Preferred Plains and NA All-Around Stalking Rifle Weights and Glass - Not a Cartridge/Caliber Question

[Bill J H]

Gents: I'm wondering about what your favored rifle weights and glass are for stalk hunting Plains Game and NA big game such as deer, antelope, and elk. I like to walk and stalk sometimes several miles. (I did about a 2 miler yesterday evening hunting hogs.)

I know if one favors big magnums and the weights go up quickly. If one was honing in on a mountain rifle, the weights would likely go down just as quickly.

I have a couple of outliers in by rifle stable that don't fit my preferred perimeters...but that stated, I sure don't like carrying/shooting them as much either.

Here are my preferences:

1. Years of carrying and hunting has illustrated that I favor a rifle/scope combination to be 7 - 7 3/4 lbs. When they get lighter or much heavier, I don't like the feel and handling near as much. Rounds and a sling will put this at 8, give or take a couple of ounces.

2. I prefer a smaller, variable scope with medium magnification, i.e., LPVO 1-6, or a 2-10/3-9 type affair with a 36mm - 42mm objective. I also prefer 1" tubes over 30mm and up tubes.

3. Additionally, I seem to prefer a 22" barrel.

What are your favored specs?

 

[Paul K]

To me, it is exactly what you just describe. I have several rifles in that exact category. I prefer rifles that balance perfectly and come up quickly. I only have 3 scopes over 1"and they are on long range varmint and tactical rifles.

Paul

 

[Art Lambart II]

For me thats easy, a T/C Encore in 35 Whelen sporting a Leupold 3x9 scope with a fire dot reticle. Its short, light and fast handeling, load it with a 225 grain Barnes TSX and if it has paws and claws or hooves it dies. Elephants, Rhinos, and Hippos have feet so don't use it on them but for everything else your fine.

 

[dchum]

There was a nice discussion on Friday about perfect plains game rifle. I think there were lots of good suggestions from experienced hunters. Worth a read!

Thread 'The Perfect Plains Game Rifle'

Friday at 6:37 PM

One thing that’s popular in the USA and our love of firearms is a specific gun for every situation. Hunters set up a perfect deer rifle, a perfect hog rifle, the perfect turkey shotgun, sheep rifle, elk rifle, etc. We have come a long way from the “fear a man with one gun, he probably knows how to use it” mindset.

So with that being said, if you could set up a gun for a singular plains game species, what would you do? I’m particularly interested in hearing about the “perfect” kudu rifle, the perfect klipspringer rifle, as well as anything else y’all think of.

• NoStepOnSnek
• Replies: 69
• Forum: Hunting Africa

• 

I said my Ruger number one in 30-06 with its 22 inch barrel and a 3.5-10 Leupold I have on it.

 

[pilar]

I like my Winchester M70 featherweight with a Burris 4-14x . Lightweight and balanced pretty accurate.
I use a buddies CVA scout 7-08 and it’s a sweet little killer 2-12x leopold
If you’re proficient in shooting a single shot I recommend them for hunting

 

[Bill J H]

dchum,

Thanks.

I saw that thread but it was far more about caliber and cartridge instead of dimensions.

I was curious about the dimensions of the stalking rifles folks prefer carry and not the caliber /cartridge, thus I didn’t state mine.

 

[mark-hunter]

What are your favored specs?

I am European, and we hunt two hours after sunset, and two hours before dawn.

Therefore, I require a wide-angle front lens for improved light-gathering capability.
My go-to, general-purpose rifle is Sako 85, 3006, with a Zeiss Diavari 3-12x56.
It should be cca 7.4 pounds with the scope. I did not measure it on a scale; I took weight specs from the internet. I use it for stalking and for hunting from a blind.

I do not feel that rifle as heavy when carrying around. Very handy, I like it.

 

[CBH Australia]

For most of my walk and stalk type hunting I have a few scoped rifles weighing around 7+ pounds and probably all under 8 pound

I have had a few varieties but now own a few Tikkas. I have different stocks and scopes making these different weights.
Barrels are from 22-26” as a couple are rebarelled

The heaviest is probably laminate stocked version with a 2.4-10x50 scope and the lightest has a carbon fibre stock and a 3.5-10 Leupold so in the category you define I think something around 3-9x40 scopes suit with some exceptions to certain requirements.

 

[Bonk]

@Bill J H’s description seems about right for my tastes. 22-23” barrel. Longer barrels are okay if the cartridge prefers it (300H&H for example). Simple low power scope minus gadget turrets but I do like an illuminated reticle. I’m not a weight weenie but I also don’t want to be humping around an unnecessarily heavy rifle either. Any .30 caliber rifle <9lbs fully loaded with scope and sling is light enough for me even though lighter is better. OTOH, I much prefer slightly too heavy over way too light. YMMV.

 

[Green Chile]

It's a little different than most but I really like the Dakota model 10 in a smaller barrel contour without iron sights for stalking hunts. It's lightweight but balanced well and carries much better than a Ruger #1. Well balanced single shots are amazing rifles. One inch scopes have benefits but most of my optics are 30mm and I usually end up with a 1-8x on the Dakota.

 

[dchum]

dchum,

Thanks.

I saw that thread but it was far more about caliber and cartridge instead of dimensions.

I was curious about the dimensions of the stalking rifles folks prefer carry and not the caliber /cartridge, thus I didn’t state mine.

I see! Then I still vote my Ruger number one.

But I have to agree with @Green Chile
I’m sure a sleeker Dakota #10 carries slightly better than my Ruger.

 

[Mauser78]

This should be pretty much in that class for me. The sling does make a bigger difference in my view than a few extra oz.

Mauser M18
Arken EPL 4-16x 44
Rifle 7.4lbs

 

[Ontario Hunter]

My 30-06 Springfield 03A3 with 24" barrel, 3-9x Nikon 1" scope, walnut stock, and leather sling weighs about eight pounds loaded. Points quickly and swings on target easily (it has shot a LOT of running game). 30-06 is probably the most versatile caliber in the world. I have no doubt ammo will still be available when the sun burns out ... in five million years. Recoil is relatively mild. The 03A3 action is one of the slickest and strongest ever made. Controlled round feed and faithfully snaps over on cartridges dropped in empty gun. The only thing I don't like about this rifle is the aftermarket 2-position wing style scope relief safety. The first one was faulty and though this one is solidly safe with the scope attached, not so much when scope is removed for iron sights. I'm in the process of converting it to 3-position Model 70 style safety on the side of bolt shroud.

 

[Surgeon1]

A light weight 300 Mag (WM or Wby) with a 2-10 scope shooting heavy for caliber bullets
Current choice is a 200gr A-frame at 2800-2850fps, NF would be good to, The Leica 2.5x15x 50 Ampules has been great. Also. have a S&B 3-12X50 which is a great scope. Keep the rifle 7.5# with scope is perfect but hard to do with a CF Model 70.

 

[noafrica4me]

20" half stock Steyr classic, 2-10x 42 vx5

 

[NoStepOnSnek]

Ruger No.1 “Man Licker” 30-06 (7 lbs) and Winchester Model 94 30-30 (6.8 lbs) are perfect. Add a light, low power scope and good to go

 

[BeeMaa]

Blaser R8 300WM with Swaro Z8i 1-8x24. Comes in around 9 lbs with a sling and 4 cartridges. I'm comfortable to 300 yards with it.

If I had my choice, it would be a Blaser K95 in 257WBY with the same scope and I think it would shave about 2 lbs off the weight.

 

[Ryan]

Of the handful of rifles I own the one I'd say fits this bill the best is my Savage 16 in 7mm-08. It's factory action, trigger and 22" barrel on a Boyds laminate stock with a 2-10X 40mm Vortex scope on top. With a sling and a box magazine of 4 cartridges it's a hair over 9 pounds. Comfortable enough to walk all over with and stable enough to be a tack driver off of sticks. I have 120 and 140 grain Barnes TTSX handloads that will shoot sub-MOA. It's my go-to for caribou and deer in Alaska and for PG I wouldn't hesitate to use it for the shots I took at anything but my eland in Africa and moose up here. It's been done with a 7mm-08, but it's marginal for those two IMO. I own heavier for those.

 

[mdwest]

My position on this has changed quite a bit over the last few years… I figure a PG or NA deer/elk rifle is something I carry a lot, but shoot very little (once a day if I’m lucky).. so I’ve come to really like extremely lightweight rigs..

A kimber Adirondack in 308 for example is pretty close to a perfect PG gun in my opinion.. the bare rifle weighs just 4lbs 13 oz… with scope and loaded it’s just barely 6lbs.. it’s compact with just an 18” barrel it’s OAL is right at 37”.. so it doesn’t get hung up in brush or cause difficulty trying to maneuver around in the tight confines of a blind…

Sure, it’s like a rat turd.. when you shoot it, it’s sharp on both ends.. and feels more like a 300 WM than a 308 when you pull on the trigger… but again, who cares? It’s still manageable, and it’s 1 second of discomfort exchanged for an entire day of pleasure found in not having to carry around more weight and length..

Another nice option, although not as light or compact as the Adirondack is the Christensen titanium mesa in 308… it’s also lighter and more compact then most of its competitors…

I’ve found myself going the way of the “mountain” rifle for larger PG and NA animals as well… my wife has a kimber mountain accent in 300 WM that she loves (big brother to the Adirondack.. but same general concept)… and I’ve got another Christensen Mesa titanium in 300 prc they really works nicely for my needs…

 

[Bill J H]

MDwest - you and my brother are in the same camp regarding rifles. LIGHT and SHORT and preferably 308!
My first deer and predator rifles were Rem 660s, in .222 and .308 with 20” barrels. I still have them and shoot them some. We loved the short barrels and thought they were light, and they were light, compared to the M700s, M70s, and M77s at the time.
I like light, but real light and super small features drive me crazy (and perhaps I am). I recently gifted my brother a 5.7 lb Kimber Mtn Pro in 308 cause I never could “like” the feel. I kept its twin brother in 6.5CM. Unsure what I’ll do with it in the long run…