Great Rifles for Mountain Hunting

Being an avid sheep and mountain goat hunter here in Alaska, I’ve seen the good, bad, and ugly in mountain rifles. A mountain hunter needs a rifle that is reasonably light, dependable, accurate, and impervious to bad weather. Every rifle has its advantages and disadvantages. Some rifles are super light, but they are usually more challenging to shoot accurately because they’re less stable and have increased recoil.

Many great-shooting rifles are just too heavy to reasonably pack up the mountain. In my experience, a rifle that weighs about seven pounds or less and still allows a hunter to consistently place shots within a 1.5-MOA target is adequate for most mountain hunting. Not every rifle is up for the job, but here are 10 that I would not hesitate to take on a once-in-a-lifetime mountain hunt. These selections were made with sheep, goats, and high-country mule deer, and elk in mind, but they are capable of killing any game you will find in the mountains.

Picking Great Rifles for Mountain Hunting

I’ve been DIY hunting for Dall sheep in my home state of Alaska for more than 20 years — with a few mountain goat hunts in the mix too. Through all that experience, I’ve learned about things that matter and things that don’t. I’ve used that insight to pick some great rifles for the mountain hunter. Some are highly specialized, others can pull double duty as normal hunting rifles. Ultimately, you’ll have to find what works best for you, but none of these is a bad choice.

Great Rifles for Mountain Hunting: Reviews and Recommendations

Springfield Armory 2020 Redline

Key Features

• BSF carbon-fiber barrel
• Grayboe Trekker minimalist stock
• Detachable AICS magazine
• Price: $1,708

This year, Springfield released the 2020 Redline rifle, a scalloped out, slimmed down version of their popular 2020 Waypoint. The Redline is built on the 2020 action, which is an optimized Remington M700 clone that features a sliding-claw extractor, Triggertech trigger, and tool-free bolt takedown. The Redline is offered in 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Winchester, and has a carbon-sleeved, fluted stainless barrel. It’s optimized for use with a light suppressor by coming in 16- and 20-inch barrel lengths. The Grayboe Trekker stock provides good ergonomics that make the rifle easy to shoot without excess weight. The whole rifle weighs about 6.5 pounds.

I got ahold of the Redline with a 20-inch barrel chambered for 6.5 Creedmoor just before my annual Dall sheep hunt in Alaska this year. Trying some existing handloads, I quickly found one that easily satisfied Springfield’s .75-M.O.A. accuracy guarantee. When looking at accuracy in a more practical way, it’s more of a 1- to 1.5-inch rifle, but completely adequate. It’s a great rifle to pack through sheep country, and you can read a more detailed, full review here.

Wilson Combat NULA Model 20 and 20S

Key Features

• Thin countour button-rifled barrel
• AG Composites Carbon-fiber stock
• Mini or standard actions
• Price: $3,000

After buying New Ultralight Arms, Wilson Combat is carrying on the legacy of Melvin Forbes with the excellent NULA model 20 and 20S rifles. I had the good fortune of testing a 20S, which is the micro action version chambered in .223 Wylde, .300 Blackout, and .300 HAM’R. I tested the .223 and found it to be an incredibly nimble rifle that maintains excellent ergonomics and shootability. It’s got a thick pistol grip on it’s feathery stock, and it’s thin-profile barrel is belled out at the end to accept a suppressor.

This is one of the most accurate hunting rifles I have tested and, even in .223 with heavier bullets, it would make a great rifle for hunting deer and sheep at sub-300-yard distances. This is an expensive gun, but the value is apparent in the craftsmanship and performance. Read the full review of the NULA model 20S here.

Bergara Mg Micro Lite

Key Features

• carbon-fiber threaded barrel
• XLR magnesium micro chassis
• AICS magazines
• Price: $3,000

Mountain rifles are getting more compact and easy to carry, as evidenced by guns like the Bergara MG Micro Lite. This mountain rifle puts the Bergara Premier action in the ultralight XLR Atom Mg chassis. It features a folding stock that’s built on a tube similar to an AR buffer tube with a recoil pad and adjustable carbon-fiber comb piece and grip. The chassis has a short fore-end with integrated ARCA on the bottom and M-Lok slots on the bottom and sides. It accepts AICS magazines and has a protected magazine latch.

The system has good ergonomics, but the short fore-end can make some shooting situations, like resting on a backpack, more challenging. It’s perfect if you’re clipping into a tripod, however. The short 20-inch barrel accommodates the modern practice of hunting with a suppressor, and the system is capable of delivering good accuracy. You can read our full review of the Mg Micro Lite here.

Weatherby Mark V Backcountry 2.0 Ti Carbon

Key Features

• BSF carbon-fiber or steel barrels
• Carbon-fiber Peak 44 stock
• Short-throw Mark V action
• Price: $2,938

Weatherby made a fine mountain rifle with their Mark V Backcountry Ti in 2020, and they’ve made some good updates to the platform in 2022, in the form of the Mark V Backcountry 2.0. The 2.0 is available in several different configurations and can be ordered in different colors directly from Weatherby, but the primary variables to choose from are the receiver and barrel material. You can choose between steel and titanium receivers, and steel or carbon-wrapped barrels. We got to thoroughly test the Backcountry 2.0 Ti Carbon at our 2022 gun test, and found it to be accurate and capable.

We could easily satisfy Weatherby’s 1 M.O.A. accuracy guarantee and it was consistent with a variety of ammunition. The rifle we tested had a 24-inch barrel and tipped the scales at only 5 pounds, 2 ounces. The stock design is like that of the first Mark V Backcountry rifles, but the original 3D-printed recoil pad has been improved. The Backcountry 2.0 Ti Carbon is an expensive rifle, but it’s a solid performer.

Winchester XPR

Key Features

• Steel barrel with durable coating
• Injection-molded stock
• Three-lug bolt
• Price: $546

Winchester’s budget-friendly XPR has been on the market for a few years. It won’t win any beauty contests, and certainly doesn’t fall into the ultralight category (it weighs around 7 pounds). However, it’s a pure utilitarian workhorse, and offered in a slough of cartridge options. It’s a rifle that normally wouldn’t stand out in a crowd, but the XPR has always performed for me and you can’t beat the price tag. Although it’s not a specialized mountain rifle, including the XPR is a nod to the notion that any rifle you’re willing to carry up the mountain is a mountain rifle.

One particular XPR in 6.5 Creedmoor I own has seen and survived every weather condition imaginable, and has killed more sheep and caribou than climate change. I’ve had the chance to shoot a lot of XPR’s, and they’re one of the best-quality budget-friendly rifles you can buy. If you don’t want to shell out cash for one of the higher-end rifles, this is a great option.

Proof Glacier Ti Lightweight Mountain Hunter

Key Features

• Proof Research carbon-fiber barrel
• Carbon-fiber stock
• BDL-style magazine
• Price: $6,700

For mountain hunters with a top-end rifle on their wishlist, the Glacier Ti from Proof Research is a strong contender. Many hunters won’t look beyond the price tag, but if you’re looking for a truly immaculate, high-performance mountain rifle, this is it. Proof Research is known for their excellent barrels, but their rifles display incredible quality and attention to detail as well. We tested the Proof Tundra in our 2022 gun test and not only was it the most accurate hunting rifle we tested, but the fitting and detail work was exceptional. The Proof Glacier proved itself to our Editor-In-Chief Alex Robinson, who took the steel-action Glacier to the Yukon this fall and took his first Dall ram with it.

The Glacier Ti is very similar, but has a titanium action, which shaves half a pound from the overall weight of the rifle (weights range from 5 pounds, 5 ounces, to 6 pounds, 4 ounces). It’s a sleek and simple M700-based rifle with a Proof carbon-wrapped barrel and Proof’s own carbon fiber stock. It has a TriggerTech trigger, a bedded action, and comes with a half-M.O.A. three-shot accuracy guarantee. The Glacier Ti is available in a variety of chamberings, from 6.5 Creedmoor to .300 PRC (even the new 7 PRC). It’s also available in both left and right-handed configurations and you can choose from a variety of colors and patterns. If you’re saving hard for a nice mountain rifle, this one won’t disappoint.

Browning X-Bolt 2

Key Features

• Improved action smoothness
• Adjustable Triggers
• Standard and premium options
• Price: Starting at $1,200

Browning’s X-Bolt platform is a wonderful production mountain hunting rifle with a short-throw, smooth action, reliable feeding, accuracy, and all-weather coatings, but the X-Bolt 2.0 kicks it up a notch. Some thoughtful design updates to the action allow for even smoother operation and the standard factory stock is adjustable for comb height and length of pull. Higher-end models are offered in McMillan stocks and some with carbon-fiber barrels from Preferred Barrel Blanks offer exellent accuracy.

These rifles are made to take a beating and still perform. I’ve spent quite a bit of time with X-Bolts, and the short-barreled carbon-fiber models and Pro lines are my favorites. If you don’t want to shell out for a premium model, the standard and Speed X-Bolt 2 are perfectly suitable mountain rigs.

Tikka T3x Superlite

Key Features

• Forged steel barrel
• Two-lug short-throw action
• Proprietary optic mounting
• Price: $813

The Tikka T3 series of rifles has established a cult-like following of hunters, especially mountain hunters because of it’s affordable price, accuracy, and utter dependability. We found the standard T3X to be the best mid-priced rifle for the money in our mid-priced rifles test, and the Superlite is even nicer. The T3X Superlite has the same dependable features and quality parts as the other T3 models. Additionally, it has a more modular stock, widened ejection port for single-feeding, fluted stainless barrel, comes chambered in a variety of calibers, and weighs right around 6 pounds bare (depending on chambering). It’s another no-frills workhorse that will always get the job done.

Sig Sauer Cross

Key Features

• Various barrel lengths, pre-fit compatible
• Adjustable folding stock
• Free-float handguard
• Price: $1,600

The Sig Cross platform has seen great success since its introduction, and is one of the best modular packable rifles. Chassis-style rifles, which are so popular in the precision shooting community have made their way into mountain hunting as well. Many precision shooters are also serious hunters and recognize the advantages that this style of rifle offers. The Sig Cross is a purpose-built hunting/backpacking rifle that looks like a blend of AR and chassis rifle ergonomics, but isn’t actually an action in a chassis. It has more of an AR-style receiver with ejection port. It features a fully adjustable comb and length of pull, folding stock, and comes in at under 7 pounds. There was an early recall on this rifle in 2020 for delayed firing, but that was quickly remedied by Sig. Chamberings are limited to the .277 Fury, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .308 Win.

Christensen Arms Ridgeline FFT Titanium

Key Features

• Carbon-fiber threaded barrel
• FFT foam-filled carbon-fiber stock
• Adjustable trigger
• Price: $2,306

Christensen Arms’ Ridgeline has become a staple for mountain hunters, garnering a reputation as a very dependable, accurate rifle. In 2022, they introduced the Ridgeline FFT Titanium, which has a titanium action and FFT parts. The “FFT” stands for “Flash Forged Technology,” in which pieces of carbon fiber are bonded and the finished product looks a bit like O.S.B. plywood. I thoroughly tested a Ridgeline FFT Titanium in .308 Win. and hauled it along on a 14-day sheep hunt here in Alaska. My sample weighed only 4 pounds, 14 ounces, which is incredible.

The stock is the primary FFT component and is foam-filled carbon-fiber with bedding pillars. The magazine bottom-place and bolt handle are also FFT carbon components. The rifle features a carbon-wrapped barrel and side-baffle muzzle brake. The M700-style bolt is fluted, cerakoted, and has an M16-style extractor. The Ridgeline FFT Titanium comes in 10 different chamberings, including 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 6.8 Western, 7 PRC, .300 PRC, and more. It comes with a three-shot sub-M.O.A. guarantee that mine easily fulfilled. MSRP: $3,400

Key Features

• Proof Research carbon-fiber barrel
• MDT HNT26 folding chassis
• Adjustable trigger
• Price: $3,039

Savage has long been known for producing accurate, dependable rifles, but you could never really call them lightweight—until now. What they’ve done with the Model 110 is smart. There is a lot of excess steel on the standard 110 action that Savage was able to mill off and hollow out, as well as flute the bolt to further reduce weight. T

he short action comes in at about 5.8 pounds, a big cut from the 7.5 pounds of a standard 110. Savage then mated it with a PROOF Research carbon-fiber wrapped barrel (which are well-renowned for their accuracy). It utilizes Savage’s AccuTrigger and is housed in an MDT HNT26 chassis, one of the best lightweight folding precision stocks on the market. It has excellent ergonomics, and despite the 110 action being a little rough, can deliver accurate shots at long distance. To learn more, you can read the full review here.

Allterra Arms Mountain Shadow Steel

Key Features

• Fluted steel barrel
• Reverse-comb stock
• In-house action
• Price: $6,310

Another excellent custom-level mountain rifle is the Mountain Shadow from Allterra arms. The Mountain Shadow is available on both steel and carbon configurations, and the steel version was tested and reviewed by my colleague, OL shooting editorJohn B. Snow. It comes in at just under seven pounds, but weight isn’t everything. This sleek rifle has an Allterra carbon-fiber stock with a reverse comb, and Allterra’s in-house Convergence action. They’re priced like a craftsman’s rifle because that’s what they are. The spiral-fluted barrels are guaranteed to deliver half-M.O.A. accuracy with three-shot groups using premium ammo, and you can choose from a wide variety of calibers.

FAQ

Final Thoughts

Picking the best mountain rifle ultimately depends on what you want and what will work best for you. If you generally follow guidelines of trying to get a rifle that is as light as possible but still accurate, while staying in your budget, you’re on the right track. Ultimately, the best option is the one you can carry comfortably, has great reliability, and good accuracy. Fortunately, there are good options at every price level.

 

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