look for a stainless/laminate rifle

[1010011010]

Gidday, I am looking for an all weather rifle which I can take up north and bowl pigs with but also cart round the hill sides in search of goats and the odd deer.
I'm currently using a winchester .30/30 L/A for this and it's a fine bit of gear but very prone to rust, especially up north in the humid conditions. It's also not really suited to anything over about 150m. It's also not terribly pleasant to shoot in the prone position!

My current thoughts for an alternate calibre are either a 7mm-08 or a .270 or possibly a .308.

Now for the questions:

Does the .270 boot the hardest out of those calibres?

What is the accuracy like with the new ruger Laminate stainless rifles? (what it's like out of the older ones?)

What are my other options? Howa, savage, etc?

Thanks

Mick

[Con]

All those chamberings will recoil about the same ... I cant tell the difference. In theory the 7mm/08 should be the lightest kicker ... but I'd pick from the other two for the easier availability of ammunition.

Laminate stocks are more 'all-weather' than a regular wooden stock, but not as rugged as a synthetic. They look nicer though!! If aesthetics are important, grab a laminate and have it bedded/floated etc... and be happy but realise it'll be heavier than a regular wooden stock (epoxy adds weight) or a synthetic.

The rifles that stand out for me for all weather ability are the Ruger stainless/synthetics. You can treat them like crap and they just bounce back for more. They are not as light as other options though like a stainless Tikka T3. I hate the T3 detachable magazine ... but the rifles are light and shoot well ... but I prefer Ruger.
Cheers...
Con

PS: Just to add ... if budget is a concern ... the Stevens 200's are very serviceable, lightweight rifles and cheap enough to take the knocks despite being a blued action/barrel. Hit the metal with something like a thin layer of Lanolin grease and they will last forever and be cheap!

[Curtley78]

G'day Mick,

You won't be at all displeased with a Ruger, I'd opt for one of the older 'all weather' jobs.

I had one in .223 it was the most robust rifle that I owned and if not the most accurate of my center fires. That rifle on a good day at Silverdale would shoot under the inch at 200 (admittedly it had a 10-40 X 50 Tasco target scope on it and I'm kind of upset that I sold it).

The .270 will kick harder then the .308 and will be the flatter shooting choice between the two, the enticement between the .270 and .308 will be the broader range of projectiles available for the 30 caliber and the surplus availability of brass, the .270 will achieve greater muzzle velocities but then you don't need to send a projectile down the tube at hyper velocities to achieve accuracy let alone the kinetic energy that is required to stop something dead in its tracks.

A pachmyr recoil pad should absorb the recoil that either of those calibers dish out.

[Thomo]

I have a T3 and it cops a flogging in conditions that are just as harsh as those up north.

But if you are a little worried about the plastic then go the Ruger i reckon they area the hunting mans Ak47, doesn't matter what you do to them they keep working and get the job done.

No matter waht you get grab a synthetic stock as they are just easy to look after, but even a stainless barrel will need cleaning and some oil and a little bit of love.

[1010011010]

So the older rugers are generally a better item than the newer ones? ie the old paddle stock synthetic ones?.

Cheers

Mick

[Thomo]

Stay away from the paddle stock it is a bucket of shit.
I had a ruger MkII with a Hogue stock in 338WinMag and could lay down and shoot it prone the hogue soaked up the recoil realy nice.

the ruger synthetic is a good stock aswell, they dont make the boat paddles anymore so anything with one of them on it will be 2nd hand,

[Curtley78]

Mick,

My Ruger was in a 'paddle stock' the rifle was indestructible, then again I never used it to club something to death because I was to miserable to slit its throat or put it out of its misery nor did I ever fire a thousand rounds through it.

I can understand that a .338 Winchester Magnum may cause some flex and movement in one of those stocks but a .270 or .308 will be fine.

Like anything, it comes down to how the individual maintains his equipment and as to how harsh he is with it.

[Con]

So the older rugers are generally a better item than the newer ones? ie the old paddle stock synthetic ones?.

Cheers

Mick

In my opinion, the latest synthetic stock is nicer and more conventional. The new stainless Ruger's with their subdued finish are also less reflective than the older Ruger's but the actions are identical. The new triggers are nothing special. The boat-paddle stocks look like crap, accentuate recoil in anything largish but are unbreakable. With a decent pad, they are okay. Bang for buck ... a S/H Ruger stainless/synthetic that's had its trigger worked over is hard to beat.
Cheers...
Con