What rifle, bulllet, load do you have ready for this year?

[mcseal2]

Dubyam, what do you think about that Colt Light Rifle?

One of our local shops had one, for a long time. Eventually it sold. I don't know anything about them.

I had one in 7 mag and it was a real shooter and a joy to carry. It shot 140gr accubonds into 1/2" and 160's into 3/4" with the same POI at 100yds. I took my 09 whitetail with it and packed it elk hunting. I had a Rifle Basix trigger for a Rem 700 installed also.

I eventually sold it because the safety was VERY easy to push into the fire position, and there wasn't much you could do about it. My gunsmith drilled the detent ball cavity out and made it a little better, but I still didn't feel safe with it. I sold it and got my A-bolt with the slide safety. If not for that, I'd never have sold that gun.

 

[mcseal2]

Guy, I really like the Colt. It's a similar story to what you just told as to how I got the darn thing, too. I looked at it in a gun shop in 2001-2002 or so. At that time they had several, one 30-06 and two 270Win and one 300WinMag. Over the years, they sold all of them but the 30-06. So I ended up seeing it several times over the years when I would stop off in that store during lunch when I was in that area. That was one of the real benefits of being on the road as an account rep - lunchtime at gun shops. I saw a lot of great rifles, and got a few good deals myself. Heck, if I'd had the money, I'd have bought maybe fifteen or twenty more rifles that were absolute steals. So I end up with some Christmas money and birthday money, and some other cash I'd scrounged, and I'm thinking about what I might want. I almost bought a 300WSM but decided it just wasn't for me. Then I remember this rifle is in this shop, a couple of hours away. So I call them and ask about it, and it's still there. This is 2009, so the rifle is sitting there, NIB, but almost a decade old. Talked the dealer way down on it, and drove over one morning early to get it.

My impressions on shooting it are that it's very accurate. I've managed sevaral sub-1" groups and the best load is about to be re-tested, but first performance came in at just under .5" at 100yds for three shots. I love the weight of the rifle (though it's about 6.5lbs bare, not 5.5lbs like it was originally advertised). Fully outfitted and ready to carry into the woods, mine runs about 7.5-7.75lbs, but that's rifle, scope, sling, ammo, and all. Not bad for a rifle I paid less than dealer cost for. And remember that this gun wears a 24" barrel, not 20-22" like many lightweights. I'm getting 2950+ with the 168gr BT's and putting them into small groups, so I can't complain. The balance is excellent for me, as well.

I've only run into two complaints. First, the stock is just a tiny bit short on LOP for my taste. Doesn't bother me much, but I'm going to investigate installing a spacer and a thicker recoil pad at some point. I can buy a stock from Melvin Forbes at NULA (for more than I paid for the rifle...) and get a custom length of pull, as well as lose a pound of weight. But I'm not to that point yet.

My other complaint is that I've had two primers fail in this rifle. One was a Remington factory load, and I wasn't the least bit surprised. Then I had one of my handloads (WLR primer) fail this last time out. This could be a firing pin spring, but I don't think it is. The primers that failed to detonate were both well indented, so I suspect they were just bad. I'm going to try some Federal 210's that I've had no trouble from and see if that makes a difference.

Other than that, I'm very pleased. I've seen these going for $500-800 recently, though I don't know what they are actually selling for, just what's on gunbroker as asking prices and bids. If I found another one in either 270Win or 30-06, I'd grab it if I had the cash. I'd likely rebarrel it to something interesting, like a 6.5-280RCBS Improved. But I bet I never do that. Likely easier to find a 700 action and rebarrel it, and drop it into an Alaskan stock, and still be about the same weight if I do it right.

Forgot to add this to my other post until I read yours, but there is an aftermarket spring available that fixes this, I had the same problem. I can't find the package right now to tell you the brand, but I think it was a wolff. It fixed mine right up.

 

[Powerstroke]

I'm to say - I don't think I have a legal big game hunting caliber in my safe ready to go this year - the .260 hasn't been touched & I think will be Dad's choice for his first season bull tag this year. Better get the 130gr AB's ready to ROCK!

Myself - season starts next week :grin: Mulie buck tag and bear.
My choice this year will be 27inches of Easton Axis weighing in at 385 grains scooting along at a whopping 290 fps. Launch platform will be the first season for my new Hoyt Carbon Element.
Countless hours have been spent this summer @ the range and back-yard.

Can't wait to see the pictures start rolling in over the next few months - good luck to all and be safe !

 

[Oldtrader3]

I upgraded a couple of stocks to walnut and got great results on two rifles. Right now, I am sighted in and ready on:

.204 Ruger, Model 527 CZ-32 gr NBT
.270 Win, Model 70-.130 gr NBT
.280 Rem, A-Bolt-140 gr NCT
7mm Rem Mag, Mauser custom-160 gr NAB
.30-06, Model 70-165 gr NPT
.32 Special, Model 94, 170 gr Speer FP
.338 Federal, Sako 85-200 gr NCT
.340 Weatherby, Mark V-225 gr NPT
.45-70, Marlin 1895-350 Hornady

Got it covered from mice to moose.

 

[DrMike]

Mark,

A few head of game that was arrowed will make for some excellent pictures.

Charlie,

Best of luck in your hunting this season. You are indeed good to go.

 

[Guest]

300 rum 180 AB 3250 fps Elk & Muley Bucks Colorado 2nd Rifle Season

35 Whelen 225 AB 2677 fps Tennessee Whitetail Deer

30-06 165 Ballistic Tip 2825 fps Tennessee Whitetail Deer

Don

 

[Gm weatherby man]

150 grn ttsx 2900 fps in 30-06, 150 grn tsx 2500 fps in 303 Brit. 90 grn e-tip 3100 on 243 win. 100 grn ttsx in 257 bee at 3550 fps. All guns will have a chance at everything from whitetails to moose this year. Shall be a interesting year with me, wife, and two daughters swinging bullets at game this year, plan on giving alot to food bank this year, plus the local elders in need to.

 

[baltz526]

Muledeer in the jackpine thickets, 308 win 150gr ballistic tip at 2800fps. Still tossing the coin around on a back up gun. 223 with 70gr semi-pointed 2850fps-6.5x55 with 120gr ballistic tips 2850fps-300 savage. Elk i'm hunting the high desert. Long shots are likely, the 300 win mag with 180gr Etips at 2890fps is ready, I need to check zero and practice with the 7mm rem mag 175gr sierra BTSP at 2900fps.

 

[stalker07]

Well, let's see my primary hunting rifles for this fall/winter shall be: Rem 700 Varmint 22-250 with 40 grain Ballistic tips at 4,385 fps (IMR 8208-XBR) topped with a 4-12x40 Redfield, T/C Encore Pro Hunter .25-06 Rem with the beloved 115 grain Partition topped with another 4-12 Redfield, Savage 110 .243 Winchester loaded with 85 grain Barnes TSX and topped off with a Bushnell Elite 3200, T/C Encore 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser with the 130 grain Swift Scirocco and, you guessed it, REdfield 4-12, Remington model 700 BDL 7mm Remington Mag loaded with 160 grain Nosler Partition and topped off with a Bushnell Elite 4200 4-12x40, my "Death it's own self" rifle - The Ruger M77 Hawkeye .308 Winchester loaded with the 165 grain Nosler Partition and topped with 3-9 Leupold Rifleman, My TC Encore .30-06 loaded with the 180 grain A-Frame at 2750 with iron sights (very compact gun), my TC Pro Hunter .300 Win Mag stoked with the 180 grain Partition at 3150 and Leupold European, my remington 700 .300 RUM with Leupold Custom Shop VX-3 4.5-14x40 pushing the 200 grain AccuBond at 3,185, the personal fav bear gun Ruger M77 Hawkeye .338 Win Mag loaded with 250 grain partitions and topped with a 3.5-10x40 Leupold VX-3, or just in case T-Rex comes back into season, the Model 700 XCRII .375 Remington Ultra Mag pushing the 260 grain AccuBond. These are my primary picks for the season. I have many others that I've either retired for sentimental reasons or are so proven that taking them out is redundant and occasionally boring lol. best of luck to everyone this year. I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures and videos!

 

[SCRUBS]

.243, 85gr TSX
25-06, 117gr Interlock
30-06, 180 gr Interlock
All three rifles are Savages.