Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Compact bolt action

What make rifle and caliber would you recommend for woods hunting where shots are under 150 yards ? Compact , light weight bolt action only.

Do you hand load?

No

Tikka T3 Lite with barrel cut to 18" in a 308 Win would yield you a very light gun (sub 6# w/o scope sling ammo), with an overall length of like 38", same length as a 20" Win 94.

Or you could get a Ruger Hawkeye Compact in 7mm/08 or 308.

Stainless 700 ADL or Mountain Rifle in .308 Win shooting 165's or 180's. Chop it to 20" and let the good times roll..

LOP is to short

That suggestion was on the off chance you were a midget.

Remington Model 7 in .308 or .708. If you can find one

I liked the Ruger 77 Ultra Light in 308. 20" bll.

You might be able to find one or it's newer counterpart.

A 7-08 would be good too!

150 yards and less everything is going to work well. Savage 700 seven tikka whatever rifle you like best.

Due to factory ammo I'd go 308 too. Nothing wrong at all with 243 260 or 708 though.

Seems a Rem model 7 would fill the bill, 308 is never a bad answer, but it is made in other calibers that might be as suitable depending on just what you're hunting.
I have long thought that a mountain version of this rifle, in 300 Savage, would make a handy little package.

Model 7 was my first thought as well. I was leaning more toward 243 or 7-08 for recoil reason on a light rifle.

I have a 700 in a Boyds lami stock w/ a Buckmaster scope that comes in just shy of #8 1/2. Want to lighten up a bit.

The inexpensive approach would be to buy a Marlin XS7 in 308 and have the barrel shortened from 22" to whatever length moves you.

My XS7 "carbine" in 308 has a 20" barrel, is a handy size, reasonable in weight, and reasonably accurate with Federal 150 grain factory loads. With an old Redfield Tracker 2-7x32 installed via factory Weaver-style bases and B-Square Sport Utility low rings. I got the idea from member "DMSbandit" and am planning to give it as a Christmas gift to a friend in New Hampshire who keeps an eye on the land we still own there, but never make an effort to visit.

Jeff

If it fits your budget, Kimber Montana in either .243, 7-08 or .308.

That said, the Kimber in .243 works great for me.

Terry, I like my 243 a lot also. Never had an issue with that cartridge in the woods.

Two great choices that haven't been mentioned:

Browning X-Bolt Micro Hunter

Winchester Model 70 Featherweight Compact

.........Tnhunter........Have a bedded and floated Ruger Frontier compact. I`m 6'3" 227 lbs. So all I did to compensate for the shorter LOP was to buy a Limbsaver slip on recoil pad. From a 12.5" LOP to a 13.5" LOP in just 3 to 5 seconds as needed.

When wearing the thicker clothing I remove the recoil pad. A 12.5" LOP isn`t bad at all when wearing the thick stuff. And a LOP of 12.5" will be less likely get caught up on your outerwear when shouldering the rifle.

At 35.5" OAL w/o a recoil pad, the little Ruger compacts are great all day carriers, fast, great handling, very handy and are ideal in tighter quarters stand hunting.

The older versioned Ruger Frontier compacts may still be able to be found new in the 223, 243, 260, 7/08, 308, 338 Fed, 358 Win.

The new Ruger compacts IIRC are available in the 223? 243, 260, 7/08 and 308.

For your use, any one of those cartridges would work very well.

Like this'un?

Hi Big, I've shouldered the ruger compact, it's just doesn't feel right mainly due to the short LOP. 13 3/4 is the LOP that seems to fit me best.

Darn you Huntsman...so freaking jealous.

Awesome looking weapon. Great caliber.