Without dropping a boatload of cash on a custom rifle, what factory rifles would make a decent weighted mountain rifle for Mtn goats? thanks!

Used Weatherby Ultralight!

See my post in Big Game rifles forum.

See my post in Big Game rifles forum...

What do you call a boatload of cash? A Kimber is just over $1000 and a lot less than most customs. That would be my 1st choice. My 308 is still under 6 lbs with a Leupold 2.5-8X36 on it.

Remington Mt rifle is an option. I like the Winchester Fwt, but it is not that light in a factory stock. It, or most any of the common bolt guns can come in between 7-7.5 lbs scoped if you put them in an Edge.

If you can live with some of the lesser priced budget guns consider these

Tikka T-3, can be right at 7 lbs ready to hunt.

Any of the Savage rifles with a blind magazine are just over 6 lbs. Same with the Marlin XL-7 Even the Ruger American is just over 6 lbs.

Tikka T3 Lite w/ a compact scope. Mine wears a 2.5-10x24 Nightforce.



It gets carried in typical goat country:



this one is in .308. The barrel has been trimmed back to an even 20"s

Bob, your post is under reloading

Forbes 24 B

Kimber Montana at ~$1000, or Forbes 24 B at ~$1500.

donsm70

Ruger Ultralight, Rem M7, Ruger American is pretty light too.

My T3 fluted barrel super lite is listed at 5.8 lbs, not bad for a gun I paid $550 for new and shoots 1" groups at 200 yards.

With it a VX-2 2-7x33mm CDS and talleys it is under 7 lbs. ready to hunt.

Kimber Montana or Forbes rifle if you can stand the grip (When I held one I found it to be really, really uncomfortable).

Big fan of the Kimber Montana. I have one in 300WSM and with A Leupold 2.5-8x36 in Talley LW it is 7lbs.

Savage Lightweight Hunter

This gets my vote.

Look for a remington mountain rifle, old style with floorplate, get a used TI stock, open up for floorplate, bed in TI stock, work up a load and go hunting.

Or go buy the Kimber or Forbes rifler.

My vote is for the Tikka T3 in one of the .308 case variants. I had one in 300 WSM and wished I had got it in 7-08 260

Which rifle are you referring to?

I have a couple of Montanas and a couple of NULAs, and really like them. I have not handled a Forbes, but thought the stocks were similar to NULAs.

donsm70

I was referring to the Forbes. Similar stock to the NULA. Really closed chunky grip for me. Others obviously like them, and I wish I could like them, as I like the concept..... but I much prefer the Kimber.

I think a FWT M-70 in an Echols Legend would be great.

Check out the open grip on the Legend.

DF

That's interesting. I really like a closed grip (smaller hands). I may really like the Forbes. Although, my Kimber Montana fits like a glove so who knows.

Remington is making this very same rifle right now and would be a good choice.

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire/model-700/model-700-mountain-ss.aspx

Sauer 202 lightweight. If they would lose the Tupperware stock, it would help. But its a light rifle still.

Jordan

Weatherby Ultra Light Weight

I dropped one of these in a McMillan KS Edge. AWESOME.

I wouldn't go too little and too light. You might be shooting some long distances in high winds.

Funny thing about mountain goats....there are plenty that get shot every year with archery equipment.

Certainly worth being prepared for a decently long shot, though there's a good chance you'll be able to get fairly close. Use gear that you can pack into goat country that won't leave you too worn out to make it back out.

Learn to shoot in the wind, learn to shoot at angles. Learn about diurnals and thermals. Don't worry about the sniper crap.

Most importantly is to be in good enough shape physically and mentally that you don't lay down and die half way up the mountain. Even if good shape, you may lay down and try to die a few times; as long as you get back up you're good.

prairie goat;
I trust that this finds you well sir, thanks for the chuckle in your post - it brought back some vivid memories for me.

The chuckle you see was one borne of experience, some of that experience being of the "memorable" kind. While we occasionally run into goats down here, I've only hunted them once in seriousness and that was on the slopes of the Grand Canyon of the Stikine.

If one cares to google the Stikine country of northern BC - we'd have been less than 100 miles from the Alaska panhandle coast I'd think - one immediately senses just how beautiful and very rugged it is.

It was almost terminally so for my partner and I. Without going into all the details of this 1987 hunt, we came back with the opinion that any mountain goat hunt one returned alive from was a successful one.

Oh, we didn't shoot a billy on that hunt and in fact I've never done that to this day. We could have shot one though, likely a B&C one at that, but we could not for the life of us figure out how to retrieve him and not die. In retrospect it was lucky that we spotted this billy a few days into our hunt and we'd already done enough "learning" about our surroundings that we simply waved goodbye to him and went on our way.

Thanks again for the perspective sir and for the fond memories. All the best to you this weekend too.

Regards,
Dwayne

PS;
The billy was laying on a sand bar across something that looked like this.

Dwayne,

Sounds like quite the hunt! Glad everyone made it out alive. I bet that is some nasty country.

I really enjoy above timberline hunting, for the simple fact that while us humans are up there, we are on borrowed time. Guests in mountain goat country.

Hope you have a great weekend as well, it's been raining here for about 4 days (Over 6 inches of rain, about half of our yearly average). Finally clearing up so I think I will head out and see how much of the countryside washed away!

Billy

prairie goat;
Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it.

We're lucky in that we've kicked around a bit here in BC on some nice hunts.

It does give one a little perspective however when subjects like "mountain rifles" comes up.

There's mountains and then again there can be "mountains"

All the best to you sir and again thanks for the reply.

Regards,
Dwayne

Thanks for all the advice, I bought a New Kimber Montana 8400 300WSM Not many forbes rifles around. I'll keep the 2 scenderio's for showing off at the range. Thanks again. jeff/iowa

luv2safari,

After I bought my Forbes 270, my wife and 16 YO son cajoled me into buying him his first vehicle with my moose hunting fund money so he could drive to his first job. Therefore, I would sell you my Forbes if you want a really good lightweight rifle. It is supremely accurate, and any rifle loony in his left mind would be proud to own it. It currently wears a new Leupold VX1 3-9x 40mm scope. I can sell it with or without the glass, your call. Please PM me if interested. Thanx.

This +10

Shot my billy at 17 yds with a M700 ADL 7mm Rem Mag ,Redfield Jr base,Redfield rings and a 2.5 x8 Vari X 3 on it at 2.5x. Using my own handloads with IMR 4831 and 139 BTSP Hornady's,2nd's infact bought for $6/100 at Grand Island, Ne.. Now how much money you think you got to spend on a goat gun? Arm your self adequately and use Prairie Goat's advice religiously. GET IN SHAPE. You asked Magnum Man

Prairie Goat, BC30cal & all. Some very good advice and stories. I've heard of a few folks who left items on the mountain after shooting goats, just because they didn't have enough steam or fortitude to make anther trip up and down.

I've most certainly seen goats that were shootable, but would not been retrievable. We went after one goat and got to a pretty bad spot, it was my stalk, but I told my partner I thought I could get up the chute, but didn't think I could get back down. He decided to go for it and started a pretty good rockslide. If you've ever heard some of those boulders coming down, they should like rifle shots as they hit other boulders! I ended up talking him down backwards as he couldn't see where to put his feet.

Lots of fun!,

Bob

The Browning A-Bolt Ti is an option

Tikka plus zeiss or bump up to nightforce

spend the rest on good clean food and gym membership and/or training