Long range backpack rifle

[Coddington99]

First post here after lurking for a long time.
I am hopping to gain some advise from some of you. I am looking for my next rifle. A little back ground on me first, for context. I have two rifles so far, a savage 111 lrh in 6.5/284 Norma, and a savage 110 tactical in 6.5 Creedmoor. Both shoot fantastic, and I have recently started to reload. I cannot believe I did not start real pacing sooner, there is much enjoyment to be found in it.
Any ways I typically do 6-10 day archery elk hunts in the the wilderness out of my pack. This year I put in for a late season Idaho tag for my first out of state hunt. if I draw it it will be a November hunt in the backcountry. I am trying to get the rifle situation figured out, both my rifles would get the job done I suppose, so honestly it's just another excuse to add another toy to the group.

I have been considering a savage 110 ultralight in 28 Nosler, or the browning hells canyon in 28, or 300 prc. Would you recommend either of these? I really want the 28, seems like a logical step up from my two other rifles. Another alternative I have considered was to buy a pawn shop savage and just have it rebarreled to 28, but I have never tried to do a semi custom build my self....

What would your recommendations for a young man getting into the sport be? Gun's main purpose will be hunting, but I also love shooting steel..

 

[mike hunt]

Being this is my first post too, from what I understand from all my lurking, I'd go with the 6.5 Creedmoor with the hammer bullets, JS

 

[UplandFreak]

The savage ultralite comes in 280AI which would be a great elk gun. I shoot all my elk with bergers and eldx/m. My elk gun is a 6.5 PRC. The Tikka superlite is a great rifle as well.

 

[Plinker147]

Light rifles and bigger magnums don't go together in my opinion. They just become to hard to shoot accurate for me in a light platform. I wouldn't do anything bigger than a 280AI or 7SAUM. Loaded with 150-160ish grain bullet is a nice fit. You get in the 168 or bigger the recoil is more noticeable but very managable in light weight rifle. Either of those would be great choices. 6.5 PRC, 6.5-284, or similar would also be great choice

 

[Coddington99]

Is there much difference between the 6.5x284 and the 6.5prc? The seem pretty darn close to me. I love my Norma, but it's a darn heavy gun to be packing all around the wilderness for a week at a time. On the bright side if I picked on up in the prc, I could just use my existing stock of bullets. I am a huge fan of the 140 Berger vld.

 

[Corvalliscory]

7 SAUM built on a tikka action would be my choice in a 22in barrel and brake. Oh wait that's what I'm doing. Lol

 

[UplandFreak]

Is there much difference between the 6.5x284 and the 6.5prc? The seem pretty darn close to me. I love my Norma, but it's a darn heavy gun to be packing all around the wilderness for a week at a time. On the bright side if I picked on up in the prc, I could just use my existing stock of bullets. I am a huge fan of the 140 Berger vld.

No material difference from a performance/ballistics perspective. My PRC weighs about 10lbs all in with bipod and everything. Its not ultra light, but hasn't been too bad to haul around the rockies...

 

[ARCaveman]

I can't speak for the Savage, but I have had a Hell's Canyon Speed in 300 wsm for a few years and it's been a great rifle. Feeds well and shoots sub moa if I do my part. I also really like the 60 degree bolt throw for cold weather hunts when I'm wearing gloves.

 

[Canhunter35]

I always struggle with the concept of long range and ultra light...shoot ability becomes a major factor when combining the two. Depends just how long range you want to go I suppose

 

[Coddington99]

I looked at a CA messa today in 28 Nosler and really liked the feel of it.

 

[bomberodevil]

I looked at a CA messa today in 28 Nosler and really liked the feel of it.

I have a CA Mesa in the 6.5 CM, it's my lighter weight rifle. I've got about 300 rounds in now and I really like the feel and the consistent performance. I was going to buy the Tikka Superlite in 6.5, went to Sportsman's Warehouse before Christmas and they had the CA on sale. It was just enough to tip the scales, but I think you'd be just as happy with either rifle.

As far as the cartridge, I'm kind of old school, I like the .270, 30.06 and 300 WM for larger animals. I do agree with combining lightweight mountain guns with large magnum cartridges give you a rifle that's not very fun to shoot. And that usually means a rifle you don't shoot well.

 

[Coddington99]

What are you all considering as light weight? I am hopping for something 9-10lbs scoped.

 

[bomberodevil]

What are you all considering as light weight? I am hopping for something 9-10lbs scoped.

I haven't weighed the total package, but the Mesa short action is 6.5 lbs. I'm not spending thousands to shave ounces, my scope is a Maven RS3, at 26.9 oz, and I have a Harris bipod at about 10 oz. There's lighter systems out there, but this is light compared to my Ruger M77 and my Remington Model 721.

 

[walter351]

I also hunt Idaho and after lugging a 11.5 lb rifle for 2 years in a row I made the switch to a tikka 7 rem mag. One of the best choices ever. With very little work I make consistent hits out to 600 yards. IMO the recoil is not bad at all with 160 gr accubonds. The times I hate carrying the heavy gun the most is during the pack out. Having a quarter and 11 lb gun on your back sucks. I always seem to shoot them as far away from the road as I can possibly find.