Bolt action 22" barrel for northwoods still-hunting and tracking?

[Leverwalker]

Just re-watching a Benoit video (Hunt Smarter, not Harder), and the producer/videographer Tom Blais takes an unbelievable 17-pointer with a bolt. He cycles fast and takes two shots. It's rare in my experience to see much but the 760/7600's or, less so, something like a .44 lever in the ME tracking videos. How many of you guys do this type of hunting with a bolt?

 

[Eleven]

I do.

 

[Seeknelk]

Yeah I always have. I will say a slick action that runs like butter matters.

 

[Leverwalker]

Thanks guys. It's newish to him and the action definitely needs some smoothing, but great precision.

 

[Seeknelk]

My first rifle ever was a old Browning abolt Euro(I think?) in 270. Had more than a couple times with follow up shots and had practiced acquiring a scope picture and those follow ups and it went well. And plenty quick.
A big reason why I got it was the fit, fairly vertical grip on it's walnut and the slick action. I'd use a Tikka now when I go back to the U.P....

 

[Cedarsavage]

I do with a .44 bolt

 

[dan25]

compact tikka t3 lite super-lite would by my first choice

 

[Rich M]

I prefer a bolt. Nothing wrong w. A 7600 or a semi but fir me a bolt.

Make your shot count, imagine it is a single shot.

 

[WCB]

I have a bit with a Rem model 600 .308. It has a 18.5" barrel though.

 

[Wolfshead]

I have a 20” barreled Tikka T3x compact .308 that I still hunt with.
there’s a video with Joe DiNitto where he talks about how he practices and shoots with his bolt action.

 

[buckchaser]

I’ve used everything from a Remington 7400 to a BLR to a Kimber Montana. The Montana in 257 Roberts is what I typically carry now - super light to carry all day, 2-7x scope covers all situations, and it’s “fast enough” if I need a quick follow up.

No doubt that the best setup I have used for quick shooting in thick cover has been my BLR 308 with an Aimpoint Micro H1. Lightning target acquisition and very quick follow ups. Downside is the BLR is on the heavier side (compared to Kimber) and the Aimpoint isn’t ideal for shots beyond 75 meters.

 

[Ditt44]

Long-time 760 .308 user and nothing better for the PA woods. My dad got that rifle in the early 60s and between us, we've killed numerous deer with 150 grain Core-Lokts. If you want a bolt gun, I suggest considering a Savage lightweight storm which has a 20-inch barrel, in .308 or even a 7-08. I have the 22" Storm in 7-08 and love it for most situations but for whitetail only, I would get the lightweight version for treestand and blind hunting.

 

[Macintosh]

My 22” barrel t3x is approximately 2” longer than my 7600 carbine, and is faster handling (mounting, moving it around, etc). Those 2” dont make a rats behind worth of difference. The 7600 is easily twice as fast on a follow up shot though. They dont call it a “mennonite machinegun” for nothing. Maybe, MAYBE that’s made a difference for me once?? Maybe.
As they say “run what ya brung”, the gun isnt what’ll make the difference 99 times out of 100.

 

[wind gypsy]

The idea of a fast repeating brush gun is hard to square for me. If it's so damn hard to get a clean shot, why not figure out how to make that first shot count? Was helping a guy when volunteering at the range with an SKS once. Couldn't hit a paper plate at 100. "but it's just a brush gun".. Dealt with a handful of the 7400/7600 that shot like garbage too during the same public sight in days, not unlikely due to owner ignorance and neglect i guess.

 

[Macintosh]

Agree. Most shots in that type of hunting are 50 yards or less ime, often 20-30, so the gun itself doesnt have to be “accurate”. A lot of those shots are at a moving deer as well, so a miss is really common and I think thats why people want the fast followup. It is legitimately really hard to get a shot off at all a lot of the time simply due to the super brief window of time between when you see the deer and it takes off for the next ridge. However Id say its the rare exception of a hunter that actually PRACTICES that moving shot or even a fast mount and shoot at a stationary target. Agree 100% that in 99.9% of cases one good first shot is far better than 2 or 3 crappy ones, especially with a 30-06 carbine that recoils. I also hate wounding critters. Hence my comment about not really recalling when I really needed a fast followup shot—the one time it probably helped was on an elk that was already dead on his feet but just didnt know it yet.

My 7600 carbine isnt much fun to shoot, but the gun itself will consistently stay inside 2moa at 100 yards. My brother couldnt get his to shoot—so he pulled the scope and uses it with iron sights only when its snowing hard. They are plenty accurate for the purpose, but if I had a gun that I was more comfortable getting one good fast accurate shot with I would choose it over the “brush gun” 10 days a week.

 

[FLS]

Those old 760-7600s are hard to beat for a quick follow up and are generally more than accurate enough. Timney makes a replacement trigger spring that will make a big difference in the triggers on those guns.
I prefer Marlin lever actions and have killed a bunch of deer with a 336 in .35 Remington. 200 gr round nose hits them hard up close. My 18” 45-70 guide gun is a hammer too.
My first bolt gun was an 18” Remington Model 7 in 308. I loved that little rifle and killed a bunch of deer with it.
On all of those I had fixed Leupold fixed power scopes with the heavy duplex reticles. The 7600, 336, and Guide gun all had fixed 4x. The Model 7 had a fixed 6x.

 

[EdP]

I agree with making that first shot count but a fast follow-up should still be practiced. Even with a first shot that is deadly, a second may keep an animal from going anywhere. That can be important especially in the thick brush.

 

[Macintosh]

Those old 760-7600s…Timney makes a replacement trigger spring that will make a big difference in the triggers on those guns…..

I have one in mine. They turn a catastrophically bad trigger into a 2.5lb catastrophically bad trigger. And that’s coming from a glock guy.

 

[Macintosh]

I agree with making that first shot count but a fast follow-up should still be practiced. Even with a first shot that is deadly, a second may keep an animal from going anywhere. That can be important especially in the thick brush.

Maybe, I mean that makes sense, I just cant think of a time when it’s actually mattered for me. I cant think of a deer Ive hit with my 3006 that wasnt a bang flop on the first shot. Maybe with a smaller cartridge or if I ever shot giant deer? (I never have shot a giant deer). Agree 100% on the practice part. I just wouldnt let the relative speed of a follow up shot from a bolt action vs pump discourage me from hunting with the gun that I was most confident in for the first shot.

Anyway, Im betting this is by far the most common reason to need a follow up shot.