By Jove, I think I've found my rifle!

[AStone]

I'll take one of these in 7mm08, please.

Add a side of fries (Idaho's),
a large salad of fresh greens
(extra feta & olives, por favor),
& a Blue Moon wheat ale.

(Um, make that two ales.)

To go.



Nem

PS:

Yeah, yeah,
I wanted a synth stock.

But, hey:

1) Look at this rifle's wood.
2) Should one be unable to live without synth,
stocks can be changed.

More importantly, read the specs & description.

22" barrel; 6.5 lb.
_______

"One of the most attractive, and simultaneously, the most practical over-the-counter centerfire rifles Remington has ever built—the Model 700™ Mountain Rifle LSS (Laminated Stock Stainless) has quickly become a favorite for hunters seeking a versatile, lightweight rifle without sacrificing full-bore range or accuracy.

The Model 700 Mountain Rifle's clean, classic stock design, with straight-line comb angled slightly downward towards the muzzle and sculptured cheek piece on the left side is a style still favored by many custom stockmakers. The gracefully-tapered 22-inch barrel without sights produces a rifle capable of handling mountain-level ranges without draining the hunter's energy to get there.

The barreled action is produced from 416A stainless steel and is set in a handsome, elements-resistant, satin-finished, brown two-tone laminated stock. Other features include crisp cut checkering, black fore-end tip and grip cap, and hinged floorplate magazine."
_______

Ooooh, baby.

This ain't no ordinary gun, me thinks.

 

[Schleprok62]

I love the Model 700 Mountain rifles... Excellent choice Nem...

 

[Fly320s]

Hmm... 7mm-08 in a 6.5lb rifle. Would you like to supersize that recoil pad?

I agree, it is a good looking rifle. Put a nice Leupold stainless scope on there and you're set.

 

[GeoW]

Have one just like it except mine is in walnut. Bought it in 89 if memory serves. Is a good one and no noticable recoil. About like a .243 compared.
Groups about a minute with factory Remington 140 Core Lokt.
You won't be dissapointed.
GeoW

 

[NMshooter]

So buy it already.

And then shoot it.

A lot.

 

[AStone]

Well, I can tell which THR members like guns better than football. The Super Bowl is on, and several of you seem to have posted during the game. (And here I am checking posts during the game, so I guess I'm a member of the club, too .)

Schleprok, Fly320s, GeoW & Shooter, thanks for the words of encouragement. Yeah, Fly, I'll be putting an R3 on it if it doesn't come with one (I can't tell from the description), even though I know the recoil is going to be much more manageable than some calibers I was looking at.

So buy it already. <snip>

<big grin> OK, Shooter. Soon as possible. I've still got to sell a sea kayak before I buy it though. Hey! You need a good sea kayak in NM! It would do great on the Rio Grande. I make you good deal, eh?

It's funny, Shooter (along with a BUNCH of other folks) has been hanging out in at least two (and maybe three?) other threads - like this one about .30 calibers & this one about .270 & related calibers, watching patiently <ahem > as I worked through which rifle in which caliber to get.

So, it's nice to have made a decision. Thanks to ALL who helped that decision happen. Even if I didn't get the gun you recommended, your suggestions and ideas were greatly helpful.

A tip of the hat to Schleprok, who offered some information from his search during the last few days that finally tipped the balance in favor of Remington in 7mm08. Perhaps a bit later, I'll add a post summarizing the factors that tipped me in this direction.

But right now, I'm going to fix a chicken sandwich and go watch the super bowl while I do business paperwork. (Alas, for those of us in relatively new businesses for ourselves, there are no days off.)

Nem

 

[rbernie]

Glad that you've made a decision. Now - what glass are you going to put on it?

(That question should be worth about four weeks and ten threads worth of agonizing and soul-searching akin to calculating the number of angels that can comfortably fit on the head of a pin....)

 

[AStone]

Glad that you've made a decision. Now - what glass are you going to put on it?

(That question should be worth about four weeks and ten threads worth of agonizing and soul-searching akin to calculating the number of angels that can comfortably fit on the head of a pin....)

LOL.

Naw, ol' buddy. I've pretty much got that one sussed. Easier than the rifle /caliber issue because I've already been doing my homework. (I've had way more experience with scopes than with bolt action rifles, so this is easier.)

Most likely the glass will be by Leopold or Nikon. I'm thinking something in the 3X-9X realm.

If Leopold, at least VX-I, but could go higher (depending on how much this sea kayak brings).

If Nikon, then one of their Monarch series like this.

(I'm still trying to determine the distinction between Monarch and Monarch Gold...)

Nem

 

[Dave R]

Excellent choice of chambering, too. The 7mm/08 should be lighter recoiling than a .308, depending on bullet choice. Its a great balance of recoil and long-range effectiveness.

 

[rbernie]

(I'm still trying to determine the distinction between Monarch and Monarch Gold...)

UCC Monarch and Monarch Gold use the same glass; the Gold adds a 4x zoom range in place of the UCC Monarchs' 3x range. The Gold line also adds features like side-focus AO and alternative reticle designs.

While the glass performance is similar between the Monarchs and the VXII and the Sightron SII, of the three I'd suggest that the VXII is the most robust. If the hunting is going to be held to a max of 250 yards or so, I'm a big fan of intermediate range scopes like the VXII in 2x-7x/33. They're lighter, shorter, and in generally well-balanced hunting scopes that can be had for $300..

 

[AStone]

UCC Monarch and Monarch Gold use the same glass; the Gold adds a 4x zoom range in place of the UCC Monarchs' 3x range. The Gold line also adds features like side-focus AO and alternative reticle designs.

Thanks for that clarification. I couldn't find anything about them on Nikon's site. (Nice glass, but they need a new webmaster... )

If the hunting is going to be held to a max of 250 yards or so, I'm a big fan of intermediate range scopes like the VXII in 2x-7x/33. They're lighter, shorter, and in generally well-balanced hunting scopes that can be had for $300..

Nice recommendation. Thanks.

I like the lighter weight to match the ligher weight Mt rifle. That should be within my budget for this gun. Nice compromise: nicer than VX-I, less than the whole enchilada for a VX-III (which, given my goals, I don't need).

Ah, this is going to be one sweet rifle.

Speaking of enchilada's, I'm hungry.

Nem

 

[rwc]

My father-in-law has an older version of the same set up. FWIW - His likes plain-Jane Rem. Corelokt.

Enjoy.

 

[Crosshair]

Good choice, the 7mm-08 needs that barrel length to perform.

 

[Fumbler]

A better choice would be a Tikka T3 Lite.
They weigh in at 6lbs 4 oz and are far smoother than a 700.
Accuracy is guaranteed at 1MOA and mine (in 308) is a consistent 0.75MOA.

But...I guess a 700 Mountain rifle isn't too bad a choice

 

[AStone]

A better choice would be a Tikka T3 Lite.<snip>
But...I guess a 700 Mountain rifle isn't too bad a choice

That's a testable hypothesis that suggests
eventually purchasing both rifles in 7mm/08 for a test drive.

I'll work on that.

But for now, one at a time.

To start with, at least I'll be able to collect data for the Mountain LSS.

Nem

 

[Charles S]

Very nice choice.

I have always thought that the 700 Mountain Rifle is one of the best looking rifles Remington has ever produced. They feel good in my hands also. I have been wanting one for a while.

Good luck.

Charles

 

[AStone]

FWIW, here's a bit more of my reasoning for going with 7mm08 - in addition to suitability for the game I'm most interested in; lower recoil (than .30-06) & flat trajectories at reasonable ranges.

There are only two bullet sizes for the 7-08 in factory loads (120 & 140) with limited loads & design options (e.g., from Remington, Express & Accutip), but again very reasonable for the game I'm most interested in.

Even though both rnds have ostensibly stood the test of time, refined through much trial & error, not to mention better tools, most folks would see this limited range of options as a drawback. In my case, I actually see an advantage.

Since my time for the range (for the next year or so) is very limited, a limited number of bullet options narrows the number of rnds that I must (and can) become familiar with, comfortable with, in terms of trajectories, performance, etc.

And, if that limited number of factory rnds proves unsatisfactory, there's always that reloading option down the road, when I WILL have more time.

(I'm quite intrigued by the concept of reloading, have already begun to explore it a bit, and aware that it will greatly increase my range of options for the 7mm08.

Nem

 

[AStone]

R3 pad on Mountain LSS?

Does anyone know if the Mountain LSS comes with R3 pad in the most recent versions that are shipping now?

The web page about Mt LSS does not list it, and the pad in the images of that gun appears thinner than an R3, where as other pages (e.g., description for the 700 SPS) explicitly list it as an option.

My gun shop folks also tell me that an R3 is probably not standard, but that one can be added. (It'll just add around $60 to the price...)

I can't find any contact info that will get me directly to Remington to ask this question.

Just for the record, this won't influence my decision. I'm just trying to see what kind of cash I need up front to get this baby to the range.

Thanks,

Nem

Added by edit:

Yikes. According to Remington's page on the R3, it won't work on the Mt LSS. They imply that it only works on synthetic stocks. And of course, the Mt LSS is not among the models listed. :banghead:

 

[106rr]

Not to worry Nem - you can have the stock cut to length and fiited with a Pachmayer Decel or a Limbsaver. The R3 is a rebadged Limbsaver.
By getting the overall length adjusted to your specs, you will substantially reduce FELT recoil.
BTW - Rifle was a very good choice!

 

[AStone]

Thanks 106rr! Makes me feel better already.

After having made this choice, I was going to get the Mt. LSS regardless of recoil pad or no. (Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!)

But having the option for a recoil pad (which I suspected could be done somehow) makes it all the better.

Nem