small light repeating rifle?

[hipoint]

Rossi Ranch Hand? Maybe? http://www.rossiusa.com/product-list.cfm?category=17

or maybe I was just trying to justify a reason to get one.

I'll never own another rossi as long as I live... this circuit judge has ruined me on rossi!!!

the only 2 guns I've ever had be bad for me were a rossi and a taurus... I'll take a hi point any day over either one. i had a taurus 357 mag, 2nd shot and the barrel cracked... and the rossi circuit judge... well, that's why I'm writing this thread.

 

[robinkevin]

I also vote for the Savage 11/1111 in either 308 or 30-06. The rifle was design for backpacking hunters. With accutrigger it comes from the factory with a 3.5 lbs trigger, a great recoil pad combine with great balance reduces felt recoil greatly compare to other light weight large cal rifles. You really need to check it out if you need a light weight rifle.

 

[Badlander]

Panda Bear That is A 1955 Marlin 336 SC 30-30 cut to 16"

 

[kludge]

Looking for something small, light, and easy to backpack. also want something that is a repeater... Might just end up going with the lever action marlin 30-30, but would rather have something with a little more oompf... Prefer 30-06, but .308 is good as well. I don't want anything smaller than a 30 caliber bullet.

any suggestions? I prefer a bolt action, but will take what I can get. Not looking for a high dollar nice gun, just something very small, packable, and capable of taking a deer at 200 yards.

Savage Lightweight Hunter. My choice would be a 6.5 Creedmore or .260 Remington for anything up to deer size game (and a bit beyond)... might even be tempted to rechamber a 7mm-08 to .284 Win, but .308 Win and .30-06 are available as well.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/11LH/

Browning BLR Lightweight Takedown. A pound heavier than the Savage 11LH, but more packable. Availble in .308.

http://www.browning.com/products/ca...ightweight-with-takedown-pistol-grip-firearms

And depending on whether you want a scope or not, total weight might not be any different (Savage has no sights, the Browning does).

 

[Panzercat]

[edit] Gah! Beat to the cutting down a 30-30 idea. But this made me giggle a bit regardless..

 

[essayons21]

I skimmed the post so forgive me if this has been suggested. Have you considered semi-auto's

Both the Browning BAR and Remington 740 series fits your criteria, and are offered in a number of calibers, including 30-06. Semi-auto also makes the rifle a bit softer shooting and more controllable in the larger calibers, especially in short, lightweight rifles.

 

[6x6pinz]

alright let the bashing begin. Why not just get a 308 Saiga convert it to folding stock and be done with it. Easy to carry when folded and certainly meets the 30 cal requirement.

 

[Girodin]

alright let the bashing begin. Why not just get a 308 Saiga convert it to folding stock and be done with it. Easy to carry when folded and certainly meets the 30 cal requirement.

I had thought about it, however I'm not sure that the S308 meats the lightweight criteria. If one doesn't mind the weight then it is otherwise viable. I did see one that had a fluted barrel and the owner claimed it reduced the weight by about a pound so that might be an option although it adds to the cost. http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?/topic/28671-new-s-308-conversion/page__p__255544#entry255544

 

[hipoint]

saiga 308 is waaaay out of my price range... I'm talking a 2-300 dollar bubba job here

The purpose of the rifle is to put in a pack while I'm carrying my shotgun through the woods. When I see something out of range for the shotgun, grab the bubba-job rifle and bam...

anyhow, I saw a pretty decent looking remington 742 today, but I had one of those before and it just didn't feel like a well made gun, probably going to stick to bolt action if I can...

 

[BCRider]

If you can "make do" with a single shot could I suggest a TC Encore "pistol" set up with a rifle stock? The resulting package is light and compact. The one I've got, which is shown below, has the rather heavy wood stock and foregrip. But if you chose an Encore setup with the FlexTech shoulder stock and got a 15 inch pistol length barrel in the caliber of your choice you'd have a rather handy and fast acting single shot. Match this up with a cartridge sleeve to hold about 8 rounds and get some practice and I suspect you'd be able to place a follow up shot in not much longer than the time needed to work a bolt action.

Here's a picture of my own shoulder thumper in .500 S&W.

 

[Panzercat]

@BCRider
That TC Encore isn't too bad of an idea there. What's your effective range on that?
Hey look, a vid or two. I kinda like the notion, really.

 

[sixgunner455]

If you put the rifle stock on that Encore, don't you also have to put a <16" barrel on it, unless you have SBR'd (paid the gub'mint the $200 tax) the receiver?

That sounds like a great way, really, to have a short, light carbine for OP's stated purposes.

Other than that, I think a Remington 700 or model 7, or a Savage 11, would be the way to go for a project rifle.

 

[Picher]

Okay, I'll play the cheap, packable game.

How about a Handi-Rifle in .30-30 or .308 Win. Cut the barrel to 16 1/2", shorten the stock and put on a Limbsaver.

For sights, consider a compact 4X scope, Red Dot, or Receiver sight with band front.

The rifle can come apart easily for backpacking, but probably won't need it.

(My rifle would probably be a Rem Mod 7 stainless synthetic in 7mm-08. Extremely accurate after pillar-bedding!)

 

[Sam1911]

As the price limit here is $200-300, a T/C Encore or Contender isn't in the cards. The Handi-Rifle is about the top end limit for "New" guns you could buy off the shelf, and is a fine idea. Not a repeater, of course.

The Mosin-Nagant surplus rifles and carbines would do a fantastic job for considerably less, but they aren't light.

My first step would be to look at the "Used" racks at 5-10 of the closest local gun shops (or flea markets, and the local classified ads) and you could probably find a 1/2 dozen that would work in one day's searching.

 

[LoonWulf]

Im with the "look at used" idea, even if you end up with a longer gun you can always bob the barrel to any length you want, and shorten the stock also.
you could take a nagant and lop 10"s off the barrel and youd get short, cheap, and plenty powerfull (im driving 180s to 2550 out of a 22" tube). I took 6"s off the front end and added 1.5 onto the back of mine LOL.

 

[hipoint]

as far as single shots go, any of the new england arms, or the H&R, basically any of the break actions would work... I'm pretty much stuck with a mauser (pretty partial to 8mm mausers) or just find some beat all to heck savage or whatever to bubba up. Still haven't found anything decent, I'll certainly let yall know when I find something.

 

[GCBurner]

The little CZ 527 "mini-Mauser" in 7.62x39 calibre gives power equivalent to a .30-30 in a lightweight (less than 6 pounds) bolt action, with a 5-shot magazine and an 18.5" barrel.

 

[Sam1911]

I'm pretty much stuck with a mauser (pretty partial to 8mm mausers)

Well, that's a great idea, too, if you can find one in your price range.

I picked up a Vz-24 Czech 8mm Mauser a few years ago for about $139. The Czech and Yugo Mausers are great deals for very solidly made rifles in a thumping cartridge. I believe they're a little more expensive these days, and I do hate to "bubba" one, but folks will tell you they don't have any "history" so there's no reason not to chop them up. Not my taste, but...

 

[BCRider]

Sixgunner, different rules up this way. As shown it meets all the rules for what we call "non restricted". That means it's as much a take along rifle as a stock Remington 700 or many other rifles. And in fact it came from the dealer with that rifle stock on it.

 

[Eb1]

rc, that is a nice setup Ruger has. If I was looking for a large caliber packing rifle this would be a front runner for sure. I have a VZ-2008 that has a folding stock, and it is very accurate. I would recommend a VZ-58 or 2008 as a packing rifle also.

 

[hipoint]

Well, that's a great idea, too, if you can find one in your price range.

I picked up a Vz-24 Czech 8mm Mauser a few years ago for about $139. The Czech and Yugo Mausers are great deals for very solidly made rifles in a thumping cartridge. I believe they're a little more expensive these days, and I do hate to "bubba" one, but folks will tell you they don't have any "history" so there's no reason not to chop them up. Not my taste, but...

our flea market has got some pretty cheap mausers from time to time... I'd never butcher an original one, but all the ones we see at the flea market have already been shortened, the stock carved on, and various other things to make it a "sporter". I paid a little more for my last one than it was worth, but I really liked the iron sights on it, so I figured $150 already set up like I wanted was pretty good. I'd still like to get some cheap see-through rings for it, but for now it's a great gun, just a little too long for this project.

The additional cost of scoping a mauser might make it too much for this project as well, we'll see what presents itself though...

 

[LoonWulf]

if you can get a mauser for under 120 or so, you could probably find a gunsmith to drill and tap your reciever and shorten your barrel for 150-175. You would still be in ball park lol. If this is a "project" then thats probably the way id go, or with a nagant, or something similar. If you just want a gun to shoot, again a used "sporting rifle" would be cheaper in the long run most likely

 

[AK_Maine_iac]

If you can find one. The older Remington Model 660 either in 308 or 350 are very nice. Got mine back in 1970. It puts any of the new scout guns to shame IMHO With a good set of peep sights, and or a fixed 4 power scope.

 

[trex1310]

I understand what a crown is, but is it necessary? I build lots of things from cars and motorcycles to my own camera equipment, but I haven't really done much to guns before other than basic maintenance.

Leave the gunsmithing to a gunsmith. Buy you a used Thompson Center
Encore with a 30-30 barrel.