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Mountain/Do-it-all rifle build suggestions.
- Thread starter SavageHunter11
- Start date
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Michael Souther
Well-Known Member
I use 338 win mag for every thing. many years ago I went through list of popular calibers and 338 wins hands down. I don't know your budget but Rem long action medium barrel 24 inch will do every thing with out backing the bank. Now a great selection of bullets brass and ammo are easy to find. I don't get blood shot meat as some of the other higher velocity rounds do. mine i built on a, 98 mauser action and French walnut stock the weight is in your range. New stocks do save weight with great bedding.
SavageHunter11
Well-Known Member
This is incredibly helpful. You essentially have built what I will be building just with a different stock and you chose the BDL hinged-mag setup as opposed to my ADL blind-mag setup. This gives me a good idea of where mine will end up weight wise. Thank you.Just completed my 280AI custom build, Ill post a Cpl pictures, weight with and without scope,
Defiance Rebel
24" Benchmark #2 fluted
Sunny Hill SS bottom metal
Wildcat Ultralight Composite stock
Talley's
Leupold 4.5-14x40 30mm CDS
Weatherby Fan
Well-Known Member
For comparison I have a Rem 700 280AI, 24" #1 contour Benchmark(not Fluted),
Bolt spiral fluted, handle skeletonized, standard 700 bottom metal, Wildcat Composite stock
Bolt spiral fluted, handle skeletonized, standard 700 bottom metal, Wildcat Composite stock
Weatherby Fan
Well-Known Member
Here's one more comparison for you, a stock Kimber Montana 84L(long action) 24" #2 (non fluted) Benchmark, palm swell and high comb added to the stock, blind magazine as is normal with a Kimber Montana.
Hookdown
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2016
- Messages
- 97
It's funny how many people read the OP and then disregard it. First of all, it seems to me that you are a Lefty, as am I. The struggle is real. So good luck finding a suitable lefty donor rifle at your average gun show, especially for a fair price. Right-handers forget about that. It's natural. Not their fault. Then you'd have to pay to get it trued. I think your idea of buying a tried action is sound, if you can find LH. Or you might look at a custom. I like Stiller Actions, because he always seems to have LH actions in stock. I'm using a SFP scope. But Leupold Mark 6 3-18x44 is FFP and 23oz. Vortex Gen 1 Viper PST 6-24x50 is FFP and 23oz too. Lots of guys are liking the new Leupold Mark 5's. It's FFP and fairly light. I think your biggest hurdle, as a lefty wanting to build a lightweight rifle, is acquiring a LH lightweight stock. Having recently traveled down the path you are seeking, perhaps the following will help. I found a used LH lightweight 300WM custom built on a Rem 700 action. It's a BDL, but other than that, it should be very similar to what you're looking for. Here's the build sheet for it:
Here's what it weighed without optic, but with a 2-piece pic base.
Real life weight of 30mm Talley extended medium rings. And weight with those rings and Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14x44 Scope (supposedly 17oz from specs)
I the barrel shortened 4" and put a Leupold VX-6 3-18x44 on it for good.
It's now just a tad over 8 lbs unloaded. Btw, I think my stock weighs 26oz, but I can't find a picture I took when I weighed it. The last thing I'll say is this. Some people say that lightweight rifles are more difficult to shoot accurately. I have found that to be true. Set a performance goal and do what you need to reach it. But going uber light is pricey and may induce some unwanted characteristics. A typical bottle of water weighs 1lb plus. You can shave a pound off your pack a lot cheaper and easier than you can shave that pound off your rifle. Consider that. Hopefully this helps. Good luck. Keep us posted on what you do.
Here's what it weighed without optic, but with a 2-piece pic base.
Real life weight of 30mm Talley extended medium rings. And weight with those rings and Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14x44 Scope (supposedly 17oz from specs)
I the barrel shortened 4" and put a Leupold VX-6 3-18x44 on it for good.
It's now just a tad over 8 lbs unloaded. Btw, I think my stock weighs 26oz, but I can't find a picture I took when I weighed it. The last thing I'll say is this. Some people say that lightweight rifles are more difficult to shoot accurately. I have found that to be true. Set a performance goal and do what you need to reach it. But going uber light is pricey and may induce some unwanted characteristics. A typical bottle of water weighs 1lb plus. You can shave a pound off your pack a lot cheaper and easier than you can shave that pound off your rifle. Consider that. Hopefully this helps. Good luck. Keep us posted on what you do.
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SavageHunter11
Well-Known Member
it's like you knew my frustration reading a few of these comments. You are correct I am a left handed shooter and yes the struggle is certainly real. Thank you for this post, this will be immensely helpful. I start buying parts next week and there will certainly be a build post during or after it's complete. Thank you again.
wonderman4
Well-Known Member
You can get a really good action from Pacific Tool and Gauge. It will save some cash as all the machine work (blueprinted) is complete.
Here is the last one I bought.
http://pacifictoolandgauge.com/acti...ni_m16_ext_cut/2699-choose_fluting-no_fluting
Here is the last one I bought.
http://pacifictoolandgauge.com/acti...ni_m16_ext_cut/2699-choose_fluting-no_fluting
cre8alegacy
Member
I don't have any personal experience with Wildcat Ultralight stocks but I believe I saw where they run about 17 - 20 ounces (memory may not be completely accurate). I believe the OP talked about wishing to optimise or max loads in the 280 AI for Elk and Bear. This is just personal preference, but I completely agree with Hookdown, an ultra light stock with a heavy-fast loading may be challenging to shoot well.
My go-to rifle is a 7mm Rem mag that I hand load for and use it for most everything here in Montana. When I set it up, I looked for a long time for the right stock to be both light and well-enough designed to comfortably handle magnum recoil and minimize muzzle jump (to help stay on target to see the impact) without a muzzle break.
I finally selected the Grayboe Terrain as it came closest to all the criteria and had a high enough cheek piece to accommodate a 20mm scope rail and a 50mm objective scope. I have been very pleased with it's performance as well as sharp looks!
As I approach 70 in a couple years, weight is definitely a factor! However, as Hookdown said so well, it is truly much easier to reduce your pack's weight than your rifle's. I use an EXO 3500 pack to lighten the load with a gun bearer to carry my rifle's 8.75 lbs. Makes the steeps a little less daunting and frees up hands for trekking poles when packing camp in or meat out!
Just an old hunter's humble opinion.
My go-to rifle is a 7mm Rem mag that I hand load for and use it for most everything here in Montana. When I set it up, I looked for a long time for the right stock to be both light and well-enough designed to comfortably handle magnum recoil and minimize muzzle jump (to help stay on target to see the impact) without a muzzle break.
I finally selected the Grayboe Terrain as it came closest to all the criteria and had a high enough cheek piece to accommodate a 20mm scope rail and a 50mm objective scope. I have been very pleased with it's performance as well as sharp looks!
As I approach 70 in a couple years, weight is definitely a factor! However, as Hookdown said so well, it is truly much easier to reduce your pack's weight than your rifle's. I use an EXO 3500 pack to lighten the load with a gun bearer to carry my rifle's 8.75 lbs. Makes the steeps a little less daunting and frees up hands for trekking poles when packing camp in or meat out!
Just an old hunter's humble opinion.
I think that the .270 WSM makes a pretty nice, long range caliber for a light rifle in a short action.
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
I can't really comment, as I have no interest in anything .27 caliber.
Wahnter
Member
This build really depends on your budget and the amount of labor you can do yourself. My ultralight 700 in 260AI weighs is at 5lbs 11oz including the Leupold ultralight stock and a sling. It's all about trade offs. While this rifle isn't made to shoot 700yds it will do its job to any reasonable range that I personally can shoot. But I can tell you there is a huge difference in packing a 6lb rifle all day and a 9lb rifle. Especially as I get up in years. There are tons of lightweight parts available. Ozs equal pounds and pounds equal pain! I can recommend parts air products but most aren't cheap!
SavageHunter11
Well-Known Member
i agree with you there. The bullet selection for .270 has nothing that gets me excited. Would rather have a 6.5mm or 7mm something
