Mountain Rifle Recommendation

[kscowboy01]

Good evening,

I was hoping I could get some feedback on a rifle for my brother-in-law. He is starting to get into hunting out here in Colorado and beginning to realize that mountain hunting is a tough game. He is looking to get a good rifle to start but not looking to break the bank. Below is the email he sent me:

"I really understand the need for a light rifle now. I was hiking on some seriously steep terrain this weekend where I'll be elk hunting in October... could be miles to walk and a heavy gun is the last thing you want.

I did some research for a cheaper option to the Kimber Montana and found the Tikka T3 superlight, it's only about 1/2lb heavier than the Kimber but $500 cheaper, and it comes in a .300 Win Mag. Thoughts?"

If money wasn't an option, I love Mel Forbes' NULA or the Kimber Mountain Ascent. When I went on my sheep hunt last year in AK, the guides were all carrying Kimber Montanas in 325. If more than one guide in camp is carrying the same gun, that says something.

We got him a Leupold V3 with CDS turrets, so he is good in the optics department. What would you recommend in the sub $1,000 marketplace. He will be hunting elk and deer. He is a decent sized guy, so .300 Win is a good caliber for him. A muzzle-break would be a plus.

Thanks for your help and good luck this season!

(I posted this elsewhere for maximum, quality feedback)

 

[watercam]

PM inbound

 

[jonbearman]

I had a mountain rifle which was a model 700 Remington in .280 rem and it was a joy to carry as I felt it was lightweight or the titanium version if you can find one on gunsamerica as I am not sure they make it anymore or a model 7 Remington as well.

 

[longbow]

My Rem 700 in 284, with 3x9 Leupold compact at 7 1/4#. 24" Lilja Barrel. 23 years old, dropped alot of game. sold off my 338,7mm Mag,30-06,308,243, and had the one gun built. It does have an extended mag well, bolt stop cut back 1/4" My round is 3.10" OAL, shoots a Barnes 140 gr. All have been one shot kills out to 360 yds.Best move I ever did! Pete

 

[SS427]

This is an interesting topic. I never noticed a couple of extra pounds when carrying a rifle around. Taking a bunch of crap out of my pack I found I didn't need made more difference. What made the most difference though is when I knew I had a hunt like this ahead of me, I started exercising a lot and ended up dropping 10 lbs. Being in shape and packing less of me around was a huge improvement.

I wouldn't want an overly light 300 Win mag...if I did I would pack a sterile needle and thread to sew up the scope cuts. A Remington model 700 or the standard Tikka is about as light as I would go in that caliber.

 

[AndyA]

This is an interesting topic. I never noticed a couple of extra pounds when carrying a rifle around. Taking a bunch of crap out of my pack I found I didn't need made more difference. What made the most difference though is when I knew I had a hunt like this ahead of me, I started exercising a lot and ended up dropping 10 lbs. Being in shape and packing less of me around was a huge improvement.
I wouldn't want an overly light 300 Win mag...if I did I would pack a sterile needle and thread to sew up the scope cuts. A Remington model 700 or the standard Tikka is about as light as I would go in that caliber.

This is what I did also. Much better than skimping on the rifle.

 

[Albany Mountain]

I use a 270 Remington mountain rifle and love it. 280 is sweet as well.

 

[Dans40X]

A short magnum chambering of choice in a Remington Model Seven topped w/the Leupold VX3.

It's a couple pounds lighter than any L/A chambering out of the box.

Going up hill is easier on the knees/ankles than coming back down hill-no matter what shape you are in!

Sheep go round & round the hill!
Goats go up & down the hill!

 

[Jet]

I'm very happy with my Browning A Bolt in 280. One chambered in one of the 270 - 300 short magnum calibers might be the ticket.

Jet

 

[normmatzen]

I downsized from 30-06 to a Mauser sporter in 7X57 for my hunting needs. It will kill any North American game if the hunter does his part.
If you are unsure of that (probably a 7-08 instead of my 7X57) the 280 REM or 284 WIN would be all the gun you need.
My 284 WIN long range bench rest shoots 162 A-MAX at 2850 fps for accuracy to 1000yd.
Why punish yourself with a big magnum that blows big holes in game?

 

[AKShooter]

Any rem 700 can be built into a nice light mountain gun. Light contour barrel. The right stock. A Leopold ultralight. Had a 6.5 pound gun all in myself. Fluted barrel. Bolt. Blind mag. All kinds of ways to build one

That said my current dedicated sheep gun is 11 pounds but looking to drop to 10 over the winter. How I see it. It's THE piece of gear that makes or break a hunt. Loose weight elsewhere. Pack is a good place to start. Shelter and sleep next. Yourself first and foremost. Just keep your pet rifle you shoot well. Find weight somewhere else. And keep the full sized optics. 10x42 s not the place to loose weight either.

But for factory. The nula is great. Just saw a ad on a new Kimber that is crazy light!!! The acent?

 

[FeMan]

The first thing I thought of when I read the title was a Tikka T3 Light. I spend a couple weeks a year backpacked deep and high in the Rocky's and every ounce matters IMO. I have a T3 in 300 WSM and it shoots sub-MOA as far as I care to shoot it. It is throated too long to shoot VLD's well but it is extremely accurate with the 165 Barnes TSX and 180 Accubonds. I think the Tikkas are the best value for what it sounds like you are after.

 

[kscowboy01]

AKShooter, yes, probably the Ascent.

If he wasn't on a budget, we'd do that in the 280AI, 30-06, or .308 and call it a day.

I think that might be the best "custom" light rifle in production. Yes, I know it's not custom but it has the bells and whistles to fool anyone. I handled them at Dallas SCI and thought they were awesome. It's a great mountain rifle, from everything I've read.

 

[kscowboy01]

I think we are going with a Savage Bear Hunter in .300 Win.


If anyone knows where to track one of these down, let me know, please.

 

[WindSurgeon]

Tikka T3 in your standard calibers. I hump one in 30-06 all day in South Dakota for Mule Deer and I hardly notice its on my shoulder or on my pack. Very accurate right out of the box. They have a 20 inch long MT barrel length version in all these "Elk Getter" calibers:

7mm-08 Rem / 9.5" / (3 in magazine, 1 in chamber)
308 Win / 11" / (3 in magazine, 1 in chamber)
338 Federal / 10" / (3 in magazine, 1 in chamber)
25-06 Rem / 10" / (3 in magazine, 1 in chamber)
6.5x55 SE / 8" / (3 in magazine, 1 in chamber)
270 Win / 10" / (3 in magazine, 1 in chamber)
7x64 / 10" / (3 in magazine, 1 in chamber)
30-06 Sprg / 11" / (3 in magazine, 1 in chamber)
8x57IS / 9.5" / (3 in magazine, 1 in chamber)
9.3x62 / 14" / (3 in magazine, 1 in chamber)
7mm Rem Mag / 9.5" / (3 in magazine, 1 in chamber)
300 Win Mag / 11" / (3 in magazine, 1 in chamber)
338 Win Mag / 10" / (3 in magazine, 1 in chamber)
270 Win Short Mag / 10" / (3 in magazine, 1 in chamber)
300 Win Short Mag / 11" / (3 in magazine, 1 in chamber)

 

[th82457]

Along the lines of the Tikka, I prefer a stainless Sako A7 in 30-06 or .270. Could also go for same gun in .270 or .300 WSM. May have to look a bit to find an original Sako, but Cabelas has a version that Sako makes for them in .270 & 30-06 with a very nice B & C stock and fluted barrel. Normally $1199, but they run them at $999 occasionally. A 300 Mag in a 6 lb. gun will kill on both ends ! Add a set of Talley lightweight rings to whatever he chooses.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

kimber adirondack

 

[drover]

It is hard for me to equate Savage and light weight. IMO the Tikka T-3 is a standard caliber such as 308 / 270 / 30-06, etc is the way to go. The Tikka has one of the best out-of-the-box triggers available, something that can't be said for Savage.

drover