I know I'm supposed to be finished buying guns but I'm going to retire in a couple of years and I deserve a present.
Since I'll have lots of time to hunt, I want to do a lot more still hunting. What I think I am going to NEED is a rifle that will hit deer hard, be easy to carry all day and handy to bring into action (quietly). I have a 308 Win and love the cartridge. It's got a lot going for it but it's in a Winchester Compact Classic. Works great but the 3 position safety is just to loud when I click the safety off.
I looked at a Model 7 but don't like the J-lock; it looks stupid and I think another poster said it right when he said life's too short to hunt with an ugly gun.
I like the original Ruger with the tang safety, it's quiet, the tang safety works the same way as my 20ga grouse getter and a walnut stock appeals to me. I could try and find a used 308 then bob the barrel off to about 20 inches and top it with a VX-II 1 to 4x or something like that.
If it doesn't shoot, I'll get a decent aftermarket barrel like a Douglas or Shilen. If the stock is too chewed up, I would put a laminate on. The profile I favor the most is something along the lines of the Remington Classic or old (non-DM) Remington Mountain Rifle.
There must be better ideas out there. This could be my last one (so I tell the boss) so I'd like to get this right. I just got a 338-06 not long ago to do the same thing but it's just not right. I don't really want a new gun but in my mind, to still hunt any better, I really need one ;-)
Out of the box with a trigger tuning and Federal Classic 150s it's about a 1.5MOA shooter. I think I can do better with handloads but I haven't used it much because the safety is so loud moving from fully back to fully forward.
I had a hard time learning to keep my thumb along the right side of the safety to keep from banging it against my nose when it went off with that 12 inch LOP. I got that idea from a Jeff Cooper book about his experience with the short stocked Springfield.
Well, when I got my wife to get me a Browning Low Wall in .260, I kinda had it in mind as a "stalking rifle". I think it would also work well for you as a still hunting rifle. Moving from 1/4 cock to cocked is pretty quite. You can find them every now and then on GunsAmerica. Might check Gunbroker, too. And...... Life is too short to hunt with an ugly gun. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
John
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Boreas, You might see if you can find an old model 77 ultralight with the tang safety. Light as a feather and fairly accurate to boot. The barrel is already 20", so no bobbing required. My buddy has one in 30-06 and that's all he uses. Good luck. Greg
The J-Lock is dumb....no question. But it's easy and cheap to get rid of. If that's the only thing stopping you from getting a remmy, then look at the M-7 Laminated stock 20" bbl. and available in 308, 7-08. If you like (or at least don't mind) the look of stainless, then look at the M-700 Mtn Rifle LSS. Laminated S/S. It doesn't come in 308 (seems odd to me.....?) but it does come in 7-08 or 260. You already have a 308, so why not get something different.
FWIW...I don't like the straight objective scopes much. A nice 4x33 w/heavy duplex would be a good fit for you.
Boreas- I too prefer a tang safety, especially when the shots are short. I have a Browning Micro Hunter in .308 that's everything I've looked for in a still-hunting rifle. It has a shorter than standard LOP but I like that when bundled against the cold and I usually have a pack on so there's a shoulder strap taking up space too. It also has a tang safety and a 20" barrel. I put a VX-II 2-7 shotgun scope on it and voila, my idea of a perfect still-hunting gun for deer.
I think a savage 99 in 308, 300 or 358 if you can find one would suit the bill. Either the tang or lever safety are quick and quiet. Plenty of power and they just carry better than most bolt guns in my opinion.: More like a shotgun. Good shooting, Weagle
Sharps fan myself. Have never saw one that heard that hammer getting cocked back yet. Been in real close to them. Now I had a doe at 80yds. last season look my way before she died, but it wasn't from hearing the hammer cock or winding me, just one of those things. Plenty of umph with these old cartridges. Course you gotta shoot them alot to know your site settings for way out there, but you'd really enjoy it. I'm just not a supermag fan as so many are these days. And how many of them can go out and run 50-100rds. through them at a sitting, not many. My brother-in-law shoots a .264 winmag that cuts out more bloodshot meat than I ever have. Just my input.
If not, then a Savage 99F (featherweight) with the lever safety, in .300 Savage fits the role nicely, and with class. I would much prefer a receiver sight on this rig for still hunting, but I suppose a scope would be acceptable, too, if just barely. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Another levergun that is a favorite still hunting companion of mine is a 336 Marlin carbine in .35 Remington with (naturally) a receiver sight. There's nothing quieter than a hammer gun, handled properly, and this is a little more compact than the Savage. Good stopper, if you don't need a lot of range.
In a bolt action, I think the old Ruger M77 International carbine with tang safety in .308 is another good choice. I have one (with a receiver sight from New England Custom Guns) that I am quite fond of. All 3 of these guns are a pleasure to carry, which just adds that much more to the hunt.
As they say, life is too short to still hunt with a heavy, awkward sumbitch. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Remington M760 or 7600 in rifle or carbine configuration. I have a M760 in 30-06 that is the shortest overall length rifle in my safe even though it has the standard 22" barrel. Shoulders, points, swings like a light bird gun and is plenty accurate. I have had several three shot groups under and inch with my handloads.
Karma and Trouble have busses, and there's always an empty seat.
I read another post just the other day about using the next smaller size ball used as a dentent lock for the safety to make it quiet. A shorter or weaker spring could make that M70 safety quiet. I'll second High Brass' suggestion and say a Rem. 760/7600 makes a great still hunting rifle. They mount & handle fast.
The Karma bus always has an empty seat when it comes around.- High Brass
There's battle lines being drawn Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
I see only one person here mentioned a lever action. How about a Guide Gun?
Now that I've said that, I spend probably 70-80% of my hunting time still hunting. I like a short barrel that is relatively thick, my T/C Encore in .250 Sav or .350 Rem Mag with 16 1/4" and 20" barrels respectively in Fox Ridges' Heavy Taper contour they measure around .850 or so at the muzzle. That short barrel doesn't get hung up but it swings well. That is the important part. This rifle you put together should mount and swing like a good, no, great shotgun. Sean
The attachment is a not so great picture of my Encore. I really should take another w/ a yardstick as a reference but the barrel on the frame is the .350 Rem Mag. Sean
"You shouldn't say it is not good. You should say you do not like it; and then, you know, you're perfectly safe." James Whistler
I'm with you. I had a Mod 7, 7mm/08 and traded it in on a new Rem 7600 '06. I kept the scope though. An Elite 3200 2x7 for the new pump. Mine has a 22" barrel and it comes to shoulder like my 870 bird gun. I just love it. The safety IMHO is in the perfect spot.
You mentioned that this may be your last one, and you have others to use, so let's get this one perfect! Take your time to get the components you really want. A still hunting rifle should have the same fine characteristics as a grouse gun.
The choice of action is up to you. I've tried the lever and pump gun routes, but always came back to my beloved bolt actions when it really mattered. Pick the action that you like the best and find a used one if new models are no longer made.
I would suggest the lightest caliber you feel comfortable with so that follow up shots can be made quickly. Recoil has a way of slowing down re-alignment onto the target and you are talking deer - relatively easy to dispatch.
18" barrels seem too short to me. The muzzle blast is severe and balance never seems to be right. 20" barrels seem to give the best compromise in "shortness" while maintaining some balance. A factory tube could be easily shortened to whatever length you like best.
Now, the good part! Forget the cookie cutter stocks! Have a wood stock made up to FIT YOU and the style of shooting you anticipate. Remember the comparison to the grouse gun? I've never seen a Remchester bolt action with stock lines like an AYA double 16 gauge <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />! Have your stock made up with a more open grip and have the entire rifle balanced.
My perfect still hunting rifle would probably be a Mexican Mauser action with a #3 countour barrel 20" long chambered for either the 6.5x57 or 7x57 sitting in a French Walnut stock. (Hmm.... Maybe I should build one!)
One thing about weight. I do most of my deer hunting by still hunting. Usually heading out at first light and returning in the dark. I've carried all types of rifles and came to one conclusion: At the end of the day my arms are tired whether I carried a 9 pound rifle or a 6 pound rifle! What matters to me the most is how the gun mounts and balances.
What I think I am going to NEED is a rifle that will hit deer hard, be easy to carry all day and handy to bring into action (quietly).
You just described a Marlin 1895 Guide Gun in either 444, 45-70, or 450. The Guide Gun has an 18.5" barrel, weighs about 7lbs, and hits like a freight train. Although it isn't as flat a shooter as your .308, it will easily reach 200yds...which is plenty for still hunting.
Carrying the guide gun is far more enjoyable than my Rem. 7600 in .35 Whelen. It points very quickly, and the balance is perfect.
Big power in a light, well balanced package. You can't go wrong with the Marlin 1895G.
My vote would go to one of the Ruger No.1 RSI's. It's got the tang safety, very well balanced, and chambered for 7x57 (my favorite) or 30-06 it has plenty of oompf. An additional advantage is that they are only about 36" long and weigh around 7lbs. Top it with a 1.5-5x Leupy and you are all set.