Short, light rifle for little deer

[Fast14riot]

Having successfully filled a tag for an Oregon blacktail this week, with my 26" barrel, 10.5lb 30-06 with a fixed 10x scope, I felt a bit "over gunned" if you will in those dense woods. The gun is built for NV mulies and AZ coues deer at long range. So now I'm looking into something short, light, and with a little less horsepower than the 30-06 with 178s.

I currently shoot and load for 6.8spc and 6br which I think both cartridges would do everything I need on those deer, but I'm also not opposed to an inexpensive factory rifle that I chop the barrel on.

Thoughts? I'm not set on those chamberings, just what I have that may work well.

 

[troupe]

Ruger American in 6.5 or 6 creed. Light weight and not expensive. I bought one years ago for my son and it is a .5 rifle at 100 with factory ammo.

 

[mike mccormick]

I am currently building a light rifle in 30BR for that very purpose. With 125gr soft points it should do very well.

 

[muleystalker]

How short are you going to chop the barrel? That would help decide what cartridge I would chose. I have a nice little SS Model 7 with a 20" barrel in .260 Rem I bought the first year they came out with the .260 and its a handy little rifle and boy does it put the smack down on them. The .260 or Creedmoor would be a great choice.

What was the farthest shot opportunity you could get where you were hunting? The 6BR or a Dasher with a fast twist barrel would be fun. Go a 1:6.5 or 1;7 and you could even shoot the
Badlands Super Bulldozer-2, its a .243 100gr Aluminum tipped Mono with a BC 0.600 and will expand down to 1600fps. I have shot the first gen. 100gr Bulldozers in my 6x204 and they shot real well, I think it had a BC 0.580. I also shot the Bulldozer 80gr out of it and was getting 3200-3300fps if I remember correctly. The BC is 0.420. The 90gr Sierra Tipped Game king shot real well too and its the same BC as the 95 SMK's I believe. Here is the link to the Badlands Mono's

.243 100gr Super Bulldozer-2 - Badlands precision, LLC

Length: 1.420″ BC (G1): .600 BC (G7): .307 Twist: 1-7″ Price: 50/BOX

badlandsprecision.com

 

[wkdickinson]

My son now has a Remington Mountain Rifle in 7mm-08 with a Leupold 2-8X32 scope, that I purchased shortly after Remington introduced that model (maybe 25 years ago). Many, many, many Michigan whitetails have succumbed to the rifle over the intervening years. I found a Sierra 165gr hollow point GameKing to be extremely effective.

 

[epc308]

My son now has a Remington Mountain Rifle in 7mm-08 with a Leupold 2-8X32 scope, that I purchased shortly after Remington introduced that model (maybe 25 years ago). Many, many, many Michigan whitetails have succumbed to the rifle over the intervening years. I found a Sierra 165gr hollow point GameKing to be extremely effective.

A Remington Mountain Rifle in 7mm-08 was my first good CF rifle. My records show I bought it in 1990. It was used, but it looked as new. It has always shot way better than it should with that pencil thin barrel. Big Green was on their game the day that one was built.

 

[MOTORSPORTS55]

Remington 600 or 660 is what i have used for years !

 

[Mark W]

Dense woods and shorter ranges sounds like the perfect place for a good old 30-30 lever gun to me. It’s short and easy to handle and follow up shots are much faster than a bolt action, for me anyway.

I also like the suggestions above for the 30 BR or 6 BR, although I would definitely use a slower twist than recommended for the 6 BR and throat it for traditional hunting bullets in the 85-100 grain range. I don’t see a need for super high bc bullets in a purpose built thick woods hunting rifle.

 

[paul castelli]

CZ 527 Carbine - Discontinued 2021 - CZ-USA

Discontinued 2021. The 527 Carbine is a compact rifle with iron sights available in .223 and 7.62x39.

cz-usa.com

Add an aperture sight or low powered glass, maybe even a red-dot of some sort.

 

[JFrank]

 

[wkdickinson]

A Remington Mountain Rifle in 7mm-08 was my first good CF rifle. My records show I bought it in 1990. It was used, but it looked as new. It has always shot way better than it should with that pencil thin barrel. Big Green was on their game the day that one was built.

I totally agree - mine has always shot great! Time slips by more rapidly than we think, so I could easily have bought it in the late 80's. Remington was certainly at the top of their game back then.

 

[muleystalker]

Dense woods and shorter ranges sounds like the perfect place for a good old 30-30 lever gun to me. It’s short and easy to handle and follow up shots are much faster than a bolt action, for me anyway.

I also like the suggestions above for the 30 BR or 6 BR, although I would definitely use a slower twist than recommended for the 6 BR and throat it for traditional hunting bullets in the 85-100 grain range. I don’t see a need for super high bc bullets in a purpose built thick woods hunting rifle.

Mark, I know the OP and the other areas he hunts and shoots so that's why I was mentioning being able to shoot the higher BC bullts. With a shorter barrel fast twist, not necessarily pencil barrel just shorter, it could be a dual use rifle for the other areas he hunts such as his home state where non lead Mono's are Mandatory. I wasn't so worried about the high BC cup and core bullets but when you jump to mono's the BC and weight really drops on bullets that fit an average twist and the better mono bullets and comparable weight require a faster twist than the same comparable bullet in cup and core.
A fast twist 6 Dasher could serve him well it the situation he just experienced but still be useful for longer shots that come up in the area and back in his home state. Out west here we could be in some closer quarters one minute and then brake out into big open canyon country where a 400-600yrds and beyond is nothing, all in 10 minutes.

 

[Bill Norris]

A 30BR built on a Model 7 action would be my choice. As mentioned the 125 gr. bullets would be a great deer ticket. The 125 gr. Nosler Accubond would be about as good a choice as you could make for deer.

 

[6ShotsOr5?]

I like @SPJ ‘s rig. If I were gonna go with something already in my safe, I would use my dad’s 700 BDL in .243 with a 4-12 Leupold. We have both used it to take several skinny central Texas white tails.

 

[DangerRanger]

I would be considering a tikka 223 compact and maybe chop the barrel a touch more. I’ve seen some fantastic wound photos with 77 tmk. Enough that I’m gonna shoot a whitetail with one this year if I get around to it

 

[Bc'z]

Having successfully filled a tag for an Oregon blacktail this week, with my 26" barrel, 10.5lb 30-06 with a fixed 10x scope, I felt a bit "over gunned" if you will in those dense woods. The gun is built for NV mulies and AZ coues deer at long range. So now I'm looking into something short, light, and with a little less horsepower than the 30-06 with 178s.

I currently shoot and load for 6.8spc and 6br which I think both cartridges would do everything I need on those deer, but I'm also not opposed to an inexpensive factory rifle that I chop the barrel on.

Thoughts? I'm not set on those chamberings, just what I have that may work well.

Hahahahaha!! You damn near took his head off, those 178 Amax are devastating!!
I showed you mama's 260 with 20" barrel, I feel confident in its ability to take our bigger deer and black bear.
Eric who you met has the same rifle in 308, another good option.
Personally I wouldn't go below a 26 caliber as you dont know what you may stumble across in these hills, especially if you think you might come back for elk.
Your old 260AI competition barrel would be a great candidate for a set back and shorten to 20-22".
Random thoughts my friend, we enjoyed having you here.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

Buy a Tikka T-3X, 22 inch bbl'd, SS, in .243 Win at, SUB,.. 6.5 Pounds !
Put a Burris, 3 x 9 or, 4.5 x 14 on it and its, SUB,. 7.5 Pounds !
22" Bbl.,.. NO,.. "Cutting", required and buy, a YoDave Trigger Spring and NO "After Mkt." trigger, required ! !
Mine shoots, Sub, 1/2 MOA with, 87 gr. Berger VLD-H's and 3/4 MOA with, 100 Gr. Sierra BTSP GK's !
My 10 lb., 6 XC, Rifle is "Chained" to,.. my Bench Rest, Table !
Thank me,. Later !

 

[Rsadams]

Remington 600 in 6mm Remington if you can find one.... Light , accurate and I love mine....

 

[Bojo]

Winchester 88 in 308.
Short and fast handling, easy follow up shots if you sucked the first time or a second is needed. 308 gives you plenty of punch for less than ideal angular shots.
carries in the hand as well as a bolt gun to boot.

 

[rickhirsch]

kimber hunter 7-08 or 308 6lbs before scope .