Carry gun for elk

[BountyHunter]

Hmmm, just exactly what I am in the process of building.

Rem 700 SPS (black matte) in 300 WSM cost $439 and weight is 7 3/8 lbs. Already have it.

Going to either a High tech stock (20 0z) from Brownells for $152 wholesale for dealers or Hunter Ed instrucors/$210 retail. :Note barrel on the SPS is 24" not 26"

or Bruce Baer custom thumbhole in nutmeg around 2 lbs.

Scope will be a Kahles 3-10 or 3-9 with TDS reticle (cost $725) and weight is 14 oz

Talley rings and base (2-4 oz)

BH

 

[mindcrime]

[ QUOTE ]
IMO....a man hasn't lived UNTIL he's sat on top of a mountain and observed the GLORY THAT GOD HATH MADE before his eyes!!

[/ QUOTE ]

AMEN, Sir!!! I used to ROCK CLIMB, and at my dad's and my last guided elk hunt the guide told me that he wanted me "right there on the edge of that rock outcropping, pointing at it at a distance of about 800 yards. Not necessarily being afraid of falling, I walked around the back edge of the hill, coming in on the backside. Then I started "butt-sliding" up to the edge with my boot heels on the edge of the clift, and leaned against a scrub. I loved it. I was at so much PEACE, with that wind coming up the valley, looking at all the Evergreens, just eating my lunch and keeping my rifle handy. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

About three hours later, my guide sneeked up on me only to tell me "Good Lord, man are you nuts?!?" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I told him that he did say he wanted me on the edge. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Lord willing I will make it back within the next year or two......I need some serious destressing! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Boman]

My Elk rifle is a custom jobby. .340Wby on a Rem 700 action. Bansner Stock, 3 position safety, 24" Lilja #2 barrel, muzzlebreak. It currently wears a 4-12x50 Swarovski scope with the TDS reticle. Scoped and ready to hunt it weighs in right at 7lbs.. I love this rifle. Its deadly accurate out to 600yds (farthest I've practiced)

What you've described would be an excellent elk rifle. Get it shoot it alot and have a great time and hopefully you'll get an elk as well. Good luck to you

 

[Ankeny]

I am 50 years old and not in the best of shape. My elk rifle weighs in at 12 pounds with scope and sling. I tried the light weight mountain gun route, but I just can't shoot those light, whippy, poodle shooters as well as a heavy stable rifle. I just slow down and take my time. BTW, since I started not rushing around the mountains, my success rate has gone up. I look at like this, if I can't pack a 12 pound rifle in, I sure can't get an 800 pound bull out. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[TOM H]

When I was younger packing a 13lb rifle wasn't too bad now that I'm 63 around 9 1/2 to 10lbs is all I want to pack. We normally walk back in around 4miles if it's a guided hunt you will have help but if not have to pack it out I really don't like to pack alot of gear hunting. It funny you mentioned 5lb rifle I'm looking at a Ultralight Arms rifle fun to have one of those be nice to cut 2lbs off the rifle and if it doesn't work well! I start walking the mtn in the summer to get in shape and I find every year those hills for some reason get alittle steeper I keep trying to figure out how they do that! Guys got to carry what feels good and he can shoot. I hate to say this but if looking for a good 500yd elk rifle I'd be looking at a 300wby or 300rum I own both I also shoot a custom 30-338mag and 300mag. I've just put my custom 300wsm up for sale I tried it as a factory rifle then had it all redone from stock up then got a T-3 300wsm and again I just didn't have good luck with either in fact I didn't hunt with them. Over the years I found sometimes better to have alittle more gun than what you think you need. Well good luck.

 

[ATH]

So my guess of 12lb doesn't seem to be far off. I think I'll stick with 300 WSM though...I've been near 300 RUMs going off, and it did not appear to be a round I could ENJOY shooting any real amount.
The way I look at it, a lot of elk died before the 300 RUM was invented. I'm not going for 800 yds so I should be ok...bullet choice would have a bigger impact IMO.
Thanks!

 

[rtv900]

I have had good luck with the 300WSM. Not really much different than the 300 WM in general performance (unless you hand load) but you can get a more compact rifle with more bullet choices.

 

[Strick9]

I recently sold my Rem 700 Sps stainless in 300 wsm for a custom build in yep 300 wsm,, mine should come out around 10lbs +- 1,with optics,, but with 20 inch barrel for getting under stuff.. I am still hooked but have never owned the Sako finlight they feel great in hand and are apparently very accurate as long as you keep the rounds down to 2-3 then the barrel starts heating..I loved my SPS,, It was light and I got lucky out of the box was sub Moa. with factory ammo!!.I was allways bothered by the glare so one day while hunting a burn area fixed that with some charcoal..I took many whitetail with this caliber and also one 6x elk , and one muley 170 inch both at 300 plus,, My build is as follows..Rem LTR convert from 300 saum to 300 wsm, restock with BnC tactical, add extreme v brake,,got to see your impact ,tune trigger ,accurize bolt and action, Badger 20moa badger base and badger med rings and SnB PMII..can not wait to get her..Good luck..

 

[tscott]

I'm soon to be 58 and my Rem 700 in a 300 Win Mag does seem to get heavier each year. I have a couple of smaller guns but I have much more confidence with the 300 WM.
With the helpful advice of a couple of guys on this board, I had fun painting two of my rifles. I will be painting my 300 this year to get rid of that grare from the stainless barrel. Good Luck.

 

[cross]

You really need to look into where it is that you're going. In parts of Northern Idaho, for example, you may very well spend everyday in motion all day long because you usually can't see more than 50 to 60 yards and when you do, you're looking at tree tops across the canyon. Binoculars can be about as useful as earrings and having a rifle that's quick and light could be as important if not more important than having one that shoots far. That being said ALL elk country has some opportunity for long range shooting so you probably wouldn't ever want to use something as imprecise as an open-sight rifle. If you're mostly walking ridge-tops or trails or riding horses, then a big heavy rifle might be what you want. If you're going to carry it through the brush all day, maybe heavy won't be the best.

The 300 WSM is arguably as good as anything else within 500 yards so I've nothing to add here.

As far as stainless goes. Yes, stainless steel is nothing like anything else in nature. I saw 'something wrong' out in a valley one day in September several years ago and pulled over to put my binos on it. It was a guy, laying down in blue jeans and a red flannel shirt glassing a herd of antelope. What surprised me was that at 2 miles I hadn't been able to see him until I got him on 10x. What caught my attention was the stainless barrel and aluminum scope of his rifle. I often hunt in the rain my rifles might get soaked everyday for a week so stainless is important to me, but after what I saw that day, I'm done with the aluminum scopes and all of my rifles have at least some paint or tape on them to knock down the majority of the glare.

Hope I said something helpful (my wife says I usually don't).

 

[rtv900]

I just got my rifle back from Bansners. I had a lightweight stock put on my Model 70 300wsm. I also had it coated and stuff like that. I think it is going to be my ultimate carry rifle. It has the power that is needed and it is lightweight but not to light. I will weight it tomorrow and post pictures. It is my favorite rifle so far. The best carry rifle means many different things to many different people. It depends on how far you are going to shoot and what exactly is important to you. A 300wm or 300wsm is good for me for many different applications and weight is really important to me. I like it to be really lightweight. Its just my hot button right now. I will be onto another hot button later I am sure of it.

 

[sniperVLS]

At 34, I'm still at the age where carrying my 13lb VLS doesn't bother me a bit, but I see that changing down the road. At the end of the day, I have supreme confidence in it so it's worth the extra weight.

 

[rtv900]

Mine all scoped up is just over 7 3/4lb. I have been happy with that weight.

The most important thing is to bo comfident with your rifle. If it is light or heavy you need to be happy with where you put the bullet. It does not make sense to have a lightweight rifle if you cannot shoot it well.