Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Lightweight stalking woods rifle optimal caliber help

Can't believe what I'm thinking...................

so I won't say it.

You'll need "turrents" with a 44 !!

I picked up one of the Ruger American Ranch rifles, chambered in 300 Blackout. So far I have found it reasonably accurate, and the cartridge easy to load for.

It is a fairly light little carbine, but I haven't put it on a scale yet. Not sure if it would make your 6 pound weight limit.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

I always sort of Liked the model 70 lightweight carbines from a few years ago. If you could find one of those in 308 s/b a good choice.imho if you like the look a ruger 77 RSI would be a good choice.

you must be talking about the 250 Savage

If big game including black bear are fair game I use my M600 with a 2.5x Weaver in .308W most of the time. If deer are as big as I'm going I use whatever strikes me that day. Often it's a .257R or .223.

"Select one that will be enough gun and not some tiny round designed to wound the enemy."

I like my statement above. I may add it to my signature.

Well since you asked... I also bought a Montana in 7-08 and carry what seems to be appropriate at the given time/season.

+1 for the 94 30-30 with peep sights.

I could swear you were describing the rifle bea175 posted a picture of, even before I came across it. Alot of good suggestions here. Though I can make quick follow-ups with a bolt gun, I prefer the handling of a lever gun for running/follow-up shots. To each his own. I hope you find the rifle that best fits you and your style of hunting. That's where fun is found

Happy Hunting!

After you go round-n-round on this for a couple more years, you'll end up buying a lightweight AR loaded with stout bullets, and wonder what you were doing in the meantime.

Yes ignorance would be your sig line.

TexasRick said:

"Too bad that the "perfect" gun/action for this project is no longer made and quite expensive if you can locate one. The Savage Model 20 in .300 Savage was made to order for your requirements."

For many years my walkabout rifle was a Model 20 in 250 Savage. Slim and light at just under 6 lbs. The original ultra-light bolt action hunting rifle. Mine is a first year rifle. The early ones, 1920-24 are better than the later ones, 1925-29, to me.

They are awkward to scope, because of the split rear receiver, but I put a scout scope on mine with good results, and I can carry it with one hand around the receiver.

The closest modern equivalent, which I also have, is the Kimber in 257 Robts. Mine is a Montana. I would use 75 gr. VMax for varmints and 110 AccuBonds for black bears or large deer.

If I was to come across a used 84M at a good price I would like to re-barrel it to 250 Savage because it is just such a delightful cartridge to work with, from the loading bench to the target range, to the hunting field.

Other contenders could be a Ruger compact in 6.8 or a Marlin TK .30-30, the handiest gun ever built on a 336 action.

Rifles to do this stuff have existed for about a billion years. We trying to reinvent the wheel here?

I'd like my wheels with flutes and the tires cerakoted graphite black!

For somewhat similar uses, here in BC, I have two custom rifles.

1. Rem. Seven STS, action slabbed, trued, "blitz spring", rebuilt factory trigger, Ti bolt handle welded on, Gaillard 22" light bbl. Micky Edge stock, currently Talley QD-SLs holding a Leupy VX2-2x7..about 6-4 all up. VERY nice to pack in steep country and shoots very small groups in 7/08.

2. Classic Mod. 70 STS-short, trued, slabbed, tuned, factory 22 Fwt tube, Micky Edge fwt., Talleys as above, Leupy VariXIII short 1.75x6HD...about 6-12 and nice to carry/shoot.

I do not notice "kick" from these and they will drop any BC game with good placement of a good bullet.

I see these as being my most used rifles as I get older and so prefer the larger cartridge choices.

Can't say I've ever seen a Model 20 in .300Savage. However, I did have this one put together with the same thought. Kimber Montana in the .300Savage. I can tell you it is a light and quick carry. Have wanted to break it in on a Buck, but so far only Does have given opportunity.

Top picks IMO are the Savage 99 in 300 Savage, or a semi-auto in 308 Win. A Savage 99 would be my only choice in a levergun if 300 yard shots are on the menu. Have tried various Browning leverguns and been dissatisfied due hard cycling due to lack of primary extraction. A good semi-auto in 308 is a fine choice but I don't have the trigger discipline. It's too easy to just keep grabbing the trigger and spraying bullets everywhere but where they need to go. Some guys might not have that problem, but I have seen it too often and experienced it. A good pump gun like a Remmy 760 in one of the '06-based rounds would work fine I suppose, but as a rule I don't like pump guns (even though I have one).

Lever gun's hard to beat in the woods. 30-30or 35Rem are both good choices IMO.
Marlin if you like scopes or Winchester if you like irons.
My woods gun/camp carbine is a Marlin 1894 in 44Mag with Williams peep and fiber optic front blade.