Ultralight Ultralight Rifles

ChrisAU

WKR
Joined
Jan 12, 2018
Messages
6,785
Location
SE Alabama
Dammit Rokslide. Read the whole thread, thought about one of my SBR’s that gets no use….and now I have a 350 Legend upper on order from Solo 300. And an IMI folding stock, KAW Carbon handguard. Everything I need for right at $600 without having bought ammo. I even already had a 7.7 oz Sig Romeo 7s that needed a home too.
 

ztc92

WKR
Joined
May 8, 2022
Messages
365
4lbs 15.4oz as shown, including suppressor, tripod, scope, and folding stock. Sub moa with 77gr tmk, 2751fps.
That is seriously impressive, thank you for sharing! Your description of a cheaper, lighter, better lower is much appreciated, I had no idea you could get a carbon lower so affordably.

Is that the faxon pencil barrel at 16"? Also is that the SWFA ultralight 2.5-10?
 

Taudisio

WKR
Joined
Jan 20, 2023
Messages
1,092
Location
Oregon
An after shooting recap-
It is stupid fun to shoot! She’s a snappy little devil, I’d compare it to my seven-ish pound 6.5prc with a muzzlebrake.
Some other notes-the polymer trigger has a bit more take up than I would like, but manageable. The first two rounds out of the magazine (brand new) hang up and take a double slap. The bolt pull is “gritty” like there is sand between the metal. I am going to disassemble, clean and lube it again. I’m assuming it is from some anodizing has been rubbed off. I only had time to do a quick trip up the mountain so I only shot offhand and off the truck bed. After sighting in at 25 then 50 yards with the box the lowers came it, I was smacking some “lung sized” rocks across the hill without any difficulty. I’d guess it was 130-150yards. I put about 45 rounds through so far. She’s going to be a great short range blacktail gun!! Photos are with a loaded 10rd mag. Also last I checked, TN Arms was out of stock of finished (not 80%) carbon 15’s
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3006.jpeg
    IMG_3006.jpeg
    480.5 KB · Views: 57
  • IMG_3007.jpeg
    IMG_3007.jpeg
    451.2 KB · Views: 57
Joined
Dec 16, 2020
Messages
805
Location
Idaho
That is seriously impressive, thank you for sharing! Your description of a cheaper, lighter, better lower is much appreciated, I had no idea you could get a carbon lower so affordably.

Is that the faxon pencil barrel at 16"? Also is that the SWFA ultralight 2.5-10?
Yes and yes
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2020
Messages
805
Location
Idaho
TN Arms takes a while to fill orders... like 3 weeks...even when they show in stock. And I would only buy a stripped lower from them, the complete comes with heavy mil spec parts. The NFA lowers are only a smidgen heavier and same price I believe. I do like the brass insert in the TN Arms carbon though.
 

Taudisio

WKR
Joined
Jan 20, 2023
Messages
1,092
Location
Oregon
TN Arms takes a while to fill orders... like 3 weeks...even when they show in stock. And I would only buy a stripped lower from them, the complete comes with heavy mil spec parts. The NFA lowers are only a smidgen heavier and same price I believe. I do like the brass insert in the TN Arms carbon though.
That is what I meant, when I last checked, they only had 80% carbon lowers in stock. And they took about 2 weeks from order date to delivery at my ffl
 

SLG

FNG
Joined
Jan 29, 2024
Messages
32
How do you install the IMI Kidon stock? Does it just screw in to the lower or do you need a castle nut or something else?
 

ChrisAU

WKR
Joined
Jan 12, 2018
Messages
6,785
Location
SE Alabama
How do you install the IMI Kidon stock? Does it just screw in to the lower or do you need a castle nut or something else?

I’d like to know as well, I tried to figure it out but all the instructions are for the Kidon pistol thing. But it appears to screw into like a buffer tube. I’ll have to figure out some sort of castle/jam nut or something I think. No problem tapping the detent hole for a plug, I do that on most all ARs I build anyway.
 
Joined
Feb 10, 2024
Messages
10
FNG here so bear with me. It’s been a long time since I have used forums of any sort.

Anyhow, while I’m not building ultra ultra light, I’m having a hard time finding a quality optic that won’t defeat the purpose of building an ultralight in the first place. Rifle is a 6.5lb 308 bolt gun, my goal isn’t to have the lightest package I can build but have a lighter package with scope and suppressor than most scoped bolt guns. I’m keeping the package simple, functional and reliable for whitetail inside of 300yards. A simple duplex reticle will work so it only needs to be sfp, 2.5,3x12,15 zoom range and an objective smaller than 50mm, preferably 44-42mm so I can keep the scope closer to the bore as the top rail is already a lot higher than I would like. I have looked everywhere I can think of and im getting anywhere from 24-27oz. As with anything, it’s a trade off for weight savings for features, the only one I won’t part with is I want to stay away from a fixed power scope. Anyone know of any scopes like what I described that are sub 20oz or close? 😬
 

Taudisio

WKR
Joined
Jan 20, 2023
Messages
1,092
Location
Oregon
FNG here so bear with me. It’s been a long time since I have used forums of any sort.

Anyhow, while I’m not building ultra ultra light, I’m having a hard time finding a quality optic that won’t defeat the purpose of building an ultralight in the first place. Rifle is a 6.5lb 308 bolt gun, my goal isn’t to have the lightest package I can build but have a lighter package with scope and suppressor than most scoped bolt guns. I’m keeping the package simple, functional and reliable for whitetail inside of 300yards. A simple duplex reticle will work so it only needs to be sfp, 2.5,3x12,15 zoom range and an objective smaller than 50mm, preferably 44-42mm so I can keep the scope closer to the bore as the top rail is already a lot higher than I would like. I have looked everywhere I can think of and im getting anywhere from 24-27oz. As with anything, it’s a trade off for weight savings for features, the only one I won’t part with is I want to stay away from a fixed power scope. Anyone know of any scopes like what I described that are sub 20oz or close? 😬
Leupold has what you are looking for.
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2020
Messages
805
Location
Idaho
FNG here so bear with me. It’s been a long time since I have used forums of any sort.

Anyhow, while I’m not building ultra ultra light, I’m having a hard time finding a quality optic that won’t defeat the purpose of building an ultralight in the first place. Rifle is a 6.5lb 308 bolt gun, my goal isn’t to have the lightest package I can build but have a lighter package with scope and suppressor than most scoped bolt guns. I’m keeping the package simple, functional and reliable for whitetail inside of 300yards. A simple duplex reticle will work so it only needs to be sfp, 2.5,3x12,15 zoom range and an objective smaller than 50mm, preferably 44-42mm so I can keep the scope closer to the bore as the top rail is already a lot higher than I would like. I have looked everywhere I can think of and im getting anywhere from 24-27oz. As with anything, it’s a trade off for weight savings for features, the only one I won’t part with is I want to stay away from a fixed power scope. Anyone know of any scopes like what I described that are sub 20oz or close? 😬
There are several threads elsewhere on RS that review various scopes to see how robust they are and whether they are more or less likely to hold zero after recoil, bumps and dings, or sitting on the back seat of your truck while driving on a rough gravel road...

There are several scopes that tend to come out on top, as far as being durable, functional, but still lightweight:

20.5oz Nightforce NXS 2.5-10x42
20.2oz SWFA HD 3-9x42
17.0oz Trijicon Credo 3-9x40
13.4oz Trijicon Accupoint 3-9x40
9.5oz SWFA 2.5-10x32

If you can find one used;
19.0oz Nightforce NXS 2.5-10x32
 

SLG

FNG
Joined
Jan 29, 2024
Messages
32
The tan one in the pic is the IMI Kidon. Only issues with it are, it's an inch and a half too short for my preferred LOP, and the poly material has a bit of flex to it. Fine for an sbr setup, but not ideal if I'm trying to take long precise shots. Definitely a good alternative to the smoke composites... considering if you want a folder with a smoke setup, you are at about 9oz... and a couple hundred dollars more.

What is the LOP with this stock on your gun?
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2020
Messages
805
Location
Idaho
Have any pics of that setup?
I dont. I sent the stock back when i decided to make my own. But it appeared to have been designed to be simply threaded on. If you compare pics of the threads with a normal buffer tube, you can see there are a lot more threads on a regular tube, which leaves room for a castlenut. On the kidon, there aren't enough threads for a castle nut, so you just thread it in all the way to the shoulder. Mine lined up perfectly, but I assume you could use a spacer or a washer of sorts if it doesn’t.
 
Top