Recommendations to lighten my Elk Rifle

[wapitibob]

You can only get so light and still use your preferred accessories.
I shoot off a bipod and use a can as well. I wouldn't go back to shooting off my pack for love or money. And with permanent hearing damage, I'll likely never go back to using a brake. I'll gladly pay the weight penalty for those two items.
I got lighter by spending a bunch of money:
new stock
new barrel
new bipod
new scope
And as mentioned, it would have been way cheaper to just buy a new Tikka, but then I'd have a Tikka.

 

[fuzzymarindave]

1- pound saving. Carbon fiber stock ( I use Peak 44).

0.5 pound saving. Employ a quick release fitting on bipod (I use Hatch bipod) and carry bipod in pack.

Total weight reduction is 1.5 pounds.

 

[DLIP]

Sell rifle, buy tikka.

 

[35WhelenAI]

No point in dropping the bipod if only to replace it with shooting sticks…weight is weight. You are just shifting it around. Unless of course, shooting sticks weigh significantly less.

The op openly says his bipod weighs almost 14 oz, what shooting sticks would remotely weigh that much based on your experience?

My shooting sticks weigh 4 or 5 oz. Pretty hard to justify a bipod that almost weighs 14 oz. That would be a no-brainer for dropping almost well over a half pound without even having to ask.

 

[BreechFace]

How is removing a bipod and storing in a pack effectively reducing weight?

On the rifle, yes. On the person, no.

I guess I look at cutting weight holistically. Getting my rifle down in weight makes it easier to handle off the sling or pack mount which is advantageous, but the goal is to get the overall weight off my feet, hips, knees and shoulders.

So while I cut weight on my rifle, I certainly am cutting weight everywhere else. I limit myself to a minimalist pack so as to really judge and scrutinize what I bring and a bipod is not one of the items on most hunts for me as my pack, a tree or rock with a jacket will suffice.

 

[Marble]

I like the idea of ditching the suppressor and bi-pod. I typically carry my bi-pod in my pack (if I take it, just depends on where/what I am hunting) and put it on when I need it.

I know "weight is weight". But carrying in my hand or shouldering my rifle is more comfortable the lighter the gun is.

I've always had great succes shooting off of my pack.

My other elk rifle was 11.2 lbs also. I don't recall if that included the Harris bi-pod or not. But I have a Tricer bi-pod now. Just not too sure how much I like it yet.

I have weighed my current rifle. Maybe I will today just to know.

Sent from my SM-S938U using Tapatalk

 

[30338]

No one ever says how can I add weight to my custom rifle. A lesson learned early was that most 2 contours shoot really well and don’t need fluting. Good luck to the OP.

 

[Fogalo]

Curious if the guys saying ditch the suppressor and just use earplugs have seen the
difference in how animals react to shots with/without being suppressed?

I shoot an 8 lb kimber in 300 wm, without a brake and I tend to forget to put my earplugs in.

I usually can see animal reaction in the scope and follow up quickly. I’m sure it’s not as perfect as a target rig but I haven’t had problems.

I’ve also shot hundreds of 300 wm rounds. It takes practice.

 

[mt terry d]

How is removing a bipod and storing in a pack effectively reducing weight?

On the rifle, yes. On the person, no.

Pull the loaded mag out and put it in your pocket
And a quick detachable scope mount and put the scope in your other pocket
Easy couple pounds savings

 

[BAKPAKR]

My shooting sticks weigh 4 or 5 oz. Pretty hard to justify a bipod that almost weighs 14 oz. That would be a no-brainer for dropping almost well over a half pound without even having to ask.

What shooting sticks are you using, and how do they work from the prone position?

 

[Ucsdryder]

I’ll go a different route. Your weight isn’t bad. If you have a good setup for carrying it, the extra 2 pounds are probably not even noticed. I strap mine to my pack during nonshooting hours and I use a kifaru gun bearer during shooting hours. I have a sub 9 pound suppressed rifle and an 11.5 pound suppressed rifle with a tricer bipod. Neither is an issue unless I’m had holding. Then the big rifle gets heavy fast.

Oh and you can’t beat a bipod. Sure, use your pack if that’s all you have but it’s not a bipod, period. Especially a bipod that lets you sit. Then put that pack under your armpit and you just doubled your versatility.

 

[35WhelenAI]

What shooting sticks are you using, and how do they work from the prone position?

Older pair of Underwood shooting sticks. Not for prone flat on the ground, if I need that I use my pack. For everything else they have been on my side for 25 years.

 

[3325]

Ive never used a bipod and never wished I had one.

For elk hunting, that right there.

For over 20 years now, I’ve had a 700 LTR with a Harris bipod in the back of my department vehicle. I shoot it regularly, so I have a fair amount of experience shooting off a bipod. But I’ve never had a bipod on my hunting rifle and never missed it. I have no desire to try to creep though heavy timber during early elk season with a tricked out rifle.

 

[Leaf Litter]

Free options:

Get rid of:
Suppressor -7.3 oz
Bipod -13.6 Oz

Replace:
Boat-anchor scope with a Trijicon Credo 2.5-15 x 42. -4 ounces

Total weight savings, 1lb 8.9oz or 24.9oz.

Expensive additional options:
You could also chop and flute your barrel and replace the stock to save another 1.5lb, but that would cost nearly $1000.

I bought a connector for my trekking poles that makes them into shooting sticks.

Curious if the guys saying ditch the suppressor and just use earplugs have seen the
difference in how animals react to shots with/without being suppressed?

I have, I just think you're creating imaginary situations to justify spending a ridiculous amount of money on a metal cylinder.

 

[Ross]

Would be interesting to see % of guys recommending by pod by number of elk killed in the mountains? Like a spotter, vastly overrated for time cost to benefit ratio……….hmmmm

 

[35WhelenAI]

Curious if the guys saying ditch the suppressor and just use earplugs have seen the
difference in how animals react to shots with/without being suppressed?

Each animal I've ever harvested from pronghorn to deer to elk haven't seemed to notice, they all expire quickly. When the animal stumbles forward in reaction to having a bullet put in/through them or goes down directly that's when the other animals react in my non-suppressed experience.

Obviously animals are very aware of what is natural and not and as soon as one starts to act unnaturally that's when the rest of them react. The one being shot responds to the physical damage in my opinion not the noise.

 

[BreechFace]

Each animal I've ever harvested from pronghorn to deer to elk haven't seemed to notice, they all expire quickly. When the animal stumbles forward in reaction to having a bullet put in/through them or goes down directly that's when the other animals react in my non-suppressed experience.

Obviously animals are very aware of what is natural and not and as soon as one starts to act unnaturally that's when the rest of them react. The one being shot responds to the physical damage in my opinion not the noise.

I had an experience where I was hunting with my buddy, both suppressed 308 WIN and came up on two white tail does.

At the beginning of each year we go back and forth as who has the first option for this years hunt. This particular year it was my buddies turn to go first. We both had good shots on the does from a standing position. My buddy nodded that he was going to take the shot and did so, and missed cleanly.

Those does looked around confused and as my buddy shot again and another miss. So he motioned for me to take a shot, and so I did and harvested the doe.

Come to find out my buddies exposed turret had twisted quite a bit chaffing against his pack when slung and he shot low both times. Those does stood there confused for two high powered rifle shots that were suppressed, that was convincing enough to me the effectiveness downrange of suppressors. My buddy soon replaced that scope with a locking elevation turret and capped windage scope.

Now how often will one experience that, hardly ever, but it was an interesting experience nonetheless.

 

[mt terry d]

Each animal I've ever harvested from pronghorn to deer to elk haven't seemed to notice, they all expire quickly. When the animal stumbles forward in reaction to having a bullet put in/through them or goes down directly that's when the other animals react in my non-suppressed experience.

Obviously animals are very aware of what is natural and not and as soon as one starts to act unnaturally that's when the rest of them react. The one being shot responds to the physical damage in my opinion not the noise.

I'm referring to the other animals around it or the animal itself if you miss.

I've only hunted suppressed a couple years but what I've seen already is really pretty amazing.
Notice it too when practicing. There's something about it that doesn't alarm them like unsuppressed.
I have no explanation but it's real.

 

[35WhelenAI]

I'm referring to the other animals around it or the animal itself if you miss.

I've only hunted suppressed a couple years but what I've seen already is really pretty amazing.
Notice it too when practicing. There's something about it that doesn't alarm them like unsuppressed.
I have no explanation but it's real.

I said specifically when the one that is shot starts to act unnaturally that's when the others react.

"When the animal stumbles forward in reaction to having a bullet put in/through them or goes down directly that's when the other animals react in my non-suppressed experience".

 

[mt terry d]

I've noticed that suppressed but not so much otherwise.