find a tikka whitetail hunter in 7mm. i dont like the BDL with the ugly stock the shiny barrel with the sights. the LSS i dont mind so much. the mt. rifle in 280 is a fine rig. it is light and it packs a punch. one of my dads hunting buddy uses one. the CDL that is comming out might be the best of the bunch. i think that a laminated stainless rifle will be next on my list.

I have had a Rem 700 mountain rifle in 280 remington for about 10 years now. Has a Leupold 4x-12x vari x 11 on it, 139gr SST hornady bullets @ 3080fps with IMR4350 powder. I also changed to Rem synthetic stocks and get 3/4" groups @ 100 yards 3" groups at 300yards when I do my part. Also 150gr nosler partitions for larger animals like elk or moose. Excellent rifle have carried it into alpine here in B.C. alot. I own alot of rifles and this is one of my favorite ones. I would reccommend the stainless steel model though.
Cam

Went down to Calgary in the past few weeks and I stopped in at a couple gun shops. I'm in the market for a rifle that will be used for game ranging in size from antelope to moose. I'm thinking 7mm RM is the best choice cal for me.

I was somewhat dissappointed with the Savage rifles, I thought that was a real possibility, but when compared side by side to a BDL (IMO) they really don't hold a candle.
I can't believe they'd make a rifle sans floorplate or DM, and the Weather Warrior had such shallow flutes in the barrel they might have even bothered doing it.

Can't figure out why T3s are so popular either,
for one they got to be the ugliest rifle made, and secondly there's just too much plastic. Can't understand why any sane person wouldn't just pony up the extra hundred or two and get a truly venerable make.

Without having shot any of the rifles I liked the Weatherby UL the best by far, but at that price I'd have very little left in the budget for glass. Could you imagine how disgraceful it would to crown a Weatherby with a Sportsman?

Another rifle I've always been curious about is the 700 Mtn. in .280 Rem. but the seemingly very gun savvy salesman was quick to point out the fact that this rifle has spindly barrel. And of course you know what he was driving at - spindly little barrel gets hot after a few rounds=POI shift. Is there any truth to this? I've read through a lot of posts in this forum and people seem to really like their Rem Mtn. rifles.
Can any Rem Mtn. rifle owners tell me if there's any truth to this?

With trying to remain close to the 1K price range, the model 70 or 700 BDL in laminate or wood seem to be the best value, I just wish I could get a Kevlar/fiberglass stock on it at this price point.

Still thinking


Any comments or reccomendations appreciated,

GordM

Well, the Savages sell well because nothing shoots better for the price. The Tikkas sell well because they are a Sako in disguise, and usually they shoot pretty well too. The new Remingtons are a crapshoot, quality wise, but they are better looking guns then the other two. Yes, a thinner barrel will usually change POI quicker then a thicker barrel. Are you planning on resisting rampaging herds of game animals? How many shots, realistically, will you take at a time? At the range, you just let the rifle cool between shots, to get a good idea of group potential. Once you know how well the rifle shoots cold (and let's face it, where the first shot from a cold barrel goes is really the important one in a hunting rifle), then try three or five shots in quick succession to see what happens when the gun heats up. Usually three shot groups don't change much (although I had a Win 70 for a while that was always a two and one grouper, no matter what I did), five shot groups will open uo a little. If you want a kevlar stock, and want to stay around 1k, look for a used Remington KS mountain rifle. Remember that kevlar and the synthetic (read plastic) stocks that come on the lower priced factory guns are not the same thing. FWIW. - Dan

I just purchased a Tikka T3 in SS with a laminate stock in 7 mm Rem Mag. I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet (it has been -30 to -40 here) but I am very happy with the "appearance". I have a Tikka in 223 and if my new one shoots as well, I will be very happy. It is light, well balanced and the action is extremely smooth. The synthetic stocks on the T3 seem a little lighter than previous models and I am not sure I would have bought one of these. Plastic isn't an issue for me. They have been replacing metal and wood parts on firearms for a number of years now and I have not heard or read reports of these parts failing.