Mr Bullberry's opinion..

[haeffnkr]

Hello,
Thanks.
Where do you hunt in North MO? Can I go too?

Do you feel a heavy barreled R-700 will be more accurate than a BullBarreled Encore?
(in the same caliber)

thanks Kevin

[BountyHunter]

Haeffnkr

Welcome. I go to MO (in N. middle of state) every year to hunt big whitetails, mainly with bow but stay over sometimes to gun hunt. Took 5 there this year in Nov and Dec. My nephew is your neighbor in Orchard Farms.

When you consider ranges to 600 yards easily if not more, ever present MO winds in the river bottoms (Nov and Dec) and whitetail bucks that normally go 200- 300+ lbs, I consider the 260 a little light for my tastes.

I have an encore 26 hvy barrel in 7mm mag that shoots .75 with 150-160s (good suitcase . that is as light as I want to go. I really prefer a 30 cal.

Nothing beats a good 30 caliber 180-190 gr high BC bullet for bucking wind and anchoring a big whitetail. 300 win mag, 300wsm are two top choices and can buy Savage, Rem or Win M70 Coyote for around $550-700. $150-200 for trigger, bedding, lugs lapped and with little load work should be .5-.75 gun.

Farrel 20 MOA base -$43.50 and Burris Signature rings ($50 or less)

Bausch and Lomb 4-16 or 6-24x 4200 scope. $350-400

If you are set on the 260, think Rem made some 700s in heavy barrel models that you might be able to find. Same work as above.

Good luck.

BH

[ 01-15-2004: Message edited by: BountyHunter ]

Fred makes some great barrels for the single shots , I've got a 243 that will shoot under 1/2" out of an Encore , has the hanger bar system , full bull barrel , Bellem hinge pin and reduced trigger spring.
As far as recoil goes , the encore has a strait stock and usualy weighs less that a bolt gun with the same length barrel which helps make the recoil a little more stiff.
if your heart is set on a single shot then you can have a very nice rig if you get one of Freds barrels and stocks , he cuts his stocks to have some cast off and a slight forward rake to the comb which helps reduce the felt recoil.
But if you goal is just a very accurate rig for under $1000 , then you can have a Rem 700 trued , rebarreled and stocked for about that maybe a little less.

As for the 260 , it might be a little light in the pants for shooting at bigger deer at that range , you could go with a 6.5-284 which would give you a little more gusto.
But if your gonna get one of Freds barrels in full bull and one of his stock sets then I don't think that even the 300Win mag would be to bad as far as recoil goes , and if it does bite a little ore that you like then throw a recoil reducer in the stock and a brake on it