Help me decide

[mt100gr.]

ended up picking up a T3-superlite today, couldn't justify paying 1500 bucks for a gun with mediocre reviews, and figured if I went with Tikka the magnum made sense since there was no weight savings for SA

Good route to go IMO. And as you know, Tikka rifles are pretty popular with this crowd, myself included. If you decide you just gotta try a Kimber I think you could move that Superlite very quickly.

 

[Weston]

I got it in a .300 WM, finding brass seems to be tricky. I have no doubt I will hold on to it, even if I end up getting a montana I'll likely do a smaller caliber now that I have a lightweight "everything gun". I picked up some krylon fusion and webbing paint, will post pictures when I paint it. Its getting a gentry "quiet brake" and at the smith now so I should have it all done in a couple of weeks.

 

[6mm Remington]

Might be worth looking at one of these Montana Rifle Company products in say a 280 AI or 300 WSM! They build a fantastic product!!

http://montanarifleco.com/?page_id=180

 

[zerohour714]

Might be worth looking at one of these Montana Rifle Company products in say a 280 AI or 300 WSM! They build a fantastic product!!

http://montanarifleco.com/?page_id=180

I was looking for the exact setup as the op and decided on the mrc in .280 ai. These guns are sweet! I really like the controlled round feed. I narrowed it down to the kimber Montana, win m70, and mrc (all synthetic stock/ss barrel versions) and liked the mrc best. I also considered the sako and tikka but decided on a controlled round feed action.

These are all fine rifles, you can't really go wrong but my vote is the mrc X2.

 

[Mtaylor]

I was looking for the exact setup as the op and decided on the mrc in .280 ai. These guns are sweet! I really like the controlled round feed. I narrowed it down to the kimber Montana, win m70, and mrc (all synthetic stock/ss barrel versions) and liked the mrc best. I also considered the sako and tikka but decided on a controlled round feed action.

These are all fine rifles, you can't really go wrong but my vote is the mrc X2.

Zero hour post some pics on rockslide and info of the gun when you get it. Been wanting a 280 ai and 6mm told me about MRC, I am curious to hear what you think about it.

 

[Retterath]

im in the same boat, i have a 10lb hunting rifle in a 7wsm and was thinking of maybe building something light, but with all of you that do longer range hunting out to 7-800 yards have u ever taken a shot or harvested a animal at longer ranges with those light rifles. I want a lighter weight rifle but don't want to give up a lot of accuracy for it. Is this possible? I know sam millard has a light weight 260 DE rifle i hope he chimes in and curious what his max range with that rifle would be.

 

[Weston]

I just got the gun back from the smith this week, I gave her a paint job and did some other small things (ernie the gunsmith trigger spring, limbsaver pad, Leupy Vx3 4-14x 30mm CDS scope and talley light weight rings) I anticipate breaking in the bbl and pressure testing loads this week, and hope to dive into load development in about a week. I'll post some pictures and update with my accuracy results once I develop some loads, however I fully anticipate the gun be a solid performer out to 800+

 

[Retterath]

I just got the gun back from the smith this week, I gave her a paint job and did some other small things (ernie the gunsmith trigger spring, limbsaver pad, Leupy Vx3 4-14x 30mm CDS scope and talley light weight rings) I anticipate breaking in the bbl and pressure testing loads this week, and hope to dive into load development in about a week. I'll post some pictures and update with my accuracy results once I develop some loads, however I fully anticipate the gun be a solid performer out to 800+

what is your total weight of gun with the scope?

 

[GKPrice]

I'm gonna make a comment here, not to hijack the thread or offend anyone but just to make a comment ...
There are some entries above regarding lightweight rifles (which I LOVE) and shots at game out to 600, 700, even a recent post mentioning 800 yards - I've been hunting elk in Oregon's Snake River unit for a very, very long time - killed some pretty nice bulls over the years too - for anyone who doesn't know about that country, it is very steep and rugged and the "rule of the day" there is long shots can occur at any given time - It's also the kind of unit where a lightweight rifle REALLY shines - THAT said, I can remember 4 or 5 extreme shots before we had range finders but I had a Leupold scope that Premier Reticle and I had designed a stadia rangefinder for that worked pretty darn good and I've tipped over an elk or two at 600 yards or so several times - In '08 I "had" to shoot a bull at 504 yards because there was no way to get closer and not get into the brush and loose him - My point is, in all these long range kills only ONE was a one shot deal (and that was ALOT of luck to hit him in the spine) To require hiking down the steep canyon side and then up an equally other side to that kill in '08 gave me no feelings of exhileration to find that bull solidly down but still alive - Now, I've killed dozens upon dozens of prairie dogs at very long ranges over the years and THAT is fun (IMO) - THERE, it's off my chest now ...

Weston, I'm also anxious to see pictures of the new superlight all decked out

 

[cobrad]

I have to agree with GKPrices' sentiments. I've been fortunate to do a lot of long range shooting, and an awful lot of medium range- 6-800 yards. I've had three Montana's, several standard weights, and currently have an 8 lb scoped custom 270 WSM. My experience has been that once ranges start moving past 600, the light weights become very difficult to hit with. I've had pretty good success with a good standard weight out to 7-750, but this is almost all shooting at marmots and prairie dogs, where there is not so much chance of a gut shot and lost critter. Even in calm conditions off a bipod I've found my light and standard sporting weight rifles get too hard to hit with at the longer medium ranges to be confident much over 600 yards… but you may be a better shot and gauge the wind better than me.

Of the Montana's I've had, two were almost half MOA rifles. One was a one-and-a-half at best, no matter what load I tried. Anymore I compromise a little on weight or cost, and I'm no longer too attached to specific calibers as there are so many good ones, in order to get a rifle with guaranteed accuracy. Cooper has been one of the best I've used that is priced close to what we are talking about.