Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles My soon to be do all hunting rifle.

I currently have the left bolt gun as my hunting center fire big game rifle. Compact set up in 7mm-08. Nothing at all wrong with it except I need a different stock I think that fits me better.....and the shorter 20" barrel doesn't sit as steady for me with it being lighter and smaller. It has it's place....and I'm keeping it. I just need a different well rounded gun/caliber combination.

Compact on left in Wood Stock


Enter in my decision. 24" sporter barreled in 30-06. I love the winchesters made in SC and really prefer the safety system and control feed system. I had my mind set on a 22" Extreme Weather gun but didn't like the stock that came on that gun. I am liking the Monte Carlo stock set up to get a more consistent cheek weld for me and more consistent position for my head. Repeatability equals consistency and that equals accuracy. I didn't see the extreme weathers stock sticking around so I decided on a lower price range M70 if I was going to toss the stock. I went with the Ultimate Shadow Model.

The 30-06 decision was tossed around for months.... I want something I can shoot larger grain bullets, larger selection off the shelf than my 7mm-08 and also availability. .308 is just too similar as the 7mm08 for my purpose (hunting). The 30-06 is flatter shooting than the 308 from what I researched. Large punch and less recoil than 300 Win Mag. Less recoil than 7rem mag........and this gun holds 5 rounds of 30-06.

Scope selection will more than likely be Leupold VX3 2.5x8x36 but may go 3.5-10 x 40. Not sure.

Back to the stock. Research after research I kept coming back to one model stock. McMillan Sako Hunter styled design for the M70. Called McMillan New Hunter. Has the same stock Monte Carlo feature I like in the Browning of my father in laws.

Browning BBR on bottom in 30-06



I had to scrape and dig but that McMillan stock was what I had to try out and like they say...cry once when buying something sometimes.

I can say after installing the rifle I have zero regret with that purchase!!!







Can't wait to get the scope and rounds down range!

Rifle at this point weighs 7lbs using my bathroom scale minus my weight. Over all length it is 5" longer than my compact with shorter stock and 20" barrel.

I'll glass the rifle in before that time or after I shoot it. I'm undecided on that part at this time.

I love the Sako Hunter.

Good pick.


Travis

Very nice! I bet its a shooter. My S.C. Model 70 sure is. Do a range report once you have it finished.

I sure will! I'm nervousness about glass bedding it.

Nice. I would go FX-3 6X42mm or the VX-3 3.5-10x40mm. I could bed one good if I could do it three or eight times for practice on some old Savage or something first.

All your choices for one do it all gun/scope etc. are sound, logical choices. That one will do it all for you !



Let me know how it works for you!



I have about 6 'do-it-all' rifles now���..

Yessir, that's a solid setup.

(Where'd all these NC posts come out of the woodwork all of a sudden on this thread?)

Think we just drawn to nice rifles ha ha !

Nice! Yep a 3.5-10x40 will round that rifle out well!

It's a sickness perversion.

And I'm kinda sorta headed in a similar direction with a 30-06. Cept I caught a New Haven SS Featherweight with pretty doggone good wood for a decent price. Debating the fine points of the VX3 2.5-8 or 3.5-10 . Leupold just came out with a $80 rebate coupon for a few versions of the VX3 3.5-10 and 4.5 to whatever. That's probably going to be the tie breaker. Hijack over.

I like the extra mounting space/tube length on the 3.5-10X vs the 2.5-8 on a long action.

The tilt is tipping towards the 3.5-10 scope. Missing ingredients... Cash at the moment. A month ago I didn't have the rifle or stock so I don't mind waiting a tad more.

I am getting a win m70 black shadow blind feed mag and am thinking of getting a McMillan stock. Yours looks great.

Nice setup.

I find that I usually have my eye on yet another "last one do-it-all" rifle before I've even shot the previous one.

I agree with you I like prefer the 3.5-10 on a long action. My rifle is a 30-06 Beretta Mato with both wood and fiberglass stocks. The scope is a Burris 3-10x40 Signature Select.

Hummmmm. Looks like my Bushnell Elite 4200 will be replaced that wasn't holding zero. Might be using the new replacement one until I can purchase the Leupold.

I have a Leupold VX2 3.5-10 CDS on my Browning X-Bolt 30-06, which I really like. The addition of turret really enhances the longer-range capability of the cartridge, especially with higher-BC bullets.

The 3.5-10x40 is a very good choice. It will look and work great on that rifle..