General Purpose/ Back up Rifle

[duckhunter175]

I've been considering the purchase of a back up rifle to take with me on trips and also double as a solid, general purpose rifle for hunting here in Texas. I'm looking for a bolt action rifle on the lighter side that will not need a bunch of extra, aftermarket components, but will be durable (synthetic stock, maybe cerakoted), reliable (not a fan of detachable magazines), reasonably priced (thinking scope and rifle in the $1000ish range). For cartridge I'm looking for something that will be moderate in recoil (without a brake), handle up to elk sized game out to 300 yards, easy to find quality factory ammo (hence the back up part) and also easy to find reloading components.

 

My current tools in the tool box of rifles are a 6.5x284, a 7 RUM and a .338wm (2x Rem 700s, 1x Win M70)

 

Here are my thoughts:

 

Rifle (I want a 24" barrel to be able to squeak out some extra velocity, see cartridges below)

1. Weatherby Vanguard Wilderness

2. Rem 700 SPS stainless (hate hate hate the stock)

3. Kimber Hunter (I know i said no detachable mags)

4. Browning Xbolt (mag issue... and its either a 22 or 26" barrel)

 

Scope (dang hard to keep in budget)

1. Leupold VX1 4-12x (best option to stay in budget?)

2. Leupold VX6 2-12x w/CDS (price on these is coming down)

3. Swaro Z3 3.5-10x w/ BT

4. Vortex Razor HD LH 2-10 or 3-15x

 

Cartridge-

1. 270win-- I like the ability to push these fast....and also be able to bump up to 150 partitions

2. 30-06-- I like the ability to go from 150 to 220...

 

What are your thoughts??

[5guyshunting]

Check out Lanbos Armory for Leupold.

[300RUM]

You might consider a light compact short action in 7mm-08. It could handle elk out to 300 yards. If you ever draw a Hunt in steep terrain it can be nice to have a light Mountain rifle. On other hunts it could still be a very effective backup rifle. As far as barrel length you probably only gain about 20 FPS per inch.

[AZ_SAWBUCK]

Tikka T3 270 WSM. Vortex Viper HS LR 4-16 X 50 with target MOA turret. if you can shoot this is a great medium to long range gun. Be a little over your budget but light accurate and reliable! Find a used scope and gun and save $$$.

[lancetkenyon]

Don't overlook .280 Rem/7RM/7SAUM. Not obnoxious to shoot without a brake, great bullet selections in the .284/7mm offerings, more oomph than a .270, better BC than the both, you can get factory loads, plenty for elk sized game out to 500.

[Red Rabbit]

How about something like the Bergara B-14 Hunter in 7mm-08 or 308win for around $670 ?

http://www.bergarausa.com/bergara_b-14_series_hunter_rifle.php

[duckhunter175]

Hadn't thought of Tikka or Bergara-- need to open my aperture a little bit. I think I handled a Bergara at Cabelas and wasn't crazy about it but that was when they first came out. Has anyone spent much time behind one? heck I didn't include Savage-- I owned a LRH that I liked but was much to heavy for what I want this rifle for.

 

All great points on alternate cartridges-- not sure on availability/price of 270wsm or 7saum but I see 7mm-08 around a good bit and everyone has 7RM.

[Hoss50]

Something in 6.5 cal. There are alot of good rifles in alot of good calibers out there.

[Zeke-BE]

Tikkas have the magazine but love this rifle. Smoothest bolt action out there and very light. I believe the 7mm are 24" but most rifles are 22" But I had a .270 shooting 140 accubond 1/2 MOA pushing right at exactly 3,000 fps. No problem hitting 500 yards and didn't practice that much at 750 yards but center plate that bad boy

[Zeke-BE]

I don't know where DFW is but I have a 6.5 Creedmoor Vanguard with a 20 MOA rail, timney trigger, 24" barrel, and a Bell & Carlson stock in coyote tan. 200 rounds down the tube that Im willing to sell

[lancetkenyon]

DFW=Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX.

[300RUM]

Barrel length versus velocity. I researched it a bit before I built a 20 inch barreled custom lightweight 7mm-08 AI. The following data is from a test done by Charlie Sisk, a custom rifle builder. He cut down the barrel an inch at a time and chronographed each length.

 

270 Winchester Hodgdon 4350 54 grains Federal GM210M Winchester brass 130 grain Sierra
27 3115
26 3093
25 3071
24 3054
23 3035
22 3027
21 3001
114 fps from highest to lowest

[duckhunter175]

Barrel length versus velocity. I researched it a bit before I built a 20 inch barreled custom lightweight 7mm-08 AI. The following data is from a test done by Charlie Sisk, a custom rifle builder. He cut down the barrel an inch at a time and chronographed each length.

 

270 Winchester Hodgdon 4350 54 grains Federal GM210M Winchester brass 130 grain Sierra

27 3115

26 3093

25 3071

24 3054

23 3035

22 3027

21 3001

114 fps from highest to lowest

 

RUM- I think you bring up a great point on velocity vs barrel length and I've read enough of your threads to know you're a huge 7mm-08 proponent. I think the only 22" barreled rifle I've ever owned was an abolt II in 7mm-08. I never even killed anything with it but my roommate when we were stationed in Oklahoma killed his first deer and a nice hog.

 

Of the rifles I've handled lately I think there is also personal preference for the 24" barrel over the 22". The Kimber Hunter, Remington, Weatherby and Brownings that I handled all had 24" and I preferred that over the 22" on the normal xbolt. Of all the rifles I handled the Weatherby Wilderness had the best 'feel' and I think its a Bell and Carlson (or similar) stock they are using.

 

The browning would be in high contention (even with the magazine) but I feel like they downsized the stocks on those Xbolts-- all the dimensions feel a hair smaller than what they should be and I'm not a duratouch fan. I had that on my Maxus and it gets chewed up wayyyyy to easily.

[duckhunter175]

Something in 6.5 cal. There are alot of good rifles in alot of good calibers out there.

 

I've got the 6.5 angle covered with the 6.5x284 but it is definitely going to be a 'primary' gun for chasing whitetails here in Texas and hopefully pronghorn next year in Wyo. I know everyone is in love with the creedmoor but I like the option of being able to go a good bit faster with the 270 or alot Heavier with the 30-06. I also feel like since I don't own a rifle in either of those two classics that it would fill a good niche in the safe.

 

If Remington put a decent stock on their SPS we might already have a winner but since they basically need a stock and trigger right off the bat I've opened the aperture.

[Hoss50]

If you have a 6.5 I would skip to at least 7mm or 30 caliber.

 

I would buy a boomer and put a brake on it. Tikka or similar in 300 win mag. Light weight and has plenty of punch. With the brake you shouldn't have issues with recoil. Ammo is readily available most places.

 

If you do a light rifle in 3006 you are probably still going to have to brake it to make it fun to shoot, so you might as well jump to 300 mag and get some thump at more range.