5 lb 5 oz Backcountry Rifle Set-up. All stock.

[Nicaburns]

I actually just added 4oz to my howa superlite. Stockys came out with their VG2 stock for the rifle and I snagged one Black Friday. A tad bit heavier but loving the profile so far.

 

[jimh406]

I actually just added 4oz to my howa superlite. Stockys came out with their VG2 stock for the rifle and I snagged one Black Friday. A tad bit heavier but loving the profile so far.

I really appreciate the post. That seems like a much better stock.

 

[Jbuck]

Not the cheapest option, but I had my kids Howa Cerakoted amd it smoothed the action up quite and bit.

 

[OrangeMan73]

I noticed the q cherry bomb on the muzzle there... what can you running on that outfit?

Howa mini in 6 ARC has me interested for my spawn who'll soon be hunting, and I like q's mount system.

 

[MidwestElkHunter]

I would forget I was even hunting if I was carrying around something that light

 

[turbobrick]

Howa is making some great rifles, my two Mini actions have been great. My main one in 6arc is right at 7 pounds with suppressor, mag, and glass.

 

[Landsandgrooves]

I just got my Ultra Light Arms Model 20 in .284 Win. Bare weight is about 5 pounds 2 ounces. Now looking at lightweight scopes, which will weigh around 13 ounces. I figure a total of 6# or a touch more when ready for deer and elk. Push a 160-grain Accubond at 2900fps. Good to go.

 

[colin_outdoors]

Looks like an awesome setup

 

[Fuddham]

How much does just the rifle weigh?

 

[ELKhunter60]

I actually just added 4oz to my howa superlite. Stockys came out with their VG2 stock for the rifle and I snagged one Black Friday. A tad bit heavier but loving the profile so far.
View attachment 635768

Dang it! That seems like a good idea other than spending the extra $$. Now you've got me thinking...

 

[180ls1]

I actually just added 4oz to my howa superlite. Stockys came out with their VG2 stock for the rifle and I snagged one Black Friday. A tad bit heavier but loving the profile so far.
View attachment 635768

Mostly for the vertical grip and cheek weld?

 

[Nicaburns]

Mostly for the vertical grip and cheek weld?

Entirely for that reason… however, for some reason, the LOP is at least a half in shorter on the target stock… I had to fab a spacer out of micarta (Sometimes it is handy to be a knifemaker with supplies on hand.) I also had to design a 3D printed arca rail for the front that fit the contour of the forend at the point of the sling stud.

 

[Beendare]

Aren't those really light rifles hard to shoot accurately at distance?

I'm almost exclusively a Recurve guy for decades so don't beat me up...I'm considering picking up a lefty bolt rifle in 6mm, 6.5 or so.

I see guys saying the stock matters a lot- centered on bore...and those light rifles need a brake otherwise they don't shoot.

True or False?

 

[Nicaburns]

I can only speak from my limited experience but they can be a challenge. First, you have to allot a ton of time to practice because the barrel heats up fast so you have to wait between after three shots. Secondly, for me they make rear support more critical because they just don’t have much weight to really anchor them to a rest. But with a arca rail clamped into a tripod and a solid rear support they shoot just fine in my book. But I consider 350 yds my limit with this rifle and don’t practice much beyond that with it.

 

[TN2shot07]

Aren't those really light rifles hard to shoot accurately at distance?

I'm almost exclusively a Recurve guy for decades so don't beat me up...I'm considering picking up a lefty bolt rifle in 6mm, 6.5 or so.

I see guys saying the stock matters a lot- centered on bore...and those light rifles need a brake otherwise they don't shoot.

True or False?

More false than true…

True - light rifles are harder to shoot for most people. Less weight = more recoil so you have to learn to deal with that. The lighter cartridges (22’s, 6mm, 6.5mm) are going to be easier to handle, just like they would in a heavier rifle.

False - No special stock required, 2 of mine are just in factory ones. You do want everything centered up but that’s not specific for a light rifle. Personally, I don’t like the huge comb and vertical grip stocks that are so popular on here. My hunting doesn’t lend itself to prone shooting and those stocks are not as quick in your hands for off hand shots.

False - I don’t shoot anything with a brake, I’ve had way more issues with that noise than recoil. Plus who wants to be that a$$hole at the range. I have 3 rifles in that weight range, 2 are consistently moa and the other is about 1.5 and none are braked or suppressed.

 

[alexnelon]

I noticed the q cherry bomb on the muzzle there... what can you running on that outfit?

Howa mini in 6 ARC has me interested for my spawn who'll soon be hunting, and I like q's mount system.

Check out the Rearden Mfg. muzzle devices. Same system as the Q stuff but some more practical options for brakes, flash hiders, etc.

I have their Mini on my hunting rifle.

 

[Nicaburns]

I entirely missed the cherry bomb question… running a trash panda and it does great

 

[packgoatguy]

Aren't those really light rifles hard to shoot accurately at distance?

I'm almost exclusively a Recurve guy for decades so don't beat me up...I'm considering picking up a lefty bolt rifle in 6mm, 6.5 or so.

I see guys saying the stock matters a lot- centered on bore...and those light rifles need a brake otherwise they don't shoot.

True or False?

Caliber choice matters (less is more when it comes to recoil). For example, I have two modified Kimber Hunters. One in 308 weighs 4.25lbs bare, and 5lbs 12oz including Suppressor, Scope, rings, scope covers, ammo holder, cheek riser, and my own diy vertical grip. The other in 6.5Creedmoor weighs 4.5lbs bare, and 6lbs 12oz including scope, suppressor, (7.5lbs with tripod). I can shoot sub 4 inch groups at 500 yards with the 6.5creed, but I have a hard time getting 3 shots out of 10 on a 10 inch gong at 400 yards with the 308win (unless its sandwiched between sand bags, then it will put 5 shots under MOA and 10 shots under 1.5MOA). The difference is the recoil impulse moves the rifle slightly, even before the bullet leaves the barrel.. and this is magnified in lightweight rifles. The more recoil, the less easy it is to manage this. My limit for "ideal" shootability is about 9-9.5lbs for a 308win, 7.5-8lbs for a 6.5creed, 6.5-7lbs for a 6mm Creed, and 5lbs for a 223rem. That weight range would include the weight of all the features a rifle needs... scope, suppressor, rings, ammo, tripod, etc.

I will also add, that when trying to get maximum accuracy out of a lightweight rifle, the ergonomics matter a LOT. Vertical grips, grips close to the trigger guard, cheek rest high enough to give a repeatable cheekweld/eye relief position, negative comb, correct LOP, etc. Also, adding weight back in with useful accuracy improvement tools like bipods or tripods, suppressors, more durable scopes, etc will make a huge difference. The primary reason I build UBERLIGHT rifles is so I can put the extra features on the rifle and it still weigh less than most factory rifles do bare... which means I get to have my cake and eat it too... lightweight, accurate, quiet... So, the next time someone tells me that "ultralight rifles dont shoot..." they are welcome to come shoot off of a couple of my setups. My 6mmCreed I just finished has a folding chassis stock, 18 inch barrel, NXS 2.5-10, ultra7, cheek riser, adjustable LOP, prone-kneeling height tripod, scope caps, etc... and it weighs less than 7.25lbs including the mag. And doing load workup today, it put 11 rounds well under an inch.