Seems like somebody recently was talking about buying a 700 ADL youth model (20" bbl'd action) and slapping it in a Ti stock to make a sort of working-man's mtn rifle. Has anybody else done this? If so, post up some pics.

I think I may try to find one in 243 Win as coyote calling is quickly becoming my new favorite off-season hobby. Sort of a dual purpose deer/walking varminter. Here's what the blueprint would read:
-700 ADL Youth model in 243
-Ti stock (from stocky's) Olive w/ black webbing
-Talley LW rings
-VXII 2-7 (or 6x36 FXIII)
-Adjust X-mark trigger to manageable weight

If not, I could always find a Mtn. Guide in 243 or 22-250, but they're getting even harder to come by

I did one in a 308 a couple of years back and for me it was an incredibly accurate and user friendly lil rig.

Plus for me, the 20" std contour is something I prefer over the lighter mtn contour.

One in a 243 would be a dream of a yote/lope/deer rifle!

Dober

I did one in 243 AI. I'm not much on the Mtn contour either. I pick up that rifle more than any other cf I have.

Joseph

+1 on the standard contour with a light stock. I like the slightly forward balance point.

obviously "poor" has a few different meanings.
I think a poor mans mountain rifle would be a used howa carbine.

I have several of the 20" 700 ADL, matte with open sights, new take-off barrels in 243 if anybody needs 1.

Jeff

I was kinda thinking about a Marlin XS-7 or Stevens 200 for under $300.

Jeff

I'd buy the Marlin XS-7 and go huntin if on a tight budget. For a little more I'd go Tikka in an accurate lightweight rifle.

I think what you have in mind would work fine if you already have the rifle. If you have to buy the rifle, then the stock, it is starting to add up to a lot more money.

Dober,

Any idea what the weight difference is between a standard contour at 20" vs. MR at 22"...

Eric

I think Wildswalker has a .243 youth model he had punched to ai. His has performed very well from the comments I've read, although his is nestled into a McMillan and not a Ti takeoff

Remington is putting out their Gander Mtn Mountain Guide rifle again this year in stainless. I hope to score one of those in 243 - if I can ever get an answer from the Gander Mtn folks - they seem real nice but don't seem to know much when you contact them, and sorry to say I don't have a store anyplace near me so will see how it works out.
Seems that might classify as a sorta Poor mans Mtn rifle:)

Why not just buy a SS/Syn Remington Model 7 and be done with it? I absolutely LOVE my ULA in .284 Win, but it's only 6 ozs lighter than my factory M-7 in 7-08.

It's exciting to hear about the Mtn Guide guns this year. I'm with Dober on the 20" standard contour over the MR contour. I think it would handle like a dream.

I'll believe that when I hear people are finding new stock in the stores. They are not newly added to Remington's website. They have been shown on there continuously since the last special run hit the stores. What is your source of info? I hope you're right, just skeptical.

OregonMuley,

Where'd you hear about the Mountain Guides running again. I'd like to find out about chamberings and when they'd be available.

Well, I called Remington and after getting passed around from one old lady to another I was told they were supposed to be out in about a month. Then, after talking to half a dozen really friendly folks at Gander and receiving an email from them they kind of said the same thing - about a month:) So maybe in a year they will have them..grin

Or if you would just sell or trade me for yours Bluedreaux I'd be dialed in - sure I can't trade ya for a nice 223?????

If Gander gets the Mountain Guides back in, I'm getting as many as I can afford!

That's wrong man... If I traded ya, the new models wouldn't be out for at least a year I'm sure.

I dont know what to think about the GM guns...



and then just today Remington shot me this email...



From: "pahick"
Date: Fri, Jan 1, 2010 at 12:04 PM
Subject: Model 700� Mtn. SS Guide Special Run
To: [email protected]@remington.com>


Dear Sir(s),


I have noticed two changes on your website, one being the Model 700� Mtn. SS Guide Special Run. Is this a new model run for the 2010 year? Or is this item from the leftover stock of the previous run? The second item I noticed is the absence of the Alaskan Ti. Was this model discontinued for the 2010 year? Thank you for any information you can provide.

Response (Ronnie) 01/20/2010 11:11 AM
Pahick,

Good morning. The Alaskan Ti is not available at this time and will only be available through the custom shop sometime this year. The 700 Mtn SS Guide Rifle is available this year through Gander Mountain only and is in limited quantities. Thank you.



So who the [bleep] knows anymore

call gander if you really want to be confused they are very nice but are not very gun savy

I do Blue, I'll get my numbers to you tomorrow. I'm still at the office and dont' have them handy.

Love that perro!

Dober

I have been going through this exercise since Dec 2008.

7mm-08 with 140-gr bullets is the starting point.
.308 with 150-gr or 165 is good.
Short action and barrel cuts off a little weight. Handier.

If you go 22-inch barrel, a .30-06 with 165-gr is much better.
.270 Winchester with 130-gr or 140-gr BT is the flattest shooting.
.280 Remington or 7x64mm with 154 or 160-gr is ideal for me: flat shooting and the energy of a .30-06 at 300 yards.

The drawback of the 7mm-08 and the .308 is the real-world muzzle velocities from a 22-inch or 20-inch barrel often being 150 fps less than advertised test lab velocity.

1. Tikka T3 SS Lite in 7mm-08, .308, .270 Win, or .30-06. $620.00. 6.0 lbs naked. Drawback: no iron sights.

2. Remington ADL in .270, .280 Rem or .30-06 with 22-inch barrel and iron sights. Change the front blade from bead to sturdy steel post. Buy a nice one used for $400.00. Buy a used wood take-off stock, seal the inside, glass bed it, and let it get beat up. Save the nice stock. If you want moisture protection, Gunkote it yourself. 1.25-inch groups all day long are plenty good.

3. Remington SPS Camo for $475.00 new in .308, .270 or .30-06 with a 24-inch barrel. If it is too long, cut it back to 22 inches and recrown. If you want moisture protection, Gunkote it yourself.

Mount a Picatinny rail on rifles 1,2 or 3.

Add a second forend swivel stud in case you rip one out climbing.

4. Marlin XSC in .308 or XLC camo in .270 or .30-06 for $300, half the price of the T3. Comes with a Weaver rail.

SCOPES

Shots are going to be under 300 yards, so the setup for any of these is a max 3 inch rise and fall below sight plane out to 250 yards, and maybe 7 inches low at 300. All you need is a 4x or 6x scope. You aren't going to be shooting at dusk like from a deer stand 200 yards from your truck. Forget all the light-gathering blather and ballistic reticles. Weaver K4 or K6. Mount it in Warne QD rings. If you really want a variable, get a Pentax Gameseeker 3-9x40, Swift, or an EA Brown 4-12x40AO. At least take a second cheap scope in the same rings as a spare. Use the money you saved to buy a rangefinder if you aren't good at judging range. Bushnell will do. You aren't ranging 600 or 800 yard shots.

What did I buy? Tikka T3 Lite SS in .30-06 NIB for $450.00.
Then, last month I ran across a used Steyr SBS Pro Hunter stainless camo in .308 with a Swarowski 3-9x46 AV for $500.00. I am swapping out the Leupold bases and rings for Picatinny and Warne, and adding iron sights next.

If I wanted a Gander MT Mountain Rifle, I'd find the specs and just get one built.. why wait for their gears to turn.

For myself, for a light rifle, I have been wanting to put one of these together for a while.

18 inch heavy magnum contour barrel for Rigidity
stainless steel barrel.

a synthetic stock with a 12 inch pull or a youth stock length..

a 1.5 by 6 power scope or 2 x 7..

Picatinny Rail bases..

something like that chambered in a 250 Savage, 260 Rem or 7/08 chambering..

basically a lightweight with the length and handling ability of the Ruger International...but I don't want no pencil thin barrel..

If you want a carbine, consider looking for a used Steyr SBS Mountain in .260 Remington or 7mm-08.

I have an 18-inch Parkerized Mauser .308, a 20-inch Steyr M in .270, a BRNO 21-inch full stocked 7x64. They all give up too much velocity, not for trajectory, but for delivery of energy at 300 yards. Only the .270 Winchester still has the stuff. Surprisingly, the same was true for a .270 Ruger RSI.

You are right about not wanting a thin barrel, too. If you are winded, you want more weight out there when trying to aim, especially if you have no rest for the rifle.

The shorter barrels are much handier in the hands and on the back. 24-inches is too long to carry the rifle muzzle down in one hand on steep ground without risk of stuffing the muzzle into the Earth. My Mauser wears an HK G3 flashider to protect the muzzle, with the military G3 plastic cap to keep out rain and dirt. It has no scope at all, just a rugged aperture sight with 3 settings of 100, 200, and 300 meters - one click to each one. Shoots sub-MOA 5 shot groups, but only gets 2,600 fps from 150-gr ammo.

Put in a call to Grices in Clearfield, Penna.
They are supposedly the largest Remington dealer in the country. May have whatever you need.

I have had a poor man's mountain rifle for over 20 years.

I bought a Remington 7mm08 that had been punched to .284 Win.

I then bought a Brown blank and bedded the action. I had a flip flop pad glued on to save weight. I did not finish or paint it. It took 3/4 pound off the gun.

By using a regular 700, I got a heavier contour barrel for the forward weight without being too heavy. I mounted first a 4x compact and then a 2X7 compact Leupold. It weights 6.75 pounds like that.

With a sling and full of ammo, it weighs 7.25 pounds.

It sure has withstood the test of time for me. I have had to try other combos in the years between, but I should have just bought more bullets and shot the one gun.

Looks like your on the right track to Me................547.

Another possibility I thought of last night is a Remington Model 7 in 7 SAUM (discontinued). These are being sold off for $400.00. They have magnum contour 22-inch barrel, iron sights, and laminated stock. Swapping out or hollowing the stock would cut off 1 pound.

WVGuy is on the same track with his .284 Win built on a short action Remington 700. The .284 Win has the same ballistics as the .280 Rem and the 7x64mm, which is an outstanding combination of flat trajectory, downrange energy, moderate recoil, and huge selection of bullets - all in an efficient case and short rifle.

I have one of the mountain guides in 243 that my daughter uses, they are a great package. Hers does 3/4" with 85gr TSX's. Glad to hear they are making another run of them, I had a tough time finding ours. My 7mm-08 is similar to what you are contemplating. A 700 chopped off at 21" in a McMillan classic with talleys and a VX3- 2.5-8. Great handling little gun and is easily the one that see the most use for deer sized game out of my safe. I like the classic better than the Ti handle myself. Very impressed with how the 20-21" barrels handle, seems about perfect to me.

A friend is looking to build the exact gun you are describing. He just ordered the 700 youth in 243 and is ordering a Ti handle.

You may think twice when you see the sticker. Given that everything w/ a Rem label on it has steadily climbed in price over the last few years, and that Gander is notoriously high, I'd be shocked if these debut @ less than $850 retail. Just a guess, but I bet I'm close. Too high, IMO and approx $200 more than they sold for wholesale when distributors were blowing them out. They didn't exactly jump off the shelves the first go round. Seems they only gained real popularity after they were discontined and supply became scarce.

"obviously "poor" has a few different meanings.
I think a poor mans mountain rifle would be a used howa carbine."

In my case, it was a K98 sporterized, orig. barrel cut to 20", an old Fajen walnut stock shortened/lightened/slightly reshaped, Timney and a few other mods.

It is exactly what I wanted it to be: Easy to handle, fairly light and very accurate.

Given that there are now lots of used M700ADL synthetics around, many with slim 22" tubes and going for $400 or less, that sounds like a plan most could afford, with a minimum amount of mods necessary?

The specs for your rifle are 180-degrees opposite what I'd want in a mountain rifle, just further proof that what is perfect for 1 man is a non-starter for another man.

If I was going to build a mountain rifle on the cheap, I think that I'd do another faux-Ti; 700 CM action, 700 Ti stock, and 700 MR or Ti barrel in CM or SS. Although I don't really care for the geometry of the 700 Ti stock, it is the best light-weight stock for the $$. I've done 2 of them in 260 and 308. Mounted with Warne bases/rings and Sightron SII 3-9x42s they are both light and handy. I'd probably do a couple more, 22-250 and 243, if I could find stainless MR contour barrels in 223, to get the 1-12" ROT, and 243.

Jeff

There was a guy trying to sell a Steyr 7mm-08 over the holidays for $450, no takers. Probably a great rifle but....

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=475368&highlight=STEYR+7MM-08

Muzzle down not touching the ground is a must for me.

Howa 1500 is a great action, but heavy due to relatively beefy build and metal alloy trigger\floor plate assy. Picked up their SS, laminated stock offering in .270 at the store, then put it down, pretty damn heavy. Found a used 700 LSS Mt. rifle, kinda ugly, but practical.

Weatherby Vanguard, built on Howa 1500, with 24-inch barrel, is $399.00 right now. 7lbs 7oz naked and unloaded.

7 lbs 7 oz naked and unloaded while cheap it aint light...

Dober

I would just get a REM model 7 in 7mm-08 or .308 great little mountain rifle.

That it is, I had one in a 243, wish I'd of never moved it on.

Dober

I just won an auction for a synthetic matte ADL chambered for .257 Roberts. I plan to change out the bolt shroud and mount it in an LVSF stock for now. Have a VXII 2x7 waiting to mount when it arrives. I may live with the 22 inch tube and I may have an inch trimmed and a new crown put on. Haven't decided on that yet. I am definitely looking forward to wringing it out though.

I have hunted with an SPS youth in .243 that my wife claims, enough to know that it is very nearly perfect for 9/10's of the hunting I do for whitetails.

well...if you choose to rebarrel that gun keep me in the loop as i'd take the Roberts tube..

Dober

Back when those ADL synthetics were still new'n current, Grice's had several made in non-catalog chamberings, of which the 257 was but one.

Had one in my paws about 8 years ago, still ain't figured out why I didn't hobble over to the cash register and leave with it, at the time (sniff)?

When the Gander Mountain poor boy Ti's were on sale, they were tough to beat, for sure. At $600 or less, a bargain.

I've got 2 and have no complaints - they both shoot really well - much better than I expected out of the light tubes.

I could see the Ti stock/ Youth ADL working real well...I'd like the beef in the barrel. My only question might be muzzle blast with the shorter tube. I've gotten where I dislike muzzle blast more than recoil.

How is muzzle blast in the 308/7-08/243 in y'all's 20 inchers?

DJ

DJ- good point, with my 308 it was just fine for the most part but if I recall right the 130's with the ball powders I tried I noticed a bit.

Dober

I been circling around since last summer trying to zero in on the right rifle for me, and I think this may be it. If for some reason I can't get along with it, or I need something worse, I will shoot you a PM first.

Thx, am thinking you'd really be better off with a 7/08 or something like that...<g>

Dober

Much obliged, Dober. Have had a few short barrels ring my ears over the years...In fact, they're still ringing...Can y'all hear that???? Grin...

DJ

txduckman,

CAS and I built exactly what your posting about for a youth hunt contest.

I've got a 7-08 Gander special and 2 of the Cabelas mountain guides, 1 in 22-250 the other in 243 AI. While I love the guns and they shoot great, if Gander starts them out at $850 or so, I'd go Kimber Montana all the way.

But when they were $5-600 they were the best "poor mans" mountain rifle going. Of course next year they'll be even higher so this will seem like a bargain...

I was nearly positive that the 7mm/08 was going to be it. Had a Howa carbine and an SPS youth chambered that way last summer, but at the last minute they just didn't seem "right".

I think it was something to do with the .308 was better or something?

Dober, have you weighed those barrels yet?--I'm interested. I suppose I could tear down my early 90's mountain rifle to the barreled action and weigh it, but I don't have any 20 inch barreled M700's.


Casey

"The Poor Man's Mtn Rifle" (That's exactly what I call it, too)

--M700 standard contour barreled action-22 inch bbl (keeps muzzle blast more tolerable in standard cartridges, still gets that bit of extra velocity)

--M700 ADL tupperware stock. Lightened and strengthened with aluminum arrow shafts and accraglass. Flip-flop recoil pad.

--Aluminum triggerguard, or even lighter is the Remmy plastic/synthetic triggerguard.

--Leupy fixed or 2x7 variable.

--Talleys, or Weaver bases and Weaver rings, or Weaver bases and Burris Zee rings.

The flip-flop recoil pad saves about 4-5 ozs over a decellerator pad. I've removed 4+ ozes from the tupperware stock, and I know I can take that further and save more weight while making the tupperware stock even stronger.

The flip-flop recoil pad takes a bunch of weight off the rear, the standard contour bbl keeps weight up front, the rifle balances and points MUCH better.

Bought an old M700 ADL in 270 for $325 a couple years ago. Got $35 in the stock plus $25 in accraglass. $3 in the recoil pad. 9-10 hours in messing with the stock, fitting the flip flop pad, bedding the action, painting it.

Weighs the same as my early 90's M700 ADL SS Mtn rifle with the synthetic tupperware stock.


Casey