Compact rifle opinions

[3006Sprng]

Mine didn't start out as a compact rifle, but I chopped my Tikka 7mm-08 down to 20" this year and put a really light stock on it. I love the way it carries now. 6.8 pounds with the scope. I do a lot of similar hunting to what you do. Mostly still hunting and tracking in thick woods.

View attachment 393321

Exactly, lighter and smaller is better in most situations. Your rifle there is exactly what I’m looking to build. Leaning heavy on the tikka. Have you chrono’d that rifle with the 20” tube?

 

[Dougfirtree]

Exactly, lighter and smaller is better in most situations. Your rifle there is exactly what I’m looking to build. Leaning heavy on the tikka. Have you chrono’d that rifle with the 20” tube?

No, not yet. It was shooting 140 gr E-tips at about 2785 before the chop. I'm guessing I'll have lost 50 fps, or so, but we'll see..

For reference, mine is a stock T3x Lite Stainless, with a chopped barrel, Stocky's carbon fiber stock, High Desert bottom metal replacement and upgraded action screws. I'm pretty happy with it, though I don't love the sound the stock makes when it rubs against branches, etc.

 

[X13]

I had my Rem 700 7mm-08 bedded, cut at 18”, and threaded for a suppressor. Shot it for the first time yesterday and got 2710fps as an average with 140gr Sierra Game Kings and a healthy amount of 4064.

 

[De765]

I love short rifles, with a suppressor. My main rifle is a 18” 30/06 rem 700 been worked over by a local guy with a #4 McGowen barrel. I used to load 212 amax and hunt to 300 yards with it, mostly deer and black bear. I have a couple 16” 308, 2 20” 6.5 Creed rifles that I use a lot for deer. My only short non suppressed rifle is a 16.5” .243 m77 compact all weather with a fx2 6x that is awesome with 80gr Coppers, it is my bad weather deer rifle. I use a 77/44 for pig stalking and a 77/357 at bow ranges with regular success.

 

[Mallardsx2]

I’ll give my vote to the Howa super-lite.

BUT, their stocks really suck and so does the action. The action seems to me the easiest thing to fix with tightening up a few tolerances. The bolt rattles like a maraca on its way into battery….its sloppy.

The carbon fiber stock paint peels off pretty much out of the box.

On the wood stock model 20% of the clear coat has come off of the gun.

But, after all of that complaining, the gun does shoot pretty well and it is the lightest factory offering for the price point. I just wish they didn’t look like shit after such light usage…..

 

[Mallardsx2]