Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Wanted: Flat shooter, light weight

there ya go 1deernut, my apologies, looks like I overstated the weight, its actually a bit lighter !!

I actually had a goal to push this Remmy as far as I could go weight wise without compromizing accuracy. .550 at muzzle matches up with Remingtons mountain profile thou I could have taken down to .530, left the barrel at 20.6inches, 18 or 19 still would have got the job done.

My head now hurts after reading this whole thing. I guess Stevil, you should have (could have) defined how "ultralight" is defined, not necessarily in your book; but, for your discussion. I'm not taking sides, just trying to remedy the throbbing in my cranium

Many rifle weights you have described as ultralight are indeed that; but, I think, in my opinion, that a 6 to 6.5 pound 270 constitutes an ultralight rifle to a lot of people. But, I may be wrong. Just ask Big Stick. I think a little clarification makes everybody in this thread correct.

So what did you do to the action to get the rig that light? I don't have a bare short action to weigh, but from other posts I am curious how you got the pictured rifle that light, without a Titanium action.

What I see in the picture, the numbers don't add up to my "paper build".
Your action should be2.5#

barrel ~2#

My factory ADL 700 in 243 weighs #6-11oz in a LVSF lightweight stock.

You probably lost 4.5 ounces with fluting the bolt and drilling holes....

It looks like you lost closer to a pound in the action than my calculations? Please help me copy your build, I would like to turn the 243 into a 257 roberts light rifle, but my math says I'll be 7# with a 14 oz scope ( using barrel weight from Pac-nor's #1 bbl).

Thank you

Allen

I believe he said the stock was 15oz. Faux Ti 260, LW's, 6x42 will go 6#12oz. Wouldn't mind it in an Edge for sure.

His rig is a 7 not a 700 action. Not sure the weight difference between the two. I'd pass on the BM myself.

Allen i used a PTG Ti Firing pin, bolt scalloping got me and Bolt fluting only saved around 40gr, Mag follower is made from Acetal, saved 8grs. Bottom metal is standard rem alloy.

Talley Lighweight rings and Loopy 2-7 weigh 10oz together

The rest is the barrel profile and the Wildcat stock.

Cerakote/micro slicking/bedding and stock paint job added 3-4 oz's also.

Rifle cost me $1600 Aus to build, bout $1150 US.

Not the ideal gun for running game, but I had no trouble picking up a darting fox at 60 yd earlier in the year.

Most who handle say it feels like rimfire, I say it feels better than that !

Im currently building a Lightweight CRF 30-06 mountain rifle, using the last and lightest of 98 actions, similiar build aiming for 6lbs neat for the bare rifle.

Thank you for the build information.

I think the barrel is where the weight is in my 243. I do have a Brown pounder for the build, but the LVSF is within a few ounces, but I am using a old spring scale that I set the calibration knob using a 5# weight , and it is probably not very accurate in the weighing sub 3# parts.

Thank you

Allen

You can get a scale that measures down to 0.01 ounces for under 10 bucks at amazon. I use mine to cook, and sometimes even weigh guns.
http://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Digi...2331&sr=8-14&keywords=food+scale

Thanks for the pic, Stevil.

Nice rifle. That's right at 5 lbs. That scope should weigh north of 9 oz if my memory serves. Being a Model 7 explains some things. Certainly not the rig I would want to shoot 500+ yards with regularly at game, but if it works for you, congratulations.

I also would want turrets or at least dots if I were going to press that rifle into longer distances, but that's me. I don't think I could hold 6" at 500 consistently using Kentucky windage. If you can, you are a better shot than me, and I shoot nearly every day when the weather isn't terrible.

By the way, I weighed a couple of 260s I own. One has a 23" yube and the other a 24". Weight is ~7.6 and ~7.2. Seems that is right around the weight I prefer in most hunting scenarios.





The rifle I call my "Ultralight":


I plan to build another 7-08 when hunting seasons end.

As you were.

Thanks Terry, I do need a good scale before doing the build weight correctly.

I assume the digital camo Tikka is a superlight, but didn't know they come in 260?

Allen

Is the Montana a 260?

Thanks 1deernut, Id never owned a Remington before this and to be honest its actually a nice little action. Hell even the barrels been reprofiled twice and it still shoot 0.5moa for 3 shots.

Quality bit of kit the Montana, whats the space in the mag like ?

Hey bwinters …I think we have changed considerably over the last 35 years with regards to what we need in a hunting rifle.I dont recall hearing much about lighter rifles or long range hunting back in the 1980's where the 243/303/3006/270/308/7x57 went about its business for most of the hunters back home in Africa.

The new pioneers came along ... Lee/Brown/Jarret and Forbes with a host of others following in their wake and a whole new candy store opened in town. This enabled us to buy and build rifles for every conceivable hunting scenario. … and we did. What it also did was offer the carrot of a multitude of option to be added to one rifle, including calibers new or revived… in my case, the more I can add into one rifle the fewer I need. Being a minimalist by nature and a hunter is a very painful and frustrating experience for me going on many years now!

If we talk about lightweight/moderate recoil/flat shooter in the same rifle, there is a few considerations:

1)Going lightweight in a long action cartridge means a lot more recoil, you want “lighter rifles that recoil less” ..why? your getting older .. and you will keep getting older which means within a few years from now that rifle will be less tolerable for bwinters and your back asking the same questions. Only option is to be a step ahead of yourself and go with short or even better ..an intermediate cartridge on an intermediate action size… no difference in recoil but usually a tad flatter/faster than a short action brother or sister, and you can build as light as you want with it.
2) Flat shooting cartridges, yes .. if you want 6” drop at mesmerizing distances .. you will be up for shoulder surgery every year. Within the recoil boundary you specify, it seems to me your wanting to hunt up to 350 yards with this rifle
3) Calibers options: The golden thread is 6.5/7mm. Since your initial thoughts pointed to long actions, I’m assuming you want this rifle for medium to larger game. 6mm is limiting and getting 30 cal’s to shoot flat’far results in either compromise on BC or increased recoil.

Intermediate calibers to consider:

6.5x55 (modern loads impress)
7x57, better even 275 Rigby for the cool factor (reloads improve on the 708)
284 Win. (Melvin Forbes knows a thing or 2)
6.5x284 (another star on the 284 case)

No, it's a 308. I'd like a 260.

The mag on my 308 measures 2.845 nominal inside. I've got several loads that work well. 155 Skinners are very accurate. I've been loading and hunting 150 NABs with an OAL of 2.83 without issue.

Actually the digital camo Tikka is a T3 hunter with mods. That stock is actually a plastic T3 take-off from my 270. I did alot of sanding and shaping to remove the "Eruo look", then hydro-dipped it, sprayed Brownells non-slip abrasive spray in the areas where 'checkering' used to be, and then a flat top coat. Also filled the hollow portions with foam to deaden that hollow noise when bumped. It will go out for Cerekote this spring.



Was painted in the back yard before hydro-dip job:


Hard to leave it behind when it shoot Partitions like this:

Flat shooting.... light weight... deer/elks/ capable.... I'm suprised no one bought up the Fluted Tikka T3s that SAS has in stock. One of those in 6.5 Sweede would be pretty bad ass for this assignment.

A 123 Skinner (for tags) and Amax (for vermin) at 3100 is no f'n joke in the "Flat shooting/Hard hitting" department.

Stick .525/123/3100 in your ballistic pipe and smoke it... that'll make your .25-06 110 Accubond load look like turd launched from a potato cannon.... with less recoil/less drift/less drop.... that's what we call a win/win/win.

You also have the option of stepping up to the 139/140 class bullets and send them at 2850ish.... VLD, Scenar, Amax, Partition, etc.... there's a lot of 6.5 bullets that'll do BIG work... for a pretty measly investment in powder.

.600/140/2850 is a Ted Williams-esque triple crown stat line that takes some real looking to beat... especially for about 50-55 grains of powder.

OR.... you could warp-speed some 100 TTSXs and do a great .25/06 impression....

I love the .25/06.... I've shot a lot of schitt with them.... but the slightly smaller 6.5's do all the quarterbores have ever done.... with less fuss and more options. Same goes for the .270 (which I do not love)... a critter will never know the difference between a 130/6.5 and a 130/6.8 bullet.... but I know the difference when I pull the trigger. Why pay the higher price for equal (to lesser) performance?

Definitely a better than good option.

Savage Model 16 Lightweight Hunter, s.s., composite, 20" bbl, Pachmayer pad, 5.5 lbs in 7-08 w/Swaro Z3 in Talley low profile lt. wts. Near bug holes w/140gr Federal Fusions. You wont be disappointed at all.

This is now my favorite of all and am selling several others cause of it.

This rifle from Cheaper Than Dirt = 567$ + 10$ shpg.

Compare this to Savage's Model 11 lt. wt. hunter in wood and blued for ~ 900$.

A friend, after shootiing mine, bought the same (model 16 lt wt hunter) in a long action, 06 and that sumbitch is a kicker w/ hot handloads I'll tell you but groups right at 1".

I'm liking .625/162/2750 for 40 grains, but your approach ain't half bad, either.