Ultralight Ultralight Rifles

[4090Sharps]

I think there should be an online ultralight-ultralight shooting competition over the summer. Have to figure out some sort of handicap system for lowest shooting weight rifles. It would be like the Special Olympics of rifle shooting...

I'd play if my build can make weight. Swapped to a Fostech lower and KE Arms trigger recently, so I'm at a portly 5lb 13oz with scope and suppressor.

 

[Thegman]

I'd play if my build can make weight. Swapped to a Fostech lower and KE Arms trigger recently, so I'm at a portly 5lb 13oz with scope and suppressor.

Maybe we'll need a "big-boy" rifle category for our Special Olympics...

Or how about we multiply group size by rifle weight? I don't know, we'll figure it out, but it will be fun to do with these rifles.

I think Taudisio will be the guy to beat, he's got a pretty good head start; I think he's already down the path to wearing out his 6x45 barrel.

 

[PsRpOiGrRiAtM]

Not sure how well it would extract, but might...???

That said, as shown above, the 223 will likely work just fine for you anyway.

I figured the case geometry would work since it's not as "portly" and would lend itself to easier feeding/extracting. Plus it just seems so dang tempting w/ factory 88gr ELD-M loads.

All that being said, bravo on your bear--demonstrates that the .223 is plenty effective.

 

[Thegman]

I figured the case geometry would work since it's not as "portly" and would lend itself to easier feeding/extracting. Plus it just seems so dang tempting w/ factory 88gr ELD-M loads.

All that being said, bravo on your bear--demonstrates that the .223 is plenty effective.

If you try it, and it extracts well, I'd be tempted to try the same. 88 ELDMs would be even betterer...

 

[JBradley500]

Our little wonder rifles doing what they do! I guess my "big" rifles are in even more danger of gathering more dust.

I'll bet Taudisio's little 6x45 87 V-Max would do even better under the same circumstances...

View attachment 718623

Full details in the 223 for Pretty Much Everything thread.

That's amazing. We only have black bears, and even seeing them in the woods is an experience in itself. Taking down a regal beast like that with the UUL 223 must have been quite the dream.

 

[Thegman]

That's amazing. We only have black bears, and even seeing them in the woods is an experience in itself. Taking down a regal beast like that with the UUL 223 must have been quite the dream.

Thanks Yes, I'm pretty lucky in that respect. We can take one per year here; the place is crawling with them. There were two or three on the bait the night before. I'm hoping they increase the limit to two/year. They kill a big percentage of the moose calves every year and there's a lot of them. Our black bear limit is 5/year and they take a lot of calves as well, but you'd have to really focus on them to get that many.

The original UL-UL HAM’R worked really well on last year's grizzly, but I'd been hoping to give the Red Ryder and 77TMK a crack at it this year. A bigger bear, tougher angle and still worked great.

 

[JBradley500]

Check you KVP PCC handguards!

I was working on some things earlier today and hand installed a 5.56 barrel in a CMT upper (a well made upper). I just used a KVP handguard I had in the drawer to hold the barrel and hand tightened it.

Once tightened, I noticed the barrel was still loose and had a lot of lateral movement...WTF??

Turns out the last two KVP handguards I've used are too deep from the base of the barrel nut to the interior ledge that interfaces with the barrel extension (0.58"+) and the barrel nut base is bearing on the upper receiver face when tightened.

All the other barrel nuts I had were somewhere between 0.52" and 0.56" for the same measurement and held the barrel properly without touching the receiver face.

Depending on your upper, it may hold the barrel seemingly well, but if it contacts the receiver face there's no way to know your actual torque on the barrel extension. The first KVP handguard I bought in '22 has plenty of clearance, nowhere near the upper. Both of the "bad" ones were from '23.

If you're using one, hold your rifle up to a light and check to see you have clearance.

I checked mine that I ordered in Jan 2024 and I have clearance between the barrel nut and the Solo 300 upper, thankfully. I had to run dental floss through there to clear out the Aeroshell, but I have a gap. Thanks for the heads-up though.

 

[WyoJeff]

Tennessee lower is here, got one with lpk installed shoulda skipped that will need a new trigger, Solo and Faxon pencil on the way

 

[JBradley500]

What is the plan with the gas port?

 

[Thegman]

Tennessee lower is here, got one with lpk installed shoulda skipped that will need a new trigger, Solo and Faxon pencil on the way

I bought one lower with their LPK installed too...once. The LPK has been relegated to the island of misfit toys. Would probably be okay on a basic mil-spec build.

 

[johnnyboots]

7.5" 300 blackout Bolt gun
Well here she is minus the handguard and optic(due this week!). Sitting at 3.9 lbs/ 63oz. (mag, not loaded). I can’t help but think I can turn this barrel down a bit and pull a few ounces, same with the gas block.

You know there is a bunch of weight in that brace, folder and lower so I'm looking at a lightweight forged or carbon lower but that might be a month or so out. Regardless I might chuck the new lower on a mill and remove a bit more?

My killer is going to be the suppressor. That's likely to add another 10-14oz and with this being a pig-centric subsonic hunting build I'll have to see if I'm will to part with that. By my calcs that will put this around 6lbs with the current lower setup. The new lower wont remove enough weight to counter that BUT these builds are what WE make them. I'm excited to see where this one goes.

 

[Thegman]

View attachment 719036

7.5" 300 blackout Bolt gun
Well here she is minus the handguard and optic(due this week!). Sitting at 3.9 lbs/ 63oz. (mag, not loaded). I can’t help but think I can turn this barrel down a bit and pull a few ounces, same with the gas block.

You know there is a bunch of weight in that brace, folder and lower so I'm looking at a lightweight forged or carbon lower but that might be a month or so out. Regardless I might chuck the new lower on a mill and remove a bit more?

My killer is going to be the suppressor. That's likely to add another 10-14oz and with this being a pig-centric subsonic hunting build I'll have to see if I'm will to part with that. By my calcs that will put this around 6lbs with the current lower setup. The new lower wont remove enough weight to counter that BUT these builds are what WE make them. I'm excited to see where this one goes.

I don't know much about machining, but is a nitrided barrel very machinable?

That said,, and you probably already know this, but with that barrel as is, a TN Arms lower, NFA polymer LPK, Hogue 15° grip and Kidon stock you should be under 3lb for another $200 or so (if you decide to go the SBR route). I think that would be a "killer" setup, literally. A BB gun shooting 200+ grain BBs @ 1,000 fps.

 

[johnnyboots]

I don't know much about machining, but is a nitrided barrel very machinable?

That said,, and you probably already know this, but with that barrel as is, a TN Arms lower, NFA polymer LPK, Hogue 15° grip and Kidon stock you should be under 3lb for another $200 or so (if you decide to go the SBR route). I think that would be a "killer" setup, literally. A BB gun shooting 200+ grain BBs @ 1,000 fps.

I think I've bailed on the SBR idea, this gun will primarily get used in SC and I live in NC. I did just order a folding brace (6oz) and combined with a polymer lower I think I can get this to a hair over 4lbs suppressed. Bonus is I already own the hogue grip from another AR.

Funniest part of this build...I had an old Plum Crazy complete lower I gave away 2 months ago cause I thought I'd never want a polymer lower. Here we are

 

[Taudisio]

As pointed out, the majority of your diet looks like it can come from the area behind the trigger

 

[Taudisio]

@Thegman
I just read your posts about the grizz! That is awesome!!! Congrats! Side question, what do you do with a cape a year?

I got a buddy on a bear last night, the last day of the season literally the last 5 mins of shooting light he made the longest shot on an animal I’ve seen in person, twice. 888 and 850ish. High speed wizzbang rifles have a place too I suppose. I let him carry the 6x45, he was all smiles and liked the micro-prism, he thought it was only a red dot until he took the lens bikini off.

 

[Thegman]

@Thegman
I just read your posts about the grizz! That is awesome!!! Congrats! Side question, what do you do with a cape a year?

I got a buddy on a bear last night, the last day of the season literally the last 5 mins of shooting light he made the longest shot on an animal I’ve seen in person, twice. 888 and 850ish. High speed wizzbang rifles have a place too I suppose. I let him carry the 6x45, he was all smiles and liked the micro-prism, he thought it was only a red dot until he took the lens bikini off.

Thanks!

Good question. We're required to bring in the hide and skull of a grizzly in for sealing, but there are no requirements beyond that. Yes, after years of bear hunting, you get hided out...

Did your buddy get the bear? 888 yards? That's crazy.

 

[WyoJeff]

What was it that you didn't like?

Like SrupidLightweight, I always wanted one as well. This was my poor man's version. I sold it as well, but that rifle did have some good mojo. I don't think I ever missed anything I pointed it at.

View attachment 674968

 

[WyoJeff]

going back through the 40 odd pages i see a couple references to the Kifaru Ramblin Rifles...if you still interested in them one of the original creators is still very much in the gunsmith business...
Rick Steinhour https://www.extremerifleworks.com/ ive had him do work for me and hes top notch.
Honestly until i ran across this thread i was saving my pennies to have him build me an ultra-light bolt gun

 

[Thegman]

I think your question about that rifle got stuck in with my quote (?).

I honestly don't recall completely why I sold it. Partly because it wouldn't carry on a sling with the sling mount so far down. I think I also came to the conclusion that my Kimber Montana was just as good and less than 1/2 the cost, so I ended up getting my money back out of it.

The guy that bought it commented on it being one rifle that could do everything, which is pretty true, but that's probably true of a lot of rifles, including my Kimber, also a 308.

 

[Thegman]

going back through the 40 odd pages i see a couple references to the Kifaru Ramblin Rifles...if you still interested in them one of the original creators is still very much in the gunsmith business...
Rick Steinhour https://www.extremerifleworks.com/ ive had him do work for me and hes top notch.
Honestly until i ran across this thread i was saving my pennies to have him build me an ultra-light bolt gun

Yes, Rick made the stock for that rifle. That was when he was living in here in Alaska. It was pretty convenient as I could drive to his place and get everything done in person. I think he may have made a rifle for StupidLightweight as well.

Walking through the woods the other day with one of these, I was actually thinking that these are the new (and improved) Ramblin Rifles. I'd take one of these any day over one of those as an ultralight hunting rifle. 1/4 the cost, or less, lighter weight, switch barrel capable, no gunsmith required.

Talking with Rick, I think he pretty much did everything with the original Rambling Rifles. He used to be at gun shows here in Alaska which is where I first met him. I was super intrigued with the stuff he was building.