I'm looking for a "sweetheart" of a rifle. I want this to be my "go-to" gun for all purposes. It will be used for deer, blackbear, Elk.....

It needs to be lightweight approx. 6-6.5 lbs
It has to be a shooter
Nice trigger
It has to have at least a 22" barrel
Less than a 90 degree bolt throw
Detachable magazine
Caliber preferences: 7mm-08/ .270Win/ .270WSM
I will be handloading for this
Thanks to all. Regards.

Browning Abolt or Xbolt, and Sako, are your only choices for a 60 deg bolt throw that I know of. You can get the Browning AND a very high quality scope/accessories for probably right at 2k. Abolts are a little cheaper right now, and Xbolts seem to be over stocked, so deals can be had. The Sako would be nice, but it'll come at a higher sticker price. Not sure if you meant 2k just for the rifle, of thats your total hunting rig budget. For what its worth, you won't go wrong with either. OH! There is also Kimber....but those get mixes reviews around these parts it seems.

All these have the short bolt throw, are available in the calibers you listed, come in around the same weights (maybe a touch heavier), and all have detachable mags. Now if you could pass on the detachable mags, you can include the M70 Feather weights and Kimbers. Older M70's are on shelfs in town here for 450$ for the super shadow models. Buy that, throw it on an ultralight stock from HS Precision or McMillan and you'll still be under 1k in price and shed some pounds.

Get a Sako Finnlight in 308. You can hang a Zeiss Conquest scope on it and still have a lot of change. They shoot!!!!!

http://www.gunbroker.com/Aucti....aspx?Item=149149785

You have enough left over for a nice Nikon 2-5-10 x 42

quote:

Originally posted by mailmanmark:


It needs to be lightweight approx. 6-6.5 lbs
It has to be a shooter
Nice trigger
It has to have at least a 22" barrel
Less than a 90 degree bolt throw
Detachable magazine
Caliber preferences: 7mm-08/ .270Win/ .270WSM
I will be handloading for this
Thanks to all. Regards.

Other than the DBM part, you just described the Mark V Ultra-Lightweight to a "T".

Try one. You'll like it!!

quote:

Originally posted by mailmanmark:
I'm looking for a "sweetheart" of a rifle. I want this to be my "go-to" gun for all purposes. It will be used for deer, blackbear, Elk.....

It needs to be lightweight approx. 6-6.5 lbs
It has to be a shooter
Nice trigger
It has to have at least a 22" barrel
Less than a 90 degree bolt throw
Detachable magazine
Caliber preferences: 7mm-08/ .270Win/ .270WSM
I will be handloading for this
Thanks to all. Regards.

accurate, light, accurate, upscale adjustable trigger.. and easy to do a switch barrel if you desire.. plus comes with a picatinny scope rail installed...

don't let the $299.00 or less price tag fool ya.. its one sweetheart of a rifle..

Marlin XR7... then with what ya got left over, think of how much you can impress everyone with your super fancy rifle scope... they will be so impressed they won't even notice the $299.00 super accurate rifle underneath it..

Brno 21h in 8x57 or 7x57

tikka t3 lite. 70 deg throw. 6.2 lbs.

seafire, the marlins are blind box mags IIRC. I looked at them a bit when looking for a knock-around rifle. I settled on a savage 11 fcxp3 (syn stock, detachable mag, cheap scope and mounts). I would recommend the same to the OP but the bolt lift is not likely much under 90 degrees.

Tikka T3

Schmidt Bender


Scope: $1500
Rifle: $589

Total: $2,089

For less than $2,100 you have a high quality rifle with many excellent features, for a great price. Then you have a rugged, crystal clear scope that will allow you to shoot in all but the darkest of conditions.

Mark V. What kind of accuracy is that? 1 1/2" @ 100yds. My BAR shoots better than that. So far the Finnlight is leading the pack. Thanks to all.

Interesting thread. I shoot W70 in 270WSM and it is a sweet shooter and knocks the deer down every time very effectively. My truck rifle is .303 British and I use it to hunt when the shop closes early and such. The 303 knocks them down well too, but there is a quite a difference in the meat damage. Truth to be told, the 303 ammo is 150 grains (I load for both) and it is not loaded to be very fast.

Now the results in the meat damage got me thinking and the first step will be to try 174 round nose in that old smellie. I also remember reading here that 45-70 ammo is even better as far as meat damage is concerned and I would have an excuse to get another rifle

Anyway long story short - I really like the 270WSM, the accuracy is superb but for Virginia forest hunting and also for the above mentioned meat reasons I am thinking about 45-70, proly Marlin lever action.

Also if you are getting new 270, it makes sense to go with WSM; I would not upgrade from 270 to 270WSM - the difference is not that big.

MMmark,
This retort is made with all good humor,
I believe your inteded game was stated to be deer, bear, elk etc. not grasshoppers, chipmunks squirrels starlings and the like.
Getiing 1.5" groups at 100 yds. will do for the three critters mentioned in the post above. I'd say it would be more important that the rifle shoot true with the first shot out of a cold barrel. I have three different Weatherbys, two accumarks and a super varmintmaster. Each of them shoot considerably better than 1.5" at 100 yds.
Get what turns your crank. Get out and fondle some different rifles, shoulder them, get a feel for the trigger. If you get a chance check out the detachable magazine, its over all length, how it sets when you pop it back in.
I got rid of an FN PBR because I didn't like the way you had to feed the DM.
I've a cooper Jackson Game Rifle in the model 52. Absolutely exquisite rifle. However, I do not like the single stack magazine and the way it has to be fed. You can't just push the cartridge in. I has to be fed into a notch the pushed down and in. If you have mittens on or your fingers are cold that can be a problem.
I've a Savage 10 FCP that shoots 5/8" groups at 200yds. I declined to take it hunting opening weekend because of the way the bolt closes when chambering a round.
As to optics, I tend toward lower magnifications on big game rifles with 2.5 x 8 or 3 x 9 being my current preference. Zworo's, Ziess, Leupold, Nikon Monarchs come to mind as acceptable choices.

As an afterthought, if you don't mind a use rifle, if you can find one, a browning micro-medallion meets most of your requirements.
Here is one in 7-08 that has been tricked a little. The trigger has been lightened to 1.5 lbs, it has been bedded. A 22" stainlees fluted barrel screwed on and the barrel and action teflon coated. It is a sweet rig.
GWB

Speaking of triggers, for Winchester 70 it only takes two 1/4" wrenches to tune the trigger, kove that feature.

GWB: funny how Texas jumps to my mind anytime i see a trophy of a hog

I think you'll have to come off a few of those requirements to have more choices. The less than 90 bolt throw and BDM are really excluding a lot of great rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by Strut10:

quote:

Originally posted by mailmanmark:


It needs to be lightweight approx. 6-6.5 lbs
It has to be a shooter
Nice trigger
It has to have at least a 22" barrel
Less than a 90 degree bolt throw
Detachable magazine
Caliber preferences: 7mm-08/ .270Win/ .270WSM
I will be handloading for this
Thanks to all. Regards.

Other than the DBM part, you just described the Mark V Ultra-Lightweight to a "T".

Try one. You'll like it!!

Thats what I was thinking, or the super big game master of years ago..... top it off with leupold dual dovetail rings/bases and a VX-III and go hunting for around 2K and a 60 deg bolt....no detachable mag though.....the only other 60 deg bolt with a box mag is a browning.

Some things you didn't mention....wood or plastic.....Matt or shinny.....blue or stainless

http://www.weatherby.com/produ...les/markv/ultralight