Show me your sheep rig
 

Well it is a new year and my head is already living in August 25. Making some changes to my sheep rig and thought I would ask everyone else to show and shine their rigs. For fun add what you like/don't like about it and if you want how many rams it owns.

My new rig is a Tikka T3X SS in 6.5 CM with a nightforce SHV 3-10. Nightforce pic rail and ultralite rings. Will post pics soon. I like the tikka in general as a lightweight rig. The scope is quite top heavy though for balance in the hands. I wanted 100% reliability which is why I went the SHV route. Owns 0 rams at the moment. Hoping to change that this year.

Had a tikka t3, .270win. Leuplod Vx 2 3x9x40, One sheep with it , thought it was light until i picked up a Kimber montana in 7mm08 wears the same scope that the tikka had. One sheep for this riffle aswell .

Sako a7 roughtech pro in .300win mag (use it for high country elk as well) with a vortex viper 4-16 VMR on top, a custom bed job and bell and Carlson stock and a fluted bolt and barrel. Not too heavy, still less than 8 scoped and rock solid at all hunting ranges.

Mines a Remington 700 CDL with a VX-2 3-9x40 dialled our to 300 very accurately with just the duplex reticle. My change is taking off the Leupold 1 piece base and std rings all in silver for a set of Talley lightweights I bought used. Weight isn’t a problem but I like to mess around and tinker, plus I’ve ever used the talleys before.

I was to busy working to go for a goat this year so I’m hoping to get a Ewe next year and maybe even a Goat as well.

Your a brave man taking a walnut stock in the sheep hills. Would love to take my x bolt but just to scared. What caliber did you go with Redneck? Just my two cents but I would not go Talley's. I have had nothing but problems with them. Have seen them crack with magnums as well on lighter riflles.

It’s a stainless fluted cdl chambered in 7mm-08. Its a very beautiful gun but I don’t mind taking it into the mountains. One hunt I went up with my friend for his mountain goat. I didn’t think I’d take a rifle up the mountain since he’d have his so I just brought my bear rifle, thumper I call it and left the CDL at home. We decided the night before I should have a rifle as well so thumper went up. Got a few scratched but I didn’t mind.

Thumper is a 9 lb rifle with 4 rounds in the magazine, .308 Remington 700 VTR I fitted into an old walnut stock from another 700. She’s a beautiful rifle and shoots great groups with the 2-7 Leupold rifleman I have on it.

That’s the first I heard of someone say that about talleys. I don’t care to make the CDL a light weight rifle, I do like the silver rings and bases a lot so... maybe I won’t change it, save the rings for another 700.

I’ve had a bunch of rifles that are deer/moose/elk rifles but all could make great sheep guns.

This thread seriously needs pics!!!

Haha yes it does, I’m not able to do pictures. I’ll pull out the lab too after and get what pictures I have of the rifles. Your new rifle you built is gorgeous! I seen it in the other thread.

Thanks!

I’ve had Finnlights, Tikka super lites, Kimbers, Forbes, Nula’s, Christensen’s, and now the Gunwerks, they’d all be great sheep guns.

Unfortunately their owner wouldn’t take them to go play in the mountains...

Not a sheep hunter but if I were to choose one of my rifles it would be the Tikka T3 in 6.5x55 topped off with it's Leupold fixed 6 scope I would guess 7.5lbs. or so..great rig and after the stock was hydro dipped it even looks kinda cool.

Pictures coming soon.

Scratch that... I wanted to put my fist through the lab top.

My favourite sheep rifle. I continue to mourn its loss. :-)

https://i.imgur.com/BmuD8Vm.jpg

Here is mine.

Barrett Fieldcraft in 6.5CM topped with a VX3i 4.5-14x40 CDS. If memory serves right it’s about 6lbs 10oz with the bipod pictured.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8f1dacbc55.jpg


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How do you like the Fieldcraft? Have owned a Kimber Montana and if so how does it compare it to a Kimber?

I love the Fieldcraft. It’s light, it’s comfortable and fits like no other rifle I’ve ever held. Very accurate with factory ammo. Can’t compare it to a Kimber though as I don’t own one and have never shot one.


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Just started this sheep hunting addiction, but I carried a benchmark barreled Kimber ma 6.5x47Lapua this last season. 6lbs 9oz scoped and loaded. Next season it'll be a toss up between that and the Rem 700ti 300saum depending on some load development.

This is my CDL in 7mm-08, my fiancé uses it for big game, this is her 2018 buck.

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psgxmiybt4.jpg

This is thumper, the VTR I tinkered with, I have cut off the muzzle break as well.

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psjzvqu85x.jpg

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3smu6r9p.jpg

And this rifle is my future everything/ mountain rifle. I was gonna put it in a wildcat composites stock but maybe one day. It’s a 700 SS in .300 SAUM that I bedded into a BDL stock, and free floated the barrel. Shoots factory ammo great, can’t wait to start reloading.

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7rmaeiy8.jpg

How do you like the scope? I was looking at a VX-5 with cds and illuminated reticle for my SAUM. I have a VX-3i LRP on my long range and like it a lot, just curious how you like it VX-3i CDS? Very nice rifle by the way, I’m surprised by how light it is.

Your likely fine in 7-08 with talley's but I still shy away. If you wanted to move away from the 1 piece I believe Burris makes silver Zee rings and XTR bases which is a solid steel on steel setup and will match your rifles looks.

I like the scope. To be honest I haven’t really played around with the cds a whole lot but it does seem to work pretty well. Once I get some more time I’ll start hand loading for this rifle and then start playing with the CDS at distance.

The rifle is actually heavier than advertised, it’s about 5 or 6 oz heavier than I expected it to be, but it’s still a dream to carry in the mountains.


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I have had a few CDS Leupold scopes including the vx3i and it has been hit or miss with tracking. The erector issues in Leupold are well documented and you can find quite a bit with some googling. If you want to stay light with a Leupold I would take a look at the Boone and Crockett reticle or have their custom shop make a reticle for your load. If you really want to dial with confidence there are only a few options proven. You will have to up the weight.

Nightforce
SWFA
Busnnell LRHS

Budget option Nikon black FX 1000

I have actually never carried a lightweight rifle while sheep hunting. On every sheep hunt, I carried a 7mmstw that weighed about 9lbs scoped. I typically carry my rifle on a bracket on my pack, so an extra two or three pounds of rifle is no different than an extra two or three pounds in my pack. That being said, when carrying a shotgun over my shoulder hunting upland birds, I much prefer a shotgun weighing around 6lbs or less.

Can you post a pick of this bracket? Right now on my way up the hill in the AM I have my rifle strapped hillside, then swap sides on way down mountain to keep it hillside. I find that it does not burn the down slope side knee as badly when your doing a lot of steep climbing.

Did you have to get rid of it? Looks like a Montana?

That’s not a Montana, looks like a m70 in a McMillan edge.

Nice rifle, I’d like to hear the story on why you parted ways too.

My pack is put away, and not handy right now. It's pretty much a padded hook that I hang the sling on, and a lower bracket with velcro that secures the stock. It's actually fairly quick to remove the rifle, compared to some of the packs with built in scabbards.

That’s what it is, and I don’t have a reasonable explanation. :-)

OCD...... I get it.

What pack are you using? I have a MR marshall. Trying to think of how that might work. Guessing your using an external frame.