Reducing Rifle Weight

[nickballawild]

I have a Remington 700, 30-06 that I bought used a few years ago (wood stock,standard barrel, no modifications as far as I know). This is the only rifle I have so I use it for everything in Montana (bear, deer, elk, antelope).
I usually am hiking at least a few miles into the mountains and feel like it's pretty heavy (especially after I picked up a buddy's rifle and could tell a noticeable difference) so I am looking for ways to reduce the weight if ya'll have any suggestions.
Thanks!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Lighter scope, rings/mounts, stock.

Shorten the barrel, start gettIng metal machined away.

 

[micus]

easiest ways of taking off weight:

aluminum rings
Optic choice ( you can get an 8oz scope all the way up to a 40oz scope and everywhere in between)
stock replacement to a mountain hunter style stock (mpi microlights go all the way down to 14-18 oz)
skeletonizing the bolt/handle
fluting the barrel
cutting the barrel down to a 20"

the cheapest options are probably getting yourself a nice light glass stock and making sure you don't have more optic than you need w aluminum rings. Machining is where $hit starts adding up in my limited experience.

GL

 

[N2TRKYS]

stock, rings, and scope. I wouldn't do anything else to it, if it were mine.

 

[VernAK]

Add up the cost of the modifications and compare total to a new Tikka or even a Fieldcraft.

 

[realunlucky]

Add up the cost of the modifications and compare total to a new Tikka or even a Fieldcraft.

This^^^^^^^ I have a rem 700 30/06 that I love it's my only rifle my dad got me for achiving my eagle scout so pretty special to me. I had your same feelings after a trip up some Alaskan mountains and then carrying my buddies Tikka. I restocked,fluted everything and used light wieght rings and scope but it's much cheaper to just buy a Tikka.
New stock will net your biggest weight cut but will also be biggest expense. I look at wildcat composite for cost if your handy and can do some finishing for yourself. Other stock choices with any real savings cost almost what a new rifle costs by themselves. I got the lightest b&c stock they make and it came in actual weight a bunch over what they advertised and I had to do a bunch to fit it. Poor choice for sure.

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[realunlucky]

This is a ADL wood stock for reference. If you have bottom metal a switch to aluminum will also net a small gain. For any noticeable cut in rifle wieght you will feel double loss in wallet wieght.

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[Macintosh]

A 1” thick rubber recoil pad weighs almost half a pound. If you have a pad, take it off, and lose about 2-3 oz by drilling a couple holes into the stock as deep as you can while maintaining 1/4” wall thickness in the stock. Coat with finish to seal the wood. Get a cervalletti microcell recoil pad and save 3-5 ounces compared with the rubber one. That’s half a pound for about $35.

 

[rickiesrevenge]

Talley lightweight rings/base combo. I machine my own stuff so I'd flute the bolt, cut the barrel to 18-20", and mill on the action.

Aaron

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[rlmmarine]

Save some of your money
Leave the heirloom at home
Buy a second rifle either a tikka or a kimber

 

[Stud Duck]

Save some of your money
Leave the heirloom at home
Buy a second rifle either a tikka or a kimber

This.

 

[muddydogs]

This^^^^^^^ I have a rem 700 30/06 that I love it's my only rifle my dad got me for achiving my eagle scout so pretty special to me. I had your same feelings after a trip up some Alaskan mountains and then carrying my buddies Tikka. I restocked,fluted everything and used light wieght rings and scope but it's much cheaper to just buy a Tikka.
New stock will net your biggest weight cut but will also be biggest expense. I look at wildcat composite for cost if your handy and can do some finishing for yourself. Other stock choices with any real savings cost almost what a new rifle costs by themselves. I got the lightest b&c stock they make and it came in actual weight a bunch over what they advertised and I had to do a bunch to fit it. Poor choice for sure.

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So you did everything you typed and you still have a 10 pound rifle without the scope? How much did it weight before all the work? If this is the case then you did take it in the shorts on this project.

 

[Brightwhite]

So you did everything you typed and you still have a 10 pound rifle without the scope? How much did it weight before all the work? If this is the case then you did take it in the shorts on this project.

The scale is in ounces...so 102oz = 6.375lb

 

[muddydogs]

O guess I should have figured that out from the second pic. Couldn't tell on the first pic.

 

[damcgrew3712]

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[damcgrew3712]

Then this.

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[punking]

You can check Choate stocks for your rifle

 

[damcgrew3712]

In my opinion the stock is the most significant way to lose the weight. Remember that you definitely get what you pay for both in quality and weight reduction and that anything extremely light is most likely built to order. This can take some time. MPI got mine to me in 12 weeks which I though was a good turn around.

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[damcgrew3712]

As far as the heirloom thing goes, what matters to most to you? Is it a rifle, originally purchased to be a tool for field use? Would the one that passed it down rather it sit in a safe, or or be packed on every rifle hunt you go on? Mine too was inherited, but I had a hard time letting it sit there. It was heavy and shot poorly. Yes, I could have purchased a very nice new rifle for what I have into it, but that new rifle would never have come with the sentimental value.

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