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Post by bigblue on Jan 15, 2010 22:40:14 GMT -6
When I recently bought my latest Stevens 200 I had wanted a light weight rifle that I could use for coyote and varmint hunting. Well the Stevens started life at 6.5lbs., but after mounting a Simmons Aetec 4-14X44 scope, I ended up with a 8lb. 1.4oz. rifle. My .500 S&W Handi rifle weighs only 6lbs. 14ozs. with a scope! Well the Stevens does shoot and will be fine for edge of field varmint hunting, but I surely didn't reach my light weight goals. I could change out the scope and drop the weight, but I did find another solution. I ordered a H&R Superlight Handi rifle in .223. It weighs a mere 5 1/3 lbs. without a scope, so I should be able to equip this with a scope and still end up just a bit over 6lbs. These rifles have a thin 20" barrel which are known for heating up and causing stringing problems after a few shots are fired. Waiting for the barrel to cool will surely be frustrating at the range while working up loads, but I can't picture getting more than one shot at a coyote so it shouldn't be a concern for hunting. I just need a load that can put the first shot where I want it. It has the same 1-9" twist rate as the Stevens. This rifle is surely no target rifle so I have no illusions of sub-MOA groups, but as long as I can get 1-1.5" groups from a cool barrel, I'll be happy.
Don
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Post by juliang on Jan 16, 2010 6:53:59 GMT -6
Well Don, you have now bought 2 rifles to one rifle's job. In retrospect you could have bought a single T3 Lite and had it all in one!! That AETEC scope is far too big, go for a Bushnell 3200 in 2/7*32 and you'll be glad you did.
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Post by DocHolladay on Jan 16, 2010 8:28:15 GMT -6
Scope sounds right for the job to me... I havent looked, but does anyone make a new stock for the Stevens that would make it lighter?
As for the H&R, the new ones that I have seen, have a greatly improved trigger. I know Jlian bought my .204 and had a trigger job, called H&R about bullet weight and then started reloading for it. You could stack them up almost in one hole.... pretty dang close. I think you will be impressed once you get finished.
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Post by bigblue on Jan 16, 2010 16:26:37 GMT -6
Well Don, you have now bought 2 rifles to one rifle's job. In retrospect you could have bought a single T3 Lite and had it all in one!! That AETEC scope is far too big, go for a Bushnell 3200 in 2/7*32 and you'll be glad you did. Well your both right and wrong on this one. First off your entirely right in saying a Tikka T-3 could have fulfilled all my requirements. Secondly your completely wrong if you think I'm not sitting here thinking the same thing! LOL!! The Stevens now weighs a full lb. more than my Tikka in 30/06. I don't think changing the scope will make a big difference in the weight of the Stevens. This Simmons scope that's on it weighs 15ozs. or just 3ozs. more than the Bushnell 3200 2-7X32. Now you have to admit that the Tikka rifles are very HO-Hum/snore/boring. After all what do you really get when you chose a Tikka rifle? You buy it, put a scope on it, work up a few loads and two range sessions later you have a rifle that shoots 1/2 MOA groups. How f#@&*+& boring! In all honesty I do enjoy putzing around with rifles and H+R rifles take a bit of tweaking. Without that I'd go nuts. Don |
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Post by bigblue on Jan 16, 2010 16:36:21 GMT -6
I havent looked, but does anyone make a new stock for the Stevens that would make it lighter? Doc, I think the only way you could get a lighter stock than the factory Stevens is to pull out the foam they fill it with and load it up with helium. A few years back Savage changed their magazines from stagger feed to center feed and with it the receiver bolt pattern again. Many of the after market stock manufacturers haven't caught up yet. There are a few, but most are geared to tactical use and weigh quite a bit more than the original stock. H.S. Precision makes one, Choate's Ultimate Sniper is available and Bell and Carlson has made their Medalist stock in the new 4.4" bolt pattern. McMillan may be making a sporter weight, I'm not sure however if it fits the new bolt pattern and they do run $488 for a drop in. Completely installed goes for $780. Don |
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