Reply With QuoteNot what I visioned but a nice rifle all the same.
Has anyone out there built a lightweight long range mountain rifle? I'm thinking about building a 300 Win Mag. In my head it looks similar to the Gunwerks LR-1000. In reality here is the parts list I'm thinking of:
Savage LA staggerfeed
PT&G spiral bolt body .700 diameter
26" .300 WM chambered barrel w/ brake (for range) and thread cap (for hunting). Barrel profile probably magnum sporter and fluted.
Stock trigger if I can adjust to my liking.
B&C Medalist blind mag
Bolt body and handle black nitrided
Action and barrel sniper gray Cerakote
Opinions? Thought? Pics of similar hunting builds?
Thanks
Not what I visioned but a nice rifle all the same.
Most people probablt think super light like a Tikka I guess.
I'm in the process of building an almost identical gun. Same stock, same cartridge. Only difference im doing is a centerfeed action in a blind mag staggerfeed stock (to get a longer OAL) and instead of a brake I'm doing a 27" magnum contour.
If you wanna go lighter you could always do a 300 WSM and a 24".
Your rifle sounds great, but may not be super light.
I'm not particulary concerned with the weight specifically. I want to shoot a long ways but don't want to carry a bench gun.
We're thinking along the same lines for sure. Just FYI, I had a staggerfeed 300wm and I was only able to load out to 3.4" That's why I'm doing a centerfeed for this build.
I'm still waiting on the barrel, so I may be month or two out, but I'll post up pictures when it's done!
Londerko, what bullets were you shooting? Now you have me worried.
I was shooting Berger 185 classic hunters, specifically because they are a hybrid bullet I could load them to 3.4" and they shot well. With this new build I'm planning on shooting 208s or 210s that why I'm doing the centerfeed. You can go a lot longer and still have a repeater.
Thanks for that good piece of info. Looks like I'll be looking for a LA CF. Just missed out on a smoking deal in classifieds it looks like.
That's what I would do. I actually just bought a new trophy Hunter combo, and am selling everything off it, so im basically in it $200 for the action and magazine.
A centerfeed magazine will allow you to load out to 3.52". But what I'm gonna do is use the bell and Carlson medalist staggerfeed blind mag stock and mount the centerfeed magazine in it, then notch the front of the magazine, and I should be able to load out to 3.7" plus.
Last edited by Londerko; 11-07-2015 at 11:41 PM.
That will be a heavy gun. Might want to consider a 6.5 WSM or 264 WM and a lighter contoured barrel. Even a 6.5-284 will do good at 1K. In a long action you can seat it out a bit.
Not to take away from Savage, but when I think super lightweight mountain rifle, Kimber comes to mind.
I have the Savage Bear Hunter in 300 win mag. Not that heavy of a rifle but certainly not the lightest either. I did put a 30 oz Nightforce NSX on it. Recoil is very good BUT the gun will jump up on you making it impossible to see your own hits. Maybe it comes back down in time to see a hit at Long Range but certainly not out to 300 which is so far all the farther I could stretch this thing. I do plan on shooting much farther but just something to consider for a true long range rifle, if you want to see where your bullet your hits, you may want to stay heavier. Overall I am going to stick with it as it is very accurate and is pure enjoyment to shoot but if I wanted to have a true long range platform, I would have gotten the LRH at a pound heavier.
The truth is that I'm planning to go on a backcountry elk hunt in a few years. I'm a flatlander. I currently have a 7mm Rem Mag 700 ADL that I used on my last elk hunt. I picked up a Savage .30-06 staggerfeed for basically nothing and was thinking of building a rifle for the hunt. .300 WM might be overkill but I haven't hunted elk enough to know. Buying gear and getting teady for my dream hunt as finances allow. I appreciate everyones input. Thanks.
Sounds like your descibing 2 rifles a light weight hunter and a long range hunter.
300wm gets you somewhere in between?
A 338wm might be a good choice and be a bit different from your 7mm Rem Mag.
I just don't see the 300wm bringing anything you can't already achieve with 7mm.
The 7 or 30 mag will do what you want. Lived in western Colorado & Idaho and had the benefit of going for elk. Flat shooting is handy when you are shooting over a canyon, but most guides don't like to do that. In addition, a lot of 'hunters' are not used to heavier recoil out of a 9 lb rifle, shooting less than 20-25 rounds a year, and even then just on a bench.
I used a 35 Whelen in a Mauser action sighted 2" high at 200 yards, gave me a +3/-8 trajectory out to 300 yards. Took mine at 225 With the Whelen and 320 yards with my 308 Norma Mag; Mauser again, 26" tube. And yes, I'm a firm believer in Nosler Partitions!
If I had it to do again I'd use the 338-06, preferring the slightly larger 338's over the 30's. More velocity than the 35's, larger diameter than the 30's...
So why not consider a standard factory hunting rig such as a model 11 or 16 and consider a factory chambering like the .338 Federal.
I have no personal experience with the cartridge but from what I have read it is supposed to be a very efficient short action cartridge that is a close match to the 7mag in performance with much less recoil.
Maybe someone who owns a .338 Federal will chime in with an opinion of the cartridge.
Just my.02 but anything over a standard hunting rig of 22" or so is definitely not what I'd consider a "mountain rifle" or want to carry under such conditions.
Something even smaller is what I'd have in mind. Every time someone mentions a carbine, shorty or mountain rifle, I refer them to the amazing performance of the Savage 516 striker handguns. They proved to me before I put together a carbine with a 16" .308 barrel that a much shorter barrel really isn't a handicap. Using the little carbine with a 16" barrel and 37" overall length in the field has proven it to be a blessing not a curse.
Keep in mind the purpose of a "mountain rifle" You're gonna do a lot more carrying over rough terrain and brush busting than shooting.
A good wife and a steady job has ruined many a great hunter.
What you are describing is going to be a lot heavier than you think it is. I would go with a 22 inch barrel in a sporter contour. If its truly a hunting/mountain rifle who cares about having a medium barrel on it.
I was thinking of doing a build with the same base rifle! But I want to build a 28 Nosler. I want to be able to load out to 3.6 or so. I was looking at getting the same stock and doing a bling mag to load long but im not sure how the bottom bolt release is going to work with that stock.
If I was going to buy a factory rig then it would be a T3 Lite or Super Lite (Cabelas or Sportmans Warehouse specials). But……I have this action that keeps me awake at night thinking about what I should do with it. When the funds allow my 7RM will probably go to Beanland Rifles in Oklahoma for an overhaul. Decisions and more **** decisions. Thanks for the input guys.
I still believe out to 1000 yards you should be fine with a 300 win mag and some 215 Bergers. If you dont go above 200gr on the bullet as mentioned you might be better off with the 7mm mag. I wished you lived closer I would let you run some rounds through my Bear Hunter. I cant wait to get a sweet load for it developed and get out west with it.
Let me know how your build goes...Ill be doing mine just like yours but my barrel is 12 weeks out.Originally Posted by Londerko
Plans fell through for the B&C staggerfeed stock. I just ordered a stockade mule deer in centerfeed blind mag. I will be able to get the adequate coal in the centerfeed magazine for the bullets and barrel combo I am planning on running. I currently have the barreled action in old staggerfeed stock, (until the stockade shows up) and their is room to spare if I wanted to perminantly mount the centerfeed box in it, but I am no longer planning on doing that. My Apache 300wm barrel showed up and a 208 touches @ 3.55" and a 210 VLD @ 3.5" and the centerfeed mag allows for approx. 3.52" with no modification so I think I'll be good to go
I too am in the process of a "mountain" rifle. I built a tikka 6.5x55se with a 24" barrel sitting in a mcmillian gamescout. My next build is on a savage LA with a B&c medium sporter contour 280 Remington barrel. I plan to go with 22" on this rifle to make it a little more handy. In a light rifle I went non magnum due to the recoil but I don't plan to shoot farther than 250-300 yds.
Where is your hunt going to be?? If it is in grizzly country - you should carry enough gun to protect yourself. That generally starts at something where the case is 1/2" or bigger O.D. My elk hunting days are over with a 6.5-06, I now have to carry a 358 Norma (even my 300 Wby is borderline). If you are elk hunting in AZ or NM or CO, you'll be OK with a lightweight whatever on an 06 case. If in WY, MT, ID you'd best consider something bigger. I don't know about BC or SK - if they have a bear problem.
Nothing wrong with having an action around and not knowing what to do with it. I have 5 98 actions laying around and can only think of 1 build I want to do.
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