Lightweight Rifle on a budget.

[BigC]

I’m looking for recommendations on a lightweight 6.5 Creedmoor for taking out West. I’ve never hunted out West but my 26” barrel SS synthetic Ruger Hawkeye is big and heavy so I’m looking for something a little more manageable in the mountains. I’ll na a newbie to mountain hunting.

 

[bpeay4]

plenty of threads on this. use the search function. most will point to you toward a tikka

 

[SloppyJ]

Tikka t3x. Easy. If you don't like the stock, swap it out. Good to go.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Can't beat a Tikka for a factory rifle especially given the price point.

 

[BigC]

I did a quick search a Tikka is mentioned a lot. I’ve toyed around with maybe having the barrel cut down on my ruger and maybe buying a lighter stock but with all that I’m probably better off buying a different rifle.

 

[JVS]

I just picked up a browning xbolt for 450 after 100 mail in rebate. It's nice tight light rifle. Do not know if it's a shooter yet though

 

[Matt5266]

Again, tikka. You can buy a superlite or you can just buy the lite and chop and thread if you want. I have owned many rifles and after I bought my first tikka it's hard to argue the cost vs value on it. Like others said there is so much customization you can do to make it your own..... I literally 10 minutes ago dropped my 223 in a stockys stock. I previously had it cut to 18 inches and threaded. Its probably my favorite rifle to shoot even prior to the stock upgrade.

 

[WeiserBucks]

after I bought my first tikka it's hard to argue the cost vs value on it.

This right here, the other options at a similar price don't compare. I'm far from a Tikka fan boi but you can't argue the value per dollar spent.

 

[_S_R_]

Browning X bolts on crazy sale some calibers as low as 450$

 

[KenLee]

Browning X bolts on crazy sale some calibers as low as 450$

Where did you see one that cheap?

 

[06 SB]

What do you consider light? My lightweight rigs start under 5.5 pounds before adding a scope and mounts. No use having a “light” rifle and loading it down with a heavy scope either. Lightweight scopes generally mean 1” tubes that are not normally are good at dialing, FFP, or have fancy reticles. If all these things are important to you, then the lightest scopes are in the 23oz range. You can do a carbon fiber stock but one of those takes you out of the “budget build” category.

If you buy a 6 1/2 pound Tikka Superlite, add a 23oz scope and a few more ounces for the mounts you end up with an 8 pound rifle. It is not a lightweight IMO. Any chance you have a short action donor to have one made?

 

[BigC]

I have a stainless Ruger Hawkeye in 6.5 creedmoor. It has a 26” barrel. Would buying lightweight stock and having the barrel cut down so much or be cost effective? I guess I have lots of research to do.

 

[SchwarzStock]

I have built a number of hunting rifles for guys beginning with a Remington 700 heavy barrel in 308. Cut the barrels back to 19-20 inches and dropped them into lighter sporter style stocks. Not the lightest solution but they all have shot very well and I personally hunt with one. I am a bit of a Luddite and my stuff tends to the "old school, heavy duty" so the Badger base and Leupold Ultra rings are not the lightest option nor is the Badger magazine conversion. This gun shoots 0.5-0.75 MOA at 200m (meters) with 165gr Sierra GK Hollow Points.

 

[Long Cut]

CVA Scout in 6.5CM

Gun weights 7.5# as you see here, that’s with 7 rounds and a knife inside the stock pouch. I purchased this gun for around $315 I believe.

DNZ mount and SWFA 3-9 scope, it’s been a consistent 1” 5-shot group gun at 100 yards with my 140 BT hand loads. Trigger is great, crisp with minimal creep I’d guess 3-4# pull.

I’d have no concerns bringing this gun out West and I’ve done backpack/day trips walking 3+ miles a day without any issues. 3 miles in South GA swamp country has got to be comparable to 5+ out in the badlands I’d imagine.

 

[Macintosh]

You should define what you mean by "light" and also probably set a target budget.

To me anything more than 9lb is pretty heavy, 8.5lb is normal, 8 is borderline light and under 8lb is a lightweight. Less than 7lb scoped is a wicked light rifle. 8.5lb scoped is dead easy, almost any sporter-weight rifle with a 3-9ish scope is going to be around 8.5lb. A lighter rifle such as a kimber, with lighter rings and a 3-9 scope will be "pretty light", as will more or less any sporter-weight rifle in a carbon stock. If you want "wicked light" I'd argue that's probably not what most people actually want even though they think they do...but you could go the howa mini route or something like that...but it starts getting $$$$ above there imo.

A 6.5cm tikka stainless superlight with warne mtn tech rings and a trijicon credo or huron 3-9 will weigh about 7 1/4 lb for around $1300-1500 new. Put it in a stocky's carbon sporter stock and you'll be down around 7lb even, for somewhere in the neighborhood of $2k all-in. To me both of those options are pretty darn light, lighter than I'd generally want. There are lighter scopes out there, but all of the lighter ones than those that I've tried had problems and are off the table for me. Not sure if this is "budget" or "lightweight" to you, but imo it's a good option at least.

 

[Long Cut]

You should define what you mean by "light" and also probably set a target budget.

To me anything more than 9lb is pretty heavy, 8.5lb is normal, 8 is borderline light and under 8lb is a lightweight. Less than 7lb scoped is a wicked light rifle. 8.5lb scoped is dead easy, almost any sporter-weight rifle with a 3-9ish scope is going to be around 8.5lb. A lighter rifle such as a kimber, with lighter rings and a 3-9 scope will be "pretty light", as will more or less any sporter-weight rifle in a carbon stock. If you want "wicked light" I'd argue that's probably not what most people actually want even though they think they do...but you could go the howa mini route or something like that...but it starts getting $$$$ above there imo.

A 6.5cm tikka stainless superlight with warne mtn tech rings and a trijicon credo or huron 3-9 will weigh about 7 1/4 lb for around $1500 new. Put it in a stocky's carbon sporter stock and you'll be down around 7lb even, for somewhere in the neighborhood of $2k all-in. To me both of those options are pretty darn light, lighter than I'd generally want. There are lighter scopes out there, but all of the lighter ones than those that I've tried had problems and are off the table for me. Not sure if this is "budget" or "lightweight" to you, but imo it's a good option at least.

Solid point.

Folks on this forum make 7# guns seem “heavy” when in reality that’s around a perfect hunting weight in my opinion for a variety of calibers.
7-8# is a great target weight for hunting rifles (finished weight)

Anything above 9# starts getting a little too heavy to be mobile, anything below 6# will begin to show fundamental flaws in the field.

 

[180ls1]

Howa Superlite and SWFA 2.5-10 BDC - 5.4lbs - $1,200.

The Savage 110 Lightweight storm saves you $150ish and you could get a cheaper scope but you are also adding a pound or more.

 

[Oddfellow]

Howa Superlite and SWFA 2.5-10 BDC - 5.4lbs - $1,200.

The Savage 110 Lightweight storm saves you $150ish and you could get a cheaper scope but you are also adding a pound or more.

Do you have a Howa Superlite? If you do, how do you like it? I have been eyeballing them pretty hard. I have a Tikka T3X CTR, and I like the Tikka Superlite, but I do not think they are threaded.

 

[180ls1]

Do you have a Howa Superlite? If you do, how do you like it? I have been eyeballing them pretty hard. I have a Tikka T3X CTR, and I like the Tikka Superlite, but I do not think they are threaded.

I do. They are OK as long as your expectations are in check. Incredibly lightweight rifle for $850. The refinement (action mostly, some fit/finish) is no where near Tikka or Browning but its "good enough."

 

[Oddfellow]

I do. They are OK as long as your expectations are in check. Incredibly lightweight rifle for $850. The refinement (action mostly, some fit/finish) is no where near Tikka or Browning but its "good enough."

Sounds good. I sort of wish that I had bought another Tikka a year or two ago. It seems the price on them has really jumped lately, or maybe I hadn’t really been paying attention to the pricing here lately.