End Game Big Game Rifle

[Savage99]

I like the new Kimber Montana rifles for a light SS rifle. The last longer range deer I got was taken with my Kimber 270 WSM.

I suggest he find a Kimber Montana 270 Win. and then he will have a rifle now.

Waiting for a custom can take longer. Also two rifles are back ups to each other.

https://www.kimberamerica.com/montana

[JeepHammer]

It's the 'End Game' comment that has me wondering....?

Leupold glass is excellent, range estimation and adjustments are usually in imperial instead of metric, they have lifetime warranty they stand behind.

Consider mounts & rings as a priority I stead of an afterthought.
A full length mount will stiffen a long action.
I often redrill & tap mount screw holes for -8 screws, and epoxy bed the mount to the receiver.
This makes for a super solid, nearly bang proof mount for rough handling.
(See Marine Corps M40 or Army M24)

Steel rail mounts expand & contract with temprature at the same rate as the receiver, while aluminum does not.

A good set of lapped/aligned rings, 4 cap screws per cap will spread torque load out over the screws and provide built in redundancy in the event a screw loosens up.

For subsistence living hunting (off grid) you might want to look into a spare firing pin, springs, screws and other small parts.
I would install blocks epoxied into the stock for bipod & sling, since subsistence living rifles take some pretty good knocks along the way.

The choice of rifle is up to you.
.270 is a good choice up to really large or dangerous game, with light bullets it's fast & accurate, with heavier bullets it will take everything common up to elk or moose very well.

[FiveInADime]

Originally Posted by JeepHammer

It's the 'End Game' comment that has me wondering....?

Leupold glass is excellent, range estimation and adjustments are usually in imperial instead of metric, they have lifetime warranty they stand behind.

Consider mounts & rings as a priority I stead of an afterthought.
A full length mount will stiffen a long action.
I often redrill & tap mount screw holes for -8 screws, and epoxy bed the mount to the receiver.
This makes for a super solid, nearly bang proof mount for rough handling.
(See Marine Corps M40 or Army M24)

Steel rail mounts expand & contract with temprature at the same rate as the receiver, while aluminum does not.

A good set of lapped/aligned rings, 4 cap screws per cap will spread torque load out over the screws and provide built in redundancy in the event a screw loosens up.

For subsistence living hunting (off grid) you might want to look into a spare firing pin, springs, screws and other small parts.
I would install blocks epoxied into the stock for bipod & sling, since subsistence living rifles take some pretty good knocks along the way.

The choice of rifle is up to you.
.270 is a good choice up to really large or dangerous game, with light bullets it's fast & accurate, with heavier bullets it will take everything common up to elk or moose very well.

End-Game as in: The last one he'll ever buy. The ONLY gun he'll need.

I, personally, like Warne steel weaver-style bases and Burris Signature rings. Maybe not bomb-proof but they are convenient and have a great deal of flexibility. I am not and have never been a fan of how a 1-piece base blocks the port. If you have a proper, stiff action (like a M70, Mauser, etc.) I don't really see the need for the stiffening properties off a 1-piece. I do like the idea of upgrading the mounting screws. I HAVE had those fail I'm the past and it's a PITA.

I have that setup on a M70 in 7mmRemMag and it's never been an issue. Took a dive down a steep mountainside covered in crumbling-degrading granite two years ago deer hunting and the gun landed right on the scope damaging the turret-knob and putting a scrape on my barrel, as well. Took a couple shots at a white rock at 400 yards and it was dead on. Good job Vortex Viper HS-T and good job Warne and Burris on the mounts.

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[Jack O'Conner]

Sako and Tikka build exceptionally smooth actions plus their accuracy is outstanding!

Jack

[JeepHammer]

It's up to you, I just didn't know what the 'End Game' comment meant.
Ounces equal pounds, pounds equal pain when you have to pack it around up & down mountians.

I know the trend is toward naked barrels, but I usually recommend iron sight mounts, with sights at least stored in the stock or under the butt plate.
Rifles do get banged around, optics do fail, redundant sights keep you in the hunt.
If it's hunting 30 minutes from home, no big deal. If it's an expensive hunting trip and three days to get in or out, that sucks.

My rifle case has an extra firing pin, spring & cocking piece for the bolt (bolt being lapped to fit the receiver/barrel, not field replaceable). It seems extreme, but it's in response to broken firing pin or spring that spoiled a hunt.

The screws that come with common, off the shelf mounts don't have very good thread engagement, and are often 'Soft'. I don't care to use them opting for threading the holes myself for sharp, clean, straight threads in the hole, and better quality screws with good engagement of the hole threads.
I've seen WAY too man boogered up threads and broken screws, this was the most simple way I've found to prevent that issue. (Simple Is Good! Especially when it strengthens the assembly)

It depends on cheek weld/optical center line how much metal you can put on top the receiver.
You don't get to adjust your cheek bone or eyeball orbit center, so cheek weld sets the height of the optic centerline.
I don't want to hunt around for optical centerline when the cheek bone hits the stock.
Natural alignment means jacking that optic centerline up & down until it naturally aligns with the eyeball.

I use a 1" (or 30mm) aluminum bar stock with a 1/8" hole drilled lengthwise in the rings, and watch the customer shoulder the rifle.
If he has to hunt to see through that little hole, the stack up is wrong.
When you get the right height stack of mounts & rings, he will see stright through as soon as cheek hits stock, no head bobbing or weaving.
Once that rifle fits, he'll LOVE shooting it!

My job is to make everything precisely correct, from function to fit...
Take what you need/want for your application.

[oldscot3]

I also like Cooper for a push feed.

I don't own one so I could be wrong, but it's my understanding that a Cooper isn't a push feed like an "ordinary" push feed (Remington 700 style). It has a claw extractor, albeit smaller than a Mauser style extractor, and the cartridge rim pops up underneath it before fully chambering. It's sort of a "semi" controlled round feed design.

[JeepHammer]

Controlled round push feed is probably what you are talking about, and I can see where it would be a good thing on a 'Scout' rifle.

Controlled round means the bolt captures the round before it's fully released from the magazine and controls entry into the chamber, the round can't cock sideways or escape the bolt/chamber if the rifle is cocked sideways or he barrel pointing up/down when the bolt is cycled.

The most famous controlled round push feed is probably the Mauser 98 action, simply because there were so many made, and so common on the surplus market.
I have zero issues with controlled round push feed, a darn good idea even if it does make the bolt more complicated and requires a slightly longer bolt stroke.

[FiveInADime]

Originally Posted by oldscot3

I don't own one so I could be wrong, but it's my understanding that a Cooper isn't a push feed like an "ordinary" push feed (Remington 700 style). It has a claw extractor, albeit smaller than a Mauser style extractor, and the cartridge rim pops up underneath it before fully chambering. It's sort of a "semi" controlled round feed design.

That's why I like it over a 2-lug normal push-feed like a R700 or a post-64 M70.

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[tobnpr]

Push vs. CRF is an age old and overhyped discussion and would be about on the bottom of a list of "reliability" parameters for me. Both work reliably on a well-tuned rifle.

Things like crappy ejectors, poorly designed safeties, bolt handles popping loose....that's the important "stuff"....

[FiveInADime]

Originally Posted by tobnpr

Things like crappy ejectors, poorly designed safeties, bolt handles popping loose....that's the important "stuff"....

Which action do I have to worry about these things with, lol?

Cooper's bolt looks like a great design to me but I have no first hand experience.




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[taylorce1]

There have been reports of the M700 bolt handle coming off, I've never had it happen. The fix is to have the bolt handle TIG welded on or have a machine screw installed affixing the bolt handle to the bolt body like LRI does. Also the M700 ejector can get gummed up and fail so you can have a dual ejector installed, but if you keep the bolt clean you probably won't have an ejector failure. Then you have the M700 trigger failures that result in AD when moving the safety from safe to fire, best fix is a new trigger.

I'm not saying other rifles can't have this problem, but the M700 is probably the most popular platform of current production rifles. So more people own one than any other rifle since the 1960's. So there are bound to be more reports of problems than any other rifle.

[Worc]

Depends on what your dad likes. I like short bolt throws which reduces the pool size of models I consider.

I like the following for their accuracy, quality, feel, factory triggers, and reliability. They would all likely be right in the price range your dad is looking to spend. Browning X-Bolt, Sako 85, Sauer 101, Steyr CL or SM, Weatherby Mark V. I've at least shot all of these models and own a Sako 75 and Weatherby Accumark myself and have nothing but good things to say about both of them.

In terms of weight a good back pack goes a long ways in toting a heavier gun around with less effort. I have a couple of Eberlestock packs with the intergrated gun scabbard and highly recommend them.

His cartridge and scope choices sound fine as well.

[Siggy-06]

A Howa Alpine Mountain Rifle in .308 could be a great rifle for hiking.

[Husqvarna]

A sauer 404 with kevlar stock or a blaser r8

He can sell (or give you) all his other rifles
And buy other calibres he needs


And german glass = zeiss or swarowski