Tops Gun Advice

Morning Team,

I have been going round and round in circles trying to figure out what to do for a tops gun. After my last couple of trips into the tops I have decided my bang stick is too big, bulky and heavy to carry around on multi-day trips with lots of climbing. So the gun that is getting replaced (up for sale if anyone is interested) is a 7mm Rem Mag Win Mod 70 in B&C stock, Shilen fluted barrel, wearing an SSRNZ Magnum suppressor and a VX6 3-18x44. It shoots 186VLDs at 3050fps and is very accurate with great killing power. Only thing I don't love about it is the size/weight for the type of trips I do.

Options I have considered have ranged from a custom build (with a budget of $5k plus glass) probably in 7mm SAUM, to an 'off the shelf' Tikka superlight in 7mm Rem Mag. I am swinging more towards the cheaper options but still can't decide finally what I want. Front runners at this stage are:
Sell current T3 in 22-250 and buy a new Tikka T3 chambered in 7mm Rem Mag with factory length fluted barrel, Stug stock, T2 brake, Talley rings, and a VX5HD 3-15 (or VX3i 4.5-14, nearly 200g lighter).
Re-barrel/re-chamber existing T3 22-250 in something (probably 280AI) and do the above stock, scope, rings brake etc.

Which option will work out better/cheaper? Any other wise words?

• Rifle needs to be as light as possible (not overly worried about recoil as I will not be firing many rounds)
• Needs to be able to kill reds/tahr to 600m
• Needs to be accurate enough to kill confidently to 600m (ideally around .5 -.75MOA with handloads if I do my bit)
• Needs to be affordable ($5k absolute max and even then I am hesitant as I will be selling other rifles to fund it)

Bro we been over this haha

Finnlight

and just use your vx6 bro

Vx5/6 And z5 would be the most capable and practical scopes for long range tops hunting in their weight class

Just stick with the set up you have and try loosing weight elsewhere. I'm guilty of carrying to much round my waist, cheaper to lose it there than upgrading my gear...

Sounds like you want my Mod 7 260 :D or just harden the F up you BIG blouse, how much does the 70 weight? How much do you lift? Just re stock that?

Finnlight II is on its way

Keep your VX6, get the Tikka T3 Superlite in 7mm RM, CF stock, T2, Talley extra lows etc and you are away. You already have the reloading gear etc for the 7 RM and obviously like it.

Don't obsess about weight, its just a fashion thing to sell chit. How a rifle "carries" makes more difference than weight, is the sling "just right", does it hang nicely on your back and beside your pack/daypack, does it sit comfortably in your hand at a balance point. I'm an old fart and have carried a variety of very light to very heavy rifles (14 lbs up to 1800M - no sweat, although there would have been if I had a full pack as well).

Lose the suppressor, they are surplus to requirements on a tops rifle and usually bugger up the balance. Trim the barrel so the balance point is right. If its got a protruding mag box or is too wide to grip - Go to a smaller scope in rings high enough that you can carry with your hand round the scope (if your hands are small enough like Trumps).

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Originally Posted by Gibo

Sounds like you want my Mod 7 260 :D or just harden the F up you BIG blouse, how much does the 70 weight? How much do you lift? Just re stock that?

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I haven't weighed it but it would be heaps, 13lb?

Loose the suppressor. A 7mm mag doesn't need a suppressor.

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Originally Posted by stug

Loose the suppressor. A 7mm mag doesn't need a suppressor.

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I agree. Can you do a stock for a Mod 70?

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Originally Posted by Tentman

Don't obsess about weight, its just a fashion thing to sell chit. How a rifle "carries" makes more difference than weight, is the sling "just right", does it hang nicely on your back and beside your pack/daypack, does it sit comfortably in your hand at a balance point. I'm an old fart and have carried a variety of very light to very heavy rifles (14 lbs up to 1800M - no sweat, although there would have been if I had a full pack as well).

Lose the suppressor, they are surplus to requirements on a tops rifle and usually bugger up the balance. Trim the barrel so the balance point is right. If its got a protruding mag box or is too wide to grip - Go to a smaller scope in rings high enough that you can carry with your hand round the scope (if your hands are small enough like Trumps).

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You can say “shit” here if you want. We all know what you mean.

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Originally Posted by stug

Loose the suppressor. A 7mm mag doesn't need a suppressor.

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Excuse the ignorance, but why not? What if you're bush hunting? Can't use a brake in that scenario

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Originally Posted by hotsoup

Excuse the ignorance, but why not? What if you're bush hunting? Can't use a brake in that scenario

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Remmag dosnt make enough recoil for most people not to be able to put a few shots through and as they say if your pointing it an an animal you wont feel it.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

There is a nice forbes in 280ai on TM

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Originally Posted by hotsoup

Excuse the ignorance, but why not? What if you're bush hunting? Can't use a brake in that scenario

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I've got a nice bushpig that I use for bush hunting and am confident with to 300m so not overly concerned with that scenario.

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Originally Posted by hotsoup

Excuse the ignorance, but why not? What if you're bush hunting? Can't use a brake in that scenario

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They're long and cumbersome and upset the balance of a decent tops rifle, you need to sacrifice barrel length to balance the rifle.

On the tips there should be enough time to put ear plugs etc on if you care about your hearing.

Sent from my TA-1024 using Tapatalk

@Dorkus - pity you're not a lefty mate I've just decided to sell my Tikka 7mmRM - all tarted up and still light enough to heft around the Fiordland wilds where she went real well, and she's a shooter to boot!! (i.e same ragged hole on paper with the std factory barrel)

Just - FYI if you do go down the road of Tikka for a lightweight option - factor in a couple of items that massively make a difference in how well it shoots.
- Stock bedding/stabilisation for existing stock -mandatory in my opinion
- A Yo Dave trigger spring - turns a heavy factory trigger into a Timney for very few bucks - IMHO Mandatory
- Lightweight supressor (mine a Gen 4 Hardy) and or T2 brake. either/or both!
- re-tapp the metric shitty tikka 3.5mm reciver holes for M4's -optional
- a Decent picatinney rail to provide rigidity on top for your optics ! increased the options around rings and tightened everything up nicely
- Decent Limbsaver airtech butt pad. Made it easier for others to shoot it and also made it a pussycat on the range that even @30calterry 's youngest was firing it no problem at all.

The Lite barrel - It will give you 3 shots - before there is POI change due to heat suppressor on... then you need to rest it to cool down...

I'm going the other way a wee bit Heavier and up cal.

A t3 in 280ai is a good option, it's what I run

I have a sako A7 in 7mm rem mag, has a brake and suppressor option, tallie rings that I am thinking about selling if that was of interest

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It's that last 100m of airtime that need all the hardware.

Restrict yourself to 400m shots, learn to climb and you will be OK with an 8lb 3006.

Buy the tikka man. Even without getting a fancy carbon stock you'll be saving a heap of weight over the 70. They shoot fine in the crappy plastic. Those superlights are like 6lb flat aren't they?

Or ditch the can for a brake and throw a carbon stock on the winny.

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Originally Posted by gimp

You can say “shit” here if you want. We all know what you mean.

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I was just trying to be less of an old fart . . . . practising my txt talk - not!

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Originally Posted by hotsoup

Excuse the ignorance, but why not? What if you're bush hunting? Can't use a brake in that scenario

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We are talking a tops rifle here

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Originally Posted by hotsoup

Excuse the ignorance, but why not? What if you're bush hunting? Can't use a brake in that scenario

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@hotsoup

I think @stug was baiting someone, someone who did not take the bait.

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Originally Posted by 223nut

Just stick with the set up you have and try loosing weight elsewhere. I'm guilty of carrying to much round my waist, cheaper to lose it there than upgrading my gear...

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@223nut, you are a genius!

The other option is to get a Movie Rifle(TM). Movie Rifles will kill anything, at any distance, weigh very little, and fold away to nothing. Question is though, can you afford one?

Attachment 85394

BTW, I want that gun.

Nope, not baiting anyone. I've had two different 7mm mags. One weighed 9.5lb it was easy to shoot and I could spot my shots past 300yds with it. No suppressor or brake on it. My second one was more like 7.5lb I couldn't spot my shots with that, but I didn't find the recoil unbearable.
I suggested not using the suppressor because he is trying to knock weight off his rifle. It would be the easiest and cheapest way to remove weight.

yep, my experience same as @stug's. Recoil on unbraked or non suppressed 7mmRM is very manageable, especially if you're not a 8 stone featherweight. I have had 2 7mm RMs - one 24in bbl in B&C stock the other 26 in bbl in CF stock. Both weighed in at ~9 lbs with scope, rings etc.
Got several light weight "tops 7mms" - 280AI , 284 and SAUM that weigh in at 5.5 - 6 lbs bare rifle. All shot without brake or suppressor for load dev and I've found the recoil manageable. 280AI without brake kicks a bit but its got a super thin recoil pad :) and always have the option to carry the brake or suppressor if needed on the tops. I could lose some further weight if I went to bolt fluting etc but have not gone that far.

With your current set up you could lose a fair bit of weight by going to a CF stock and not running the suppressor.
As other have stated overall balance also important along with weight and length.

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Originally Posted by chainsaw

yep, my experience same as @stug's. Recoil on unbraked or non suppressed 7mmRM is very manageable, especially if you're not a 8 stone featherweight. I have had 2 7mm RMs - one 24in bbl in B&C stock the other 26 in bbl in CF stock. Both weighed in at ~9 lbs with scope, rings etc.
Got several light weight "tops 7mms" - 280AI , 284 and SAUM that weigh in at 5.5 - 6 lbs bare rifle. All shot without brake or suppressor for load dev and I've found the recoil manageable. 280AI without brake kicks a bit but its got a super thin recoil pad :) and always have the option to carry the brake or suppressor if needed on the tops. I could lose some further weight if I went to bolt fluting etc but have not gone that far.

With your current set up you could lose a fair bit of weight by going to a CF stock and not running the suppressor.
As other have stated overall balance also important along with weight and length.

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After taking heaps of advice onboard, and noting weight is the only thing I don't love about my current tops rifle, I am set on a new path that I think will work out well. My rifle is a shooter that weighs too much for me to enjoy shooting it (actually it's the carrying that's the problem) so it is going on a diet...
- Getting the action milled to lighten it up a bit (won't be as light as a tikka action but shouldn't be too much heavier).
- Suppressor is staying at home
- Stug is going to make me a CF stock using his T3 mould and some custom inletting to make the M70 look at home in a new skirt.

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Originally Posted by Dorkus

After taking heaps of advice onboard, and noting weight is the only thing I don't love about my current tops rifle, I am set on a new path that I think will work out well. My rifle is a shooter that weighs too much for me to enjoy shooting it (actually it's the carrying that's the problem) so it is going on a diet...
- Getting the action milled to lighten it up a bit (won't be as light as a tikka action but shouldn't be too much heavier).
- Suppressor is staying at home
- Stug is going to make me a CF stock using his T3 mould and some custom inletting to make the M70 look at home in a new skirt.

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Sounds like a good option.
As many have said, a 7mmRM doesn't need a brake or suppressor and if your Winchester is a shooter, go for it.
Out of interest what is the barrel length of your mod 70?

21.5"

21.5" of tank haha

I call bullshit on the speeds ya getting 168's @ 3050 out'a a 21" Phurrrfffttt

And as for winge'n about "Oh it's to heavy" grow some mussels ya big girl fym

186 grain vlds phil get it right ;)

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Originally Posted by Gibo

186 grain vlds phil get it right ;)

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Yeah sorry my bad, that's even better Hahahahhaha