Ultralight Ultralight Rifles

[BasicUtahrd95]

Solos are taking over our Kodiak hunting camp. Three came out this year. The other two guys carried them as alternate options while bow hunting. Ended up that all 7 deer were taken with the Solos.

They're sold on them as their new hunting rifles. All my shots were within 60 yards or so. Longest shot was a 2x3 at 200.
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My deer...I never saw a buck larger than a spike this year.
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This is awesome! Nice job @TheGman! I had never been that interested in AR's until I came across this thread. The experience and ingenuity here is impressive! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Thegman]

This is awesome! Nice job @TheGman! I had never been that interested in AR's until I came across this thread. The experience and ingenuity here is impressive! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks! I'm glad people have been interested in them. The guys that have handled one and seen them in use seem to want one. Once they start using them I'm hearing "I don't know why I'd use my other rifles anymore".

I tried trading some 30-06 ammo to one guy for a box of his AAC 77TMKs. He said, "I'm not sure I'll use my '06 anymore so don't know I even want them". One of the downsides I guess...

 

[BLJ]

@Thegman. How’s the Redfield holding up? Which model and reticle? Thanks.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

Got the Shaw barrel on and ready enough to shoot. Weight again is scoped, suppressed and loaded 10 rounds. Should be 4 lbs 1.4 oz bare. First day with the Garmin so I had a few rifles to get data on, and three rifles to zero. Managed to get 70 round through it though. Cheaper ammo just to get things "broken in"

Feed is rough, might need to do @Thegman 's sanding thing. Extraction was rough at times as well. Took the spacer off the scope, getting in the sight felt fine. Love the flat timney drop in. Zeroing was a bit weird. High at 27 yards to get "on paper", adjusted but still high, adjusted again and way low...adjusted again and good to go. Coyote hunt tomorrow.

Are there any better knobs for the pull? Banged my finger up on the scope mount racking the thing.

77gr AAC SMK - 2590 fps average
77gr Norma GTM - first string 2547 fps average, second string 2613 fps average.

 

[Taudisio]

The straight pull took some getting used to with my pointer finger knuckle as well. Did it a handful of times and now I don’t even think about it. I’ve done it on both rifles. It took a while for mine to break in that’s for sure.

 

[Thegman]

@Thegman. How’s the Redfield holding up? Which model and reticle? Thanks.

They've been holding up fine. I've had a couple of them for years I bought when they first came out and a couple more I bought recently. Definitely not high-end scopes but have been more than adequate for all of my hunting situations - so far.

Mine all have the Accu-Range reticles. I really like those as the top of the circle provides a 100-150 yard reference point with a 225 or so yard zero. That reticle is the main reason I use them. Especially useful for cartridges like the HAM’R and BO with a 3" high @ 100 zero and 3.5 or so high @ 150.

If I could get a lightweight fixed 4x with that reticle it would be about perfect. I'll be watching PA black Friday sales for a 3x, or 5x micro prism like Taudisio runs. That's probably the closest thing thing to that imaginary fixed 4x right now.

 

[Lentuk]

Still waiting for a carbon fiber hand guard but I want to shoot it so here it is for now. Dont know if I have the skills to hold this steady without some kind of rest..

 

[KyleR1985]

What are the down sides to running an adjustable gas block on a setting where it generates enough pressure to break case from chamber, but not enough pressure to move the bolt?

Shot the 6 arc today no suppressor. It was set up to shoot suppressed. After firing, I was able to manually pull charging handle and eject a case.

Any downsides to running it this way on purpose?


Of note, I couldn’t get the next round to feed manually. I had to pull the bolt all the way back and let it build momentum to pick up the next case. Can this be solved easily?

 

[Taudisio]

What are the down sides to running an adjustable gas block on a setting where it generates enough pressure to break case from chamber, but not enough pressure to move the bolt?

Shot the 6 arc today no suppressor. It was set up to shoot suppressed. After firing, I was able to manually pull charging handle and eject a case.

Any downsides to running it this way on purpose?


Of note, I couldn’t get the next round to feed manually. I had to pull the bolt all the way back and let it build momentum to pick up the next case. Can this be solved easily?

Do you have a buffer/spring in the tube?

 

[KyleR1985]

Do you have a buffer/spring in the tube?

Yes

 

[Taudisio]

Yes

If you are already carrying the parts in the gun, why would you turn down the gas to run it as a a bolt action? You have a gasser, use it that way. No shame in the little extra weight. The UL UL does not have a gas tube buffer, or buffer spring to save weight. Turn that gas back up and run your semi-auto as it was intended.

 

[Thegman]

Might be useful for shooting suppressed as quietly as possible (??).

 

[Thegman]

Of note, I couldn’t get the next round to feed manually. I had to pull the bolt all the way back and let it build momentum to pick up the next case. Can this be solved easily?

Ultralight Ultralight Rifles

I went looking for the magazine with the lightweight article in it, and couldn.t find one on the news stands. I ordered one online. Yes, that's the previous issue, one behind the current issue out now. I think the only way to buy it at this point is online. Same price as the news stand.

rokslide.com

The process above will help, but without some sort of charging handle that can force the bolt carrier forward, it will probably be a little unreliable with respect to fully chambering the case and forcing the extractor over the case rim.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

Ultralight Ultralight Rifles

I went looking for the magazine with the lightweight article in it, and couldn.t find one on the news stands. I ordered one online. Yes, that's the previous issue, one behind the current issue out now. I think the only way to buy it at this point is online. Same price as the news stand.

rokslide.com

The process above will help, but without some sort of charging handle that can force the bolt carrier forward, it will probably be a little unreliable with respect to fully chambering the case and forcing the extractor over the case rim.

What would be the concern with removing more material than necessary?

Having just got things put together and zeroed for the winter I'd love to keep the barrel on too

 

[Thegman]

What would be the concern with removing more material than necessary?

Having just got things put together and zeroed for the winter I'd love to keep the barrel on too

I'm not sure I understand the question, but as far as messing with the barrel extension, I'm just cautious in removing material. Material can't be added back, so I figure just enough to get the bullet through without any sticking is enough. More -could- cause a problem, IDK. Better safe than sorry I figure.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

I'm not sure I understand the question, but as far as messing with the barrel extension, I'm just cautious in removing material. Material can't be added back, so I figure just enough to get the bullet through without any sticking is enough. More -could- cause a problem, IDK. Better safe than sorry I figure.

Your method of removing the barrel, wrapping sandpaper around the tip of a bullet and removing a minimal amount of material just sounds very precise.

I'm considering taping sandpaper to a screwdriver and getting in there so I don’t have to remove the barrel. Sand a bit, wipe and check, repeat until smooth. Checking zero for me either costs $$ per range session or a 3+ hour round trip.

If there’s a risk I blow my hand off after doing that though I’ll do it properly haha. I try to be diligent about safety with things I learn to do myself through the internet. I guess if I need to do the barrel shims for the handguard I’ll be removing it anyway. How do you check for a smooth feed if the barrel is off though?

 

[Thegman]

Your method of removing the barrel, wrapping sandpaper around the tip of a bullet and removing a minimal amount of material just sounds very precise.

I'm considering taping sandpaper to a screwdriver and getting in there so I don’t have to remove the barrel. Sand a bit, wipe and check, repeat until smooth. Checking zero for me either costs $$ per range session or a 3+ hour round trip.

If there’s a risk I blow my hand off after doing that though I’ll do it properly haha. I try to be diligent about safety with things I learn to do myself through the internet. I guess if I need to do the barrel shims for the handguard I’ll be removing it anyway. How do you check for a smooth feed if the barrel is off though?

It's really easy to assess bullet sticking with the barrel removed. Simply push the bullet into the ramp lug cuts in its normal feeding orientation and the bullet sticking in the lug cuts is very obvious. The reduced sticking as you go is also very obvious.

A cartridge feed path is, by nature, a pretty precise process.The method you're thinking of trying shouldn't be any sort safety issue, but I have no idea if it will take away material in the way it needs to be taken away for reliable feeding, or make feeding worse in some other way. May work fine, IDK.

My point of using a bullet as the guide for material removal is that it's contacting and removing the actual areas causing the sticking and nothing else.

Another point in having the barrel removed is to insure you've cleaned out any abrasive left in the extension. I also plug the chamber with cloth to help insure nothing gets in the chamber or bore.

It may be more than necessary, but it's a lot harder to ruin a barrel being extra careful than not.

 

[BREAKCONTACT]

Posting my findings, and I'll update it as I go.

I found a possible budget ul handguard option for anyone wanting to do a gas gun like mine will still be. I have no idea what original handguard this was to, but I ordered one and it's OD is pretty close to 45mm. I ordered this cf tube in 46mm ID and it fits over it with some slop, and it measures that it will be a snug fit with 0.015" shim stock around the nut. I'll probably go with some sort if external clamping and a relief slot in the carbon instead of just drilling for the screws. But for $50 or plus some hardware, my tube cut at 12.5" for the rifle lenght gas my barrel has, it's 5.11 oz for the tube and barrel nut, so I'm hoping to come in under 6 oz for a rifle length handguard and less than the cheapest commercial tubes posted so far. The nut alone weighs 2.5 oz

 

[Thegman]

Posting my findings, and I'll update it as I go.

I found a possible budget ul handguard option for anyone wanting to do a gas gun like mine will still be. I have no idea what original handguard this was to, but I ordered one and it's OD is pretty close to 45mm. I ordered this cf tube in 46mm ID and it fits over it with some slop, and it measures that it will be a snug fit with 0.015" shim stock around the nut. I'll probably go with some sort if external clamping and a relief slot in the carbon instead of just drilling for the screws. But for $50 or plus some hardware, my tube cut at 12.5" for the rifle lenght gas my barrel has, it's 5.11 oz for the tube and barrel nut, so I'm hoping to come in under 6 oz for a rifle length handguard and less than the cheapest commercial tubes posted so far. The nut alone weighs 2.5 oz

Let us know what you find for a clamp.

 

[KyleR1985]

Posting my findings, and I'll update it as I go.

I found a possible budget ul handguard option for anyone wanting to do a gas gun like mine will still be. I have no idea what original handguard this was to, but I ordered one and it's OD is pretty close to 45mm. I ordered this cf tube in 46mm ID and it fits over it with some slop, and it measures that it will be a snug fit with 0.015" shim stock around the nut. I'll probably go with some sort if external clamping and a relief slot in the carbon instead of just drilling for the screws. But for $50 or plus some hardware, my tube cut at 12.5" for the rifle lenght gas my barrel has, it's 5.11 oz for the tube and barrel nut, so I'm hoping to come in under 6 oz for a rifle length handguard and less than the cheapest commercial tubes posted so far. The nut alone weighs 2.5 oz

Is there a finishing “cap” for the size of carbon fiber tube you found? Something to cover the front end of the tubing. What’s your plan there?