Help me decide on a "Practical Rifle"

[Robinson]

I have a suppressor and a Trijicon AccuPower LPV on my AAC Micro 7 and it's not a bad little setup for a 300 BLK bolt gun. I still prefer levers and ghost ring sights, but they are somewhat limited in range.

I'm glad to see other more knowledgeable folks are contributing to this worthy thread.

[GJM]

Will be back to this later. Randy Cain good. Gunsite 270 good. Three position slings from andy good. Model 70 .300 WM good for longer range and larger animals. Wondering about .308 vs 6.5 C for the lighter rifle?

[sharps54]

Will be back to this later. Randy Cain good. Gunsite 270 good. Three position slings from andy good. Model 70 .300 WM good for longer range and larger animals. Wondering about .308 vs 6.5 C for the lighter rifle?

.308 over 6.5 C due to availability at local stores following Col. Cooper's thoughts on the Scout Rifle. I also, probably naively, figured there aren't too many hunts where I might have to shoot between 5 and 500+ yards but plenty were I might have 5-300 yard shots.

[MolonLabe416]

While I love the Model 70, there are better modern options that will cost much less once you figure in the custom work on the Winchester.

Steyr and Tikka come to mind.

I agree on 308 for availability. One caveat there, during the great ammo shortage 308 was much harder to find than 270 Winchester. Both will do if you'll do.

The little CZ is very handy with an AimPoint. I see it as sort of a modern Winchester Model 94. If you wanted to add a third rifle, this would be a good choice.

I have no experience with the 300 WM, so would defer to GJM here.

[okie john]

I didn't mention it as I haven't decided if I will modify it but I do have my late grandfather's pre-64 Model 70 in .30-06 that currently wears a Williams peep with the factory front. I could always modify it as my "out west" rifle. It would just need a different stock and good scope mounts. I don't even think an AI chamber would be necessary with modern powders if I go that route.

Forget about the AI and this could be your answer. Once you allow for how bullet performance has improved, the 30-06 starts to look like it does most of what the 300 WM used to do 20 years ago.

I've spent much of this year testing and chronographing loads in a 308 T3 and a 30-06 T3x. In terms of accuracy, the 308 runs rings around the 30-06 in these two rifles. From the muzzle forward, I see them as essentially identical. The 30-06 will do an honest 2,750 with handloaded 180's, which is about as much gun as I'll ever need. Handloaded 180's in the 308 do about 2,600 fps, or about what a lot of factory 180-grain 30-06 ammo does. As it stands now, I think that I favor 150-grain loads in the 308 and 180's in the 30-06. I'd use cup-and-core bullets in either one for deer and TTSX's or Partitions for hogs or elk.


Okie John

[sharps54]

While I love the Model 70, there are better modern options that will cost much less once you figure in the custom work on the Winchester.

Steyr and Tikka come to mind.

I agree on 308 for availability. One caveat there, during the great ammo shortage 308 was much harder to find than 270 Winchester. Both will do if you'll do.

The little CZ is very handy with an AimPoint. I see it as sort of a modern Winchester Model 94. If you wanted to add a third rifle, this would be a good choice.

I have no experience with the 300 WM, so would defer to GJM here.

That's why I'm keeping an open mind about just buying a .308 Steyr Scout and a .300 Win Mag Pro Hunter. If I go .308 for the woods/practical rifle I don't really need the little CZ.

If I got the CZ 527 and a .300 CZ I'd be tempted to supplement with a heavier woods caliber, maybe a .338-06 or 9.3 although at that point I loose my easy to find ammo requirement.

[sharps54]

Forget about the AI and this could be your answer. Once you allow for how bullet performance has improved, the 30-06 starts to look like it does most of what the 300 WM used to do 20 years ago.

I've spent much of this year testing and chronographing loads in a 308 T3 and a 30-06 T3x. In terms of accuracy, the 308 runs rings around the 30-06 in these two rifles. From the muzzle forward, I see them as essentially identical. The 30-06 will do an honest 2,750 with handloaded 180's, which is about as much gun as I'll ever need. Handloaded 180's in the 308 do about 2,600 fps, or about what a lot of factory 180-grain 30-06 ammo does. As it stands now, I think that I favor 150-grain loads in the 308 and 180's in the 30-06. I'd use cup-and-core bullets in either one for deer and TTSX's or Partitions for hogs or elk.


Okie John

Agreed, the AI is unneeded today and not worth the trouble. There is a strong argument to go .30-06 and if I find I need more down the road reassess.

[1911nerd]

That's why I'm keeping an open mind about just buying a .308 Steyr Scout and a .300 Win Mag Pro Hunter. If I go .308 for the woods/practical rifle I don't really need the little CZ.

If I got the CZ 527 and a .300 CZ I'd be tempted to supplement with a heavier woods caliber, maybe a .338-06 or 9.3 although at that point I loose my easy to find ammo requirement.

Have you handled the Steyr Scout personally? Randy Cain is not a fan. I have to say, after taking his class with one that I agree with him. I do like that it is magazine fed, but Randy is right that it is hard to single load efficiently through the ejection port. I also found that even with the stock adjusted, it hit "harder" than lighter .308s with better fitting stocks and left me with all sorts of pretty colors on my shoulder. The low-light performance of the scout scope is also noticeably worse than a more conventionally mounted LPV -- another thing that Randy likes to prove with one of the exercises in his practical rifle class. Certainly you can take game with it -- and I have -- but it would not be my first/only choice.

I've personally been very happy with a .308 and .270 for lower-48 hunting as it hits the logistics sweet-spots and handles my terrain (the relatively open woods and high plains of the mountain west) quite well. YMMV.

[sharps54]

Have you handled the Steyr Scout personally? Randy Cain is not a fan. I have to say, after taking his class with one that I agree with him. I do like that it is magazine fed, but Randy is right that it is hard to single load efficiently through the ejection port. I also found that even with the stock adjusted, it hit "harder" than lighter .308s with better fitting stocks and left me with all sorts of pretty colors on my shoulder. The low-light performance of the scout scope is also noticeably worse than a more conventionally mounted LPV -- another thing that Randy likes to prove with one of the exercises in his practical rifle class. Certainly you can take game with it -- and I have -- but it would not be my first/only choice.

I've personally been very happy with a .308 and .270 for lower-48 hunting as it hits the logistics sweet-spots and handles my terrain (the relatively open woods and high plains of the mountain west) quite well. YMMV.

I have not shot a Steyr Scout myself, that is why I need the input of people like you! I have already written off the scout scope but reading the HPG practical rifle thread https://hillpeoplegear.com/Forum/for...34/scope/posts I'm interested in reading more about the intermediate eye relief scopes that Evan is so taken by for working a bolt fast.

[okie john]

I have not shot a Steyr Scout myself, that is why I need the input of people like you! I have already written off the scout scope but reading the HPG practical rifle thread https://hillpeoplegear.com/Forum/for...34/scope/posts I'm interested in reading more about the intermediate eye relief scopes that Evan is so taken by for working a bolt fast.

I ran a psuedo-Scout for several years. The forward mounted scope neither speeds up nor slows down bolt work. But you have to train with it, and not everyone does that.


Okie John