Looking for a lightweight rifle that can shoot any animal in North America with accuracy to 200 yds. Which also happens to be on sale and a steal. Upper limit is 3k. What would you get?

Caliber? (30-.06, 300WM, etc can all get you MA game) What are you actually using it for? You can get accuracy up to 200 yards on pretty much any lightweight gun.... and 3k is a huge budget for it, especially considering you don't need a ton of scope for 200 yards.

Are you wanting anything else with that 3k budget? What's most important after those requirements?

Any of these will come well recommended:
- Bergara mountain (new, priced at $1,600-1,700)
- Kimber mountain ascent (one of the most expensive of this group at about $1,800 or so)
- Howa alpine ($1,100 or so)
- Tikka superlite ($750)

Personally, wouldn't waste money on the kimber. Slap Rudolph, Vortex, or Leupold glass on it and spend the rest on ammo.


Remember, if you're not actually packing this thing around for miles on end (hard to imagine you'll be hiking mountains with it if you say a max distance is 209 yards), a little extra weight will actually go a long way in saving your shoulder from some of the kick.

Kimber Mountain Ascent 30-06 ( on sale at Cabelas for $1499 normally $1899) and a Swarovski z3

I just picked up a tikka t3 lite in 300wm and put a vortex viper 3-9x on it.
Love it. And below your budget.
Recoil due to light weight for me isn't an issue. it just took a few shots to get used to the difference. Almost scoped me on my first shot with it shooting freehand lol. Also, I Put a Limb saver on it.

I'm currently in the process of building a 28 Nosler for that exact reason you said to kill anything in North America. Especially now that Hornady is making that bullet in the Eld-x. I told my gunsmith I wanted it to come in between 7-7.5 lbs

Kimber 84M generally will run a little over 6lbs. 7mm-08 or .270 would be a good choice of caliber

https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/kimber-montana-308-win-with-leupold-ultralight.119720/

https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/custom-ultralight-sheep-rifle.113841/

Laugh if you want but. I have a Browning AB3. I put the MCARBO trigger spring in it and adjusted the creep. I will probably change stocks before next season but I am having a hard time justifying it.

It is a 300 WM and with Hornady SP I can make a snuff can size 5 shot group at 460 yards.

The gun is very light. I was disappointed when it was gifted to me. I would have rather added my own money to the gift to get and xbolt or hells canyon but when I shoot at 100 yards all the projectiles go through the same hole.

The first time I took it out, I sighted it in then shot for grouping. I was pissed thinking it was slinging shots and missing the target entirely until I went down rang and realized all 3 were in the same ragged hole.

I know there is some luck involved. I got a good one. I cant speak for others. My dad has a 270 but I have not spent much time with it. That rifle shoots much better than I do.

The fit and finish is not there but I can justify buying something else due to the accuracy.

200 yards, large north American animals but can still be used on deer. 35 whelen.

Thanks for all the replies. I will look into all of the above. It's not that I need it to be on sale just that my mind processes things much better when I am getting something for a bargain.

Ruger Predator .308 with a decent scope.
Pocket the other $2K
Texags Vegas blowout...

Winchester 30/30 and Tasco 3-9x40 probably has killed every North American game animal, but if $3k is your budget, I'd see what Horizon Firearms could build/sell me for $2800 and then put a $199 Leupold scope on it. That way I would fit in with all the guys at Dallas Safari Club.

https://barrett.net/firearms/fieldcraft/

I have recently become enamored with the idea of buying/building a .338 Federal. Plenty of energy and velocity out to 200 yards, with light enough recoil to be put into a light rifle. I'm partial to Mauser 98 actions, so I would likely build it on that platform with the extra room being nice for seating bullets farther out to maximize the shorter case capacity.

I'm still trying to finish up my .35 Whelen build, but that will come in right around $2k before glass.

ontherocks said:

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Looking for a lightweight rifle that can shoot any animal in North America with accuracy to 200 yds. Which also happens to be on sale and a steal. Upper limit is 3k. What would you get?

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I've got a custom 300win mag we built off of a remington action. Shilen barrel, timney trigger, already has a Vortex PST 6-24 FFP scope on it. You might be very interested in it this thing is absolutely nails accurate! To do anything in NA, you'll want a magnum. Elk, moose, large bear are all going to benefit from that. You might actually be happier splitting this up into two different very nice guns, however. Do a mountain gun in 300win and a Texas gun in Creed.

Log said:

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https://barrett.net/firearms/fieldcraft/

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This is the route I went, because it is exactly how I'd build a custom lightweight rig for $2k less. I went with the 18" 6.5Manbun with threaded barrel for $1560 from Eurooptic. Insanely light and accurate.

ahlongslide said:

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Log said:

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https://barrett.net/firearms/fieldcraft/

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This is the route I went, because it is exactly how I'd build a custom lightweight rig for $2k less. I went with the 18" 6.5Manbun with threaded barrel for $1560 from Eurooptic. Insanely light and accurate.

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Damn. How did you get that for $1560. The best I see on there now is $1810.

I handled these at the NRA show and was blown away. Liked them quite a bit more than the Kimber's, even though I do like that Kimber's are CRF.

I've got a Remington 700 .243 I was going to tear down at some point and have built into a LW 6.5 Creemoor or some such for mountain hunting, but the price to do a custom rig would exceed the price on the new Fieldcraft by quite a bit. I'll probably end up dumping the 700 and just getting a Fieldcraft if it ever comes to it.

I am kind of hoping that Barrett will slightly upsize it for a Magnum version, since the current geometry won't allow magnum cartridges. I'd love to have one in .300 WM or .338 WM. Yeah, it'll kick, but when you are shooting at something besides a target, you aren't going to feel it.

I paid $1495 from Bud's Gun Shop. They did an instant price match with Cheaper Than Dirt. They had the rifle at my FFL in 1-2 business days. I was impressed. (This was last August)

Thanks man. I actually just read your Rokslide review and found it on CTD for $1560. I'm really liking this rifle...

Yeah if you breeze through my Rokslide write up you'll see I've gone down the 700 build a couple of times. The Fieldcraft makes this effort difficult to justify for a lightweight mountain gun.

30-06 recoil from field positions is manageable. I'd be real surprised if they don't release a slightly scaled 300 WSM or WM soon.

Oh, OP, Alamo Precision is doing a group buy on a lightweight hunting rig on TexasBowHunter. The only problem is that the deadline to order is today at 6pm:

Tier -1 Light Weight Carbon/Carbon build
Action APR Hunter. DLC coated bolt and 20 MOA rail
Barrel Proof Research Sendero profile. Threaded 5/8-24 with blended thread protector. You choose chamber, Bbl length, twist.
Stock AG Composites Alpine Hunter. Stock will include bi-pod rail, 2 flush cups and inserts provided for Arca Rail adapter. You choose color/finish.
Bottom Metal Gen 2 APR BDL(Black Hard Anodized)
Trigger Trigger Tech Primary.
Cerakote You choose color for action body and CF barrel tips.
Left-handed versions available
Price = $2,499 plus tax
Approx weight = 7lbs

You probably have to register to see it, but here is the link:
https://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=721400

I ordered a Christiansen Traverse in 300 Win Mag at Dallas Safari. Can't wait.

I probably shouldered 100 different rifles at the show (I'm 6'6", so fit is challenging) and it was my 2nd favorite. Their Summit was my favorite...but also 2x the cost.

https://christensenarms.com/traverse/

Who's your gunsmith?

TIA

OP, I did that rifle. Mine is a 338 Win Mag. I wanted something more capable than a 30-06/300WM but less than my 375 Holland's.

I can load the 338 down to '06 or even 308 velocities and energies. But you can't load any of those up to 338WM numbers. 338-06 is a little more obscure, the 35W is about perfect also...I could have gone either way and been happy.

Nothing walks away from that rifle. It's as good at 400 with a scope as it is at 75 with iron sights.

PSA - Eurooptic has a Barrett deal week - Fieldcraft to be included later this week.