Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting What is your backpack rifle?

Here is a rifle I put togethor with a Mountain or two in mind. It's chambered for the 30-06, but hasn't seen any action yet (It's sitting in acraglass in the basement right now). However, I plan to rectify that this spring. 7lbs 4oz's as she sits.

After reading Patrick Smith's Rambling Rifle, I realize I have packed around too much weight. In the future I may get a Remington Model 7 and butcher it up like Patrick Smith did to his 600's (Ramblers), or I may look at the Kimber Montana in 308. Right now I have a SS M70 in 300WSM that weighs in around 8# with scope (not terrible, but at 55 I am finally having to make some allowances for my age and old injuries from other pasat activities. Last year, I backpacked 85# of gear and water into Big Bear for 5 days. I used my heavy rifle, a CZ 550 in 6.5/wood stocked, about 8.5# total. Surprisingly enuf, I didn't get a hernia, I did get a 3X3 though (this is actually a real prize in the S CA mountains).

Hogjaws is Me Name, Eatin is Me Game!

For some reason I seem to be aquiring more and more 'light weight' rifles here lately...

I've used about 6 diffrent rifles on backpacking trips but have found my favorite one to be my 700 Mountain rifle in 280 rem with a 4-12x40 Leupy she weighs in all dressed and ready for hunting around 7.5 pounds.

My 'heavy' fly weight is a German made 98 mauser in 35Brown/Whelen that has been lightened up quite a bit and it wears a 2-7x28 Luepy and weighs in around 6.75 pounds...

I also have a Ruger 270 ultra light weight that wears a M8-x4 leupold and she tops out at about 7 pounds. For some reason I decided I needed another one the other day and she'll be here in a few weeks...

For chistmas my kind wife got me a 338-06 in a pre-64 action with a shilen barrle, the countour pretty much mirrors a standard feather weight M70, once I get a new stock for her I figure she'll top out around 7.75 pounds weareing a Leupy 3-9x40.

My favorite backpacking weapon is my bow however... ;-)

Here is a picture of my 280 in action from a year ago in CO.

It is said that the remington 700 action is the lightest, and the most built on when building a mountain rifle,

I am not that familiar with remington myself, if the Model 7 action is lighter, why is this not a better action for a mountain rifle chambered in 7mm-08?

thanks

SOLD!

Chuck if you move this post to the Free Classified, drag mine with it, will ya!

Nice rifle man, I'd missed it before, good location for the bolt.

For 2006, my backpack gun will be my Winchester Model 70 Ultimate Shadow in a 325 WSM. The scope is a Bushnell Elite 4200 in a 2.5-10x40mm. My one backpack hunt this fall will be for Elk.

Rifle = 6 lbs, 12 oz.
Scope = 16 oz.

So, it comes in a shade under 8lbs. For a 325 WSM, I don't want it any lighter.

I'm currently putting one together that I hope will serve the backpack role well for me. It started life as a CZ 550 FS in 9.3x62. I had AHR turn a blank for me, and now I'm in the process of sliming it down to my liking, adding a recoil pad and finishing. I stuck a tritium front sight out of a CZ pistol for a backup and plan to mount a Leupold 4x in Talley QR after load development. It currently wears a leupold 6x36 in the same mounts. I'm hoping to have it come in under 8 lbs all up, but suspect it might just break 8 with the scope and rings.

mine is a tikka t3 .in a 300 short mag.with a leupold 6x42.scope on it.

Mine is a Homemade custom Rem. model 7 in 300 SAUM. It wears a Leupold 3X9X33 ultralight scope in Talley Lightweights all sitting in a pillar and glass bedded MPI mountain rifle stock. The J lock was ditched by a Gre-Tan alumn. shroud. Trigger replaced with a Timney, Bikini scope cover and Trantula sling. The bolt handle is drilled out and for now I use parachute cord to tie the sling to the studs till I can find good lightweight swivels. It has a stripped camo paint job and weighs 6.6lbs as described including the removable custom brake that it got along with it's name "Stripped Mule" after shooting it the first time.

my pack rifle is now a Kimber Montana 300 wsm with a 4.5-14 leupy. before that i ran a semi custom and severly swiss cheesed 700 in .264 WM.

I have bet the proverbial piss out of my montana and it has never faultered. Only hitch has been some peeling of the coating kimber put on it but like i said it has been worked hard. i do not really like the stock finish on it nayways so soon it will go to rickbin for some paint

Gee......................... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

(1) 338-08 (6 lb.) Rem 700 S/A w/Pac-Nor 21" in Rem Ti stock. W/Leo. 4X on Weaver bases, in Burris Zee rings.

(2) 284 Win. (5 lb. 9 oz.) Rem 700 Ti S/A lengthened to 2.950 mag box, some lightening work on action. Bansner stock, Kreiger 21" fwt. W/Leo. 6X42 in Talley UL's

(3) 6.5X284 (4 lb. 14 oz) Rem 600 with extensive machine work, fluted Shilen #1 @ 21" Extensively modified MPI stock. W/Leo. 2X7X28 on Weavers in Burris Zee rings

(4) .308 (5 lb 10 oz.) Rem 600 lapped but no other work. Rem M-7 SS take off bbl. @ 22" Bansner stock W/ Leo. 2X7X33 on Weavers, in Burris Zee rings. (In progress on this one)

JimF

Mallard,

I ordered a .308 Montana with Kimpro finish over a month ago. Finally called and they said it would be another 3-4 months because they were having problems keeping it on the barrels. Had them send the standard SS.

This will be my new backpacking rifle, shooting Barnes 168gr. TSX's over Varget @ 2775fps. My last one put them in a 3/4" group for 3 shots. Hope this one does also.

Jim, Where have you been?

Man JimF, my one rifles weighs more than two of yours!

Jim I've missed you as well.

When you refer to heavily modified MPI stock, does that mean you added popsicle sticks or drilled holes in the ones you had to lighten them? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Just kidding man, I've had one on my 7mag for 12 years or so, and it's done fine. Still that picture that floats around here cracks me up! Have often wondered if I'm toting around leftovers from the Good Humor man. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Perforated popsicle sticks........now why didn't (I) think 'o that??

Mine was the one with the carbon fiber in the barrel channel and the perforated aluminum bedding block. That pic of the MPI with the sticks must have come up first during my 8 month absence. Charley just posted it again recently and I agree, it is worth a hoot or two.

I have the summer off to fish and backpack etc. but the snow won't be gone in the high country for at least another month. I expect a horrendous skeeter season in the backcountry this year. It'll probably start getting good right about the time I go back to work in Sept.

JimF

Drool !! Very nice, Brad. E

Well, after some e-mail discussion with our buddy, Brad, I called a Canuck dealer to find that they have several of the newest, Montanas "on order" and, since my wife was reckless enough to ask me at dinner last night what I wanted for my upcoming 60th birthday, I ordered one in .300 WSM! Yup, it's all Brad's fault and my CEO even agrees that I "need" it!

I hope to find a light QD mount system and run a Swarovski 3x9AV with an old but very sound 3x9 B&L Balvar I have as a "spare". This should make a superb mountain rifle for my approaching "dotage" and my WIFE is going to pay for it!!!!!!

I'm thinkin' 180 NPs, maybe Gold Molyfrees, over H-4350 to about 2950 fps-mv, just about perfection for any animal I will ever shoot and decent Grizzly protection when backpacking meat, as well. My only problem is that the rifle will not arrive in Canada until at least Sept. and so I can't take it on my Bighorn backpack trip, but, I'll live......... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

My 'backpack rifle' is a custom Alpha 1, very slim shilen 7 RSAUM barrel 22", Brown Pounder, short forend, Conetrols, VX11 2-7. Weighs about 6#. Pretty accurate, pretty stiff recoil, pretty [bleep] feeding. Don't trust that.
The one I actually use is a Dakota M97, 24" 300 WinMag, fitted to a Brown Pounder, Burris Z's, VX111 2.5-8x. Foam pad. Weighs exactly 7#. Accurate, reliable, and less recoil.

Have been giving the Kimber much thought since they came out. Think the Montana is much better fitted than the first wood stocked I saw. The only thing I dislike about the Kimber is the bolt handle - I really hate how they made it. Oh, well nothing is ever perfect for all eyes.

I don't have a special light rifle for backpacking, and I regret it. I carry a .44 S&W 629 butI like the idea of a light rifle.
In fact, I think I will use this thread to justify the need to buy a lever-action 45-70 or something similar for my birthday in July. What do you guys think of this idea?
-P