Lightweight sheep rifle

[b_doornenbal]

Originally Posted by koothunter

Buy a Tikka, and use the extra money on something else you want. Your accuracy gains from spending more money are not noticeable.

Completely agree. Buy a Tikka and spend the extra money on bullets and practicing your shooting so you don’t blow a once in a lifetime shot. Tikka superlites are just over 6lbs.

[Twobucks]

I have a Kimber Montana 8400 in .270 win. It weighs 7lbs 4oz with steel rings and a Leupold ultralight 3-9x and is an excellent shooter for me, especially with 130 Accubonds. I don’t know that I want anything too much lighter because it gets less forgiving to shoot. I paid $9-950 for the bare rifle in 2011.

I’ve never owned a Tikka but they have a good reputation.

Good luck - and start hiking now. I’m in pretty decent shape and sheep trips thrash me every single time.

[Desert Eagle]

I put together a Rem model 7 in 300 SAUM. It's 7 pounds all setup.

If you went with a standard caliber like 260 you would be well under that. Put it in a wildcat and you would be under 6 all ready to hunt.

[fishhawk1650]

I have a Sako 85 Finnlight in 7-08 with Leupold 3x9
Good shooter and nice and light. I would part with it
PM me if interested

[Coiloil37]

If it were my money I would be watching for a used kimber Montana 84m or 84l. I’ve only got two Montana’s in 30-06 and .338 win mag but they both shoot very well.

[WV911]

Browning Hells Canyon Speed

[510-Gem]

Sako A7 Roughtech is probably the nicest handling and lightest sporting rifle I’ve owned.

One thing that is often overlooked/under appreciated is how long a rifle is. Barrels can be a pain in the ace to duck under limbs and logs and stuff when strapped to a pack.


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[CrisPbacon]

.270 short mag or a 6.5 x 300 Weatherby

[Redneck 7]

My first rifle I got for the mountains is a stainless 700 cdl in 7mm-08 with a vx 2 3-9x40 in silver. Great rifle, the wife uses it now for everything she shoots. My mountain rifle now is a stainless 700 300 SAUM in a bell and Carlson stock with a vx-1 3-9x40. Love that rifle combo, but I’ll love her more when I get a better optic on top. With that budget I’d buy a Remington mountain 700 in whatever cal that suits your needs and put the extra cash into a nice optic.

[3blade]

Originally Posted by kw12

That was my original thought and figured that I’d go over budget if I needed too I would just like to try and keep it around 1500

how overbudget?

Christensen summit ti in 6.5 prc would be a great sheep rifle.

But if you want to be a little closer cost wise, I can vouch for the Mesa. Love mine, sub 1/2 inch with factory ammo, cold clean bore POI same as all subsequent shots. No kimber roulette to worry about.

[Gilly]

Keep it classic. A Winchester model 70 featherweight in 270 win. Jack o Connor killed a pile with this set up.

[dave99]

I have been in on 6 successful sheep hunts. Shots ranged from 10 to 450 yards. Average on rams was probably 180 yds.

I do not know of a situation where I would risk a first shot at more than 450 or 500 yards on a ram. Not because I doubt my ability or what the rifle is capable of, but because of the unpredictability of wind.

That said, I would say find a rifle in the 6-7 lbs range that fits you well, and one that will recoil softly enough to get you back on target quickly for a second shot, should it be needed.

If much of your hiking is below tree line, look for something with a barrel that is 22” or less, ideally.

I shoot a semi custom Sako 85 Finnlight in 6.5cm, but my factory synthetic T3 in 30.06 would be just as good.

Get in shape, and SPEND YOUR MONEY ON OPTICS!



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[raised by wolves]

I owned a few Rem Titaniums. The weight was nice but the accuracy was never really great in any of them. I used the actions to build other rifles. I had a 260 that had reasonable accuracy but I never warmed up to the rifle.

I worked on several Montanas. They were incredibly inconsistent on accuracy and quality. Of five, I found only one to be a shooter. I did like their geometry.

My main for going above the treeline is a Sako 85 Finnlight in 270WSM topped with a Swarovski Z3 3-10 BRX reticle. I had a 7-08 but preferred the faster 270WSM. It is by no means a flyweight rifle, but I know the extra weight gives me .5MOA and good reach with 140 Accubonds. Awesome accuracy, fast load, and big thump on the target.

[wind drift]

Originally Posted by dave99

I have been in on 6 successful sheep hunts. Shots ranged from 10 to 450 yards. Average on rams was probably 180 yds.

I do not know of a situation where I would risk a first shot at more than 450 or 500 yards on a ram. Not because I doubt my ability or what the rifle is capable of, but because of the unpredictability of wind.

That said, I would say find a rifle in the 6-7 lbs range that fits you well, and one that will recoil softly enough to get you back on target quickly for a second shot, should it be needed.

If much of your hiking is below tree line, look for something with a barrel that is 22” or less, ideally.

I shoot a semi custom Sako 85 Finnlight in 6.5cm, but my factory synthetic T3 in 30.06 would be just as good.

Get in shape, and SPEND YOUR MONEY ON OPTICS!


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Amen! Less focus on gear minutia and more on personal ability!

[straight]

Tikka and best glass you can afford. Hand load and practice, practice, practice...

[OL_JR]

Originally Posted by brewster29

A T3x Superlite, Talley mounts and a Leupold VX3i in 4.5-14x40 CDS will easily weigh in at under 7.5 lbs. The entire rig in stainless should be doable for $1800 with a bit of shopping around.

Tikkas seem to all have the same barrel contour, so larger bores weigh less than smaller.

You give up some snob appeal, but get a rifle as accurate as you can ever use from field positions. It is not a NULA, but should shoot as well as one.

I have the T3x lite with a vx3i 4-14x40 and talley mounts just new to me this year. I have no plans to utilize the cds system and there is no reason to imho. I'm still getting it dialed in to longer ranges but there is no reason that I can see to get a custom dial when it's easy to just figure out what moa at what distance and build your own chart.

With that said I carried a basic rem 700 25-06 with a redfield scope for years. With 100 grain bullets I reload hot it's basically point blank to 300 yards and that is good enough for me. This new gun with slightly lighter weight is a nice to have and the bulk of my weight savings through the years has been through other equipment like light pack, light sleeping arrangements, light cooking equipment, and learning what you actually need to take vs over packing. I've probably shaved 10lbs at least from when I started and that's being conservative. The gun has been the last thing I've shed weight on.

[wolf308]

Kimber 308.

Didn't shoot what I wanted , but shoots 180s just fine , 3 shots anyway.

Pretty mild loading , maybe not for past 3-400 yards on wild animals , but that's a super long shot hunting anyway

[WhiteTailAB]

Tikka T3 in a wildcat ultralight stock....

[kw12]

Well thank you all for the feedback and private messages! I’ve decided to go brand new after a lot of different offers for second hand rifles. I ended up purchasing a tikka t3x lite in a 7mm.

Thanks again for all the info!

[Dean2]

That should work just great for what you are doing. Thanks for updating us. Happens so rarely that a guy starts to be less willing to offer suggestions and advice so good on you for updating the outcome. Best of luck on the Sheep hunt.

[Flight01]

Originally Posted by kw12

Well thank you all for the feedback and private messages! I’ve decided to go brand new after a lot of different offers for second hand rifles. I ended up purchasing a tikka t3x lite in a 7mm.

Thanks again for all the info!

Enjoy.
Experiment with ammo , cold bore vs warm bore impacts and so on then practice practice practice
Good luck on the hunt.
I always liked the partition for 7 rem mag. Or perhaps an accubond

[double gun]

I would probably buy a used weatherby ultralight in 280.

But a t3 in a wildcat would be another one that's hard to argue with.

[marxman]

I like the tikka it’s a bit lighter but the muzzle is not thin it holds nice and is not so twitchy. I had a howa mini with the pencil barrel it just didn’t feel right. I also had a cooper with a skinny barrel but it was 24 inches and was pretty nice I think the extra barrel length made a big difference but of course you would hafta pack around a longer rifle. I think the tikka is a good choice.

[Redneck 7]

Good choice on rifle and caliber. I like Tikka’s it’s just my OCD wont let me buy anything other then Remington’s.

[J.B.]

Dont get caught up in a light weight rifle setup. If your budget is 1500 get a stainless tikka short action. Plenty light enough. Most guys would be better trying to shave weight off their hind end than a rifle anyways lol.
Spend your big bucks on binos.

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by kw12

Well thank you all for the feedback and private messages! I’ve decided to go brand new after a lot of different offers for second hand rifles. I ended up purchasing a tikka t3x lite in a 7mm.

Thanks again for all the info!

Missed this. Good choice!

[Smokinyotes]

Originally Posted by J.B.

Dont get caught up in a light weight rifle setup. If your budget is 1500 get a stainless tikka short action. Plenty light enough. Most guys would be better trying to shave weight off their hind end than a rifle anyways lol.
Spend your big bucks on binos.

Isn’t a Tikka short action the same action as the long, just a different bolt stop and mag. So weight should be irrelevant.

[brewster29]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

Isn’t a Tikka short action the same action as the long, just a different bolt stop and mag. So weight should be irrelevant.

Yup. Tikka short action always makes me giggle. Bore diameter is about the only variable that affects weight.

[freeride]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

Isn’t a Tikka short action the same action as the long, just a different bolt stop and mag. So weight should be irrelevant.

carrying all the extra long action brass and powder cartridges is what adds weight on the different tikkas...

[J.B.]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

Isn’t a Tikka short action the same action as the long, just a different bolt stop and mag. So weight should be irrelevant.

Ah forgot that yes...shorter barrel on some short action chamberings could save a few ounces though haha