What is the ultimate mountain rifle and caliber
- Thread starter H&Hhunter
- Start date
gym workout
yea, for workout music, you basically need hard-hitting euro-dance music.... nothing else does the job
really. Search around on iTunes for "euro club hits" or check this link:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/...cedSearchResults?albumTerm=Euro+Club+Hits+Vol
yea, for workout music, you basically need hard-hitting euro-dance music.... nothing else does the job
really. Search around on iTunes for "euro club hits" or check this link:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/...cedSearchResults?albumTerm=Euro+Club+Hits+Vol
davlandrum
New member
This is why I only hunt at sea-level...
I wasn't going to post on this topic but I got to thinking about light weight rifles and all that were mentioned so far have been good rifles. For me I would prefer just about any mentioned in a standard caliber like .270, .280, or .30-06. The reason I like these calibers is that with lighter rifles comes increased recoil and these calibers will be very managable with the killing power I would want. Just about any rifle metioned should come in right at 8lbs even the M70 FWT which is the heaviest at 6.75 lbs in a standard caliber. The Weatherby should come in around 7 lbs as it is 5.75 lbs to start.
I wouldn't be afraid to hunt any grizzly country with one of these calibers and a premium bullet. While most of these calibers may not completly stop a charging bear in its tracks they will however kill them with a well placed shot. Another thing you have going for you is mountain bears usually are not as large as bears that reside at lower elevations. If grizzly bears were a big concern for my hunt I would step up to a larger caliber like the .338-06. A 200 grain Accubond or 210 grain Partition at 2800-2900 fps should lay a thump on any bear and still give you enough trajectory for a 3-400 yard shot on sheep and goats.
http://www.gunsamerica.com/976996393/Guns/Rifles/Weatherby-Rifles/Sporting/Weatherby_UltraLite_338_06_Like_new.htm
http://www.gunsamerica.com/976998179/Guns/Rifles/Custom-Rifles/Bolt-Action/REMINGTON_M700_MOUNTAIN_RIFLE_338_06_CALIBER.htm
I wouldn't be afraid to hunt any grizzly country with one of these calibers and a premium bullet. While most of these calibers may not completly stop a charging bear in its tracks they will however kill them with a well placed shot. Another thing you have going for you is mountain bears usually are not as large as bears that reside at lower elevations. If grizzly bears were a big concern for my hunt I would step up to a larger caliber like the .338-06. A 200 grain Accubond or 210 grain Partition at 2800-2900 fps should lay a thump on any bear and still give you enough trajectory for a 3-400 yard shot on sheep and goats.
http://www.gunsamerica.com/976996393/Guns/Rifles/Weatherby-Rifles/Sporting/Weatherby_UltraLite_338_06_Like_new.htm
http://www.gunsamerica.com/976998179/Guns/Rifles/Custom-Rifles/Bolt-Action/REMINGTON_M700_MOUNTAIN_RIFLE_338_06_CALIBER.htm
i have a browning 1885 low wall in 260 rem that has a long throat with a 24 inch barrel and a compact 2x7 leupold on it. i have not fired it yet but it is very light and i think i can load the 139gr bullet to 28oofps and that should be a good 300yd preformer on deer or elk. eastbank.
mikejonestkd
New member
I think the Rem 700 titanium in .270 would be just about perfect for a high altitude sheep or goat hunt. it is fairly light and a bit muzzle heavy to settle down easily to shoot it.
davlandrum
New member
uh, you do realize we are not talking about Farmer Brown's sheep or goats, right ??
If I won the lottery a sheep hunt would be the first thing on my agenda! I guess that the late, great, Jack O'Conner has imbedded his influence inside my head! A quick trip to my gun safe and I would pull out my Model 70, 7mmWSM, load up some 140 Grain CT Ballistic Tips and off to the mountains I'd go. This rifle shoots like a dream, is pretty light, even with it's 24" barrel, and synthetic stock, and recoil is no worse than my 30-06's (which would also be a good choice with Nosler 150 Grain Ballistic Tips). This would be my idea of the Hunt-Of-A-Lifetime, living a dream. Well, back to reality.....I've got a lot of whitetail activity around my clover and mineral licks!
A quick trip to my gun safe and I would pull out my Model 70, 7mmWSM, load up some 140 Grain CT Ballistic Tips and off to the mountains I'd go. This rifle shoots like a dream, is pretty light, even with it's 24" barrel, and synthetic stock, and recoil is no worse than my 30-06's (which would also be a good choice with Nosler 150 Grain Ballistic Tips). This would be my idea of the Hunt-Of-A-Lifetime, living a dream. Well, back to reality.....I've got a lot of whitetail activity around my clover and mineral licks!Mountain Rifle
I am definitely not a mountain hunter. So a sheep or goat hunt is not in my future. I do alot of hunting, but not in the high country. I have owned some of the best light weight rifles. Including the Melvin Forbes Ultra light rifle.
The UL's are great for carrying, but I just could not shoot them as well in a hunting condition. If I had to hunt with a LW rifle then it would be a fast handling lever in hunting conditions under 150 yards. If the conditions would require accurate shooting at 200,300 or even farther, then I would need a rifle of more substance to reliably make those long shots. The UL's are great, but IMO they just do not stack up for long distance(hunting situation) shooting. This is a true quandry.
I do have some friends who hunt the high country, and after many years of experience they hunt with standard weight-or slightly heavier rifles that can easily make long distance shots. And all the cartridge's are magnum's of 300 and up. But these guy's can shoot their rifles. There are no "want to be's" in these guy's. I have one friend who shot a bull in Arizone last year that went 3 points over 400 inches. His rifle is a 340 WBY, with a custom barrel of slightly heavier contour. His shot was 375 yards. He said the 250 grain pill just chilled the elk. He told me the elk took about three steps. Tom.
I am definitely not a mountain hunter. So a sheep or goat hunt is not in my future. I do alot of hunting, but not in the high country. I have owned some of the best light weight rifles. Including the Melvin Forbes Ultra light rifle.
The UL's are great for carrying, but I just could not shoot them as well in a hunting condition. If I had to hunt with a LW rifle then it would be a fast handling lever in hunting conditions under 150 yards. If the conditions would require accurate shooting at 200,300 or even farther, then I would need a rifle of more substance to reliably make those long shots. The UL's are great, but IMO they just do not stack up for long distance(hunting situation) shooting. This is a true quandry.
I do have some friends who hunt the high country, and after many years of experience they hunt with standard weight-or slightly heavier rifles that can easily make long distance shots. And all the cartridge's are magnum's of 300 and up. But these guy's can shoot their rifles. There are no "want to be's" in these guy's. I have one friend who shot a bull in Arizone last year that went 3 points over 400 inches. His rifle is a 340 WBY, with a custom barrel of slightly heavier contour. His shot was 375 yards. He said the 250 grain pill just chilled the elk. He told me the elk took about three steps. Tom.
phil mcwilliam
New member
I think the ultimate mountain rifle is the one that you're comfortable to carry all day, and can shoot accurately with at long range. I was up at a mates cattle property hunting last weekend. He has a mountain range that runs across the back of his property with a lot of canyons that allow cross gully shots at goats from 200 yards upwards. I've used a variety of rifles in this steep country to take goats at long range including 222, 223, 22-250, 243, 270, 308 & 30-06. All of these calibers performed well. Last weekend I decided to borrow my mates Sako 30-06 finnlight 85 in synthetic stock & stainless barrel topped with Leupold 2.5 -10 x 40 scope. This light weight rifle was a pleasure to carry through the mountains all day, but I did notice an increase in recoil when compared to firing another friends Sauer 30-06 model 202 which is medium in weight. Not enough difference in recoil to complain about but I think I shoot more accurately at longe range with a medium weight rifle than a light weight. About a month ago I was up at the same property & decided to carry my Sako 22-250 that I had recently rebarrelled to heavy barrel. After about 3 hours into the hunt I could definately feel the added weight although I did score a number of long range kills once I made it to the top of the mountains. I think the ultimate mountain rifle is up to the individual but I think a Sauer model s202 in 25-06 topped with a variable Leupold with at least a 9x maximum would have to be up there.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
"The UL's are great for carrying, but I just could not shoot them as well in a hunting condition."
Not trying to be smartmouth, but how much of the problem is you, yourself? And, how much of that problem might be in the balance of the rifle that you used?
For example, my 700 Ti is somewhat muzzle heavy. They saved most of the weight in the receiver and bolt, but the 22" barrel is pretty much sporter-dimension. To me, it balances well for offhand shooting.
And my own experience through the years with several different rifles is that if I have a hasty rest of any decent sort, a rifle is a rifle is a rifle.
In the FWIW department, I spent some thirty years with 9.5 pounds of '06 hanging off my shoulder on hunt-walks of as many as fifteen miles. Mostly around the 4,000-foot elevation. I went on an elk hunt up at 10,500 feet, up above Gunnison, Colorado, and that thirty-pound rifle was a bitch-kitty! Wish I'd had the Ti, but that was before such was thought of.
Not trying to be smartmouth, but how much of the problem is you, yourself? And, how much of that problem might be in the balance of the rifle that you used?
For example, my 700 Ti is somewhat muzzle heavy. They saved most of the weight in the receiver and bolt, but the 22" barrel is pretty much sporter-dimension. To me, it balances well for offhand shooting.
And my own experience through the years with several different rifles is that if I have a hasty rest of any decent sort, a rifle is a rifle is a rifle.
In the FWIW department, I spent some thirty years with 9.5 pounds of '06 hanging off my shoulder on hunt-walks of as many as fifteen miles. Mostly around the 4,000-foot elevation. I went on an elk hunt up at 10,500 feet, up above Gunnison, Colorado, and that thirty-pound rifle was a bitch-kitty!
Wish I'd had the Ti, but that was before such was thought of.Shooting
Art no offense taken. There is some truth in what you say. The UL Arms rifle I had was a poor fit for me. But he only made them one way.
I will also admit that I do shoot the heavier rifles better than the lighter rifles. IMO most people do. I probably only shoot 3,000 to 4,000 rounds a year. I consider myself a good shot, but by no means a competition shooter. I will also agree with you about rifle fit. I put together a heavy barrel LH Thumbhole rifle last year in a 300 WSM with a stock that fits me just right. I will admit I shoot it better than any other rifle I have. I also did a LH Thumbhole Encore two years ago in a 30-06 that I do a lot of my deer hunting with. I also shoot it very well. So I guess you are right, stock fit is KING. Tom.
Art no offense taken. There is some truth in what you say. The UL Arms rifle I had was a poor fit for me. But he only made them one way.
I will also admit that I do shoot the heavier rifles better than the lighter rifles. IMO most people do. I probably only shoot 3,000 to 4,000 rounds a year. I consider myself a good shot, but by no means a competition shooter. I will also agree with you about rifle fit. I put together a heavy barrel LH Thumbhole rifle last year in a 300 WSM with a stock that fits me just right. I will admit I shoot it better than any other rifle I have. I also did a LH Thumbhole Encore two years ago in a 30-06 that I do a lot of my deer hunting with. I also shoot it very well. So I guess you are right, stock fit is KING. Tom.
phil mcwilliam
New member
Thumb-hole stocks, you either love them or hate them. When hunting in the mountains I find myself often with my rifle slung across my back when climbing. Occassionally I suprise game at close range, and require the rifle to be operational quickly. I wouldn't have a thumb-hole stock on my ultimate mountain rifle.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
I got lucky on the fit of my Ti. The recoil is not at all a problem at the benchrest, which really was a bit surprising when I first started shooting it. But for ten grains of bullet weight, 140 vs. 150, a 7mm08 might as well be a .308 in terms of recoil. And that Ti is only 6.5 pounds, yet balances amazingly well. Sort of an expensive little doofer, but it turned out to be a whole lot of gun for the money.
FWIW, my perception is that it balances as well as my 9.5# Wby with its 26" barrel. But, perception. Maybe it's a Zen thing. Nuthin' like a true believer.
I've held a few thumbhole rifles. It seems like maybe one's trigger control might be better than with the conventional, but my reflexes are all wired up for working a bolt in the traditional movements. I really hate to bang my thumb in the process.
Old dogs & new tricks and all that.
Art
FWIW, my perception is that it balances as well as my 9.5# Wby with its 26" barrel. But, perception. Maybe it's a Zen thing. Nuthin' like a true believer.
I've held a few thumbhole rifles. It seems like maybe one's trigger control might be better than with the conventional, but my reflexes are all wired up for working a bolt in the traditional movements. I really hate to bang my thumb in the process.
Old dogs & new tricks and all that.Art
Jack O'Conner
New member
This muley was taken after a long stalk in rough country. Just behind me a short distance is a steep canyon that I climbed to get within range. The photo was taken by my partner and yes it is sort of staged.
Rifle is my old stand by for long shots at tough game: Savage model 99 in .308 with a 4X compact scope. I zero it for 3 inches high at 100 yards and aim dead on for as far as I care to shoot. The 180 grain bullet has never bounced off a single animal!
Jack
phil mcwilliam
New member
308 lever guns
Although I earlier stated that a 25-06 bolt gun was the ultimate mountain rifle(which I don't own), my favorite rifle for hunting in the mountains is also a 308 lever gun(which I do own).
Although I earlier stated that a 25-06 bolt gun was the ultimate mountain rifle(which I don't own), my favorite rifle for hunting in the mountains is also a 308 lever gun(which I do own).