Thought others might be interested in this build. I have had an interested in adding a lightweight deer and goat rifle to the quiver for some time. As I have two other rifles that cover most of my Elk/Deer hunting I wanted to take a budget friendly approach as this rifle would only be used on certain hunts. I was intrigued by the new calibers being added to Howa Mini Action, especially that the barreled actions could be bought for around $450 on Brownell's. After researching the various options I found the 6mm ARC to be a good fit for my criteria as a lightweight cartridge capable to 300-400yards with a simple optic. The 6.5 Grendel was also a viable option.
Now for the stock, I looked briefly at Bell and Carlson as they have proven reliable for me with other builds, however weight was right around two pounds which in the era of carbon fiber is a bit on the heavy side for a ultralight rifle. Stocky's had two very appealing options the VG (Vertical Grip) Mini (21 oz) and the Carbon Hunter Mini (17 oz.) I have a strong preference for a vertical or pistol style grip and decided the 4 oz was worth the ergonomics. The stock came as advertised right at 21 oz.
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It is a very lightweight stock, the fit was excellent and the finish was just OK, not quite what I expected for $550. It does not have as much internal structure as other stocks and I noticed that there was significant flex in the stock when tightening the action screws.... no bueno. The barrel channel was also a little off and contacting the barrel. I otherwise loved the fit of the stock and the limbsaver pad so elected to epoxy bed the action. Some sanding remedied the barrel fit. Bedding resolved the stock flex and improved accuracy. I was also considering a Stocky's for my Savage 280 AI but after the fitting issues with this stock I am going to go with a Mesa Precision for that build.
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Next up rings... it was down to a DNZ game reaper or Talley Lightweights. As the DNZ is only 1oz heavier and is a one piece mount I went that route. I have used DNZ before and found they provide a solid platform for a lightweight set up. I am sure the Talley's would have worked as well. Trigger was good to go IMO, the two stage took a bit of getting used to but it breaks nice and clean with no creep at 2.5 lbs. Aftermarket options are available if someone was so inclined.
I agonized over scope options for some time. I looked at the SWFA 2.5-10x32 (9oz and on backorder), Leupold VX-3HD 2.5-10x40 ~13oz, Maven RS.2 ~ 12oz, and Trijicon 3-9x40 ~ 13oz. I liked the reticle on the SWFA so placed a back order but knowing it could be many months and being inpatient I also ordered the Trijicon. The battery free illumination on the Trijicon is awesome and the scope is robust with excellent glass. When the SWFA arrives I can do a side by side and decide which one wins. I have had one prior Leupold with CDS which had issues with RTZ. I liked the Maven but felt the Trijicon had better glass, field of view and low light performance.
The finished rifle weighs in at 6lbs 4oz. I have upgraded aluminum bottom metal on order to replaced the factory plastic.
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All assembled it was time to get some rounds down range. Recoil is pretty mild in the 6mm ARC even in a lightweight platform. I was getting 2700 FPS with the Hornady Precision Hunter 103gr rounds. When I can get my hands on some small rifle primers I will be handloading this with some 88gn Hammer Hunters and hope to be able to get around 2900 FPS. For now the Hornady Precision Hunter shoots right around 1-1.25 MOA. I have definitely noticed that it is more challenging to steady the crosshairs on a lightweight rifle. Further practice on my part should also yield accuracy improvements. That being said 1 MOA is more than adequate in this hunting set-up that is limited to 400 yards. Will sight in for 200 yards, 6" holdover at 300 yards, 12" at 350 yards. The bottom post of the Trijicon Duplex is 4.3 MOA which is perfect for a 400 yard hold. If I end up keeping the Trijicon long term I will get a Kenton Turret to give me the option to dial if needed.
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