ruger Americans in 358win?
https://store.prophetriver.com/ruge...ine-flat-dark-earth-blued-20barrel-mfg-26979/
-6.2lbs
-20” threaded barrel
I was considering picking this one up, then picking up either a B&C stock for it, or grabbing an American stock that takes the AI/Ruger scout mags. But I’m sticking with a Whelen.
Oddly enough, on another forum that I frequent a discussion came up about rifle loads that were nudging up towards medium-bore cartridge performance in terms of penetration and terminal ballistics. Here's a comment (copied with his permission) made by a friend in Texas about some loads he has been using for feral hogs and deer:
I wouldn't discount the .308 Win for launching heavy bullets because RL17 in the .308 case does some amazing things. It basically maintains the small velocity gap between the .308 and .30-06 even with heavy bullets.
A 208 A-Max bullet leaves my 17 1/4" GSR at 2450 fps at 300 ft above sea level. It has to be seated shorter than I'd like though. A 3" COAL gives more room for powder and yields velocities over 2500 fps. I've had 24" barreled guns averaging 2580fps but those rounds won't fit in the GSR magazine. I've never recovered a 208 A-Max from anything I've shot. It's either hit lots of bone and plowed through it until the bullet was ground down by the ribs or spinal column (frontal shots) or passed through and left an exit hole of about 2" on pigs and deer.
For bear I'd load RL17 and 200 grain partitions because they don't take up a lot of case space compared to the long match bullets. I've had a box of those partitions sitting here for years but haven't worked up the load because I haven't needed them.
This was a head on shot on a whitetail with a 208 at a little over 100 yards. This slipped through the joint of the front shoulder before deflecting, hitting the heart, and plowing straight down the spine.
https://i.imgur.com/3e9XS0j.jpg
This is the exit wound on a small pig at about 75 yards. The mature whitetail buck I shot broadside this year had an almost identical exit wound.
https://i.imgur.com/KTFvywC.jpg
(I've linked to the pics instead of having them pop up since they clearly demonstrate the terminal ballistics of the load he is using.
I wouldn't discount the .308 Win for launching heavy bullets because RL17 in the .308 case does some amazing things. It basically maintains the small velocity gap between the .308 and .30-06 even with heavy bullets.
A 208 A-Max bullet leaves my 17 1/4" GSR at 2450 fps at 300 ft above sea level. It has to be seated shorter than I'd like though. A 3" COAL gives more room for powder and yields velocities over 2500 fps. I've had 24" barreled guns averaging 2580fps but those rounds won't fit in the GSR magazine. I've never recovered a 208 A-Max from anything I've shot. It's either hit lots of bone and plowed through it until the bullet was ground down by the ribs or spinal column (frontal shots) or passed through and left an exit hole of about 2" on pigs and deer.
For bear I'd load RL17 and 200 grain partitions because they don't take up a lot of case space compared to the long match bullets. I've had a box of those partitions sitting here for years but haven't worked up the load because I haven't needed them.
This was a head on shot on a whitetail with a 208 at a little over 100 yards. This slipped through the joint of the front shoulder before deflecting, hitting the heart, and plowing straight down the spine.
https://i.imgur.com/3e9XS0j.jpg
This is the exit wound on a small pig at about 75 yards. The mature whitetail buck I shot broadside this year had an almost identical exit wound.
https://i.imgur.com/KTFvywC.jpg
(I've linked to the pics instead of having them pop up since they clearly demonstrate the terminal ballistics of the load he is using.
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How about one of the special run Ruger Americans in 358win?
https://store.prophetriver.com/ruge...ine-flat-dark-earth-blued-20barrel-mfg-26979/
-6.2lbs
-20” threaded barrel
I was considering picking this one up, then picking up either a B&C stock for it, or grabbing an American stock that takes the AI/Ruger scout mags. But I’m sticking with a Whelen.
That is a good suggestion... the American series is a step down in quality from what I am accustomed to, and is a throw back to the tang safeties (I prefer the 3-Position), but it surely does tick alot of boxes... and it is a real bonus that B&C are making stocks for the American series... it cheeses me a fair bit that they make stocks for the low end American but don't for the Mark II/Hawkeye rifles... I would be all over a couple B&C stocks for a pair of Stainless Mark II's.
That 783 is a breeze to rebarrel. You could swap it to .350 Rem Mag. The long action gives you enough room in the magazine to seat 310 grain bullets out far enough to get close to max pressure. A 16 inch barrel would make it really handy. You don't really need more than a 22 inch barrel for a .350 Rem Mag, and there's no harm in going shorter.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
Not a dreadful choice, before they're all gone.
A 350 Remington Magnum would also make a more than capable loafing carbine. And if that's not quirky enough for you, a 9.3 Barsness-Sisk might just check all the boxes.
I'm a big fan of the .350 Rem Mag, and have taken a lot of game with various rifles so chambered... it seems to my to kill above its weight, much in the way some here feel about the .270. It really is not the kicker that it is reputed to be, at least in my estimation. I kept my current Ruger M77 Mark II stainless 350 RM in factory configuration, it just shoots too good and handles to nicely to mess with.
Bottom rifle and 6.5 RM with 140 AB & 350 RM with 250 Partition;
Bottom rifle and 6.5 RM with 140 AB & 350 RM with 250 Partition;
Attachments
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
It is NEVER "need"... but it's cute that you say that...
I guess first, I'd best get back into putting what I already have to good use. Was planning on introducing the Lipsey Ruger 7x57 to Island Blacktail here on the 'wet coast' this season. But , a medical issue put 'things' on hold, temporarily. Oh well, I'll plan for next season.
For your little blacktails try 30.0 grains H4895 under the 140 SP of your choice... I built that reduced load for the kids of a couple friends but we discovered that it was incredibly accurate in 4 rifles and did a really good job at dispatching deer cleanly....would be a terrific and pleasant load for your little left-coast deer.
