Building/buying a back country /backpacking hunting rifle

That's pretty much where I've landed. Sold on 7mm08 or .280 and which one will likely depend on what comes up. I like the 7mm08 for the short action, though I think that's mostly moot. I like it because it is so efficient out of a shorter barrel, big plus. And factory ammo is readily available and there are hotter factory load options.

.280, I'm not sure how it does out of shorter barrel? Does a 22" barrel limit the round to where there is no difference between it and a th 08?

I know most factory .280 loads are a bit weak, only 100-150fps faster than 08 at a given weight, but you can juice it up hand loading to being quote bit hotter than 08 with the heavier bullets, so that extends the versatility once I start loading for the round.

Either way, both look good. 7mm08 gets the convenience and availability nod, .280 gets the range and versatility once handloading nod.
 
Woaaa!!! A Forbes for $1,200???

I'd jump on that bandwagon in a heartbeat!!!
Might have to sell my truck, but gotta have priorities!!!
 
Do you have a budget in mind?

I have built a couple of awesome light hunting rifles in 6.5 CM with carbon fiber barrels and fiberglass stocks. The parts and labor aren't cheap. I also did a couple that way in 6.5 SAUM but that's definitely more a hand loaders round.

As for recoil, a muzzle brake helps at the range and can be replaced with thread protector or silencer for hunts if the noise is bothersome.

I would tend to agree with 6.5 CM or 7mm08 but there are many great options
 
Ah, the budget. I'm torn on that. Part of me wants to get a rifle and scope for 1k and go hunting and not over think it.

The other part wants to spend 3k on a build, lol.

I'll probably end up doing both, so that I can take my time on the build. We'll see.

Before I started posting in forums and asking around, I'd come up with this just from googling;

KRG Bravo Chasis
- Tikka T3 action – 389.00
- Rem 700 w standard backbone - $345
- Rem 700/w3 backbone (large recoil lugs) - $399 - prob this on as it accepts
magpul mags too

Remington 700 Action
- PTG Blueprinted - $675
- North West Action Works, trued - $625

Lilja stainless, fluted bbl - $530
Criterion stainless, non flueted -$375 (fluted?)

AICS Mags
- Magpul - $33

Trigger
- Jewell rem 700 w/safety - $259
- Timney rem 700 w/safety - $145


So, that's a cut and paste from some quick googling I did one night. That puts me between $1500 and $1900 for the rifle. Even less if I did a trued action and stock trigger from a place like northland shooters supply.

Then a couple mags, a sling, whatever odds and ends I don't know I need due to ignorance and then a scope, which I'll be posting about sometime soon lol.

I'm ok with that pricee range. The caveat is a don't know what I don't know. You guys spend that much, you're getting what you want because you know what you want.

I don't have enough experience to say, this is the kind of stock I like or whatever, so I might be dropping a couple grand on a rifle then saying, crap, this I should have done x, y or z.

Hence the interest in doing what others have suggested and just getting a rem 700 or or winchester mod 70 etc in .280 or 7mm08 or 6.5cm and a $500 scope and getting some time under my belt. That might be the smarter choice, though not as fun or sexy.
 
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You forgot something...

The long tube that the bullet goes through. :D)

If your comfortable with a larger budget, then i would jump on a NULA!!
That or a Proof Research Summit.
 
You mean the bbl? Naw I listed Lilja and Criterion prices!

By the way, did you say you'd had good luck with Ruger m77 Hawkeye's?
 
std7mag said:
Woaaa!!! A Forbes for $1,200???
Click to expand...

Yes a Forbes rifle for $1200, and a 20B .308 Win no less.

KMSW831 said:
KRG Bravo Chasis
Click to expand...

Sorry, but you're not building a backpacking rifle. You're going to wind up with a rifle you won't enjoy backpack hunting with, because it's too heavy. The KRG chassis alone weighs 3 lbs! A 22" sporter contour barrel weighs 3 lbs on average, so you've just put together a 6 lbs rifle and you haven't added an action yet, the M700 SA weighs just over 2 lbs so now you're at 8 lbs! So now add light weight optics and mounts and you're pushing 9 lbs, throw on a bipod and you're 10 lbs. Don't forget a loaded ACIS magazine and sling and you're close to 11 lbs of rifle you'll have to carry on a mountain hunt.
 
Yea, 11 is a bit too heavy for sure. But even if you eliminate the Bravo stock (which I'm not wedded to at all) most manners and McMillan stocks are still 2-2.5lbs unless you go big bucks and buy carbon fiber... Where else do the weight savings come from?

I guess that's why you said "you just can't build a rifle that light for thosev prices" when you pointed out the Kimbers and Barrett's.
 
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Love my Ruger 77 MKII in 257 Roberts! One of my most cherished possesions!
I've been looking for that exact rifle since i was just a lad. Always been out of my price range. Then just happened upon this one for $400.
No debating involved. I never set it back in the gunrack at the store. Straight to the counter and put my money down.

As Taylorce1 said, it's hard to beat a rifle from Melvin Forbes when it comes to light weight. Trust me! My 284 Win Mauser build comes out to 10 lbs. scoped.

Whooaaaa.... A 24B in 06' for $900!!!
That and some Proof Research carbon fibre barrels for $200 less that regular sales price!
A carbon fibre barrel would look awesome on my Mauser!!
 
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Mel Forbes sold ULA to Colt and that was his first company and he got company back but changed name to NULA and he formed another Co called Forbes Rifle Co and that company made the B model and that company is out of business.

At $1200. for the B your not buying NULA rifle, your just buying copy.
Colt did market the Colt Light rifle but change trigger and stock and they had problems with trigger. I think those Colt rifles sold for around $500.

I have ULA model 24 made before Mel sold to Colt. I had little long barrel and it did add weight and mine weight just under 7lbs scope/3rd magazine. I had Kreiger match contour and gunsmith chamber it for 280AI before Spec 280AI.

Being light rifle it does take longer working up loads. Mel does make model 20 chamber for 284 and you have to confirm,I think you can seat bullet out to 3.000".
 
KMSW831 said:
I guess that's why you said "you just can't build a rifle that light for thosev prices" when you pointed out the Kimbers and Barrett's.
Click to expand...

You can get lighter cheap but you can't get as light as the Kimber or Barrett as cheap. I just built a 7 lbs 0.9 oz scoped Howa .308 Win rifle for my daughter at around $900. That's going to more than 1 lbs heavier than the Kimber Montana or Hunter with scope, but I figured a 7.5 lbs rifle when adding a sling and ammo will be easier for my daughter to shoot.

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You just need to cruise several forums and try to find the ones that have a lot of members who hunt the same areas you do, then you'll find second hand . That's where I've found my stocks fairly cheap, I picked up the High Tech Specialties/Mark Banser/LAW for $225 off of a classified add. I then bought the Howa rifle at Sportsman's Warehouse for $380 after my military discount and before tax. The Talley light weight mounts cost me $21 shipped from eBay, which is about $20 less than you can buy from Midway shipped. I picked up a Leupold Varix-III 2.5-8X36 used for $235 off another classified add.

By cruising multiple forums you'll find a lot of stuff for sale. I've purchased three McMillan Edge stocks two Hunter and one M70 FWT for an average of $350 off new. You just have to be ready to jump when you see those deals. Plus auction sites like eBay and Gunbroker can bear multiple fruits as well.

I probably should have stated that Forbes rifles weren't built by Melvin. I think the company that built them was Titan Mfg., and they had license to use the Forbes name. They ran into issues with money then QC and finally went bankrupt. However, the good thing is if you do buy a Forbes rifle and have issues with it Melvin will fix them pretty cheaply. He'll also upgrade the Forbes rifle and the Colt Light rifle for owners, they still won't be a NULA but they'll be close.
 
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There are a lot of good ideas.
I've never owned a Ruger #1. You lose a lot of receiver length with a falling block.
I like bolts,myself,but its something to think about.
 
The Ruger #1's that i've handled do seem kinda heavy.
But the Dakota Model 10 that i handled sure wasn't!
Price of admission was steep though. $9,799 on sale. :EEK:
 
Everything is a tradeoff. You list very desirable criteria. And they conflict a bit.

I'll agree a bolt rifle makes sense. I've built a few. My .257 Ackley with a 6x by 42mm scope and Douglas fwt bbl weighs 7 lbs with the scope.Its blind magazine in a Garret Accralite 98 Mauser stock.Its on a small ring short 98 Mexican action.I did a little bodywork.
Its been my go-to deer/antelope rifle for a long time.IMO,not to step on any toes,but if it was all I had for elk,I'd rely on sure thing precision and would probably limit myself to about 250 yds or less on low risk broadside boiler room shots..I'd likely use a 120 gr Nos partition.

I'd limit myself to 400 max under near windless conditions on deer/antelope with a 115 Ballistic tip. Nice cartridge,but it does not quite fill your bill.
I'm not suggesting the wildcats,but Warren Page made a 6.5 version of the .257AI he called the 6.5 AAR. And there is the 7x57 AI.
The only reason I mention these is that same exact rifle could be either,and the 6.5 and 7mm bullets available are better for both range and elk.

IMO,those all make sense in a Mexican 98 Mauser designed for the 7x57.

These days,no reason to use that case family (except pure preference)

IMO,I just don't pursue the belted cases anymore. You can,of course...but Kenny Jarrett pursued mostly the 280 AI for his beanfield rifles..

The game and ranges you mention match up pretty well for a 280 AI.There isn't a nickels worth of difference in the load manuals between a 7mmRem Mag and a 280 AI.
At the same time,a very good arguement can be made for getting a 270 and being done with it. (Or a 30-06)

I am quite satisfied with the accuracy I get from a #2 contour Lilja .30 bbl.
At your 400 yd criteria,the barrel will put 3 rounds on a clay pigeon size bull.

I built a fantasy 600 yd elk rifle before I decided I was not ever going to whang at 600 yd elk. I blueprinted a small ring Husky magnum action ,chambered it 30-338 and put it in a 20 oz Hi-Tec Specialties stock.

EZcarrying and 2900 fps with a 200 gr Accubond.

Whats my point? Win M-70,Rem 700,Tikka,or whatever action, in standard,30-06 length,in 270,280 (AI option) or 30-06(AI option) with a quality (you mentioned Lilja) light contour barrel free float glass bedded in a quality Kevlar/glass/foam core stock,such as a Hi-Tec will deliver.

And ,IMO,don't defeat yourself as far as light/handy with some astronomical tellescope . IMO,a 3.5-10x by 40 mm,max.

Just my opinion,worth every dime you paid for it.

Now,you can go short Magnum,Nosler Magnum, short action,titaium exotic whatever. Heck of a gun. Its your money.
PS,If you trimmed your max yardages a bit...the 7-08 is a great choice.

Some short action receivers are truly short.Others are 30-06 length blocked down. I would not choose a blocked down 30-06 size receiver to build a 7-08 for your purposes.

If I wanted 30-06 powder capacity,I would not pursue the semi-rare .284 case to get it.
 
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Probably get some heat for this but 500 yards ain’t hunting. But I’ve spent my life hunting in the southern states.
If it’s 300 yards I would pick a 7mm08 or it’s big brother 308 in a rifle that weighed 8.00 or more with scope and mounts. Recoil is a killer for a new hunter. I’m 61 years old and been shooting and hunting for most of the years and I hate recoil
 
rickmelear said:
Probably get some heat for this but 500 yards ain’t hunting. But I’ve spent my life hunting in the southern states.
Click to expand...

You're right it isn't your style of hunting, but that's all the heat you'll get from me. 500 yards is a pretty long poke, even out here in the West for most hunters. Under 300 yards is pretty much the normal hunting ranges for the majority of people.
 
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