Hiking Rifle cartridges

[Newboomer]

Talked to my brother in law and he has one in 35 rem so there is that. He says that loaded with points bullets it is pure poison on hogs out to 200 yards.

35 or 350?

 

[MS 9x56]

35 Remington

 

[rdog]

As i have gotten older & my physical condition has deteriorated mainly due to rheumatoid arthritis, i purchased a light walk around rifle, & its a joy to carry, a Tikka T3x Ultralite in 6.5x55 in a Bell & Carlson stock , withTalley one piece
mounts & Leupold VX2 2x7, its a true sub MOA shooter. It could be my favorite rifle, i estimate it at about 7 lbs un loaded. the bathroom scales battery is flat.

 

[EDELWEISS]

Part of the fun of hunting for me are discussions like this one. A good friend described it like a dog chasing a car. The dog may catch up to the car; but WHAT is he going to do with it when he gets it.... The point, for me at least, isnt catching the car (although I thought it was when I started), its the pursuit. Im still searching.

No doubt there are a lot of good options for a cartridge with enough power for medium size game and useable in a lightweight rifle. Ive come to appreciate a few new ones to me (22 K Hornet maybe even 22 Hi Power) as well as many of my old standbys (6.5x55, 275 Rigby, and 30-30)

Now the question is what rifle?

 

[Brian Rothhammer]

Now the question is what rifle?

This one?

Gewehr 91

 

[EDELWEISS]

OK IM all for a Gewehr 91 but where do I find one? Better yet whats a modern version? Awhile back Remington and AAC got together and made a love child that was just about perfect. It was a Model 7 that was tiny and light and chambered in 300Blkackout. Even before Remington took a financial dump on the industry they canceled it favor of a M700 in a heavy chunky stock

 

[CBH Australia]

As i have gotten older & my physical condition has deteriorated mainly due to rheumatoid arthritis, i purchased a light walk around rifle, & its a joy to carry, a Tikka T3x Ultralite in 6.5x55 in a Bell & Carlson stock , withTalley one piece
mounts & Leupold VX2 2x7, its a true sub MOA shooter. It could be my favorite rifle, i estimate it at about 7 lbs un loaded. the bathroom scales battery is flat.View attachment 448423

Well take your word for it.
I took the battery out of my scales when it told me to get off. Can't trust em.

 

[CBH Australia]

Nice set up by the way.

 

[rdog]

Some time ago Ruger made a run of light 77MK11s in 7.62x39 & 6.8 SPC, 18 inch light barrels, wooden stocks i was going to buy one in 6.8 but procrastinated to long & they were all sold, i do have an Ruger American in 7.62x39 good shooter but no pride of ownership. its a shame that Howa do not chamber their mini action 1500 in 6.8 SPC but do in 6.5
Grendel a another great little cartridge, the 7.62x39 6.8 spc &
the 6.5 Grendel offer much better performance than than the 300 black out, on small game, & are suited for short light rifles. I built a 6.5 grendel on a Ruger 77 MK11 7.62x39 action
with a Packnor 1-8 twist barrel some years ago, with Nosler 100 gr BT is a sub moa 5 shot rifle & a joy to shoot & loves
Hornady American Gunner factory ammo

 

[yumastepside]

I too like the idea of a lightweight " walk around " rifle, medium to small calibre, open sights or low powered optics.
At the moment mine are a Baikal single shot re-barrelled to 6.5x39, a full wood stocked Carcano in 6.5x54MS and a Portuguese Vergueiro in 7.65x53 .

Roger

 

[IvW]

a combination gun in either of the following depending where you are hiking.

7x57R/12ga or 308/12ga
7x65R/12ga
9.3x74R/12ga

 

[EDELWEISS]

a combination gun in either of the following depending where you are hiking.

7x57R/12ga or 308/12ga
7x65R/12ga
9.3x74R/12ga

I really like Drillings and Cape Guns (Combos); but Ive never found one that I thought was portable enough for "this" purpose, whatever that is???

Recently a bolt action rifle in 22TCM came into the shop. I have heard of this cartridge; but only as a new pistol cartridge, so I started google searches. It seems to be a HOT 22 in a small case. If I understand correctly, its hotter than 22 Hornet and 5.7 FN...and Ive seen Whitetail taken with them. Perhaps not the "best" choice to purposely pick for larger game; but it may be worth considering???

 

[Nevada Mike]

I have a lightweight, short action Dakota 76 in .257 Roberts with a VXII 2-7X scope. This rifle weighs only 7 lbs. 5 oz. with scope and leather sling. Easy to carry, accurate, adequate for small and medium game.

 

[Joker12]

I think that my Ruger #1A 7x57 is perfect for a walking around rifle. Great chambering, fast handling, accurate, very easy carrying and with the barrel band it slings nice and low. Easy on the eyes too!

 

[EDELWEISS]

I do like the Ruger No.1 rifles and I think they could be a good candidate for a Hiking Rifle; but I also think they could use a good fitness trainer.... The No1's are great rifle but they are much heavier then they need to be. I suppose most (all) factory rifles could use a trimming. Id start with the forearm and then the buttstock. It might not take a lot off the scale but they can be made easier to carry

 

[Joker12]

I'm not sure exactly what the #1A weighs but its certainly much lighter than the #1B which has a 26 inch barrel. Regardless the balance in my hands just seems to be perfect.

 

[EDELWEISS]

Just when I think I have the perfect cartridge, I find something else. I think we can agree cartridges are location dependent. Here in the Easter woods, where 100 yards maybe a long shot I keep coming back to the 30-30; but in the flats of Southern Texas I want more, and a 30-06 isnt too much; but is it if Im willing to put the work into a stalk to get closer?

I like to hike; but for this purpose we can call it Hiking with an appropriate gun. Its the appropriate part that always gets me scratching my head....

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

338 WBY RPM – Weatherby, Inc.

weatherby.com

This one is interesting. I like the oddball stuff

 

[Vinootz]

Lets talk about stalking rifle cartridges. Short action, Long action, Rimfire? Small game or large? How'bout suppressed? In another thread we debated "Stalking Rifles". I'm was clearly pushing the limits of the original Stalking Rifle definition, so I'm happy to be part of a new classification. Lets call these "new" rifles Hiking or Pursuit Rifles. For me that means a rifle you can carry all day over "rough" terrain (whatever that means to you--hills, thick brush, etc) and take quick shot on startled game as well as maybe taking "quiet" shots if a suppressor is an option to you. I'm picturing walking and also blind/stand hunting. The rifle can be whatever action type you prefer and/or are allowed. For "most" of my hunting that means no semi autos. I happen to be a huge fan of Single Shots, and theres nothing cooler in my mind than a full stocked bolt gun.

I started this journey wanting a rifle to take on hikes; because I wanted to hike with a rifle, it just seems like something a man should do. I jumped on a Rem 700 heavy barrel in 223, figuring I could add a suppressor to the factory threaded heavy barrel if I wanted. I'm used to humping heavy rifles; but this one just seemed too heavy for this project with its Hogue over molded stock (and the heavy tactical scope I added). Once I realized my mistake, I went shopping again. This time I found the almost perfect rifle. It was another Rem 700 in 223; but much lighter with a slim sporter barrel, all I had to do was find a smith to trim the barrel back to 16 inches and add a lighter scope. I really love that rifle; but theres a lot I cant hunt with it, so I went looking for something else.

I just got back from a range day with my new bride, whos also a new shooter. She took fast to handguns; but rifles are a slower learning curve for her. I think part of it is "learning" to use a scope and finding a good fitting rifle. She seems to really love my Remington/AAC Model 7, in 300 Blackout. They must have had her in mind when they designed the rifle.
View attachment 161477
The rifle's proportions "fit" her and the adjustable cheek piece made a perfect fit. I use a Gemtech 300 suppressor. The already short rifle hardy feels out of place with the suppressor mounted. I was initially dubious of the cartridge. My first leap into it was at the height of the ammo shortage. Now that its a "Walmart" cartridge, I'm much happier using it for hunting 2 and 4 legged animals.... Its a great cartridge/rifle combo; but I think its limited for longer shots and bigger game.

I'm also a new convert to 7mm08. I got into it by accident because of a deal to good to pass on a Rem 700 rifle. I had planned to turn it into a "Tactical" hunting rifle with a short barrel with a suppressor in a MagPul stock; but my bride likes it...

Ive always wanted something in 6.5x55. I'm not sure what 6.5x55 will do that 7mm-08 wont; but who really needs an excuse to buy another rifle?

There a few cartridges that Ive "always wanted". I'm not sure they fall into the Hiking Rifle category; but I'm willing to give'em a try. Ever since the Jeff Cooper Scout rifle days, Ive wanted something in 350 Remington Magnum. I also have an urge for 35 Whelen, and 9.3x62. I guess they would be "Heavy Hikers".

So whats your Stalking Hiking Pursuit Carry all day rifle and cartridge?

Needless to say lightweight,shorter bbl like Kimber,NULA ,Browning titanium mountain rifles. and the like.

 

[rookhawk]

Needless to say lightweight,shorter bbl like Kimber,NULA ,Browning titanium mountain rifles. and the like.

When I think of stalking rifles I think of the rifle‘s design very specifically. Nothing has a smaller action for stalking than a falling block whether a Dakota 10, a Ruger 1, or a Gibbs-Farquarson. By losing 4-5” of action length the 23” barrels make for a very small stalking rifle.

Another action is a Kurz Mauser action which shortens things up quite a bit. Mannlicher stocked 19” barreled stalking rifles are another technique to get a suitable stalking rifle.

What I don’t consider a stalking rifle is a modern rifle of modern proportions simply fluted, or used carbon fiber and titanium to lighten a rifle. Sure, they are lighter for carrying in alpine conditions but that isn’t a stalking rifle because you aren’t worried about hitting every branch and blade of grass making a close shot approach in alpine conditions, you just didn’t want to carry a heavy gun.

A stalking rifle allows you to stalk game without your barrel bumping into every branch, twig, and jess thorn.

Just my interpretation which is similar to the opinions of the Austro-German and English designers of eras long gone by that certainly don’t agree with modern interpretations offered by the makers cited above.