Building a mountain rifle

[fordpowerforever]

I absolutely love my 300 rum, if someone tells you they kick as hard you say, they are a wimp or a glass shoulder, 12 gauge with decent ammo hits harder. Mine is just the remington 700 SPSS, its lite weight and very maneuverable with a 26" barrel, a buddy has a new sendero in a 7mm rem mag, and its too heavy for my liking and i dont even backpack in the deep mountains. 300 rum can be a bit overkill for some stuff, especially if hit wrong, but mine flat puts stuff in the dirt with 180 grain sirroccos. Only a few have made a few steps. I always wanna buy a new rifles but just cant see packing anything but it. Its killed a pile of bears and blacktails....

I built one that weighed 7 pounds all ready to hunt without a brake. It broke every scope that graced it. I learned that I don't need to have the hardest bucking rifle around to be a *censored*, I can kill just as much and just as far with a 142smk at 2900 as I could with a 180 scirocco at 3250......and enjoy it....add be confident that it won't break itself doing what it's supposed to do.

havent broke any scopes but did have some scope mounts come apart...

[coachcw]

Something in the seven pound range dressed for a mountain rifle. Even the ultralight are 5 3/4 with out glass. .270 0r 6.5 x284.

[high country]

I absolutely love my 300 rum, if someone tells you they kick as hard you say, they are a wimp or a glass shoulder, 12 gauge with decent ammo hits harder. Mine is just the remington 700 SPSS, its lite weight and very maneuverable with a 26" barrel, a buddy has a new sendero in a 7mm rem mag, and its too heavy for my liking and i dont even backpack in the deep mountains. 300 rum can be a bit overkill for some stuff, especially if hit wrong, but mine flat puts stuff in the dirt with 180 grain sirroccos. Only a few have made a few steps. I always wanna buy a new rifles but just cant see packing anything but it. Its killed a pile of bears and blacktails....

I built one that weighed 7 pounds all ready to hunt without a brake. It broke every scope that graced it. I learned that I don't need to have the hardest bucking rifle around to be a *censored*, I can kill just as much and just as far with a 142smk at 2900 as I could with a 180 scirocco at 3250......and enjoy it....add be confident that it won't break itself doing what it's supposed to do.

havent broke any scopes but did have some scope mounts come apart...

Btdt too. I missed a ripper bear on the first year of the spring hunt on the east side when my Swarovski rattled to death. Losing confidence in a rifle is detrimental no matter why. A less vicious recoiling rig with repeatable accuracy will win in the end when working with lighter rigs......imo.

[Jingles]

Why is it everyone avoids the reliable and time proven 30-06??? Folks claim that the 270 is a faster flatter shooting caliber however when you figure in that with the 06 you can load out to a 220 grain bullet verses with the 270 to can get up to a 150 grain bullet. With the 06 shooting a 185 SBT with recommended max loads (Sierra) 56 grains IMR4350 you are pushing it at 2800 FPS @ muzzle your Maximum Point Blank Range is 345 yards (MPBR = 5" above or below line of sight), verses the 270 with the 150 grain SBT pushed with max recommended load of 55.7 grains IMR 4350 @2900 FPS  @muzzle your MPBR is 350 yards, a mere 5 yards more than the 180 grain bullet in 30 cal 345 yards.

Now lets look at energy your 270 has 1822 FT-Lb at 300 yards where the 06 has 2077 @300 yards.

Sorry but the 06 is going to have less recoil than your Ultra mag you will shoot more because of less recoil thereby becoming more proficient at shooting meaning the better you are the less you'll need all that extra cannon because you couldn't hit the broad side of barn with your magnum becuase you were recoil shy.

I use the 180 grain as an example because that is what I use in my 06 and feel it is big and strong enough for anything that walks on the Northern Hemisphere with proper shot placement plus with the MPBR I don't need that expensive range finder that is just added weight in the pack or hanging on my neck. Only difference is I load it with 58 grains of IMR 4350 which I swag is pushing the 180 at 2900 FPS giving me a MPBR of 355 yards and 2240 ft lbs of energy at 300 yards

[high country]

Here's a bull elk shoulder at 900 ft/lbs with a 142gr 6.5 pill......energy is over rated.

[high country]

On side on the left.....off side on the right. Never took a step. 742 yds @ 2900 for with a 142.

[b23]

If I could ONLY have one rifle to do everything with and I wanted to keep it in the 10-12lb range, it would be a 6.5 caliber something or other.

[Jingles]

I expect to get hammered by quite a few on this but if I had to shoot 700+yards to get the game I was "Hunting" I think I'd learn a little bit more about hunting.

[whacker1]

I expect to get hammered by quite a few on this but if I had to shoot 700+yards to get the game I was "Hunting" I think I'd learn a little bit more about hunting.

Lots of different places to hunt.  Lots of different scenarios.  Ideally we all want to shorten the range.....but sometimes, you have to decide whether to take the shot given.  I like to be confident in a wider range of shots, and having the weapon in hand for the situation and the practice to support that range is part of the decision making.

Nothing wrong with the desire to get closer, but that is not always possible.

[high country]

If your landowner says you can shoot from here to there......you play by their rules. I don't mind. I've killed them at 20 feet and everywhere in between.  Be prepared for the situation.

[carpsniperg2]

I expect to get hammered by quite a few on this but if I had to shoot 700+yards to get the game I was "Hunting" I think I'd learn a little bit more about hunting.

Lots of different places to hunt.  Lots of different scenarios.  Ideally we all want to shorten the range.....but sometimes, you have to decide whether to take the shot given.  I like to be confident in a wider range of shots, and having the weapon in hand for the situation and the practice to support that range is part of the decision making.

Nothing wrong with the desire to get closer, but that is not always possible.

Spot on with these thoughts. Getting closer is not always about being a better hunting or not knowing something. Sometimes things prohibit from getting closer. If you are well practiced and know your limits and your equipment's limits then there is not reason to not take longer range shots.

[Romulus1297]

Melvin's ULA Model 24 is really easy to carry all day. 

[RadSav]

I am with others that the RUM is not a mountain rifle.  But it sounds as though that was a clarification mistake by the OP so I won't bother with my thoughts on mountain rifles.

As far as a gun producing RUM performance without all the umph?  There are plenty of options.  The RUM really comes into it's own when you start talking OVER 1,000 yards.  Maybe you are the < 2% that can consistently shoot the heart/lung of a deer with 90+% success out to 1,500 .  But, if you are like most good shooters that is not really in the cards nor is the RBros or similar rifle required to produce such success beyond 1,000 yards.  Inside 1,000 yards and to a great degree inside 700 yards the RUM doesn't offer much over the wonderful 300WM or Roy's 300.  You will still need to read wind like a master, will need to pay close attention to surfaces you are shooting from, will still need to have a dang fine rangefinder, and you will still need to choose bullets carefully once you venture past that 500 yard mark.  The RUM doesn't change any of that! 

The 300 WM has fallen victim to the same boring old offering as has afflicted the 308 and 30-06 over the years.  Often time resulting in a loss of respect as compared to the exciting 404 Jeffery based cartridges.  But, make no mistake, it has lost none of it's effectiveness over the years.  And with the advances in modern bullet construction one could even say it has only gotten better with time!  A true American classic and possibly the best all rounder ever made.

Hunting is not much a contest of manhood.  It's more about bringing home the bacon.  And for the good shooter that wants to reach out to ranges around 700 yards with 1,000 yards as a push it is just as effective and a whole lot cheaper to get it done with a WinMag.  And in the same weight rifle your shoulder will appreciate it after a long day on the range.  If your travels take you to places well beyond the end of the road you may appreciate a lighter weight 300 WM that could challenge the definition of a mountain rifle too!

[high country]

If you have 80 hours of light in the entire season. .....you better use em'. Pick the versatile tool that let's you work your area.

[walleye1]

I'm a 7mm fan for short and long range there B.C.is as good as it gets but there are a lot of great long range cal. Out there these days.I believe the key to shooting long range (500+) is your rangefinder and scope. your scope will compensate for any bullet drop.