Mountain rifle combination - Request for opinions

[Hunting Sailor]

I am requesting opinions, preferably backed up with facts, about mountain rifle combinations.

I hunt the Eastern Cape and the mountains are steep and there are plenty of them.

I'm looking for a light rifle in a suitable caliber. It will be lugged up and down more than it will be shot.

What I see is a Winchester Featherweight in 270 WSM, with a decent scope up to -14x42.

270WSM ammo is hard to get your hands on here and is excruciatingly expensive and with the restrictions in SA about number of guns I may have to use a .30-06 with the lightest bullets I can get and a -10x42 scope.

I know I've come to the right place for opinions...
Fire away!

Thanks in advance.

//Gus

 

[johnnyblues]

My first choice as it has been on my Mtn hunts is a 270, either in standard caliber or wsm. I ve taken dall sheep, mtn goat, big horn sheep, tahr and chamois with my old 270. lightweight. I ve since sold it as I shot the barrel life out of it and have replaced it with a 270 wsm. Your 30-06 with todays modern ammo will be just fine. My advise is to sight in at least 3 inches high at 100.

 

[Hunting Sailor]

@johnnyblues thanks for the info. Much appreciated.

//Gus

 

[cpr0312]

Gus,

Tikka T3 Lite in .270 wsm is what I use. Its a great shooter and very light. Tikka T3 lite also comes in regular .270
I agree with John, .270 or .270 wsm is hard to beat

 

[Hunting Sailor]

@reedy0312 thanks for the info as well.

 

[cpr0312]

Forgot to discuss the scope. On the Tikka I have had a 10x50 on it

 

[IvW]

7 x 64 Brenneke

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I bought a used titanium Remington 700 in 270 a few years ago. It's 5-1/2 lbs without the scope. Used it on a Dall Sheep hunt in the Yukon and it did the job. A nice, light rifle and not overly expensive. You can find these or the Browning titanium A-Bolt on GB from time to time. A Remington model seven is also a nice, smaller and lighter rifle.

 

[Abeln]

My dad was a guide for 2 outfitters in Montana and Idaho when I was younger. He exclusively guided in the mountains (selway-bitterroot wilderness and river of no return wilderness). Always carried a model 70 in 7mm Rem mag with a 3-9. Literally the best offhand shooter I have ever known. Never one time heard him complain about weight of rifle.

 

[Abeln]

I personally started out with a model 110 savage in 30-06 with a 4x32 in 1986 (13 years old, bought my first "deer rifle", still have it.) also use a model 70 in 30-06. Never felt as if I needed the extra reach of a magnum. They both weigh around 8.5 pounds with scope.
Forgot to mention have a leupold vx-3 3.5-10×40. Love it. Have the aluminum flip up covers.
*As a side note, I use montana slings leather 1-1/4" quick adjust sling.

Bonus: .30-06 ammo is always available at any mom and pop which sells ammo.

 

[sheephunterab]

I took a custom .338WM to hunt the mountains in the Eastern Cape because we also had eland on our list for the trip. I had this rifle built as a mountain rifle for when guiding sheep hunters in grizz country and when shooting 185 gr GMX out of it, the recoil is quite manageable. With a Zeiss 3-15x42 scope on it with a Rapid Z800 reticle, it's a very effective 600 yard rifle. I shot my Barbary sheep at just over 500. The bare rifle weighs 6lbs 12oz. Kimber makes a pretty similar rifle in their Montana that would definitely be worth a look. It also comes in a 300WM

 

[IvW]

7 x 64 Brenneke will give much more versatility and game taking ability than a 27o win.

338 too much gun for most "mountain hunting" in South Africa, although a great caliber.

 

[sheephunterab]

I'm never really sure what someone means when they say too much gun....we shot everything from klipspringer to eland with it. All of them died and none of them exploded into a million pieces.

 

[mark-hunter]

Hunting Sailor,

1. Which mountain game do you plan to hunt?

2. In terms of rifle preference: are you traditional type or modern type? Old fashion style, or not)

3. What are expected distances and ranges to hunt?

Then we can make more personalized advice.

 

[Mekaniks]

If your really looking to save weight, and be able to purchase ammo, why not go with a standard short action like a 308 win, or 7-08? Both are easy to get ammo for are very effective hunting rounds.

 

[gillettehunter]

If you can get a Tika T-3 then that should be a consideration. The triggers are adjustable and very crisp. One of the best production triggers out there. They normally shoot less than MOA right out of the box. Light weight and easy to handle. The model 70 featherweights are nice too. The triggers are not as good IMHO.
As to caliber we all have our favorites. It really depends what is on the menu and general range distances. For the East Cape and Wyoming too a flat shooting caliber is nice. If Kudu/ Gemsbuck and maybe the occasional Eland is on the menu regularly the I would suggest a 7MM or bigger. If rarely hunted than a .26 or .27 caliber would be suitable. Perhaps the 7mm Mag is one of the more versatile calibers with manageable recoil, flat shooting and cartridge availability. For more specific applications other calibers may be a better choice. We all have our preferences. tell us more about your most common specific uses and your responses can be better tailored to your needs. Bruce

 

[Rob404]

I hunted Limpopo Province which has a fair amount of steep terrain. I took 2 rifles with me and after lugging around a 24 inch barrel 13# Rifle for a day I decided my Back up rifle was the way to go. So for the rest of my stay I hunted with a CZ550 308 cal Mannlicher stocked (I like Mannlicher stocked rifles).with a 20 inch barrel. The rifle was very light and real easy to carry in steep terrain and in heavy brush. 308 as well as 30/06 ammunition is very popular so finding ammunition should not be a problem.

 

[Ridgewalker]

I've used Kimbers in 308 & 243. Very light and accurate (<3/4") for the first three shots, then thin barrels heat up and they both opened to 1 1/2" or so. Great to carry in the mountains of Colorado.

I also have a Tikka T3 Lite in 300 WM. It too is very accurate...3 shots in <1/2", then again they start to open.

Personally I think a light weight Tikka in 30-06 with a good 3-9x scope would do you well. Use 150 cup and core for anything 200 lbs and under and use 150-168 Barnes or Peregrine for anything heavier. It would give you the option of 200 grain premium bullets if you need them for eland.

I love light weight guns (I'm nearly 70, 5'8" and 157 lbs). I often hunt at over 10,000 feet in very rugged country. That said, it is harder to learn to shoot a light weight gun. The dynamics are different such as how to hold it than a heavy gun.

Best of luck in your decision. I'm sure what ever you pick will work well.

 

[curtism1234]

I guess it depends on your definition of "mountain rifle" --- whether you are trying to get the weight down as much as possible or just not excessively heavy.

If it's the former: at 7 pounds, there is nothing light about the Model 70 Featherweight nor is a 42mm scope going to work. This setup works for the latter, though I still think the scope is probably about 18-20 ounces; therefor too heavy for my taste on a standard rifle.

If you're looking for a light setup, I think you need to be max 6 1/2 pounds for the rifle, 12 ounces for the scope, and steel rings and mounts (I'd still use steel).

 

[Hunting Sailor]

Thanks everybody for their answers. I'll try to give more info.

The rifle will be meant for occasional mountain hunts. For the regular hunts I would use a .30-06.

Distance would be 400m (450 yards) maximum. I don't like longer than 300, but in a pinch I would keep that as max.
Although it is in the mountains the distances doesn't have to be that much longer.

Mountain animals would be (hopefully one day Vaal Rhebok), Mountain Reedbuck, Blesbok, Bushbok, with the largest would be Kudu.

In regards to old vs new hunting style I don't know the differences.
I hunt with scope, shoot the animals, eat the meat and hang the horns on the wall if they are big and I don't have any other like it.

308 does appeal to me as a caliber, but feel it may be too close to the .30-06, the same with a 7 mm Mag Rem. But then again, perhaps I need the 30-06 class of ammo for the animals I intend to shoot.

The availability of ammo does play a part for me.

Thanks again for everyone's thoughts and opinions.

//Gus