Sheridan

Might want to consider the 7MM RM for your new mountain rifle, best balance of power & recoil IMO.

I own a Sako A7 Stainless in 7MM RM as my mountain rifle and weights in at 6.5lbs stripped.

The recoil using 160 gr. bullets is very managable & will handle most big game in North America.

schoolcraft

I must ask, what is your intended purpose of an ultra lightweight rifle? My idea of a lightweight rifle is a browning Xbolt with a lightweight scope. They go under 7lbs in 300win plus the glass. So you add 12oz or so for some lightweight glass. I dont see it making a big difference in packing in anywhere. If it did, I would be inclined to believe its a matter of lack of physical conditioning for the hunt. If our men could win WWII with an 11lb M1 Garand, then an 8lb rifle is a walk in the park IMO. Now if you are looking for another toy, well, dont let me get in the way of a man wanting more guns,lol.



Streetglideok,

The weight of my current rifle, or any I've ever owned for that matter, has never been an issue. My issue in this case is I simply made a poor choice of caliber in my Hill Country Rifles .300 Win. Mag. for what/where I hunt. I would be better served with something in the 06' family of cartridges for the deer and hogs that make up 99% of what I hunt.....and the 06' would be no slouch if an elk hunt did happen to come into the picture one day.
So, I'm kinda' starting fresh and looking for a "smarter" choice for deer and hogs. Something that I really enjoy owning and carrying with me all the time. My hunting lease in only 10 minutes from my house, so I'm down there 2-3 times a week doing something. Some stand hunting. Some still hunting.
While I do LOVE firearms, I think I've learned that I would rather have ONE rifle.....just like I want it...in a caliber that serves my needs rather than 4 or 5 in the gun safe that overlap in their inteded use. I guess I'm just weird like that......

Muley Hunter

Put a recoil pad on your shoulder and a good pad on the gun. You won't feel a thing.

I used to shoot a .458 mag like that, and never noticed the recoil which was 70lbs.

hometheaterman

While I personally would choose a 30-06 for what you are doing, I think at this point, you are likely to take such a loss on the custom rifle you just bought that I'd just keep it. Maybe load some mild loads for it if you don't want that much recoil. I just don't see that the 300 Winchester Magnum has a huge downside other than recoil. Sure it's overkill, but since you already have it, I'd rather use it than take a big loss on it just to have a slightly slower caliber.

bugsNbows

Melvin makes fine ultralight rifles. If that's what the original poster wants (or has decided upon) good for him. His selection criteria is his decision.

schoolcraft

BugsNBows,

THANK YOU!!!!!

This was just a question about recoil in lightweight rifles.....

jeepkid

Why not just re-chamber your .300 Winny to a 30-06 or something of your choice? Re-chamber will be simple, would take some bolt face work or possibly a new bolt but would still be cheaper then selling it for a loss and starting over...

New York Hunter

I have both a 280 Rem. and 30-06 Spr. and like them both. My 280 Rem. is a Remington 700 Classic with an older Redfield Tracker 3-9x40mm Scope. My 30-06 Spr. is a Remington 7600 Carbine with a Leupold VX-II 2-7x33mm Scope.

The 7600 30-06 is my main big game hunting rifle/carbine. I use it when my shots will most likely be 2 to 200 yards. I use my 700 280 for anything longer then that, watching fields, power lines, clear cuts, ect. So they're used for totally different things.

The 280 Rem. is my favorite cartridge and the 700 Classic is my favorite rifle, so I absolutely love my setup, might put a Leupold on it though. If I was going to have a light weight rifle built it would be a 280 Rem. I've often though about getting a 700 Mountain Rifle in 280 Rem., really don't need it though. Just my opinion.

Good luck, NYH.

Big Uncle

Try the recoil calculator at this site:

http://www.handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp

I have a lightweight .280 built by some guy on the outskirts of Morgantown, WV using a Douglas barrel, and it is my favorite all-around medium game rifle. It has done the job with style on deer, elk, kudu, etc. without the same level of shoulder wear that the 300, 338, and 375 magnums make.

streetglideok

It was not my intentions to question the OP, or anything, I just was curious, why he was compelled to get rid of his 300win, for an ultralight '06. There really isnt any advantage of the ultralight '06 over a 300win in standard weight, recoil is going to be about the same, its going to cost alot, and it, and your wallet are now lighter,lol. As I said before, if he wants to buy it for the sake of it, more power to him, I'm all about more guns. As to the idea of having just one rifle, I think its an excercise of compromise, doing many things ok, but nothing great. If you are set on an ultralight rifle, get the 280 rem(7mm express), keep the 300win, and use them for two different purposes. The lightweight for when you are going to do alot of walking and stalking, the 300win for stands and things. I know, this goes against some peoples logic, so flame away. Its not my money.