Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Sheep rifle build questions?

Is it worth the extra weight for Talley Quick Detachable Scope Rings and a spare scope? How about alluminum bottom metal?

It depends on how much you weigh, how good'a shape you're in and how much extra stuff you want to bring. An couple extra Mtn house meals or a jar of peanut butter would make up most of that difference and probably find a more welcome reception. I think an extra scope and detachable mounts is superfluous for all but maybe Africa. Just my opinion.

I like ADL. Put a proven scope on it and forget about it, IMO.

But.. Since your guide is probably going to be hauling out meat for you, bring whatever floats your boat, as weight isn't going to be as big as an issue for the guy who has to bring out everything he packs in, plus meat/cape/horns.

My first sheep rifle had QR rings and I had a spare scope in the pack. After a couple of days the spare scope stayed in camp; too much extra weight to carry.

Building a sheep rifle today I would go with S&K low rings which aren't much heavier than Talley LW's, and a fixed power scope. Probably a 6X42 Leupold.

Edited to add: The extra pound doesn't sound like much, and by itself it's not. But you are carrying a spotting scope and tripod, pack, water, food, probably shelter, first aid kit, etc., etc, etc. The pound does make a difference.

I would prefer an extra scope and mounts, but Mr. Forbes doesn't offer a detachable system. If he did I would have had one on a recent Goat hunt. Calvin is right about the guide doing the extra hard humping, so if it gives you peace of mind go for it. There are many places you can find to make up the weight difference if it is a personal issue.

That being said I took a hard fall on a slippery stream rock and cracked a knuckle right smartly. The Leupold 2.5-8 also took a significant hit. When I arrived home I shot it again and it was spot on, if you count a .5in difference being spot on. It handled things better than the knuckle.

Now if the scope had obviously gone belly-up there was always the guides rifle back at camp that we could have gone back to retrieve and use. A Ruger .338WM that seemed to go around 9+lbs. The choice is yours and you will be kicking yourself in the azz if things don't go as planned. Just some negative thoughts.

Examples of where weight may be saved if necessary.

You don't need a spoting scope the guide will have one.

You don't need a GPS the guide knows where you are and how to get back.

You can save a few ounces by choosing a fixed scope over a variable with a big objective.

HH rain gear will weigh less and do a better job than some wet Goretex apparel and you probably will actually carry more clothes than you actually end up using or need.

From what I've heard Sheep are not that hard to kill. Choose your rifle accordingly.

I'm sure there are other options.

If you are gonna pay the 10K or more, that it takes to do a sheep hunt in AK for a nonresident, I suppose an extra few ounces or 1 lb won't hurt. But, I typically don't add that extra weight and insurance when I go on a sheep hunt. I'd rather use a good rifle, good mounts and a good scope, and I'm confident with it. But then again, I can go next year, too...

On the hunts I usually subject myself to, I'd rather pack a pound of more food or shelter than optics.

I agree with DPhillips.You'll use the extra pound of food more than you'll use the extra glass.

I used to think I needed backup sights but don't anymore. Always had iron sights not an extra scope. Even if going on a solo sheep hunt I wouldn't bring a extra scope today and solo is when the weight is most important. I normally hunt with a partner and figure if one of us has a problem there is always another rifle. I would assume a guide would have some sort of backup even it was in camp until needed.

My current mountain rifle has a fixed 6 in steel mounts.

One thing I don't worry about is the weight of the mounts & rings. I also think it's pointless to take an extra scope. When we hunt open country, our rifles are strapped across the top of our packboards with QR straps. We do keep the magazine loaded but not the chamber. This leaves our hands free to use our walking sticks. I can guarendarntee you that I can throw off my packboard and get to my rifle in a very short time. The only time I carry my rifle in my hands is if I'm making a stalk.
Taking an extra scopeonly adds weight and bulk to your pack and if you do put it on how do you KNOW your rifle will be on?
The concerns you raise are, to me not worth worrying about. Better to worry about being in shape and obtaining the QUALITY gear you should have.
Bear in Fairbanks

Thanks Bear I do not have iron sights and was thinking a sighted in backup scope would be a good idea if I fell or broke my scope. Would you recomend the Talley lightweights mounts?

All good points and my personal reality is that I have yet to bust up a scope. However, this is how I have confidence in knowing my rifle and spare scope should be on closer than one that became trashed or went belly-up at the wrong time and I'm willing to find a way to include it if possible.

As I mentioned, I don't worry about the weight of my scope, or mounts & bases. I just don't believe that a guy can notice a few ounces on something like that. All of my hunting scopes, mounts & bases are Leupold and I've never had a problem with them. I have no opinion one way or the other regarding Talley's and lottsa guys use them very succesfully. If it works, that's great.
Most of my comments are geared towards sheep hunting and my concern about weight centers around food, clothing, etc. In fact, we've now gone to siwashing on top of mountains with no sleeping bag and eating pemmican, Clif bars and heating instant soup on our pellet stoves. The one thing I will not compromise on is the accuracy of my rifle and have/would continue using my pre-64 .270 Win. in an H-S Precision stock that comes in about 8 + lbs.
Hope this helps some & good luck. I'd use the Talley's if I wanted.
Bear in Fairbanks

if it was a deer hunt that would not bother me. if i spent 10k on a once in a lifetime hunt and was sighting down the barrel at 150 yards cause my stupid ass went down a slide and broke my scope it would... if it makes you sleep better by all means.. it would be the only thing that would likely keep you from hunting with your gun...

FWIW

woofer

EDM-I went through the exact thing in '09. I'm going to give you some good advice on saving weight.

Get a Frontier Gear (Barney's) backpack, and take whatever luxuries you think you need. That pack distibutes and carrys weight so efficiently, that a pound here or there isn't going to make an ounce of difference.

I built a special 6-1/2# lightweight rifle to save a pound and a half, when my 8# custom .308 would have felt the same hanging on my Barney's, and wouldn't have slowed me down a bit.

Get A Barney's, train with weight in it, and bring the items that you feel are important to you.

First of all, I was always in shape when I hunted the high country and made it my given job duty to be in shape for that hunt in the rockies. I started 90 days before then hunt with a workout routine, not like I was going to play a round of golf in the flatland.

I carried 2 rifles back in those days. One being a Belgium Browning in .300 Win mag Safari grade and anyone who ever saw or shouldered one knew they were not light. Also usd a model 70 .375-H&H for elk several years and it was even heavier.

I take that extra scope anyday and won't miss that can of extra pork n beans. Sheep hunting now days is much more expensive and to go home or turn back because of a slip or two on shale rock is crazy. You take that extra scope!

A 24 inch pencil barrel, featherweight model 70 in .270 cal or .308 Win. nice light weight glass stock. Leupold 2 x 7 power and your ready for the ram on top the mountain.

You mean a Rifles Inc is not a requirement?

Having carried a Ruger 77V on a sheep hunt... and killed a sheep with it... I can absolutely state you have not a clue what sheep hunting is about. Do it once with an overweight rifle and you will not have to say silly things again.

A 70 lightweight is a perfect example of what a sheep rifle should not be. A pencil barrel on an action with all the weight left in it puts all the weight where it does no good and does nothing to improve handling.

Sheep are not in dark timber where big optics are needed and usually they are not where the fall is likely to be that big of a deal. They are not goats... A simple 4x is plenty.

Someone asked about aluminum bottom metal... Why should there be any other than a trigger guard? There is absolutely no need to unload in a hurry on a sheep hunt, ever.

I am building a Model 700 Ti .270 and hope to go after goats as well as sheep. I am looking for ideas and help from experenced people. Is bottom metal a bad idea? It is only 2.5 oz.

I've been on a few of these hunts and here are my thoughts fwiw.
An extra scope gives you peace of mind - not that you are going to take any crazy chances. But I don't want to carry it with me all the time. If there is a "base camp", I will keep a 4X Leupie stashed there with a small tool to switch it out. That scope has been pre-sighted to be "close". In the event of a damaged scope I would have to remove the cap screws and replace. Sighting in is required obviously. One step up would be QD rings pre-set with the 4X scope in camp.

The other option if you are going to be carrying camp on your back is to use: scope covers and a neoprene stretchy cover over that. Someone to cushion the scope. Don't worry about getting quick access to the scope. Sheep/Goat hunting is mostly NOT that kind of action. Besides, if the stalk shows promise, than remove any extra layer of protection. In this case I have NO spare scope available.

Lastly, I use an Eberlestock backpack. This pack has a built in rifle sheath where it is protected from the elements and allows hands free climbing/hiking.

If you don't know what the hunt logistics are, than its your call. You can always leave the spare behind but you will never be able to get one air dropped.

My sheep rifle (and the one I use most often for just about everything else), is a Win70 Fwt .308, ss, with a McMillan stock and Leupold QR mounts. Both scopes are 2-7x. When hunting sheep, I'll take the extra scope along but I usually leave it at camp, as the odds of wrecking the scope are pretty low, and if I need it I can get it and only sacrifice a half-day of hunting. I've never had an accident with it.

Once, on another 308, I slipped and dropped the rifle on a large rock - right on the scope tube (an old Weaver K3). That's my only accident with a scope, and I did have to sight it in again.

Actually, the main use I have for two scopes is that each one is sighted in for a different bullet: one for a sleek 150-gr and one for a stouter 180-gr.

I remember that Stick, a month ago, had nothing but disdain for QR mounts, but I guess I don't see the disadvantage. Mine work great, they maintain their zero when they're removed and replaced, and they do seem to tighten up with use, rather than loosen up.