Remington Mountain Rifle

[100%TEXAN]

I recently bought a remington 700 cdl in 7mm-08 that I love.  I can get two holes to touch but then I usually flinch the third that opens up the group at 100 yards.  The stock is really pretty and I hate to get it scratched up.  So far Ive only got one deer and it worked great.  Well anyways Im thinking about getting a light rifle for walking around, and such.  Thining about getting a remington mountain rifle with the laminated stock and stainless barrel.  Ill probly get it in .260 or .270. Im a little worried about the recoil with such a light rifle in a .270.  Do any of yall one in .270, if so whats the recoil like?  Does anyone have any experience shooting deer with the .260.  Ill only be hunting white tail and maybe the occasional mule deer.  How is the accuracy of the mountain rifle.  I want it to shoot at least 1.75 moa at 100.  Which would yall pick, .260 or .270?

Thanks

[Rogue Ram]

.....in .270, blued, wood stock.  My only issues are the fact the stock is a little short for me (I'm over 6 ft, 225 lbs), and the out of the box accuracy was a little squirrely for what I am used to.  130 grainers would not shoot very well, keeping most 5 shot groups (after a fouling shot or two) with Nosler Ballistic Tips and Hornaday SSTs averaging 1.75 or so at 100. Any more than that the groups really opened up. 150 grainers of the same persuasion were a little better.  Had the gun pillar bedded, barrel floated, and set the trigger to about 3 pounds: 130s are still kinda squirrelly, but the 150s are nice!  150 Noslers with H4831 are shooting 4 shot groups under an inch no sweat......#5 opens up to an inch or so, any other shots (say up to total of 10) 1 minute between them open it up to 1.5".

Recoil is a piece of cake! Sure, it barks with hot loaded 150s, but its nothing to worry about.   I know zip about the .260 so cannot comment. I have used a .270 in one gun or another for years like a lot of guys have, and the only drawback is you can't go to heavier bullets, like the .30-06 can. Kills deer, lots of fun loaded with 100 grainers  for jack rabbits and coyotes, and obviously can do an elk if needed.

One piece of advice: stay the hell away (if possible) from that stupid cheesy detachable magazine!  I haven't followed what is and isn't available in the mtn rifle lately, but this POS system can be a problem. If the mag is out of tolerance, or the fit to the action isn't right, the bolt can miss picking up the next shell in the mag. The spring pressure pushes the bases of the shells down against the mag, the mag gets pushed away from the action, thus in some cases leaving the bolt nothing to pick up when cycled. The latches are on the side of the mag and mag box and unfortunately act as a fulcrum to the spring presssure in the mag, which pushes the mag away from the gun.  Rarely happens to the Mtn Rifle I have. Does happen ALL THE TIME with another Model 700 I have.

Good luck!  

RR

[pastorp]

100%Texan, I really think your splitting hairs trying to decide between those three calibers. I would buy the mountain rifle if you want a 22" barrel or a #7 remington if you can live with a 20" barrel. I have a remington #7 in 260. It is the stainless synthetic very durable. I've carried it in boats and on 4wheelers for about three years now. Still looks good. All I did was free float the barrel and I get 5/8" groups at 100 yds. with my reloads. Kills our small blacktails with authority. The 260 and the 6.5x55 are ballistic twins for all practical purposes. The 6.5x55 is widely used in Europe for game up to the size of moose. If you want to simplify the ammo situation just get another 7/08 in either the mountain rifle or the #7. Regards, Byron

[Greybeard]

Just so happens I own or have owned pretty much every thing you've asked about.

Currently I have three of the LSS Mtn. Rifles in .30-06 (my first), 7-08 (my second and favorite) and .260 Remington (my most recent). I also have a CDL in .35 Whelen but haven't fired it yet. I've owned one of the Original walnut stocked Mtn. Rifles in .270 Win. and am still kicking myself for letting that one get away. I owned one of the limited edition ADL SS Mtn. Rifles also in .270 Win. which is the lightest of all the above. My oldest son got that one for a Christmas present a few years back.

Of them the '06 naturally kicks the most. With 180s a full velocity it is enough that on the range I must use a PAST Magnum recoil pad between me and it. But please be aware I need rotator cuff surgery and my doctor has told me to stop firing any but rimfires. Both of the .270s were far more comfortable to me than the '06 and I fired them only with 140s and 150s.

The 7-08 is a dream. It's my all time favorite deer cartridge. I've been using it for over 30 years in three rifles and in all that time it's never missed and never required a second shot on any game that me, my wife and my oldest son have shot with it. I use 139 and 140 grain bullets and can bench it without the PAST pad but if shooting a lot I don't.

The .260 is my newest and the one I have the least experience with. Recoil of the 120 and 129 grain bullets I've fired so far is the least of them all. No PAST pad is really needed with it. Recoil is pretty much equal to my Browning Low Wall in .243 with 90-100 grain bullets.

Accuracy wise. My '06 shoots lots of loads under an inch at 100 yards. Both factory and reloads. I guess I have tried at least 12-15 that will easily do this. Both of the .270s as they came from the box were sub MOA with both the Hornady Classic 140s and Federal Premium 150 Nosler PTs. I messed around with a few reloads but never matched those two factory rounds so just used them. My 7-08 is super. It's been a shooter from the time it came out of the box. Both of the Hornady Light Mag loads shoot under an inch all the time and under 3/4" most of the time. The older 139 SP usually runs 1/2" to 3/4" day in and day out.

The .260 has been a bit of a problem. I bought it used unlike all the others. I came back to the store it was bought in less than two weeks after first buyer took it home. So I knew something likely was wrong. It was. Scattered them badly. I traced it to a defective inletting job allowing stock to put uneven pressure on barrel. Called and then returned stock only to Remington for a replacement at no cost to me. It now is shooting about 1.5" to 2.5" and each time two of them are touching or nearly so. It still needs a wee bit of TLC. I'll glass bed the recoil lug and maybe entire action and that will cure it I'm sure. The barrel wants to shoot but the stock is hampering it a little.

I've not shot my new CDL Whelen yet but have all the needed supplies in the works. This one will be a project for next year.

If you have other questions you think I might can help on with these rifles I have so much experience with just ask.

[longwinters]

My son has the Mt rifle in 7m-08.  Needed a trigger job, but other than that it shoots 1" with all the bullets/loads I have tried.  He is shooting 140 Sierra Gameking Spitzers with it now and it has very reasonable recoil, especially for the short barret.  Can not speak for the 270, but this rifle is a nice hunting tool.  Worked well on antelope last fall also.

Long

[deerhunter10]

I had a Rem 700 ADL s/s mountain rifle chambered in 30.06. It was a pretty good gun, except that after a shot or two at the range the thin barrel really heated up, and threw shots all over the place. It got to the point where I did not feel comfortable and ended up selling the gun. I talked with a gun smith, and said his mountain rifle had the same problem. I realize that you hopefully only have to fire one shot in the field, however there are times when you may need to fire 2 or 3 to finish off an animal, and at long distances with that hot barrel those shots may really open up. My suggestion would be to buy one of those Finnlight or featherlight guns with a 20 inch flutted barrel, they really disperse the heat quickly, and are supposed to be stronger with less vibration therefore, better harmonics and greater accuracy, at least that's what "they" say.
RC

[Graybeard]

When shooting on my range I take enough rifles out so that usually each barrel is cooled down by the time I get back to it. I rotate thru them to allow plenty of time to cool. In a real life hunting situation I can't see me ever shooting more than 3-4 rounds. But I have fired each of my rifles to the point of being too hot to comfortably handle and they don't seem prone to stringing when hot. Can't say for sure if this or the stringing is more common with these light barrel rifles from Remington. But so far it's not be a problem with mine and I've owned several.

Stringing is likely a little more common with thinner barrels but really is more a function of barrel stresses than barrel size. If the barrel was crooked and had to be straightened that put stresses into it. Unless it was properly stress relieved then any such barrel will walk when it heats up.

[Carutht]

100% Texan,
No experience with the Mountain LSS. But, wish I had one.
Much experience with the 700.
Since you restricted your game to white tails I vote for the 260 with 125 N/P. All the gun needed and more for white
tails. I usually use a 243 with 95 grain N/P's in open country. Does the job 100% of the time. The 260 does the job no better but the results are more dramatic. The 243 produces less meat damage than the 260. I use the 260 when the woods are thicker. I load my own, which is an advantage with the 260.

[45LC-Man]

100% Texan you are NOT going to like that rifle! Get rid of it as soon as possible. I can find an outlet for you. Just send it to me and I'll get what I can.

I have one of the limited 7mm-08 Ruger M77 ultra lights in stainless that I really like. You will too.