Im new here and would love some help with a new gun choice. I have been looking at getting a custom gun built. First i will tell you what im sort of looking for. I want a light weight gun about seven pounds alot of hiking here. Next is i have been looking in a 300 rum 0r in a 338 cal like 338rum or the edge if it will work in a gun that lite. my Big question is who to build it i have it down to borden arms kirby allen or bettin guns but i dont know about that abs barrel so i would love to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks for all your info Zach
Zach, I see this is your second post. Welcome to LRH. I would not look at the calibers you mentioned in a 7# rifle. To brutal to shoot in my opinion and you would have less accuracy. You might want to look at a lesser caliber. Some specifics on use would be helpful in making a recomendation.
Well thanks for the help here is the info for what it will be used for. I would use it for mt goats and deer with a chance of the kodiak brown bear thaat is why those calibers. and here when you hunt there are no roads everthing is hiking and spike camping and with the bears around you need to have something just for you might become the hunted. Every year there are self defense issue with them stupid bears luckly i have only been bluff charged
Here is a thought get a nice custom for the LR stuff. Then go and buy a S&W 500 for bear defense. I know it is cheaper to just have one rifle but in terms of practicality having a large caliber (44 mag or better) side arm for bear defense makes a lot more sense. Anyway this is what I would do.
When you look at the energy imparted by large handguns your still better suited to try and stop it with even a standard cartridge like a 30.06. 7#'s seems a little light might want to consider a brake at the least with a good recoil pad.
I would pack a hand gun but extra weight on a 3 day hunt or more adds up and when climbing a mountian for goats a light gun is nice . I packed my 30-378 once and 11 pound gun up in the hills for a week was not the best. that is why a lighter gun would be nice and with sheep and goats a 5 to 6 hundred yard shot can happen. I will break it if needed i have a 375 h&h that is about 8 pounds with no break and the recoil doesnt bother me. With the caliber is for on these hunt you do sees bears and on some areas it is open during that time of year. Plus i figure with a gun in one of those calibers it would be a good bear gun also for in the spring the bears can be up in the high country so you might need to put on a few miles to get to them and when packing out a load on a pack weight matters. so hear is the next question can a gun in that weight be a good shooter. Hold moa Thanks for all the feed back!!
My Tikka T-3 light 338 win mag weighs just over 7 pounds scoped out. I can shoot it without a brake with 210 grain swift scirocco's wih .507 BC. This rifle would suit your purpose very well. Very easy to kill stuff with it at 600 or so yards. Brown Bear is the reason I didn't go below a 338. A lightweight 7mm wsm would be great for the deer and goats. With a Barnes TSX it will kill big bears. I shot a big grizzly about 25 years ago with a 7mm wby mag at very long range. I'm sure my velocity was not great way out there but my bullet and shot placement were.
I agree that weight is an issue when packing around for days on end. However the weight of a side arm in contrast to the weight of water, rations, and the other gear used for long range hunting is minimal. I what is another 5-8 lbs? I know the tent I carry when back packing weighs about that. In terms of close range use a sidearm is the best route. If you have a bear run up on you it is much easier to maneuver a pistol then a long barreled rifle. You might loose some energy but it is better to be able to get a shot off then not in that case. On your rifle you know what works for you and what doesn't in terms of weight. I know my field rifles normally come in around 15 lbs and I have no problems with that. When it comes to accuracy weight has nothing to do with it. Any well built rifle can hold MOA or less. The trick is the shooter. If the person driving the rifle has poor technique or is scared or the recoil then you will never see that kind of accuracy. The reason benchrest rifles weigh so much is because they generally utilize a very long barrel w/ heavy barrel contour and are weighted for their intended purpose (many BR guys like to see the bullet impact though their scope, thus they hate recoil and muzzle jump). Anyway just my thought on the subject. And you know what they say about opinions (everybody has one and they all stink).
I agree with the 2 gun idea. A side arm is a must in big bear country. We carry pistols when trout fishing and duck hunting in western WY. As for the goat/deer gun I would go with my custom build in 7mm SAUM. Jim See put it together this past summer and the wife and I carried it around the hills this fall. It weighs about 13 lbs and it needs to be carried in a few particular ways or it will be the heaviest 13 lbs you will carry. It shoots 1 3/8" groups at 600 yds in the prone with a bipod and rear bag and I can spot my impacts at 300 yds. I believe carrying the extra weight is worth the accuracy and the lack of recoil.
