Help me choose a 6lb mountain rifle!

[AmmoTex]

My 7-08 checks in at 6# 4oz.
Very handy to pack around!

 

[Dave0317]

Man, I know stuff can come across wrong on the internets, so I mean this with all kindness and sincerity, but you are ignoring some great advice and you need to get over your mental block of needing a magnum to kill at 400 yards.

Go listen to the Hunt Backcountry Podcast #470. Small calibers for big game.
Guys are shooting Elk at 400 with a .223. They go in depth on how bullets actually kill, and it’s not via “energy”.

Im not saying you should go all the way down to that, but consider 6mm or 6.5 Creedmoor.

The selling point is not just the recoil/comfort, it’s the hit rate. One figure I saw here was a 10 percent average hit rate increase for every 5 ft pounds of recoil you subtract. So a 6 or 6.5 could easily get you hitting 20% or more better than what you do now, or what you would do with a super lightweight 7 PRC.

It’s really a win-win. You can have less recoil, a lighter rifle, and higher hit rate. Same lethality.

At least read up on it, listen to the podcast, etc. before you go buy something.

 

[LightFoot]

Seekins Havak Element 100% no question.


>>>——JAKE——>

 

[Felix40]

I really really like my mesa fft 6.5 prc. I know some people here talk bad about them but I have zero complaints.

 

[mtnbound]

Hey all, just wanted to try and get some feed back on my next rifle build. I’ve decided packing around the ole trusty 300 win mag that weights 11 pounds is just not for me anymore. I’ve decided on either a 7 rem mag or 7PRC (whatever is available in the rifle I choose to buy). I’ve narrowed my options down to what the local sporting goods store carries and frankly they carry some good rifles. My options are:
-Fierce carbon rogue
- savage 110 ultralight
- weatherby 307 alpine CT
- Bergara b-14 ridge carbon
- tikka T3X super light
- Christensen arms mesa fft and ridgeline fft
- browning x bolt mountain pro

Wondering if any of you have experience with these rifles especially the fierce and weatherby. I know fierce and Christensen have some bad reviews for customer service when it comes to getting a lemon fixed. But bad news travels faster than good news and both companies have sold thousands of great shooting rifles. All these rifles I have listed have there quarks whether it be action, stock or barrel. Any opinion or feed back is greatly appreciated in helping me narrow down this list! Thanks!

You have made it clear you want a magnum. I have had both the 7RM and 7PRC, and if I were going to buy one again, it would be the 7RM. I would choose the Tikka, as it's the best one, IMO, but it's a pretty plane-jane rifle compared to the others. I would go with whichever rifle naturally fits you better when you shoulder it.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

Im doing the same things as we speak, work in progress.

I went with a Tikka super light 6.5cm. Chopped to 16.5”, fluted bolt with titanium and carbon fiber bolt handle, GemTech Tracker can, Blacktooth stock (stocky’s I bought used temporarily), UM rings, Leupy Mk4HD 2.5-10 FFP TMR illum.

I don’t have it assembled yet, but it should be pretty damn light.

 

[KenLee]

also should mention I will be adding in a after market ported brake to help with recoil.

and be functionally deaf early in life

 

[Felix40]

and be functionally deaf early in life

I think there’s some company working on a cool new product that protects your hearing. I hope they bring it to market soon.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I think there’s some company working on a cool new product that protects your hearing. I hope they bring it to market soon.

Man sounds sweet! Would be cool if there was something you could thread on the end to protect your hearing… well maybe in the future…

 

[KenLee]

I think there’s some company working on a cool new product that protects your hearing. I hope they bring it to market soon.

I've never talked to anyone who uses a brake regularly that hasn't messed up in a rush and shot without hearing protection. In the wrong situation, it only takes once.
So keep using the brakes and roll the dice if you wish.
I'll always take recoil over muzzle blast.

 

[peaceman]

why not a kimber mountain ascent or montana? It hard to get lighter than that for not a lot of money. Both of mine shoot sub MOA and even the new 30-06 loads are respectable. Barnes LRX at 2850 fps in a 175 gr bullet

But i like my Tikka all the same in 300WM. Neither are as pretty as the new carbon fiber stuff but 1/2 the cost.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I've never talked to anyone who uses a brake regularly that hasn't messed up in a rush and shot without hearing protection. In the wrong situation, it only takes once.
So keep using the brakes and roll the dice if you wish.
I'll always take recoil over muzzle blast.

Pre suppressor me used brakes… wore the ear pro around my neck… more times than not the ear pro didn’t go on and shots were taken…

 

[wind gypsy]

Seekins havak element of those choices. Honorable mention for a tikka in an aftermarket stock or the xbolt mountain pro.

 

[SC HUNTER]

I've never talked to anyone who uses a brake regularly that hasn't messed up in a rush and shot without hearing protection. In the wrong situation, it only takes once.
So keep using the brakes and roll the dice if you wish.
I'll always take recoil over muzzle blast.

Before I got into the suppressor game I shot several different rifles that had thread on brakes or were ported. I touched off a ported 300 wsm in a tower stand at a 10 point crossing a food plot, I was rushing and didn't put my ear pro on that was sitting in the chair beside me. My ears rang for months! I already couldn't half ass hear out of my right ear from years of sirens and guiding quail hunts. I never made the mistake of shooting a ported or braked? broke? rifle without ear protection again. I actively bitch at the kids about loud music and such.

 

[KenLee]

Before I got into the suppressor game I shot several different rifles that had thread on brakes or were ported. I touched off a ported 300 wsm in a tower stand at a 10 point crossing a food plot, I was rushing and didn't put my ear pro on that was sitting in the chair beside me. My ears rang for months! I already couldn't half ass hear out of my right ear from years of sirens and guiding quail hunts. I never made the mistake of shooting a ported or braked? broke? rifle without ear protection again. I actively bitch at the kids about loud music and such.

I slung a 4 day old Browning BAR with 3-9x50 Leupold Vari-X III out of a 25 ft high box stand on powerline. 1999 I believe. Never touched the rifle or any brake again. My brother drove in and we loaded the 2 deer I'd shot with it. He picked the rifle up and still has it. He doesn't use it anymore because it got him after a couple seasons.

 

[SC HUNTER]

I slung a 4 day old Browning BAR with 3-9x50 Leupold Vari-X III out of a 25 ft high box stand on powerline. 1999 I believe. Never touched the rifle or any brake again. My brother drove in and we loaded the 2 deer I'd shot with it. He picked the rifle up and still has it. He doesn't use it anymore because it got him after a couple seasons.

Every time I look at this deer I remember my ears ringing and head hurting. I sold that rifle shortly after, it was a hammer shooting 180 grain ballistic tips loaded pretty hot but damn that gun was loud.

 

[dreadi]

From your list I've handled a Savage 110 Ultralight and a Seekins Element.

There was a time I was really jazzed up about getting a 110 Ultralight and possibly getting it from their custom shop, then I got one in for a customer. I was disappointed with it. It felt cheap. The action and barrel were probably just fine but for the amount of money they cost, i was expecting something that felt better. The stock really watered down the whole thing for me.

I recently handled a Seekins Element. Definitely low in the weight comparison but didn't feel cheap. The price of magazines can be something to consider. $90-$100 for one magazine is....eh...part of the cost of admission. I bought a PH2 recently and starting to get accustomed to it. I don't have a huge amount of bolt guns to compare with but, out of all the actions and chambers I've had to check over the years, this one felt rough when running the bolt straight out the box. Lubed it, it got better. Then it wasn't so good. Yesterday I put some shooter choice on it at the range and it feels significantly better.

 

[KenLee]

Every time I look at this deer I remember my ears ringing and head hurting. I sold that rifle shortly after, it was a hammer shooting 180 grain ballistic tips loaded pretty hot but damn that gun was loud.

That braked BAR was a 7 mag shooting the old Hornady Custom BTSP 162 gr, so not a hot round, but she taught me plenty.

 

[Mojave]

-Fierce carbon rogue F those guys NO! QC issues, and customer service sucks.
- savage 110 ultralight Yes, great customer service. Kind of ugly but they are so light and shoot so well.
- weatherby 307 alpine CT Yes but quality can be great or not.
- Bergara b-14 ridge carbon No QC issues. Customer service is awesome.
- tikka T3X super light Yes, but will be heavier than the Savage and is not threaded
- Christensen arms mesa fft and ridgeline fft. F those guys. The have QC issues.
- browning x bolt mountain pro Maybe, Browning can be great.

You seem to be in the $1200-1800 price point. There are some SIG rifles on Euro Optics on a big discount.

 

[Unckebob]

Hey all, just wanted to try and get some feed back on my next rifle build. I’ve decided packing around the ole trusty 300 win mag that weights 11 pounds is just not for me anymore. I’ve decided on either a 7 rem mag or 7PRC (whatever is available in the rifle I choose to buy). I’ve narrowed my options down to what the local sporting goods store carries and frankly they carry some good rifles. My options are:
-Fierce carbon rogue
- savage 110 ultralight
- weatherby 307 alpine CT
- Bergara b-14 ridge carbon
- tikka T3X super light
- Christensen arms mesa fft and ridgeline fft
- browning x bolt mountain pro

Wondering if any of you have experience with these rifles especially the fierce and weatherby. I know fierce and Christensen have some bad reviews for customer service when it comes to getting a lemon fixed. But bad news travels faster than good news and both companies have sold thousands of great shooting rifles. All these rifles I have listed have there quarks whether it be action, stock or barrel. Any opinion or feed back is greatly appreciated in helping me narrow down this list! Thanks!

I have a Browning Mountain Pro in 6.8W.
- The action might not be smoother than my Tikka, but it is certainly as smooth. I don't prefer one over the other.
- the magazine is great.
- the barrel is stiff enough to use a suppressor. It kicks like a mule without the can or muzzle brake. With a muzzle brake, recoil would be fine.
- Stock is very stiff and sturdy.

Cartridge: I think light rifles should have a short-action. That is why I went with the 6.8W which should be good for anything short of a brown bear. You would probably like a 300WSM.

I love mine.