Help w/ .270 mountain rifle build!

[Shennanigans]

So I'm looking to put together a mountain rifle style .270. I'd like to find a lightweight profile Win 70 or Rem 700 barreled action in a blued finish, but not necessary. I'm having trouble finding barreled action only. I don't want to pay for a stock and trigger that I am immediately going to replace! Im thinking about a decent bell and carlson or go spendy with a nice mcmillan. I'd like to keep the barreled action + stock at around 900-1000. Any suggestions?

 

[jmr40]

A Remington action will be a lot lighter than a Winchester and will be easier to get the weight you are looking for. That said I prefer the Winchester action and you can still get pretty light using one. Just stay away from Weatherby or Howa if you want light. Savage actions are pretty light as well.

Here are some weights to look at

http://brownprecision.com/SelectingComponents.htm

If you want light, forget about B&C. Their Medalist stocks weigh between 36-40 oz. The Medalist stock is a good one if you want a heavy rifle, some of the non-Medalist stocks are a little lighter, but are junk. A McMillan Edge is about 2X more expensive, but is the easiest and most cost effective way to get a truly light stock, 20-23 oz depending on style. You can buy stocks as light as 15-16 oz from companies such as MPI, but cost is much more than even McMillan.

www.hightech-specialties.com also makes a decent stock at around 24oz that actually sells for just a little more than the B&C, but you have to do the final fitting, add a recoil pad and paint it yourself. I've done 1, it ain't rocket science, but you don't save that much after buying a pad, paint and your time over a McMillan.

You should be able to find a Remington Mt rifle or Winchester Featherweight used for around $400-$500. A McMillan Edge will cost you $518. (if you're serious, PM me and I'll tell you how) You can sell the factory stock on E-bay for $100 or so and be under your budget and have a rifle that weighs around 6 lbs, maybe a little less before mounting optics.

Or you could add $100 to your budget and just buy a 5-6 lb. Kimber from the factory.

 

[sage5907]

If I were looking for a top of the line mountain rifle I would keep an eye on GunBroker for a Winchester 70 Pre 64 featherweight in 270 Winchester caliber. They were manufactured from 1955 through 1963. There's a guy in Victoria, Texas named Cully who puts a barreled action up for sale ever few weeks. Going price is about $650 for one in good condition (80% blue) and about $750 for one in excellent condition (95% blue). His posts always have a red background. Once you get the barreled action you can buy a McMillan stock or an original Winchester featherweight stock. Any additional small parts can come from eBay. One secret to building a rifle like that is to have the stock about 1/4 inch shorter than you normally use. The shorter stock makes the rifle lighter and is quicker to get to the shoulder. It don't get much better than that. BW

 

[DRYHUMOR]

I've seen some M700 mountain rifles go pretty cheap on gunbroker lately. Condition was OK to good. Some of the higher priced ones are not moving ($650-$750), might be worth making an offer on one. I was on the lookout for one in .280 Remington, and was checking GB every day for a good one to come along.

I actually found one in really good condition at the last gunshow for $525. Put it in a B&C Mountain Rifle stock with a Leupold 4.5-14x40 on top. Talley bases/rings. It weighs 7.9lbs unloaded. The B&C LA Mountain Rifle stock has the full aluminum rail.

 

[snakeman]

My howa ranchland is pretty light and the action is sculpted to reduce weight. Also my howa and weatherby are both more accurate and more reliable than either of the model 700's they replaced! But then again I like my guns to feed right and neither of my 700's bought new ever did. You had better hope with that 700 action that everything is turned just right when you try to cycle the action quickly. Best to use a savage action as the platform for the build. But to each his own and good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[NCsmitty]

Used Ruger ultralight in 270 on Gunbroker for $595.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=270739878


NCsmitty

 

[gamestalker]

Remington offers several super nice light weight mountain rifle's. Some are wood and some are synthetic. They also have some particularily light weight actions that include a blue steel, stainless, and titanium alloy. I think I read something about the titanium action not having a tapered barrel, therefore it's a bit more accurate than the standard light weight tapered barrel.
Go to remington's web site and check out the many options they have for your desired build. FYI, I have a model 70 Win. Feather Weight chambered in .270 win.. It's a rather old and very beautiful rifle with a walnut stock and finely blued finish, but it is not as accurate of set up as the Remington versions of mountain rifles, in my opinion. I've had a lot of hands on experience with Rem, Sav, and Win. in .270 win. and of those three, Remington is deffinitely the better option.

 

[jmr40]

Give us a target weight that you are trying to reach. By my definition a mountain weight rifle's should be no more than 7 lbs., including a scope and mounts. That means no more than 6 lbs bare and even then you will have to choose your scope and mounts carefully. You also need at least a 22" barrel to take advantage of the velocity you'll need at mountain shooting ranges. There are lots of factory rifles with mountain, featherweight, and other lightweight names, but most are lightweight in name only.

The Winchester Featherweights run about 6 3/4 lbs, The Remington Mt rifle's in current production run from 6.5-7. The discontiued Remington Ti with titanium receiver was still 6 1/4. The Ruger ultralite is 6.5 and the Howa is 7+ and those 2 come with 20" barrels. All of those rifles come from the factory with stocks that are too heavy and you could lose around 1/2 lb on all of them with a McMillan Edge stock.

To help meet the weight requirement i'd consider the 7mm-08 instead of 270. Going to a short action alone will save you 1/4 lb., up to a full pound depending on the rifle you choose, and the 7-08 will do 99% of what a 270 will do.

To get an off the shelf rifle light weight rifle there are a few options, and some surprisingly cheap ones. The best, most expensive option is a Kimber 84. A short action will weigh just a hair over 5 lbs. The long actions about 6. A much cheaper option is the Tikka T-3 at just a hair over 6 lbs. Even less expensive are the Marlin XS-7, Stevens 200 and the new Ruger American rifle. All 3 of those are just a hair over 6 lbs and priced in the mid $300's. The Ruger is too new to say, but the Marlin and Stevens have proven to be accurate and relaible.

If you are set on a true lightweight (within your budget) and want to build your own, you could start with a 700 Mt rifle, add a truly lightweight stock and still be under 7 lbs (with optics). With a Winchester Featherweight and the same stock, you won't quite make 7 lbs, but will be within 2-3 oz.

 

[jehu]

Look for a used Sako Finnlite or Sako Hunter Stainless and you will not have to change stocks and you will have a fine lite mountain rifle.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Or, you can just get you a Marlin XL-7 in .270, and a Leupold lightweight 2x-7x (scope will cost as much/more than rifle), and You'll have a near or even sub-moa .270 that will weigh less than 7.5lbs and have enough money left over for a decent deer lease for next year.....
That is, unless you want to re-invent the wheel...

And I beg to differ on the .270wcf vs. 7mm08. The 7mm08 will do ~105% of what the .270 will do. This is due to available bullets/ weights.
But if "stuck" using "factory ammo", get the .270....
And, Marlington also makes the XS-7 in 7mm08.

Heck, for less than the cost of a used Mod-700CDL MountainRifle, you could get BOTH calibers and decide which is better for your application, and then sell the other.....

 

[snakeman]

I'm with goosegestapo except I like the stevens. The marlins are good don't get me wrong I had two. But I like the stevens better once the trigger is replaced with a timney.

 

[Art Eatman]

Gettin' old means I'm too lazy for a project gun. My solution was a 700 Ti in 7mm08. With sling, ammo and a Leupold 3x9, the weight is 6.5 pounds, ready to hunt. 22" barrel, which is shorter than I like for a .270 or '06. Just right for the 7mm08, as near as I can tell.

 

[78tsubaki]

Parallel paths here. I wanted to build (rescue) an 06. I found a 1953 Model 70 that had the stock shortened and refinished. Translation, not collectable.
The action is typical pre 64 Winchester which means it really smooth.
I got the rifle for a decent price and it is now at MPI getting re-stocked.
I am going to take the original stock and make it a wall hanging over my work bench. Numrich had the extra few parts I was looking for.

Best of luck, your donor rifle is out there.

 

[Fullboar1]

Like JMR40 said a lightweight mountain rifle should weigh no more than 7 pounds and an ideal weight would be closer to 6 pounds for the bare rifle. The good old Remington 600 mountain were the go back in there day now days I would look at a Sako A7, they come blued or stainless in 270 and weight around 6-1/4 pounds and have a great synthetic stock so their is no need to change that and the trigger is as good as any aftermarket job. You could also look at a Tikka T3 they weigh around 6-1/4 pounds and they also have a great trigger and the stock is pretty good also but if you don't like the stock then you can get an aftermarket one like a Wild Dog or a Bell and Carson. Another few good lightweight rifles you could look at is the Sako 85 Finnlight (only comes in stainless), Sako 85 Stainless/Synthetic or a Sako 85 Hunter (in 270 is 7pounds). All the Sako (and Tikka) rifles have great user adjustable triggers that are as good as any after market one and the stocks are also made really well so their is no need to replace them.

 

[squarepants33889]

My vote is for the Sako 85. Laminate synthetic "Grey Wolf" is ideal for wet back backing conditions.

 

[hipoint]

my remington 700 is the heaviest gun I own... I really don't like carrying it around these steep mountains all day, when I go hunting in the mountains as opposed to the valleys I grab my 8mm mauser, it's easily 2 lbs lighter, maybe more.

just a little food for thought there. Even a couple of pounds makes a huge difference in the mountains around here.

 

[roklok]

I have a steel receiver Remington 700 .270 that weighs 6 pounds WITH scope. It is my sheep rifle. I posted here about my project:


http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-591442.html&amp&