View Full Version : Sport Utility Bolt Guns
Not really a precision gun, but pertinent to bolt actions: I've long been enamored of short, quick-handling compact bolt guns for sport and recreation. Their utility afield and flexibility have rung gongs, destroyed fruit and bowling pins, filled freezers, and otherwise served me well.
I've had economized scout-types, with chopped stocks and barrels, the Savage rendition of the scout concept, and more recently, Ruger's purpose-built M77 Compact. Most all in .308 Winchester. Some Frontiers are on the horizon as well.
A loss of velocity and energy with a bit more recoil and noise is a consequence of downsizing, but is not unmanageable. Muzzle flash from the short barrels can be profound.
I've found magnification between 2x and 6x to be most optimal. Fixed, preferably.
A mounted white-light is helpful.
The bolts also tend to draw less attention, scrutiny from range-dwellers. Less negative feedback at some venues, too.
Anyone else? What are you running, and what are you doing with it?
I was inspired enough to go search for my stubby little Ruger 77. It's one of their "ultralights" and has fixed sights. Along with a better scope, I should see what XS sights my have to retrofit the existing sights.
GastonG-NoVa
09-29-07, 20:43
I LOVE....my Remington ADL Youth in .308. It is parkerized, an 18 inch barrel, a Trijicon 3x9 Accupoint, and back up irons. It is one of my favorites. If I could only have a few guns it would make my top ten.....maybe my top five.
Started out as a stock SPS in .308. Added the NECG front band, Holland quick discharge brake(barrel shortened) Ashley rear base with ghost ring and the Leupold PR 1.5-5 with quick release rings.
I was thinking of doing another with a forward mount and clip slot it.
Mark
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v509/mark5pt56/100_0981.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v509/mark5pt56/100_0982.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v509/mark5pt56/100_0983.jpg
Mark:
Nicely done. How well does the brake work?
The Dumb Gun Collector
10-02-07, 00:23
I love my Steyr Scout. I need a light on it though.
http://homepage.mac.com/timetravelfoundation/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2005-11-20%2013.24.38%20-0800/Image-2BBFAF5F5A0B11DA.jpg
Randy Cain teaches a 3-day course (http://www.guntactics.com/Rifle.htm[Practical Rifle[/url) using exactly the type of rifle you all are discussing, and I believe the Gunsite 270 (http://gunsite.com/courses/rifle.html) is of a similar nature. Some say the idea being that the last guns we'll be allowed to own will be the bolt-action deer rifles. I'd like to take one or both of the classes one of these days, but since I don't even own the right kind of gun it's probably a ways off.
If memory serves, Randy likes the Winchester Model 70 Lightweight, and I believe there is some appreciable reason to prefer the older models. I also think the preference is .308 because of how common the round is and the potential to use milsurp ammo (albeit nowhere near as accurately) for training. I thought I had saved an email from Randy to his email list regarding this but I can't seem to find it now.
I understand Lever Actions are also permitted. Wonder if a good ol' Winchester 94 in .30-30 with or without a scope would fit the bill.
Mark:
Nicely done. How well does the brake work?
Like a .223 if that! My 10 year old son shoots it with no issues.
Mark
NICE stick Mark.
Thanks Lumpy!
Randy Cain teaches a 3-day course using exactly the type of rifle you all are discussing, and I believe the [url=http://gunsite.com/courses/rifle.html]Gunsite 270 (http://www.guntactics.com/Rifle.htm[Practical Rifle[/url) is of a similar nature. Some say the idea being that the last guns we'll be allowed to own will be the bolt-action deer rifles. I'd like to take one or both of the classes one of these days, but since I don't even own the right kind of gun it's probably a ways off.
Someone else recommended that class to me, and it's high on my to-do list.
You don't have one of those? What a great excuse to a buy one, eh Rob? :D
check out the Tikka T3 stainless lite
tikkas have a stellar trigger out of the box (about 3lbs crisp and can be taken down to 2 in a matter of minutes)
free floating barrel and are guaranteed to do MOA grouping
everyone I have shot does better than that with factory ammo
they also have the big boar model with a 19" barrel
made in the same factory as Sako, using a Sako barrel
around 5-600 bucks
check out the Tikka T3 stainless lite
tikkas have a stellar trigger out of the box (about 3lbs crisp and can be taken down to 2 in a matter of minutes)
free floating barrel and are guaranteed to do MOA grouping
everyone I have shot does better than that with factory ammo
they also have the big boar model with a 19" barrel
made in the same factory as Sako, using a Sako barrel
around 5-600 bucks
A friend of mine has some Tikkas, they shoot well.
I prefer to stick with Ruger M77s and Rem 700s, for commonality though.
signalzero
06-06-08, 00:41
[QUOTE=mark5pt56;81392]Started out as a stock SPS in .308. Added the NECG front band, Holland quick discharge brake(barrel shortened) Ashley rear base with ghost ring and the Leupold PR 1.5-5 with quick release rings.
I was thinking of doing another with a forward mount and clip slot it.
Mark
Very nice stick! What did you cut the barrel back to and how much difference has the brake made? I just purchased the Rem 700SPS Youth in .308 Win. It has a 20" Bbl. I will be mounting a LER 2-7x32mm Scope on a B Square Scout Mount (as soon as the scope comes in). I have other mods planned but want to do some shooting as I go. I will post pics as soon as the scope is mounted.
[QUOTE=mark5pt56;81392]Started out as a stock SPS in .308. Added the NECG front band, Holland quick discharge brake(barrel shortened) Ashley rear base with ghost ring and the Leupold PR 1.5-5 with quick release rings.
I was thinking of doing another with a forward mount and clip slot it.
Mark
Very nice stick! What did you cut the barrel back to and how much difference has the brake made? I just purchased the Rem 700SPS Youth in .308 Win. It has a 20" Bbl. I will be mounting a LER 2-7x32mm Scope on a B Square Scout Mount (as soon as the scope comes in). I have other mods planned but want to do some shooting as I go. I will post pics as soon as the scope is mounted.
SZ, I never shot it before I had it cut to 17(IIRC) I shot it resting on the bench with FGMM and it grouped an average of 1 1/4" I'm sure it could do better in better hands. With a light, short non match grade barrel, it's not bad. Besides, it wasn't made to be a match or bench gun anyhow. I thought about changing the barrel and then decided it wouldn't be a big difference and didn't see the benefit. After shooting similar sized and caliber guns, the brake makes a huge difference!.
Mark
signalzero
06-08-08, 17:20
Mark, Have the OAL of the chamber checked. We have found some of the Remington boldt guns have a long chamber. We set the barrel back on these guns and the groups tighten up considerably. I know you aren't looking for MOA accuracy but every little bit helps.
Sounds good, I think the next one will get a new barrel from the get go.
Ill second the tikka t3 lite....my bro wanted an accurate, light, cheap boltgun, he is recoil sensitive like no other soooo...i got him a t3 in 25-06 and i must say the dern thing is accurate like no other for the money. I put 5 shots into a hole you can cover with a nickle....right after sight in!!
Dan Goodwin
07-26-08, 21:56
You can't beat the Ruger 77 Compact Rifles, unless maybe it's with the Frontier Rifles.
Our compact is in .260 and has killed several deer and one grande sized coyote for my daughter a couple years back.
Really need to put some iron BUIS on it, and thread it for a 6.8 AAC M4-2000 can.
Have a Frontier at the house in .358 and I'm arguing on whether to commit to it or not.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/elrata/ChristmasCoyotefor10-8.jpg
Here's youngest son Connor with younger nephew Nate with big doe, dough-popped with the Ruger Frontier .358 Winchester/T1 Micro at 100+ yards just after New Years:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/elrata/E-MailSizedConnorandNatewith1stdeer.jpg
Army Chief
07-27-08, 11:30
Great thread!
I'm obviously another fan of the fast-handling bolt gun concept, though my approach to building a scout rifle was slightly non-standard. My connections in Germany allowed me to start with an ex-SS Nord Division G.33/40 mountain carbine which was then rebuilt for me by a very old riflesmith firm in my former region of assignment.
The result, topped with a Schmidt & Bender 1.5-6x42mm Zenith FlashDot on EAW removeable mounts is extremely compact and lightweight (39.9"/8.6lbs with glass) while still firing the full-power 8mm Mauser round. The recoil and report are predictably brutal -- imagine firing a .30-06 cartridge out of an M1 carbine -- but I really wouldn't have it any other way. ;)
http://www.m3resource.com/images/karabiner.jpg
At the moment, this is primarily a boar gun, though I can't think of too many situations in which I wouldn't think to reach for it.
Chief
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