Which Contour for Lightweight Deer Rifle?

[woodseye]

I just started the ball rolling on a lightweight custom 7mm-08 deer rifle at my smiths yesterday. A Savage short action with timney trigger, SSS recoil lug, stockade skelton bedded stock, shilen match grade barrel, and of course bedding lapping and head spacing. My question and decision is this.........I want the barrel to be 22" for weight and wondered if I should get the #2 or #3 contour? Smith thinks the #2 will be stiff enough but I would think the number 3 would give better accuracy at the expense of some weight. Opinions? Which would you go with?

    Thanks woods

[Graybeard]

You gonna hunt with it or shoot targets? If hunting and want light weight get the lightest contour you can. Both my old SS Rem. 7 and my newer R700 LSS Mtn. Rifle have very slim barrels. Both super accurate as they came from the factory. Neither even changed POI as they heated up which is really not a problem for a hunting rifle anyway since you aren't gonna be heating it up while hunting. But a barrel that does change POI as it heats is either not bedded properly or is warped.

I'd go as light as possible myself.

GB

[woodseye]

Its being built to hunt with and the target shooting is only to work up an accurate load and get dialed in. The #2 is the lightest Shilen offers and the smith knows I'm a bit of an accuracy nut so I guess he wouldn't suggest it if he had any doubts. Guess its just my accuracy side trying to get involved and make a nice light gun heavier  :? . Good advise and I'll probably listen to reason on this one, no need to worry about it heating up when you're lucky to get one shot and the temps are usually a balmy 15-20 degrees  :-)

     woods

[smoky]

I have a custom bolt gun chambered in 7mm-08 ackley improved.  It has a #2 contour Hart stainless barrel that is crowned at 20" inches.  It is very accurate and will shoot like a .280 with a fast burning powder such as Varget.  Mine still weighs almost 8 pounds loaded, but it is stocked in a McMillan model 7 style stock and has a standard 700 bdl short action and a Leupold vari x III 3x9x40 on top.  Weight is not a real problem as it carries well, but I think for your set up, I would not go with anything larger than a #2.  My wife's .280 Rem Mountain rifle has what I believe to be a 1.5 contour, and it shoots 1" out of the box with hand loads.

Hope this helps,

Smoky

[gunnut69]

GB is right here. Barrel weight doesn't indicate accuracy.  Besides, is this to be a target rigle or a hunting rifle.  I worked over an older efatherweight in 308.  Owned by a very close friend.  He has killed a couple of truckloads of deer with it and it shoots fine.  Most barrels will change as they heat.  Bedding and manufacturing technique have some impact but most will allow a shot every 3-5 minutes or so without excessive warpage..  But who cares..  Work up a load that'l deliver the bullet you wish to use into 1- 1 1/2 inches and go hunting.  That's all the accuracy needed in  a hunting rifle.  The bullet's terminal response and the ability of the rifle to maintain a zero is much more important.

[woodseye]

Well I believe I'll go with the #2 contour barrel as weight will be important. As far as 1 1/2" accuracy...........please take no offence as I'm sure none was intended and I intend none, but if I can't get a gun to shoot well under an inch and most perferably around 1/2" its not long for my gun cabinet! Lifes too short to mess with guns that won't shoot tight groups with the right OCW load. Not bragging or complaining and I know that you don't need 1/2MOA to shoot deer with but its one less variable in a less than perfect hunting world and it gives me great confidance to know my gun is capable of it if I am. Thanks for advise and I'm convinced to stay with the lighter contour, with a featherweight stock and light scope and mount combo I'm hoping to keep it at about 7 1/4-7 1/2 # ready to hunt with and the lighter barrel will help make that possible.

   Good Shooting woods