Building a mountain rifle

[PendingKarma2014]

So I have been contemplating building a heavy duty mountain rifle and I was considering the .300 RUM, but I have no experience with them, just alot of research so far.  What I do know is the recoil is like getting punched by a prize fighter, which is non-condusive to an extended shoot session. Do you guys have an suggestions for calibers with the performance statistics to par or better than the .300 RUM without all that umpff?

[Timberstalker]

What are you hunting?  Some may disagree but a 6.5x284 gets with it and has proven to be a long range monster. 

[PendingKarma2014]

What are you hunting?  Some may disagree but a 6.5x284 gets with it and has proven to be a long range monster.

North American big game mainly

[X-Force]

It sounds like your wanting to make more of a heavy rifle and less of a duty rifle IMO. When I think mountain I think lightweight, maneuverable, good glass and 500 or so range.

300RUM would be overkill... again IMO

Long action
280AI
6.5x284
300WM

Short action
260
300wsm
7mmwsm

Those would handle everything except maybe grizzlies
What action are you using? budget?

[PendingKarma2014]

Well, I have considerable experience with the Remington 700, and I have done some reading into a new variation that they have come up with called the LR. Seems to be an update of the Sendero. So when it comes to the rifle, I've already got that set in solid, I'm just hunting for an optimum caliber for hunting at 400-600 yards or more, and target shooting at 1000+.

[Curly]

Do you guys have any suggestions for calibers with the performance statistics to par or better than the .300 RUM without all that umpff?

It doesn't exist.  Just put a muzzle brake on it if you want less recoil and still want that performance. 

[jackelope]

Are you talking a long range rifle or a mountain rifle? Because that LR is not what I would call a mountain rifle at 9 pounds bare.
 

[whacker1]

Mountain Rifle to me means Alaska Dall Sheep, Mountain Goat, etc. where you are doing everything you can to shave weight.  6 1/2 lb gun in a 260-280 caliber of some kind. Maybe a 300WSM to stay in a short action.

My .300 RUM that I pack everywhere weight like 9 1/2 - 9 3/4 lbs.  I don't put that in a mountain rifle definition for a fresh build

[PendingKarma2014]

Mountain Rifle to me means Alaska Dall Sheep, Mountain Goat, etc. where you are doing everything you can to shave weight.  6 1/2 lb gun in a 260-280 caliber of some kind. Maybe a 300WSM to stay in a short action.

My .300 RUM that I pack everywhere weight like 9 1/2 - 9 3/4 lbs.  I don't put that in a mountain rifle definition for a fresh build

Yeah perhaps I used that out of context. Long range rifle would be a more appropriate term I suppose.

[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....

[JackOfAllTrades]

To me... A mountain rifle weighs 6pounds or less. (with optics)   A long range rifle could be upwards of 12pounds. I carry a 10 pound rifle good for 450yds. (in my hands)  (funny... I keep killing things within pistol range though..)   That said, study recoil energy tables. There's a good recoil calculator here: http://handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp  It's all about mass, energy and velocity.  If you're shooting a 'mountain rifle' in any of the high velocity magnum cartridges, the only way to reduce felt recoil for range sessions is to shoot from a 'Lead Sled' or some such contraption. Otherwise, Man UP!  I will highly recommend a LimbSaver or Pachmayr Decelorator recoil pad for the lighter rifles. That said, all the velocity and down range impact energy in the world won't replace accuracy. If you can't hit it. None of the rest matters. There are some cartridges and calibers that are inherently more accurate than others. Study Ballistic Coefficients of different caliber bullets before you select a cartridge to deliver it from. Highly revered will be 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, and even .30cal for long range shooting. The 280ackley would be a great cal/cartridge without all the recoil of a 300Rum. Impact energy is less though. The 300win, 308Norma, 30-338wildcat would also be excellent choices if you want to shoot heavier projectiles.  There's nothing that a 7RemMag will do better than a 30-06 except fly flatter with a better BC, but you can't get a 210gn bullet for it. -Well, there is one more thing... It will punish your shoulder! Just like any RUM will.  My suggestion would be to settle on a cartridge first. Then build a rifle around that choice. As for accuracy... The only shot that counts is the first cold bore shot. Know where that one hits!
 
-Steve

[whacker1]

Mountain Rifle to me means Alaska Dall Sheep, Mountain Goat, etc. where you are doing everything you can to shave weight.  6 1/2 lb gun in a 260-280 caliber of some kind. Maybe a 300WSM to stay in a short action.

My .300 RUM that I pack everywhere weight like 9 1/2 - 9 3/4 lbs.  I don't put that in a mountain rifle definition for a fresh build

Yeah perhaps I used that out of context. Long range rifle would be a more appropriate term I suppose.

Ok, for long range....do you load your own?   assuming yes, lots of options

.338 edge
300 rum
338 rum
7 rum
300 wm
6.5x284
6.8 variates
280AI

These are probably some of the more popular long range rounds on remington 700 actions, in what i refer to the mid-bore calibers  ( i am sure that i missed several that others like).  From here you can get into all sorts of wildcats.  There are boat loads of wildcats in the larger bore calibers.

BiggerHammer and yorketransport and highcountry are all good resources on what some of the more obscure wildcats look like

[Boss .300 winmag]

Are you talking a long range rifle or a mountain rifle? Because that LR is not what I would call a mountain rifle at 9 pounds bare.
 

 

Yep my Boss .300 winmag has become a safe queen to a .243, and .308 that are much lighter and do a great job on anything south of the Canadian boreder.

[Biggerhammer]

Well, I have considerable experience with the Remington 700, and I have done some reading into a new variation that they have come up with called the LR. Seems to be an update of the Sendero. So when it comes to the rifle, I've already got that set in solid, I'm just hunting for an optimum caliber for hunting at 400-600 yards or more, and target shooting at 1000+.

.300 Win Mag. Good job on the loyalties to Remington!

[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.