Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles looking for practical/mountain rifle

I am hoping you guys can help me narrow down my choice for a hunting rifle shooting factory ammo.

I am looking to purchase a Practical/Mountain rifle. In the 6-8 lbs range I am primarily looking for a .30 cal the choices are 30-06 or 300WSM. I have a 308 tac rifle but it weighs 15 lbs and I am getting tired (read older) humping it through the bush

This will be my North American Big game rifle. From moose on down to white tail, I have no intention at this time to hunt the big bears. I will be hunting From BC to Quebec and the northern US states.

I am initially looking at Tikka but others have suggested the Winchester M70, or other options

I my put a brake on it for recoil management and follow up shots where needed.

I do not plan to reload for this rifle I already have my plate full for reloading for comps as I spend 1,000 of rounds down range in various disciplines. So factory ammo offerings are the preferred choice. If you have a favorite factory ammo choice I am all ears.

Let me know your thoughts and why you chose what you did.

Thanks
Trevor

How about a 308 in a lighter rifle?

Here's my recipie.

Take one Youth model 700 in 308, it will come with a 20" barrel that's of standard contour weight.

Add a Ti take off stock, Talley's, a 6x36 Leo w/dotz and rock on..

It's cost effective, handy and for me incredibly user friendly.

Just a thought.

Dober

Winchester Featherweight in 308 or, better yet 30/06. Scope it with a mid range 32mm objective lens variable scope of good quality and you are there. Done. Finishimo. It really is that simple. No need to overthink it or subject yourself to an ugly, soul-less rifle with a plastic stock wrapped around a sheetmetal tube push feed action.

Mark's idea is the way to go IMO...

Howver, if you realy want it easy, pick up a Tikka T3 Lite stainless in .308 or .338 Federal and mount a scope.

What Dober said.

Interesting rig. How does it shoot?

I've been around a couple set up this way and they shoot balls out (that's good right...grin).

Dober

Remington XCR-II in .30-06.

Kimber 8400 Classic in .300 WSM or 84M in .308. You may prefer the Montana, but I have to recommend the Classic, as I just can't handle the looks of anything other than a wood stock. I'd like to take a look at the 84L as well, but haven't seen one yet.

A 2.5-8x36 Leupold or something in that size/weight range in the magnification of your choice would top it off nicely. My Kimber .300 WSM wears a 2.5-16x Bushnell Elite 6500; not a lightweight scope, and it doesn't seem too top-heavy, so you can get away with a bigger scope if you so desire.

I also like the Winchester Featherweight, but the Kimber's a bit lighter.

The tikka in a 30-06 is going to be VERY tough to beat for a "practical" mountain rifle imho. It's light, accurate, and reasonably priced.

I can't like the looks of them at all, but if you don't suffer my vanity then I don't think you could do any "better" with a choice.

Dave

i prefer wood/blue, so i suggest a mod 70 featherweight in either 308 or 30-06. mount a good 4x or 3-9x40 and shoot fed premium 165gr partitions in the 308 or fed premium 180gr partitions in the 06'. one man, one rifle, one land! jones used a 700 adl in 06', but you could do the same thing with the mod 70 in 308. whatever you select, good hunting.

What I'd consider ideal might not suit you, but I'll try.
Until you get some experience hunting in the mountains, I'd suggest a standard classic sporter by a major maker that feels good to you with a basic, simple scope.
It needs, most of all, to be something you can shoot well from field positions, standing included.
Contary to the beliefs of some, it doesn't not have to be, or even is desirable to be really light, nor does it have to be chambered for some howling magnum. Nor is it a great idea to mount a fancy scope on it with three adjustment dials. I know hunters who use all of the above and use them well, but I'm of the opinion that most of us do quite well, at least until we get some real experience, with standard sporters chambered for standard cartriages and basic scopes or modest magnification.
As to chamberings, the .308 and the 30'06 have all sorts of high quality ammo that will handle your hunting chores.
After you get some time out there, you can decide what or where you want to go in this area.
BTW, alot of these standard setups are usually pretty easy to tweak for really good performance in the field. That thought can save you lots of money in the long run. E

30-06 is the easy choice.

Ruger Mark II or Hawkeye stainless synthetic
Remington 700 ADL synthetic or stainless SPS

Leupy 4x scope matte duplex
Talley Lightweights in low

Trevor,

It seems that Rem's (700 types) get suggested quite a bit on some forums. I find the design second rate. Its cheap in every way including looks. They have cheap extractors, cheap ejectors and even the locking lug section of the bolt body is brazed on!

Look at rifes that have three position safeties that control the firing pins. Such designs include the Kimber 84M and 8400's and Winchester M70's. Rugers are well made also however the safety does not control the firing pin when in the middle postion.

My current hunting scope is a 2.5x10 B&L 4200 all those other high end scopes the B&L Tac 10 and Nightforces are set up on custom guns. I shoot out to a 1,000 durin the season and compete in other disiplines that incorporate movers. I may lack mountains climbing proficencies, but as I hunt primarily Northern Ontario any destination trips can be planned ahead and the needed cardio accounted for.

the caliber choice is based on short barrels,availability and KE to drop game. MY current 308 has a 26 inch barrel so dropping 4-6 inches would lose velocity and FOR ME suggests a little bigger cartridge might be a good fit... commonality of the 30-06 or 300WSM is for far off places where in the event an airline loses my ammo I can walk into any local store and pick up some in my caliber. shooting a 270WSM or a 280 are not as common and stores may not carry them.

Rifle selection is also based on availability the TIKKA and Sako are highly promoted and they seem to be quality firearms the others less so. (this is where everyones imput is valuable). all the other bells and whistles are nice to have but not needed

There is a Sako AV in 30-06 used that I am keeping an eye on but have not committed to still gathering info.

Please keep your comments coming

Trevor


P.S
One more point as this is a hunting rifle that will see 2-4 weeks out of a year usage there would be far fewer rounds down range against my other rifles. A simple rifle that wroks well and need little maintaince is desirable. If it shoots 1moa out of the box with facotry ammo it is good to go.

................Available at Walmart????

Savage 99-yepper the QC is so much better @ Kimber...

Dober

Not everybody "takes" to the Tikkas but this stupid little T3 Lite stainless .308 with a Loopy 2.5-8 VX-III I got on sale when the VX-3's were taking over has made shopping for another rifle really tough from a "practical" standpoint. Other than visual sex appeal it does just about anything I could ask for in a light rifle at a sane price for NA hunting.

I doubt that you have any manufacturing Quality Control experience.

The Kimber design is better in most ways. That's what I described. The design.

I don't go by the design, I go by field reports, what works, what gives issues etc is what I go by....

Doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that they've had their QC challenges.

Dober