Author Topic: ligth rifles (Read 817 times)

billy · « **on:** August 11, 2005, 01:33:22 AM »

What makes the model 7 or 700 mt. rifle better than the other?

PEPAW · « **Reply #1 on:** August 11, 2005, 02:28:02 AM »

If I were in the market, I would go for the longer barrel of the Mountain rifle to reduce muzzle blast and more front end weight for steadiness of aiming.
I have the Model 7 in 20" instead of the 18.5 , but that is still too short in my opinion of the perfect hunting rifle.

pepaw

jvs · « **Reply #2 on:** August 11, 2005, 08:13:59 AM »

There's nothing wrong with a 20 inch barrel as long as your powder burns before the bullet leaves the barrel. There are plenty of rifle calibers which do good in a Carbine. It is when you get into the larger capacity shells that your rifle turns from a Hunting piece into a Flame Thrower. A condition which generally isn't too good for accuracy, among other things.

Graybeard · « **Reply #3 on:** August 11, 2005, 11:59:40 AM »

Neither is clearly superior to the other. It's really a matter of what feels right to you for what you'll be doing with it.

If the use is close in hunting from a tree stand or walking in seriously thick ground cover the shorter the barrel the better. If the use is wide open terrain then a longer barrel is arguably better for the higher velocity and more out front weight for a more steady hold.

I started with a Model 7 with the 18.5" barrel in 7-08. The rifle now belongs to my wife with the stock cut to fit her. For her it's ideal. I moved to an SS metal and plastic stocked Model 7 with 20" barrel also in 7-08 and loved it. Seemed near ideal except I HATE and LOATH plastic stocks. Tried to find one just like it with a laminated wood stock but back then they just weren't available and Remington wanted nearly as much for the stock as for the gun.

One day I found an LSS Mtn. Rifle in 7-08 with the 22" barrel. It followed me home. It's still the most used rifle when I go hunting. But from a treestand that 22" barrel feels long. For the way I hunt I think what would be ideal would be the Model 7 MS from the custom shop but with SS Metal and a gray laminated stock to replace the brown laminated one. Oh it would wear a 20" barrel.

cal sibley · « **Reply #4 on:** August 14, 2005, 11:02:54 AM »

I realize that we rarely feel any degree of recoil when shooting at an animal. However, some of these lightweight, short barreled rifles pack a recoil all out of proportion to their caliber. Most of my shooting is from the bench, and I purchased a Browning Micro-medallion in .308Win. It has a short 20", thin barrel, and the rifle weighs in at a light 6.0lbs. It was a cute little rascal, but now the forend looks like I used it for fungo practice from jumping out of the front cradle of my rest. I tamed it somewhat with a Pachmyer Decelerator pad, and I usually use a Past Recoil Shield when shooting it from the bench. The accuracy is fair, 1" (5 shots at 100yds.), but what a brute. Another pound or pound and a half of weight and 2 more inches of barrel length would really make a difference. I guess these are things we don't pay enough attention to when buying a rifle. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

the jigger · « **Reply #5 on:** August 15, 2005, 07:23:55 AM »

you need to look at the savage "sierra" 10fm. it comes in at 6.25lbs. i bought one in 308 and love it. i just had a switch barrel made for it in 250/3000. what a dream!! total money, including the switch barrel is only slightly more than the rems. that you mention.

Bigfoot · « **Reply #6 on:** August 15, 2005, 04:43:49 PM »

If your building a truly lightweight rifle the Rem has more lightweight parts available for it (Ti firing pin, Al trigger guard, fluted bolts, etc.) and smiths that customize them, but the Savage action weighs only an ounce more than the steel 700s. Both tube style actions share the same outer dimensions and bolt diameter so I'll be contacting a local smith that mills 700 receivers and see if he'll mill my Savage action the same way. I'm hoping to get down to the low 6 lb range scoped.

Oh, hey, love the spellcheck feature here.

Edit: I just found out that the stock on that 6.25 lb Sierra that The Jigger mentioned above weighs 38 oz. That means that with a 23 oz. McMillan graphite stock installed it should weigh right around 6 lb. scoped. Heh heh. :wink:

hunting1 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 15, 2005, 08:06:26 PM »

I will also give a thumbs up to the Savage 10 Sierra for a accurate cheap light rifle. I had the 7-08 and wish I still had it!

Paul Barnard · « **Reply #8 on:** August 16, 2005, 02:24:00 AM »

Cal, don't forget the micro medallion had a shorter stock. For full size shooters, the compact stocks always seem more punishing.

Another nice lightweight is the Ruger M77 ultra light. Mine is in 257 Roberts and I love it. Probably not as accurate as the Savage or Remington, but feels very well balanced and is plenty accurate out to any sane distance for game animals.

oso45-70 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 16, 2005, 03:39:54 AM »

Bigfoot

Welcome to graybeard Outdoors, Yep I love the spell check my self. I love my little # 7 Remingtion in 222, It has brought many a coyote to a dead stop. My hunting Buddy had it from brand new and i had tried for years to get it. Well i had a pre 64 mod 70 in 257 that i didn't use very much so I traded it to him for the # 7 222 rem, Guess i wanted it pretty bad. Got the trigger set at 2 1/2 pounds and it's deadly. Have a good day

......Joe.....

Bigfoot · « **Reply #10 on:** August 16, 2005, 04:08:37 PM »

Thanks for the welcome Oso45-70. Fish280 sent me over here, he said this place was full of Savage nuts. He may have meant Savage fans. But I fit the description either way. :wink:

Brithunter · « **Reply #11 on:** August 18, 2005, 09:58:18 PM »

Hmmm,

Well it seems that the wheel has be re-invented yet again. Lightweight rifles are nothing new Mannlicher had the 1903 Schoenauer and even BSA made a Featherweight version of their Majestic wood stocked in LONG which action weighs 6 1/4lbs with a 22" barrel. I have one chambered funnily enough in 270 Win, back then (late 1950's) some people found the recoil from such a light rifle a triffle excessive. so to remedy this BSA developed the BESA recoil reducer which is a muzzle break machined into the muzzle of the barrel. Mine does not have this feature, someday I would like to find a nice exapmle which does to add to the on I have. Without it recoil is stout and certainly needs a scope with good eye relief for complete safety, for now mine has a P-H 6E receiver sporting aperture sight fitted.