Mountain gun... for hunting.

[HiBC]

One thing you might make note of:That Taylorforce guy lives in Colorado and hunts the sort of thing you want to hunt.
He is not wrong.There are other choices,of course.
You are probably going to want a 300 yd gun.Oh,and we have pronghorn,too.
Most of the medium standard 30-06 ish type guns you can sight about 2 in high at 100,on at 200,maybe 8 in low at 300.
You can like what you like,but at your budget,a Weaver K- 6 might be a good scope.
I like Win m-70'S,A good choice,very good.If you can find a Mark 10 mauser or some of the other older good hunting rifles,used,Husquvarna,Harrinton and Richardson,some like JC Higgins or Ted Williams had Mauser Supreme actions.
Not a lot of folks recomend them,for some reason,but I think a Ruger 77 is a good rifle,and of course,Savage,reminton,etc,all have a following.
I have lived in Colorado since 1966.I am in the middle of building a rifle about like Taylorforce described.
A good friend sold me a Mauser action long ago.A 1909 Argentine.In the random parts box,I have a commerecial mauser 30-06 length steel guard/magazine in full 30-06 length.Next week,a Lothar Walther #2 light sporter 30-06 barrel will show up.Last nigt,I ordered a Win M-70 type Gentry safety.I have already lapped in a commercial mauser bolt.I ordered a Timney trigger ,and Warne has some Weaver style steel mounts that do not require grinding the stripper clip feature off the rear bridge.I have my last Garrett Accra-lite glass,kevlar and foam stock,in a Win M-70 FWT pattern,to freefloat glass bed on it.Its going to get a fixed power 6x Leupold FX3,6x42 on it.
That is my idea of a good hunting rifle for what you describe.
The M-70 FWT is probably a little better.Just a little.

[Wrothgar]

I have a German Mauser Kar 98, but I don't think I'll be doing any spoterizing to it :-).

But seriously, pros and cons of the .444 and .450 vs the .338?

[Dr. A]

The 338 MX is equipped with a gun specific load that will maximize your shot out to 300 yards and beyond. There are those that that can shoot the 450 and 45-70 that far, but the skill level is high. They are general thought of as a closer range caliber than even your 30-30. I have the 308MX and am patiently waiting the time I can trade my 338Winchester magnum in on one of these 338MXLR. They are not the same gun, but the 338MX touts similar ballistic advantage of a 30-06 180gr. load. Its not identical, but the drop is similar with a larger bullet. If you are hankering for a bolt gun, you can come up with a Marlin bolt gun for less than 350 bucks that gives incredible accuracy, so you can scope the gun and buy your gun for less than 550 bucks. The XL series Marlin is a better value than the straight Savage and is now known for its accuracy. This is a gun I'd consider if you wanted to steer towards the longer distance guns on a budget.

[taylorce1]

HiBC, thanks for the vote!

I don't even own a Win M70 FWT anymore. I used to have one of the post 64 push feed models in .270 Win with a 3-9 Bushnell scope on it. Unfortunately I was a fool years ago and some guy with more money than sense (or so I thought) parted me from that rifle. I have an extremely accurate and a lot heavier Parker Hale 1200 that I replaced it with in .270 Win.

I sure miss that old FWT as it was just heavy enough that it didn't kill my shoulder to sight it in. It was only about a 1.5" rifle but it was good enough to kill a few elk for me. The Parker is a sub 1" gun with most loads I've tried and has accounted for an elk at 250 yards and a deer and pronghorn well beyond that. I love it for the accuracy, I just hate carrying it and usually my JC Higgins M50 .30-06 gets the nod for chasing elk in the mountains.

The VX-III/3 2.5-8X36 has become my favorite hunting scope after I bought my first VX-III in 03. It is light weight has clear optics that allow me to see well before or after legal light. Plus it never looks bulky on a rifle and fits a saddle scabbard well. Most of my serious hunting rifles get this scope put on it, even though they cost about $400 it is money well spent.

[jhgreasemonkey]

But seriously, pros and cons of the .444 and .450 vs the .338?

Trajectory and range, the big bores like the .444 and .450 drop like flies past 200 yards. The recoil is substantualy more too. They are great if you want thump large game at close to medium ranges. But You need a multi purpose cartridge capable of a variety of game at a variety of ranges. The .338 would make more sense.

[Wrothgar]

Rock'n'roll, thanks everybody! Too bad that .338 MX at Buds sold over the weekend :-(.

[Fat White Boy]

+1 on the .270 Win. Mine is a M70 with a synthetic stock. Fairly light, inherently accurate and ammo available everywhere. Everyone says use a variable power scope but a 4x fixed power is more than adequate. If you need higher power go to a 6X...

[lefteyedom]

IMHO....you need two rifles for western hunting. My combo is a 25/06 and a 338 win mag. (With a short barreled 308 as backup for both)

Get a 270 to start with it kill anything you can get a tag for. If you feel you are ready for a more powerful rifle then make the jump to a bigger rifle like a 338 winchester .

[hunter52]

If you plan on hunting Colorado for elk,deer,sheep.... you will need a flat shooting cartridge capable of accurate shots at 300+ yards,unless you are lucky enough to hunt private property.
Most all hunting units in the western half of the state are over crowded during the rifle seasons ,mainly because of the over the counter sale of bull elk licenses. So ,if you do happen to get a glimpse of an elk it is most often across a draw or canyon or a long sage brush flat or a big open park in the quakies.
Sheep and goats are going to be high in the mountains and take some work to harvest,long range shooting is the norm.
I cannot think of any locals who carry lightweight or "mountain" rifles,I imagine they are nervous about bending those little pencil barrels if they should happen to drop one sliding down a cliff.
My personal huntin rifles are Remingtons and Rugers, 7mm/08,270,7mm mag
although for the first 10 years I hunted ,I took deer and elk with a Mossberg 243.When I was not muzzle loading

[Huntergirl]

I don't think focussing on a 300yds gun is necessarily the best idea. Mountainous areas also mean ridges, saddles, slips of pine trees, sometimes high brush, which mean many stalking opporunities. Getting close to your game is what hunting is all about. That said, I'm a fan of the 30-06. The tikka T3 is a pretty good mountain gun for carrying, but also for handling recoil. I can't imagine having a light gun in a 300win mag or even a 7mag for that matter. I used to hunt with a Rem 300RUM, and it was a thumper in the regular BDL wood stock. I also hunted with a BAR Safari in 7mag, less thump for sure, but also tough on the report/loud. But the BAR in 7mag would be my second choice. Yeah heavier, but if a hunter worries about an extra pound or 2, then prolly he/she should work out more, drop a little belly weight. Mountain hunting demands strength and endurance. I wore ear protection when I shot both the 300RUM and 7mag, and it was a bother to have to wear it when anticipating a shot. I still have some tinnitis, after all my years of hunting/shooting.

[grubbylabs]

I don't think there is any thing wrong with your 30-30, after all what cartridge has taken more big game animals than any other? You just have to use the gun within reason.

However if you need an excuse to get a new rifle then by all means why not, you can never have too many.

I purchased a nice Marlin XS-7 in 308 and put a nice Vortex scope on it for about 510 dollars out the door.

But if you want to stay with a leaver then I think one of the new marlins would be great. I just picked up a Win model 94 in .444 and while I have not been able to put it on paper yet ( I have only been able to go stump shooting) It is a lot of fun to shoot, and its accurate plus it is light. While I have no doubt that the .444 would dump any thing on this continent on its but you are still limiting your range.

good luck on your quest.

[Huntergirl]

Those Marlin SX/XL rifles are pretty dang good aren't they? Imagine how they can build a decent accurate rifle for that kind of money...yep. My hat's off to Marlin. I hope Cerebus thinks the same thing, and doesn't raise the price.

[Wyosmith]

Hey Huntergirl
I am trying to call.
Answer the phone.

[Huntergirl]

Wyo, I just got back from the range....I was practically in your backyard fer cryin' out loud. I'm more addicted to the range than I am to my phone.

[Lawyer Daggit]

Have you considered a german style Kipplauf- a Blaser 95 or something like the new CZ if you want something a little cheaper.

[38superhero]

SAVAGE EDGE err AXIS 30-06, 100 dolla scope...FTW

[jimbob86]

Hmmmmm... how about this? It weighs about the same as the Winchester? Only problem is that the barrel seems a little long.

At 24", it is just right to take advantage of all that case capacity and slow powders...... 26" would be better, IMO.

I don't think focussing on a 300yds gun is necessarily the best idea. Mountainous areas also mean ridges, saddles, slips of pine trees, sometimes high brush, which mean many stalking opporunities.

You are young and full of energy, aren't you? Sometimes you can't get closer, or can't get closer soon enough. A shame to go home empty handed and tired when picking a more apropriate gun would have enabled you to go home tired from packing out an elk.

Getting close to your game is what hunting is all about.

If that is the case, use a knife....... I like to eat.

Me, I'll use a .270 WIN. It works. With the modern bonded bullets, it is more than capable of taking elk..... hell, mine killed an elk 25 years ago, with a 150 grain Corelokt...... an Accubond in 150 grain ought to work nowadays, unless the elk have taken to wearing body armor with extra trauma plates duct taped in there ......

My brother got a used Remmy 721 in .270 WIN, reloading tools, bullets, brass and load data at Green Mountain Guns in Denver for under $450...... There were two other 721's there at the time, in .270 and 30-06...... deals are out there, if you look.

[JerryM]

The late Grancel Fitz took record trophies of all game in North America with a 30-06. I think the rifle was an early Rem copied from the 1917 Enfield.

Regards,
Jerry

[Huntergirl]

jimbob, you are a funny man. I'll be 60 this year. Oldpharts do have a tendency to get cranky now and then...guess yours is now. .270 is a fine choice.

[elkman06]

lightweight or "mountain" rifles,I

little pencil barrels

Kinda funny there. My Tikkas have a considerably heavier barrel than the Savage 110 that I got rid of. Now that was a pencil thin barrel. Couldn't hold a group over 3-4 shots. Yerrrr outa here...LOL
elkman06

[Deja vu]

The Marlin 45/70 is an awesome gun. I love my guide gun! With hand loaded bullets I think I could take any animal on the planet... though it would not be ideal for cape buffalo or elephants it would probably still work with the right ammo and good shot placement.

you could buy a BFR in the same caliber... they make a cute couple.

[hickstick_10]

mannlicher schoenauer carbine

[Art Eatman]

I live at elevation 2,800. Back in 1984, when I was a young healthy guy of fifty years, I went elk hunting in Doctor Park, up above Gunnison. Hey, there ain't any air in the air, up there! However, I soldiered around with 9.5 pounds of '06.

Trouble was, it got colder'n stink and snowed like mad and the elk were smarter than we were. They went down, down, down.

If I had it to do all over again (I'd do it all over you) I'd get a Rem 700Ti in '06 and stick a K4 on it and call it good. My present Ti is in 7mm08, which is plenty good for whatever hunting I'll do nowadays--which ain't high country in Colorado. But 6.5 pounds, scope, sling, ammo and all is a biunch lighter than that old Weatherby.

I figure a .270 or '06 will turn anything in Colorado into eatin' meat. Anything from 300 yards on in closer should be a lead-pipe cinch. Beyond 300, a guy oughta have several hundred rounds of practice behhind him and be pretty well married up to his rifle to get all that ambitious. Out around 400 to 500 is much less a cartridge thing than a skill thing. Gun shops don't sell skill.

[mbb300]

anyone know a good place to practice those long shots in the denver area? ive been going to cherry creek once a week but its only 100yds and is more set up for bench shooting. the longest shot ive ever taken at game was 250 and i got lucky. i would rather rely on skill in the future

[A_Gamehog]

http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/...nverRanges.htm

The last place I shot was Grand Junction west side. The range is very nicely setup. Metal gongs at 200,300, and 600 yards. Covered concrete benches and they have some P-dogs on the way in to "look" at. Washboard road. No fees to shoot.

West of the Airport and North.