Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Love Me Some Ultralights

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Savage 116 .223 with Leupold VX-2 3-9x40. It's new and unfired, but I expect good things from it.

Ruger M77 .257 Roberts with Leupold VX-1 3-9x40. It's been my main hunting rifle for about 12 years now. It'll throw its favorite loads into 1.5 inches at 100 yards. With 115 grain Partitions delivered into the vitals and a shoulder it's 100% DRT.

Ruger Hawkeye 30-06. I have only tried 3 loads through it. The best has grouped about 1.75 inches. I'll improve on that. I still haven't hunted with it.

Show me what you have.

Gen 1 Remington 700 Ti 30/06
Brown Precision
TalleyWhacker UL's
Leupold VX2 2-7x33
Fluted Steel Firing Pin
Wart removed and replaced with a new spring and aluminum shroud


Weighs around 6lbs empty, shoots good too. There's three 165gr Hornadys under the nickel

That is a sweet rifle!

I agree....nothing like an ultralight bolt action rifle...i have a T3 Superlite and a Christensen Ridgeline both in .300 Win.......Hb

ruger UL target grey 7-08 in walnut



ruger stainless UL 204 in a MDT LSS....



Kimber Montana 260.

My first year MkII 223 is an ultralight BA in a regular stock before they started the ebony-tipped forearm models. It now has a Conquest 3-9x40 on it and weighs 8lbs even.



Ultralight is kind of a misnomer as I have several lighter rifles including a couple of T3s and XS7s that all come in at about 1/2 pound lighter. It is my lightest full size, wood stocked rifle. I like the light weight of those synthetics, but there's just something about nice walnut and gloss blue.

Kimber Montana 270 Win.





Remington 700 rebore to 338-06 in a KS stock assembled in '95.









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I have seen your -08 before. That stock has some nice character. You put together some gorgeous guns!

They aren't the lightest of the lightweighs, but to me they have the ideal amount of heft. My new Savage comes in about a pound lighter. Oddly, it still has a substantial feel.

Ed, nice guns and animals. The coloration on that second bear is unique.

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Remington SPS 26" 257 Weatherby, Burris Euro Diamond 3-10X40, 7lbs. 11oz.

Ruger Hawkeye UL, 257 Roberts, Leupold FX-II 4X33, 7lbs. 9oz.

Ruger Hawkeye, 308, Leupold VX2 2-7X33, 7lbs. 12oz.

Not exactly ULs.

What's the story on the fluted Hawkeye barrel? The trigger on my UL Hawkeye 30-06 is the very definition of a perfect hunting trigger. Straight out of the box.

I ran a 700 MR in 270 back in college, shot like crap 2-2.5" for 3100. Crown defective from factory, two "Ridges" opposed inside the recessed crown. Shipped to Remington, they did not do anything other than return it saying it shot within specs, and did not even tell me their "Specs"

So, I had a gunsmith cut the crown, did a non-professional job, IMO, so I re-cut it myself with an RCBS chamfer tool held inside one of my dad's tapered duck call barrels, which fit on the outside of the barrel. Then I lapped the locking lugs, free-floated the barrel, glassed the action in AcraGlass. I might have adjusted the trigger, not 100%.

Finally it did ok, 3 150 BTs would shoot inside a nickel.

By then I was so aggravated I sold it. It never held great in the field being so light, and I don't miss it. Yes, it was nice to carry...and yes I did take a deer with it.

I don't like carrying long varmint weight barrels, but to me ultra-light guns, especially with whippy barrels just has not been my cup of tea. When all is right, they can shoot well, but they must balance and fit one well, if you are going to shoot well in the field. Scope choice can help. I ran a straight 6x M8.

If one has an accurate rifle that they can shoot well afield that is what matters. I missed a deer in Tx at about 150 yds having to shoot without a rest, it was a M7 260, I had put in a Deluxe stock since I liked the looks and feel of it better. It had a 4-14 on it then, WAY Muzzle Light...wind was howling 20-30mph gust and I had hell trying to keep my POA during that shot, and emptied the gun as the buck ran off. If I had a gun with more heft, I feel I would have bagged that buck.

I share this as choosing a rifle is subjective, in what works for that individual and how they hunt. That M7 btw, had a Pac-Nor rebarrel in 7BR, about .700 at 21", and it felt GREAT, never was too heavy, never missed a deer, bagged a few

A few years ago I decided I needed an all weather, light, .308 for hunting. I had a Gunsmith order the Hawkeye, flute the barrel, skeletonize the bolt, and work the trigger to 3lbs.

So thats my version of a M77 308 Hawkeye light, 7-3/4lbs. Not so much. I wouldn't do it again, but I like it. At one time I also put a short action Skeleton stock on it.......



It added two ounces to the weight, and for a .308 it beat the crap out of me Only took one short trip to the range for that to come off.

My youngest with his first big critter and a tanger 250 AI Ruger UL.

Not sure this one is ultralight but at 6 lbs 12 ozs its "lighter" weight.
Lowly Tikka T3 Superlite in 7MM-08


Now this one is ultralight. 1st Gen Ti in 7MM-08, all up as shown 5 lbs 15 ozs.

Sako 85 Finnlight in 30-06. Optilock ringmounts and Swarovski Z3. One of my better shooters and favorite all around hunting rig.

Huntsman that ruger is nice I like that

Lots of nice guns making appearances here!

Mountain Rifles Inc. .30-378 on a LH Dakota 76 action. One of my "WTF do I need this for?" rifles.



Not bad considering its 27" barrel plus another 2" of brake. You can reach out and touch something without firing a shot!