Does this rifle exist?

[brn2hnt]

Going into another winter and still searching for my "one" rifle. Last year bought a tikka t3x in 7mm and topped it with a leupold vx3i. Rifle is really nice, but I have really got to focus when I'm shooting it or it gets squirrely in a hurry with a finished weight of 7lb 2oz ish. I am looking at coming back to a 300 win, I have shot one since I was about 13 or 14, but the only 300's in the safe are a Ruger and an M70 that are both over 9lbs finished. What I am trying to find is:

Bare rifle in the 7lbish range (goal finished weight being no more than 8.25-8.5)
No more than a 1 in 10" twist
Mag length that will let me seat longer bullets like 215 bergers as they need to be seated
Good accuracy reputation

I think that mostly covers what I am looking for. Since picking up my tikka, I have started shooting rocks and gongs farther and farther away, and wow is that fun. But it is just for fun, the country I hunt in typically produces shots inside 200 yds, so we are realistically looking at 90% still hunting/close range hunting and maybe 10% play time at longer distances. Is there a rifle that will let me do both, or am I kidding myself and should just focus on accuracy and barrel twist for a dedicated fun gun?

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Probably need to give some sense of what your budget is for this gun to get meaningful advice. Also, for <200 yard hunting and only ocassional long range steel the 300 win mag is alot more cartridge than you really need. Using a smaller cartridge can help you meet your weight goal without sacrificing barrel stiffness or having to go to a carbon fiber barrel. Honestly, sounds like the perfect use for a 308 or 6.5 creedmore/260 Remington with a ~20" bull barrel.

Also, depending on your elevation and barrel length, you may have a hard time stabilizing a 215 out of the 300 win mag with a 10 twist, would likely need a faster twist like a 1 in 9. It's tough to tell from your post if you want slower or faster than 1 in 10.

Good luck in your search, I think most gun folks will assure you the quest for 1 perfect rifle is unending.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[derrickbouwman]

That's exactly what I have. 8 lbs 9 oz finished weight.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[2five7]

If you can swing the $1900 price tag, the Christensen Ridgeline ticks all your boxes.

 

[brn2hnt]

Probably need to give some sense of what your budget is for this gun to get meaningful advice. Also, for <200 yard hunting and only ocassional long range steel the 300 win mag is alot more cartridge than you really need. Using a smaller cartridge can help you meet your weight goal without sacrificing barrel stiffness or having to go to a carbon fiber barrel. Honestly, sounds like the perfect use for a 308 or 6.5 creedmore/260 Remington with a ~20" bull barrel.

Also, depending on your elevation and barrel length, you may have a hard time stabilizing a 215 out of the 300 win mag with a 10 twist, would likely need a faster twist like a 1 in 9. It's tough to tell from your post if you want slower or faster than 1 in 10.

Good luck in your search, I think most gun folks will assure you the quest for 1 perfect rifle is unending.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Fair point. Budget is loose, I want to get what I want, and if I have to wait a little longer because no cheaper alternatives meet what I want, I will do that. As my primary target is elk and I have seen them do some incredible things after good shots, I like the 300 quite a bit, and due to my size (6'2" 230) and the previous rifle's weight recoil has not been a concern, and there is a lot to love about a 200 NP doing nearly 3000 fps at the muzzle. As for the barrel twist, I see that was a bit confusing, I would be looking for a 10" twist or faster ie not Sako or Tikka. I pretty much had my one gun until I started shooting with some friends who introduced me to reloading and gongs at ranges past 400. Because I needed another hobby like a hole in the head but it is super fun and I like the technicalness and the rewarding of attention to detail. Thanks again

 

[brn2hnt]

That's exactly what I have. 8 lbs 9 oz finished weight.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Don't leave everyone hanging.... What are the specs?

 

[jjjjeremy]

M70 extreme weather? 7 lbs, 4oz. 10" twist. With a 17.1 oz 4.5-18x40 and a 2.5 oz DNZ game reaper base I'm under 8.5 lbs.

The stock fits me so well that 300WM 180s don't seem different than shooting my 270 super grade with 130s, as long as I don't shoot the rifles on the same day

 

[brn2hnt]

M70 extreme weather? 7 lbs, 4oz. 10" twist. With a 17.1 oz 4.5-18x40 and a 2.5 oz DNZ game reaper base I'm under 8.5 lbs.

The stock fits me so well that 300WM 180s don't seem different than shooting my 270 super grade with 130s, as long as I don't shoot the rifles on the same day

If it is anything like my current M70, the mag length on it is verrrryyyy short for what I have needed to seat bigger bullets at like bergers or ELD-M.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

The CA ridgeline will meet your specs, as would the fierce rifles, browning hells canyon speed, savage 116, weatherby vanguard backcountry, and remington 700 AWR to name a few. Those would be the factory options. New production Remington's have questionable reputations, and most people despise the x-mark pro trigger. On the flip side, there are probably more after market part options for a 700 than for every other rifle model combined. The Weatherby has an accuracy guarantee, Savage's have great reputations, and the 2 browning's I have ever seen were great shooters.

Semi-custom: you could get a proof barrel (~800) or a CA carbon barrel, wyatts extended box (~30), and potentially a new stock (200-600), plus the gunsmith work to turn your existing m70, into exactly what you want.

Full custom: the options are limitless and you can start talking about custom Ti actions, debate between carbon fiber or fluted steel barrels, etc etc. Expect to spend 3500 if your a close friend of a great gunsmith, real world prices are more like 4500-6000+.

For elk I totally understand why you're wanting the 300 win mag, that's a great caliber. Your rifle definitely exists, just have to decide if you want to get there via factory option, semi-custom, or full custom route.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Buy a Remington Model Seven in 7-08 or 308 slap on Talley lightweight rings and a Leupold VX3i 3.5-10x40 and be done with it. You aren't shooting far enough to gain any benefit from a high bc bullet. Load it with a Partition or Accubond and go kill stuff.

 

[derrickbouwman]

Don't leave everyone hanging.... What are the specs?

23" proof barrel
Lone peak ti action
McMillan game scout carbon fiber stock
Jewel trigger
Nightforce nxs 5.5-22x50
Hawkins rings.
Running a Atlas bipod now.
Shoots 215 bergers
Built by Whaley precision rifles.

Absolutely love it was shooting out at 1100 yards last week.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[derrickbouwman]

23" proof barrel
Lone peak ti action
McMillan game scout carbon fiber stock
Jewel trigger
Nightforce nxs 5.5-22x50
Hawkins rings.
Running a Atlas bipod now.
Shoots 215 bergers
Built by Whaley precision rifles.

Absolutely love it was shooting out at 1100 yards last week.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Now Shooting suppressed is too much fun.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sparetime]

I've been thinking about the same thing and have been trying to get my hands on the following

Montana Rifle company X2
Christensen arms Mesa
Browning hells canyon
Kimber Montana
Fierce Fury

Liked the Sako, but sounds like the mag length and twist rate is an issue. Good luck

 

[JWP58]

Inside 200yds? I'll save you some coin, TC Venture weathershield in 308win with whatever scope you want (maybe your current leupold). It should be 8lbs and change, and shoot .5 at 100yds...on the cheap.

 

[mfllood3800]

Lot's of options. The Line of rifles from Fierce and CA are there in your needs box. I got everything you wanted without the weight. I opted for the SS fluted barrel over the CF barrel and regular action of titanium. Plus I went with the huge NF scope in lieu of a lighter set up like some of the Swaro's. But for me I wanted a bit of the weight. I have carried so many 11 lb set ups that this Fierce Edge 300 rum , coming in at 9 something wasn't bad at all, and I had the weight to help in LR shooting.

Part of the fun is designing, choosing options and then anxiously waiting for it to arrive. The fun ends when the CC bill arrives, but then reignites when the first round is chambered and sent down range.


Enjoy what ever you get- it's a blast.

 

[steadytoshot]

Following this closely as I'm looking for nearly the same rifle. Nosler western and kimber open country might also be options.

 

[bertsch]

How about a Cooper Model 92? At just under 6lbs it might be a little lighter than you want but it matches your other criteria and has .5"MOA guarantee.

 

[hodgeman]

Buy a Remington Model Seven in 7-08 or 308 slap on Talley lightweight rings and a Leupold VX3i 3.5-10x40 and be done with it. You aren't shooting far enough to gain any benefit from a high bc bullet. Load it with a Partition or Accubond and go kill stuff.

Exactly!

If I wanted a fun gun to go play at long range, get something more fun to shoot than a full house .300WM. I've done a lot of hunting with the .300 and 180gr bullets... plenty of weight and BC for anything approaching practical field shooting.

 

[spdrman]

I kept going through the same dilemma as you and finally built a rifle exactly how I wanted, cost more then your factory options but I have zero regrets, and in the long run of buying and selling guns I would of been money ahead just building to begin with, bare gun is 6lbs even. Built buy Whaley precision. Pierce titanium action (lone peak wasn't around when I built, I'd use them now) proof barrel, mcmillan edge fill game scout, jewel trigger, titanium brake. This is the first rifle in about 10 years that actually made it through more then 1 season!

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[jjjjeremy]

If it is anything like my current M70, the mag length on it is verrrryyyy short for what I have needed to seat bigger bullets at like bergers or ELD-M.

Mine really likes Hornady Superformance GMX in 165 and 180. Any particular reason for the larger bullets? I think the 180 copper bullets are roughly equivalent to the 210 in lead, length wise.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk