Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Your choices and opinions on backpacking rifles

I currently own a Win. Model 70 Extreme Weather Edition chambered in 30-06. I carry and fire this gun well and I'm extremely happy with it's performance. I'm currently in the market for two more rifles, one larger and one smaller. The larger would be for moose and brown bear, the smaller for deer, pigs and black bear. I was originally checking out the Kimber Montana and recently discovered the Talkeetna model chambered in .375 H&H, I've always wanted a .375. This would obviously be an option for the larger gun. For the deer gun I'm thinking something along the lines of the Tikka T3 or the Ruger All American. Caliber considerations include .243, .308 and 7mm-08. I would like to hear your opinions and about your personal experiences.

There is a strong tendency to go as light as possible when back pack hunting. That's OK, as long as you understand any tradeoffs in performance.
Typically, most can't shoot really light rifles as well as they can heavier ones when the range opens up. So, I'd suggest trying out such rifles before you buy one if possible. E

I don't backpack hunt per-say. BUT you asked for opinions and didn't say they had to be good (grin) and thinking about it to me BP hunting means a rifle that will be carried a lot with other gear which means weight is something I'd worry about.

Montana or other light rifles is where I'd start and end. My current rifle is a Montucky 7-08 topped with a 6x Superchicken. This replaced the Rem DBM 30-06 I used to hunt with.

It's a shooter's fly rod really. Love it betwix the mits so far.

Can't imagine my next rifle would be anything other than this again but in different cartridge/caliber.

in a light rifle the 375 will be brutal. A 9.3 X 62 would be friendlier in the situation you describe

The 243 is light for pigs but works well with lighter animals

308 would seem to duplicate the 30-06

I have a Tikka T3 in 7mm-08. It is lightweight and a nice accurate shooting rifle. I shoot a 150 grain Nosler Partition over 44.5 grains of IMR4350. It CAN put three in the same hole and is consistently sub MOA on the bench. (The nut behind the trigger isn't much of a shooter some days though.)
With a 3-9 Leopold on top it's lightweight and easy on the shoulder toting around in the mountains all day. Recoil isn't bad on the shoulder either.

Anyway, after the first season I decided I've found my rifle. The others seem to stay in the gunrack at home.


Lightweight, accurate and bad medicine on whitetails and at least one mulie (so far)

Take a look at the new Forbes as well as the Kimber Montana's. My Kimber Montana in 7-08 felt really good in the hands but was a bit more difficult to handle than your normal Remchester sporter ... nothing that a bit of practice would not cure though. I find the supposed difficulty of handling a lightweight a bit overblown. A Forbes .270 I picked up last year weighs the same as the Kimber but feels more like a standard weight rifle, probably because the barrel is a bit heavier than the Kimbers and the stock a bit fuller (but lighter). The Forbes is spooky accurate and I find it easier to shoot well from field positions. Both function flawlessly although I find the Montana a bit smoother and I am far more fond of the Winchester style safety than the Remington style found on the Forbes. Triggers an both are just superb. Both ride happily in the Kifaru gunbearers on my packs with 2.5 - 8 Leupolds aboard.

Although the Forbes lives in my house and the Kimber went down the road, I could easily spend my hunting years with either and be completely happy. Both fine rifles.

Savage Ultralight Hunter in 7mm-08. Five and a half pounds. Six pounds with a lightweight Leupold scope.

Comes in other calibers too.

Has been my backpacking rifle for four years. Durable, easy to carry and easy to shoot.

Everyone seems to want sub-MOA accuracy and the talk is always about the rifle. I've found that often the problem that keeps a rifle from being very accurate is the x-hairs in the scope. A lot of very good hunting scopes simply don't have the proper x-hairs for pin point accuracy from the bench. They're too thick and cover the center of the bull, making it impossible to consistently repeat the shot.
In the field, however, the scope is 100% adequate, able to kill a deer at long range every time.

If you want to mind-hump this question into the next year or two, convincing yourself of the need for some big chambering in one rifle and some super pricy lightweight rifle in another, by all means do so.

If you want to solve your dilemma quick, 1.) buy a montana in 308 or 7-08 and use it for everything but brown bears (but go ahead and shoot grizzlies of opportunities when out on sheep and caribou hunts), and 2.)put your 30-06 in a mcmillan swirly, load it with heavy partitions or lightweight TTSX and use it for brownies.

Scopes: fixed 4x leupold in leupold DD mounts on the 30-06, fixed 6x leupold in talleys on the kimber.

Then, move away from this question and put all of your focus on figuring out where to live and hunt.

My first backpack hunt was in 1964 and I have packed a LOT of rifles since then.

I bought a full custom Rem.Seven STS, Micky Edge, bunch of other goodies, 6.25 with a Swaro Z3 3x9, very sccurate, 7-08 and built by two of BCs top smiths.

I thot I had found "the promised land" and paid a lot of $$$$ for this. I felt a bit "light" in Grizzly country with the little Seven, tho.

Then, a buddy offered me a Dakota 76, factory MPI, Magnaported and not much over 8 lbs, with Talleys and a Leupy 1.75x6 aboard. VERY accurate and nice to shoot and pack.

Last summer, I talked myself into a Kimber MA-.280AI,Talleys, Leupy 3.5x10, 6.5 lbs. This is now my main packing piece and several other custom "mountain rifles"will be going when I get around to selling.

These three are what I expect to use from now, age 69, to past 90 and each of them works the way I want them to.

You asked for opinions.............

I really like the M70 EW - have one in 300 WSM that is my dedicated elk rifle.

Your 30-06 EW came with a 22" barrel. I'd keep it as is for anything on the lighter side of the spectrum you mentioned. It is close to perfect for your intended uses. Might consider a McM Edge to subtract a few ounces but that is purely subjective. I sold my McM Edge and put my M70 FW in one of the EW B&C stocks. They fit me well.

If you want a bigger rifle, I'd not go a lightweight 375 anything. I'd decide a simple question - what level of power do I need for my intended target? Contrary to popular internet lore, a 375 does recoil significantly. It may be a little less sharp than a faster manglem but it does recoil. If you need/want a 375, I'd suggest finding one of the M70 Classic in H+H flavor or finding a Ruger Hawkeye in 375R in a stainless gun.

On the other hand, a properly built and fed 35 Wh/9.3x62 hurling a 250-286 grain bewlit isn't too far behind the 375 in raw power but is much more friendly on the shoulder. I have both Hawkeyes - 35 Wh and 375 R - and have shot them side-side. 35 wh wins by alot. In fact my whelen has a 22" barrel vs the 24" on my 375. The 35 weighs 1 lb less than the 375 as well.

I really like my whelen. It will be going to PA with me this year for PA black bears. We are seeing a few on the trail cams. I suspect the 250 Partition will make an lasting impression <G>

I've been carrying a Ruger American Predator 243 as of late. Even with the mid weight barrel profile it is still lighter than my other wood stocked rifles. Extremely accurate. Ive been shooting Nosler solid base 100gr over Varget or 4064 and everything shot has died rather quickly.

+1, save your money and apply it to hunting trips.

Good advice.

+1

Best advice given so far in my opinion......

I don't have a ton of rifles at my disposal however I do have a Kimber Montana .308 and a Tikka 30-06. The Tikka, I have had for years and have it dialed. I'm still getting comfortable with the Kimber, but I like it and it's 25 ounces lighter scoped and more fun to shoot at the range. For me, they will do anything I need in North America at ranges that are reasonable. Get a good one for backpacking and spend your time hunting as much as you can.

The reality is you have the cartridge that can fill all your hunting needs, even for brown bear. If you want smaller, consider .308 or 7-08 just "because". The Talkeetna is a great rifle, well setup for it duties. At 7# 12oz is handles recoil very well. However I'd seriously consider the Montana .338WM instead as it has more versatility with its bullet weight choices.
Also I agree with those who already said to evaluate your other equipment and save your money for tags, guides and airline tickets.
Good luck with your decisions.

My advice as well. As much as I LOVE my EW in 300WSM, my Kimber Montana in .308 is just a joy to carry! It shoots plenty accurate if I do my part. My 06 Ti sits idol these days.

I a gun slut. I have several safes full of different rifles and I never sell anything. A lot of folks on here will buy one good rifle and then go fill the ark. That is fine if you live in an environment where you can go down to the local cabelas, scheels or Whitakers and pick up a very good backpacking rifle off of the rack, find a great scope with good bases and rings and then go hunt. You can borrow the guide's rifle if it breaks.

However, if you are really moving to Alaska for good. Or you really want to be set up for Alaska then you need to have a redundant option. This is a close to exact copy of your preferred weapon. It sounds like you like your EW 06. Then get one exactly like it. Have it set up exactly like it. Have two handloads and two factory options that you like exactly.

In Alaska, sometimes there will be powder shortages, ammo shortages, and other things that force you to get really knowledgable about your particular outfit. You will never tell when one scope or gun goes tits up. Thats when you need to be completely at home with your rifle and have a back up.

Presently, I live in the great city of Fairbanks. I could get by with one rifle and one scope and hunt the state with great effect. IF it broke down I could get another one quickly. However, most of my life I have lived in rural Alaska. In that situation, you need two rifles that are close to the same boiler plate . One that is ready for action and one that is also ready for action but ready to go.

Sincerely,
Thomas

If you want lightweight and quality the Kimber Montana is the absolute, hands down, best bang for the buck.

They're not unlike other rifles though. They need bedding and float, etc. Mine is a .308. That will change next year because I like to shoot a lot and the .308 in that weight rifle wears you down pretty quick at the range.