Highland deer stalking gun

[Aglifter]

Ruger's RSM in 375 H&H always had... 5 or 6 down - not sure if they made anything in lighter calibers w higher capacity - I know some custom makers who do it, but thats more Seekher's bailiwick.

[Yogimus]

6.5x55 is just about the perfect deer round, IMHO. Shoots flat, hits hard, little recoil.

[PawPaw]

Yeah, I like savage but it has a 4 round capacity. I have fired 3, reloaded 3 and still had targets either due to misses or too many. Why 3? Blasers only hold 3.... Doc the same. The 20 round mag may be a little on the aggressive side but a nice 10 round box mag ought to do the trick.

Ruger's Gunsite Scout sounds like it was made to order. Put a standard scope on it and you've got .308Win goodness and a 10 round magazine.

[Darrell]

6.5x55. I think CZ might make one.

They do, or did. I have one, and she's a beauty. CZ 550.

[NVGdude]

Thoughts? Better suggestions for a common caliber, high capacity, bolt action to drag through the vertical swamp that is the Scottish Highlands?

6.5x55 is a much better choice than the .308. Flatter shooting, higher BC, better penetration.

Also guessing it's more common in Europe than the .308.


Now if I were going full out custom then I'd build up a "mountain gun" in 6.5-284. But that's strictly a "roll your own" proposition as far as ammo goes.

[Denis]

Glad to see the AAR, CC. Sorry about your ligament - that must have put a dampener on proceedings. Hope you and Doc. had fun nonetheless.

I am going deerstalking in the Hebrides in January 2014. The estate encourages the use of .243, since they want to minimise meat damage. As I'll be flying there this time, I'm not going to bring my own deer rifle (Kassnar Churchill Highlander in .308, fixed magazine 4+1 shots), but I will use either a Kriko .308 or a Brno .243 belonging to my brother, who's travelling there by car.

You've seen the vertical bogs that the Scots call "hills". There's not much point bringing something beautiful to shoot, as it will get rattled about in an argocat, dragged through the mud, water, heather and whatever else, and probably dropped too. A rugged scope is essential.

I don't know about Perthshire, but where we go, long shots are the exception. The sport, and the gillie's skill, is in getting (you) close to the deer without spooking them. So .243, .308, 7x57mm, 6.5x55, 7.5x55 are all adequate.

If money were no object, I'd be tempted to try a http://www.blaser.de/index.php?id=53&L=1
Blaser R95 single-shot (nice and light and accurate) with a butt-cuff for ammunition, but you want higher capacity.

Again, not cheap - but why not stick with a Blaser R93, and step up the calibre to .308? Put a good fixed 6x scope on it and you're done. Get a Blaser R8 if you want an additional round of magazine capacity. Blaser are doing interesting things with (integral) sound moderators these days - I was at the factory to hear about that in the spring.

Another non-cheap option, a Steyr Scout Jeff Cooper Package (.308). Light, handy, hard hitting, tough synthetic stock, spare magazine in the butt, integral bipod for the occasional long shot.

For not a lot of money, a CZ 550 in any of the above calibres would be fine. The non-magnum .inch-size rounds are easier to find in the UK, if you need to stock up, or to replace ammo lost by the airline. A synthetic stock would cut down on the weight a bit. Put a Minox ZA-5 scope on it. http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/minox.pl?page=66100

If you're bringing a rifle from the states, a Savage "weather warrior" in .308 looks like a good bet, just get a decent scope, not the package option.

[Aglifter]

I forgot about the Steyr scout rifle - one of the best feeling rifles I ever handled.

[Combat Controller]

Yeah, I like savage but it has a 4 round capacity. I have fired 3, reloaded 3 and still had targets either due to misses or too many.

Geez... I need to go hunting there. No bag limit on deer?

The more you shoot the happier they are. It's a cull!

[Combat Controller]

I was shooting a Blaser R3 in 6.5x55 with a moderator and it was sweet. We did notice with the wind roaring that we were getting significant bullet drift. It's a trade off, I think all being equal .308 is enough gun even if it annoys some estates with the large size of the caliber. Plus it will be useful in Africa in May although I may just have to buy that Win Mag I just saw up here and bring that as well. I may just stick with a 6.5x55 and not rock the boat but if I am buying a new rifle I want it to be as versatile as possible.

AGlifter, they sell the carcass after you shoot it, they frown on using elephant guns on the wee beasties, the red deer are largeish but the row, mud-jack and Chinese water deer are not.

[Combat Controller]

I have a .300 Win Mag that I keep putting off listing on Gunbroker (procastinators anonymous). It might be appropriate for a gentleman's hunting piece. [strike]Nice[/strike] Near perfect wood and blue. It'll shoot the lights out. Lemme know if you're interested.


Bought it from a colleague (another Model 70 nut). He was in a divorce pinch and wanting to keep out of the divorce dealings. It was his father's and he was afraid she'd go after it to hurt him. Wanted it to go an appreciate, caring home was all.

Winchester M70 Super Grade

PM for the price?