Back from East Wa Hunt...Looking at mountain guns now

[Stein]

I'll take a different tack on an answer.  Your original question was whether you should spend $1,000 - $1,500 (not counting new dies, load work, trips to the range, etc) on a new rifle to save about a half a pound?

If it were me, I wouldn't consider that.  Honestly, for $1,000 I could buy a S***ton of gas, drive to the mountains on the weekends and do some late season hunting and pre-season scouting next year and end up gaining way more by loosing a few pounds and getting in better shape.

That's just my view.

[coachcw]

I couldn't get my self to buy a kimber . just to light and wasn't sold on accuracy except for one combo with a ttsx . the savage lw or the ruger compact american would be a good mountain choice in 7mm 08 . good to 300-400 light enough to pack and cheap enough to scratch .

[jackelope]

.45-70. 0 at 100 yards, 10" low at 200.



.500 S&W 0 at 100. 20" low at 200.




If you like to hunt up close and personal go for it. Otherwise I wouldn't bother with either of your 2 choices for a mountain rifle.

That's using a 430gr bullet. the Hornady Leverlution is a bit better trajectory wise than that, but anyways. the only "new" cartridges I'm willing to add are 45-70 or a 308. so is there another light, small gun in either 30-06, 25-05, 7mm, 308 or 45-70?

Buy a TC Encore or Pro Hunter with a .308 barrel. When someone says mountain rifle, I think lightweight, somewhat compact etc.
I just weighed my Encore. It's a 24" SS .280 Rem, 4-16x42 Vortex scope, claw sling and a Harris bipod. It weighs 9.2 pounds with all that stuff. I'd drop the bipod and lose a pound or so if I was hunting in the mountains. If I wanted to save more weight id put a smaller scope on it. I could be under 8 pounds ready to roll. You could do the same thing with pretty much whatever caliber you want.

9.2#'s? Would not class that as a lightweight mountain gun. Love the TC's, but there are better choices that will get down under 6.5#'s complete!

I wouldn't disagree with that, and I don't consider mine a mountain gun. Only reason I mentioned it was because an Encore is one of the rifles he wanted in his original post.
PS my 9.2# rifle is with a 4-16x scope, a bipod and a Quake Claw sling.