Ultra light hunting rifles

[Trackselk]

Kimber hunter or mtn ascent. This one is in 22 creed, and I'm slinging 70 grainers at 3600 with an 18" barrel. Very light recoil with suppressor. Start with the Hunter and you can build something like this for about $2500, and thats a blueprinted action and custom barrel, add a mpi stock and it'll look a lot better but add $600-1200. The elk don't care what it looks like...
This should start a caliber fight
*I don't shoot over 4-500 yards and it was originally a 308 win in case you want something bigger. Recoil was brutal (no suppressor back then)...

 

[Mattman215]

That is one neat stock. Do you run into any issues with such a short fore end with resting on the barrel vs the stock?

 

[Shootstraight]

I have a Weatherby backcountry 2.0, with the steel fluted barrel (not carbon). It is a 308 and with scope and s-k rings on it weighs right at 6.0 lbs. very well balanced, and is an excellent shooter. I expected groups to open up after repeated shooting due to the light barrel, but that has not been the case for me. The peak 44 carbon stock is very well done and the metal is cerakoted. I am a lefty, so this was a great option for me, and it shoots extremely well with bullets from 150-175 grain, can’t speak for other weights. I also have a tikka t3 that I bedded in a light stock, and I like it a lot. It is less expensive for sure. I think the Weatherby is a great all round package if you can handle the price. I got mine for a little less than you are looking at, and I think it was worth it.

 

[JJ1179]

Cooper m92

That’s exactly what I was going to recommend. I own two. Best shooting rifle I have ever owned. And, I have several kills over 750 yards and one at over 1,000.

 

[StupidLightweight]

JJ1179,

What’s the bullet’s time of flight at 1,000 yards? I hope you’re shooting at sleeping animals.

 

[robtattoo]

Ultralight Ultralight Rifles

I posted some info on the 77TMK thread about my experience on trying out the 77TMK on this black bear. There was some interest in the rifle used so I'm posting some info about the whys and hows on some of what I've put together over the last year or so. I've been carrying lightweight bolt...

rokslide.com

Spend $400ish & join the UL-UL club!


This little number is sitting at 4lb 2oz & mine is one of the heavier ones in the thread!

 

[Stocky]

Howa minis would fit the bill for a superlight rifle. Be careful though. lighter is not always better IMO. Shoot some positional stuff with a 5lb rifle and then shoot some with a 12lb rifle. I just added weights to my match gun to bump it over 20lbs after trying to run a match with a 9lb hunting rifle.

What's the reasoning that you need a 5lb rifle?

No point unless you specifically want the little chamberings a kimber actions lighter anyway. In saying that in a rifle the weight of a kimber I'd stay as small a chambering as possible. The howa minis mags suck but with a Jefferson conversion they are maybe the best shootable mostly factory offering. NSIs recommendation aboves pretty good or if they release a 22arc version

 

[The Guide]

No point unless you specifically want the little chamberings a kimber actions lighter anyway. In saying that in a rifle the weight of a kimber I'd stay as small a chambering as possible. The howa minis mags suck but with a Jefferson conversion they are maybe the best shootable mostly factory offering. NSIs recommendation aboves pretty good or if they release a 22arc version

I'm honestly curious as to what everyone's issue with the Howa mini action mags is. I have 4 of them, a 223, a 6 ARC, and two 6.5 Grendel rifles and have never noticed any feeding issues. Maybe I just got lucky with the 4 I got?

Jay

 

[Stocky]

I'm honestly curious as to what everyone's issue with the Howa mini action mags is. I have 4 of them, a 223, a 6 ARC, and two 6.5 Grendel rifles and have never noticed any feeding issues. Maybe I just got lucky with the 4 I got?

Jay

They are better once trimmed to semi flush but my problems were mostly feel and cosmetic for the mag itself except for the one that cracked.
My bigger problem is the stupid mag release prone to dropping mags constantly. Feeding it was pretty good better than my tikka 223 but losing a couple mags makes it worse overall.

 

[Trackselk]

That is one neat stock. Do you run into any issues with such a short fore end with resting on the barrel vs the stock?

Good eyes, I went a little overboard on the forend, so I picked up another one and just have to spend hours cutting and drilling. I think I'll also avoid the holes around the magazine, since I also drilled holes in the mag (heavy steel kimber mags) and precip on hot reloads in no good. In the end I might add back an ounce of plastic...
I didn't end up resting on the barrel with the elk I shot last year, but it was a bit inconvenient to get it rested properly on a pack and boulder.

 

[StupidLightweight]

In regards to ultralight rifles, I’d like to offer some wisdom from expensive experience. Very few people can beat the weights I’ve achieved.

For a bolt-gun, I hit 3 pounds, 10.6 ounces with a custom Kimber. Amazing gun, but it was too light for me to shoot accurately, so I hardly used it. With straight-pull ARs, I’ve gone far below that. Awesome exercises in minimalism, but like a tiny home, they seem better in dreams than reality.

Light rifles are a trade off. You can achieve effortless to carry, accurate at distance, and easy to shoot well by staying in the 7+ pound realm, or you can go stupid lightweight and deal with major limitations.

Trust me. I’ve sunk thousands learning this lesson firsthand…

 

[Trackselk]

In regards to ultralight rifles, I’d like to offer some wisdom from expensive experience. Very few people can beat the weights I’ve achieved.

For a bolt-gun, I hit 3 pounds, 10.6 ounces with a custom Kimber. Amazing gun, but it was too light for me to shoot accurately, so I hardly used it. With straight-pull ARs, I’ve gone far below that. Awesome exercises in minimalism, but like a tiny home, they seem better in dreams than reality.

Light rifles are a trade off. You can achieve effortless to carry, accurate at distance, and easy to shoot well by staying in the 7+ pound realm, or you can go stupid lightweight and deal with major limitations.

Trust me. I’ve sunk thousands learning this lesson firsthand…

Yeah, I learned the hard way that when I got my .308 to 5.5lbs scoped, all of the sudden it was terrible for shooting off hand. With a rest and enough skill/practice it was fine for 400 yards, but there's no getting around the fact that they're harder to shoot accurately. Unless you've got serious back and knee injuries like I do, then ultralight is probably as described above. I had to go as far as having pack goats to be reasonably pain free.
Also, if you're not a good shot, then it's a terrible idea, but with a rest, I don't find it to be a problem to 400, maybe 500 with a really good rest, but I've never shot over 400 at an animal.

 

[orangetractor]

Kimber hunter or mtn ascent. This one is in 22 creed, and I'm slinging 70 grainers at 3600 with an 18" barrel. Very light recoil with suppressor. Start with the Hunter and you can build something like this for about $2500, and thats a blueprinted action and custom barrel, add a mpi stock and it'll look a lot better but add $600-1200. The elk don't care what it looks like...
This should start a caliber fight
*I don't shoot over 4-500 yards and it was originally a 308 win in case you want something bigger. Recoil was brutal (no suppressor back then)...
View attachment 756413

This is interesting. Reminds me of a sleeper Honda Civic with the interior gutted and holes cut into non structural items. How does it shoot? Sharp recoil?

 

[Trackselk]

This is interesting. Reminds me of a sleeper Honda Civic with the interior gutted and holes cut into non structural items. How does it shoot? Sharp recoil?

There's a whole thread on here, there are some lighter ones with big bore cartridges (ouch). My hot 22 creed loads with a suppressor are about like a standard .308 win. Would be pretty significant without the suppressor, but nothing like when it was a 5lb (scoped) 308 win, that wasn't fun.

 

[orangetractor]

I’ve been wanting to get a lighter rifle, but haven’t made my mind up what route or manufacturer I wanted to go with. I’ll have to do some reading up it’s seems. I have a heavy 308 and 6mmBR bolt gun, strangely enough, I would like a light 30-06 bolt gun. I often carry my trusty M1 Garand around the house…but would like to get a 30-06 with some optics.

 

[TimberHunter]

I’ve been wanting to get a lighter rifle, but haven’t made my mind up what route or manufacturer I wanted to go with. I’ll have to do some reading up it’s seems. I have a heavy 308 and 6mmBR bolt gun, strangely enough, I would like a light 30-06 bolt gun. I often carry my trusty M1 Garand around the house…but would like to get a 30-06 with some optics.

I had a new Winchester model 70 feather weight chambered in 30-06. It felt like it had more recoil than my fiends weatherby 300 wsm. I would highly suggest against a light weight 30-06 unless you like recoil


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Trackselk]

I’ve been wanting to get a lighter rifle, but haven’t made my mind up what route or manufacturer I wanted to go with. I’ll have to do some reading up it’s seems. I have a heavy 308 and 6mmBR bolt gun, strangely enough, I would like a light 30-06 bolt gun. I often carry my trusty M1 Garand around the house…but would like to get a 30-06 with some optics.

Yeah, a lot of us have had great luck with kimbers, although the thin barrels heat up fast. Missed your accuracy question. Both of mine shoot under an inch 3 rounds with a few mins of cooling between shots. Not sure how bad they are if I didn't let them cool, but I'm at about 17 deer and elk with them and they all died within 100 yards, so plenty good out to 400 yards so far.

 

[NSI]

My sticking point with all of these ultra lite rifles is the top/bottom balance with the lightest scopes which we know to be reliable. A sub pound reliable FFP dialing optic still seems to evade us. I hate the way my 10x SWFA makes my howa mini feel in carry and employment. Top heavy and prone to cant. Red dot is less stupid than you’d think for these builds.

-J

 

[orangetractor]

I had a new Winchester model 70 feather weight chambered in 30-06. It felt like it had more recoil than my fiends weatherby 300 wsm. I would highly suggest against a light weight 30-06 unless you like recoil


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I don’t mind staying with a short action 30 caliber. I was just considering the 30-06 for bigger selection of bullet weights and a bit more FPS. I would estimate the rifle will be used for 400yds and in. Say shooting a 165gn bullet in both the 308 and the 30-06 in a 7# overall weight rifle, do you think the recoil would be that much less if shooting 308?

 

[NSI]

I don’t mind staying with a short action 30 caliber. I was just considering the 30-06 for bigger selection of bullet weights and a bit more FPS. I would estimate the rifle will be used for 400yds and in. Say shooting a 165gn bullet in both the 308 and the 30-06 in a 7# overall weight rifle, do you think the recoil would be that much less if shooting 308?

Yes. Light 06s are underappreciated for their brutality.

-J