Looking for a new rifle

[Hunter 08]

Right now I'm looking for a new rifle for hunting. For the last 6 almost 7 years I've been using my Mossberg 800A .308. Great rifle no doubt about it, but it's getting pretty heavy to carry around with full winter gear. With a scope, bipod and it's wood stock, it's about 14lbs. I'm looking to drop down to a 7mm-08 with a synthetic stock to save a bit on weight. I've looked at Remington 700s, but their quality is not as good as it once was. Kind of looking at Savage 11/111 or maybe Tikka. I'd like a rifle with good aftermarket support, as in better stocks, and relatively lightweight, maybe 8lbs with sling, scope, full magazine. I also prefer detached box magazines over internal. Much easier to load and unload when needing to leave a tree stand, than having to mess with an internal mag and popping the spring hinged plate, whIle keeping the ammo fromy dropping to the ground.

My current bipod is a knockoff Harris from Rock mountain, 6-9". Doesn't weigh much maybe pound and three quarter. Mostly use it when sighting while prone. Where I hunt in Northern Minnesota, is woods, with clear shots up to 75 yards. To my immediate right in my stand, it's upwards of 140 yards of thick grass, maybe 2 feet tall. But I do plan on moving to South Dakota in the next couple years and I plan on hunting out there. Never done any there so I'm not sure what ranges I'll be working with. I'm not one for going out of my way at taking a shot much beyond 250 yards.

I'm kind of trying to work on a budget of not much more than $650 for the rifle itself, with maybe $300 towards a decent scope. My eyes are good, but I'm planning on hunting for quite a few years yet, so I'll probably go up to a 42mm+ objective, long as I can keep weight of then whole thing managable. If I end up taking my nephew out hunting, I'll let him use the rifle, he'll be 12 soon and he's scrawny. So while he uses that, I'll be using my old rifle, or by dad's 740 Remington .30-06.

I'm open to rifle and scope recommendations. I'm pretty set of using 7mm-08.

 

[SoonerMedic]

Firstly, let me ask this. What are you going to be hunting?? It sounds to me like you could get by with building (or even buying) a nice 6.5 Grendel or a 6.8 SPC if you're planning on hunting deer/pigs/rabbits etc...I'm sure you could get this rifle down to about 6lbs with glass if you're selective with what you buy.

 

[Hunter 08]

Right now mainly white tail, some point would like to go to mule deer with my uncle in Wyoming. Right now, I'm mainly looking into bolt action rifles, but eventually will do an AR15, just not in the cards. I'm not familiar with 6.5 Grendel. But I am familiar with 6.8SPC. 6.8 isn't common enough for me to really want to get into it yet, still too new like .300blk.

 

[SoonerMedic]

Just a quick search I found that you can get the 6.5 Grendel in bolt action from Howa for around $650 without glass and weighs in at 6lbs.

http://www.legacysports.com/catalog/howa/howa-mini-action-rifle/

 

[Hunter 08]

I'm not into reloading, so how readily available are factory loads at stores?

Edit: I'm trying to wrap my head around why 6.5 Grendel would be better than 7mm-08. 7mm08 has a longer track history and has more factory loadings for it, making it much easier to buy at a store, rather than buying online or having to buy components to reload.

 

[jmr40]

There isn't a nickles worth of difference between 7-08 and 308. I assume you already have 308 ammo, it is easier to find and cheaper than 7-08. I'd stay 308 simply for the logistics of finding ammo. But there is certainly nothing wrong with 7-08. If you're concerned about recoil consider 260 and especially the 6.5 Creedmoor. No animal will ever know the difference between 7-08 and either of the 6.5's, but it offers significantly less recoil than 308 or 7-08.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is the hottest new round. It compares very well to 270 but in a short action and beats it at ranges over 200 yards, with about 2/3 the recoil. A 270 is 6.8mm so bullet diameter is virtually the same, but the 6.5 bullets have much better BC.s. The 270 shoots 130 gr bullets slightly faster at the muzzle, but by the time the bullet is at 200 yards the 6.5 is faster, shoots flatter and hits harder with less wind drift. With `140-143 gr bullets it compares very well to 270 with 150 gr bullets. It is a legitimate 400+ yard elk round. Ammo is easier to find and cheaper than 7-08.

You need to keep the scope under 1 lb if you're going to put together a lighter weight rifle. Leupold 3-9X40 scopes will be the lightest at around 11-12 oz and are known for quality. You can get a VX-2 with a standard reticle for $300, but it is worth the extra $50 to get the reticle with long range dots on it to me. Anything with an objective in the 44-50 mm range is mostly gimmick and a waste of money. Talley Lightweight rings will also keep weight down, they are around 2 oz compared to as much as 6-8 oz for some of the steel mounts.

Lots of rifle choices. But if you want to keep weight under 8 lbs forget Howa or Weatherby Vanguard. They are great rifles, but are just shy of 8 lbs before you add optics. You should be able to meet your weight limit with a Savage or Remington. It won't happen with a Winchester 70 or Ruger Hawkeye, but will be close if you choose your scope carefully. I don't know anything about Winchesters new budget rifle, but looking at them in stores they look pretty good. I like Tikka and with a Leupold scope and either the factory supplied rings, or other lighter rings you should be able to keep weight well under 8 lbs. Closer to 7.5 in fact.

If you're looking to spend less than $700-$900 on a rifle I'd just buy a $400 Ruger American. Honestly, there isn't anything less than $700 that I think is any better. They are proving to be tack driving rifles and the standard rifles are just over 6 lbs. You can easily make your 8 lb. limit and have more money for a better scope while staying well under budget. They offer the Predator in both 308 and 6.5 Creedmoor. The Predator comes with a medium weight target barrel but because the stock and the rest of the rifle is lighter my 6.5 is still under 8 lbs even with a heavier scope on it.

Check them out.

http://ruger.com/products/americanRifle/overview.html

 

[Captcurt]

I'm not into reloading, so how readily available are factory loads at stores?

Edit: I'm trying to wrap my head around why 6.5 Grendel would be better than 7mm-08. 7mm08 has a longer track history and has more factory loadings for it, making it much easier to buy at a store, rather than buying online or having to buy components to reload.

I am with you when it comes to the Grendel. The 7mm-08 is an excellent round with good BC's and every ammo manufacturer loads for it. There is no comparison between the two rounds. According to Lyman's 50th Edition the Grendel pushes a 130gr at 2300 and the 7 pushes the 140gr at 2900. Not even close.

Savage makes some ugly, but accurate rifles and they do have a light weight that would put you under the 8 lb mark with no problem. Plenty of after market goodies too. I have been on a Creedmoor kick lately and it is a interesting round but there are dozens out there that will do the same thing. The closest that I have come to a perfect whitetail rifle for the places that I hunt was a Ruger 77 Compact in 260. It was a dream, but alas, I sold it.

 

[Patocazador]

Consider this, the lighter the gun and the shorter the barrel, the harder it is to shoot offhand with accuracy. Balance is important and some well-balanced rifles feel lighter because of it.

I have a Rem. Model 7 in 7-08. It is very difficult for me to shoot this featherweight offhand with accuracy. It's easy to carry but I need a rest to shoot well with it.

 

[SoonerMedic]

Lots of rifle choices. But if you want to keep weight under 8 lbs forget Howa or Weatherby Vanguard. They are great rifles, but are just shy of 8 lbs before you add optics.

This isn't true. In the 6.5 Grendel anyway, Howa makes this rifle at 6lbs according to their website. and this is a bolt action rifle like he was wanting....

 

[MCgunner]

Jeez, your rifle is 14 lbs? WOW! I have an older stainless Remington M7 that's my go to and has been since I got it about 20 years ago, but it doesn't have your required removable magazine. It sure is light, short, and handy, though, maybe a tick over 7 lbs with its Weaver KV 2-10/40. I shoot it just fine off hand or rested. I rarely take non-rested shots at game, though. Heck, I'm usually in a box blind now days. There are LOTS of light weight rifles now days to chose from, though. I'd look at Rugers, myself.

 

[Hunter 08]

While that is a good point for off hand shooting, I don't practice that enough to worry about it. If I lose on the opportunity to shoot the game I'may not going to lose sleep over it. To me it's be an awkward angle to shoot left handed, using my right eye (I'm right eye dominate) to sight in.

Yes I do have a decent stock of .308 ammo currently, as that's the only caliber I have. But I'd like to try my hand at another caliber. Far as 6.5mm goes, the one caliber I'd get in that would be 6.5x55mm Swede in a modern rifle at some point.

 

[Hunter 08]

Jeez, your rifle is 14 lbs? WOW! I have an older stainless Remington M7 that's my go to and has been since I got it about 20 years ago, but it doesn't have your required removable magazine. It sure is light, short, and handy, though, maybe a tick over 7 lbs with its Weaver KV 2-10/40. I shoot it just fine off hand or rested. I rarely take non-rested shots at game, though. Heck, I'm usually in a box blind now days. There are LOTS of light weight rifles now days to chose from, though. I'd look at Rugers, myself.

Wood stock, steel bipod, steel scope rings...it adds up fast. If it was one of their newer rifles, I'd be able to buy a synthetic stock to help drop weight, but considering the last rifle was made I believe in 1967 (somewhere mid to late 60s early 70s) and probably didn't sell that many, no one makes ano aftermarket stock. Boyds has solid walnut stocks in the same shape as my current one, but without the designs and the checkering.

 

[Sunray]

"...about 14 lbs...." One of 'em with a Mannlicher stock was only 6.5 pounds. 7.5 with a scope in. Not that it matters. "I want one." is reason enough for a new rifle.
The weight difference between a synthetic stock and wood is negligible. About 1 pound or less with like rifles. Barrel length means a lot more. A big, heavy, high magnification, scope adds weight in the wrong place too.
Anyway, You don't get a lot for $650 BNIB. However, you can have a 20" barreled, 7mm-08, Savage 11 Trophy Hunter with a Nikon 3-9x40 scope(7 pounds) and a synthetic stock for their MSRP of $629. $569.99 in .308 from Cabela's. No 7mm-08's in stock according to their site. Your local gun shop can order whatever you want though.
As mentioned, the 2 cartridges aren't much different.

 

[Hunter 08]

Just reweighed it. 10lbs with everything. Huge difference, might of had it confused with something else I've looked at. Barrel length 22" or so is fine with me, I just don't want short and have a huge fireball in my face.

 

[Captcurt]

Just set up a new Kimber 84M Hunter in 257 Roberts. 5 pounds 10 oz plus scope. Stuck a 3X9X40 Legend Ultra on it in Leupold mounts. I'm keeping this one if it shoots.

 

[Hunter 08]

For arguments sake, about how much would one have to set aside to build a bolt gun? Say with a budget of $1000 or less. I have looked at doing that as an option but never looked too much into it. I know completely different story, but just curious.

 

[Husker Hunter]

My brother and a cousin both shoot Tikkas (one in .243 and one in 25-06) and love them. Their lightweight, well made, and they shoot really well. I paid $650 for my Browning X-Bolt synthetic and it would definitely work for you. As far as glass goes, you can't go wrong with a Nikon Monarch 3. I have the 4-16x42 model on my X-Bolt in 30-06, it's kind of overkill, but the 3-12x42 would work better for you. Get the BDC reticle and the spot on app and your good to go. Nothing against Leupold, their great optics, but Nikon is definitely more bang for your buck.

 

[JeffG]

Kind of looking at Savage 11/111 or maybe Tikka.

Good choices.

 

[MCgunner]

Just reweighed it. 10lbs with everything. Huge difference, might of had it confused with something else I've looked at. Barrel length 22" or so is fine with me, I just don't want short and have a huge fireball in my face.

Well, now we're on the same page. I sorta freaked at the 14 lb thing.

You said something about liking 6.5x55. In a short action, light, compact rifle, the .260 Remington is about the same. It's just a .308 case in 6.5, a necked down 7-08 if you will.

I got my M7 in .308. If it'd been a 7-08, I would not have complained. Six of one, half dozen of the other.

 

[Hunter 08]

Well, now we're on the same page. I sorta freaked at the 14 lb thing.

You said something about liking 6.5x55. In a short action, light, compact rifle, the .260 Remington is about the same. It's just a .308 case in 6.5, a necked down 7-08 if you will.

I got my M7 in .308. If it'd been a 7-08, I would not have complained. Six of one, half dozen of the other.

I have not tried 6.5x55, but I have heard is a pretty flat shooting round.

 

[Captcurt]

I have not tried 6.5x55, but I have heard is a pretty flat shooting round.

I have had a Swede, a 260 and am now working with some Creedmoors. For all practical purposes they are identical. The only advantage, if it really is an advantage, is the Creedmoor was developed for a short action with maximum run out on the bullet. All three are great rounds but they are not as flat shooting as many others. If you want flat shooting at practical ranges try a 25-06 or 257 Weatherby. The Weatherby is awesome.

 

[Hunter 08]

I'm not a fan of magnums. Too much recoil for my liking. Almost got a .270 wsm when I was choosing between that and my .308 I got for my 18th birthday, since I was told recoil is similar to .30-06, but even then I've only shot .30-06 in a 740, so I'd have no comparison for it.

 

[FL-NC]

I have a Ruger American predator (short barrel 308) and a mossberg MVP thunder ranch in 223. Both light and accurate- love them both. Both also available in other calibers.

 

[Hunter 08]

How reliable is that rotary box magazines for the American? Pretty much an upscale version from the 10/22 it seems. I know some box magazines (like on the 740, 760, etc) tend to not be all that reliable at times.

 

[Captcurt]

How reliable is that rotary box magazines for the American? Pretty much an upscale version from the 10/22 it seems. I know some box magazines (like on the 740, 760, etc) tend to not be all that reliable at times.

I shot a Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor a lot this last year. It was a very accurate rifle and was not picky about the loads. I had 4 loads that would shoot 1/2 MOA if I did my part. Never had an issue with the magazine, but looks like they would be easy to break. But that is just my guess.