Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Your choice of lightweight bolt rifle

Very nice,and I wouldn't have any problem hunting with it,but I wouldn't consider an 8 lb rifle lightweight. There is however no shame in saying that most of us are better shots with an 8 lb rifle and would be better served 90% of the time with one than with a 6 lb lightweight.

RH,

Agreed. I have a Kimber Ascent @ 5/15. Very pleasant to carry. But, would not want to get much lighter from a shootability stand point.

"At this point in my life" a rifle in the 7.0 to 7.5lb weight range with scope "feels about right" for an all around rifle.

Rem M7
Rem 700 Mtn Rifle are my 2 favorites.

Problem with getting a light, handy rifle...is that it spoils you, and the rest of your rifles feel so very UNLIGHT, and UnHandy.

You are warned.

Few understand the logic. But it is sound.

+1, I was a levergun guy for a long time. Bought my first lightweight bolt gun and never went back. The lever guns though not "overweight" feel heavy in comparison.

Sam great point.

It takes a little time to get used to "controlling a lightweight rifle" when shooting but once accomplished, they become a pleasure to carry in the field

This! My smoke pole is sub 7#s now. I'm putting together a 375HH can't imagine it "lite" but the thought of packing it up the side if the mountain leaves me feeling tired already.

Do you own one and, if so, how long did it take for you to receive it? He is legendary...

Just remember....

I agree with these guys. I have an 84M with an 8 twist barrel in 243 and it's a fantastic rifle.

I bet that's a hummer. In all the light weight world, I'm still wanting a 20" mag contour 243 in a McSwirly with a 6x SWFA up top.


Wouldn't kick a bone stock 243 Montana outta the sack though. Hell, maybe even a 300 WSM for that matter.

Ask me tomorrow and I'll probably have a different answer.

I can attest that you are SO right. My first light rifle was a 77 UL in 308. It had 20" bll. It was short, light and a dream to hunt woods.

I've hated heavy rifles ever since.

Jerry

I took a "break" from carrying my Forbes/Kimbers one day this season and packed a p'64 270 Win. I couldn't believe how heavy it felt!

Not too many production choices in a 308win that comes out the box at no more than 5 pounds. This rules out most of the rifles noted as favorites throughout the thread. With that said, if I were seeking such a rifle, likely it would be best suited for extreme backpack sheep and goat hunting in most remote mountains, where I'd be willing to sacrifice some rifle shoot ability, to save that extra pound off the base rifle; 5 pounds vs 6 pounds. If this were the case, it boils down to which rifle fits and works best for YOU, not me.

Personally, my cut off is about 6 pounds base weight. Regardless if going fixed sights only, or going light trim scope keeping package under 7 pounds, I greatly enjoy the handling and shoot ability of the rifle, while it is still easy to pack in most any hunting situation. Going below this cut off, takes more joy from my shoot ability than I gain in pack ability. Also personally, the production rifle that fits me the best, is the least finiky, and gives me the least troubles in shoot ability when on the lighter weight end of the scale, is a Sako Finnlight, 6 pound base weight. The new Carbonlight is the same rifle and dimensions, but adds a custom ground pounder type stock, and options for a threaded muzzle. So likely that would be my first choice if my hunting became so extreme that I needed to cut a pound off my preferred Finnlight, while staying box stock production.

What fits and works better for you, same as boots and backpacks, may very well be different.

Will add:

Barrett - no experience; but I would be suspect until they are well proven and well vetted.

Mountain Ascent - no experience; but do have experience w/ Montana. Based on that, the word "finicky" comes to mind.

NULA - yes to experience; though in the end, I've reached the conclusion they are just not my cup of tea, they are good rifles. However, Melven can get rather opinionated, and at times come across like course grit sandpaper. But if a NULA works for you, they are well proven.

Lastly, if willing to go up a bit in weight, this would open the door for more production choices.

I appreciate everyone's thoughts. As usual, "need" in this case is much less important than "want". I'll always be hunting with one of my company's recurve bows, but my hunting partner likes to carry along a rifle strapped to his (and sometimes my) backpack in case he sees something beyond bow range that he can't live without.

We bow hunt for moose every year in Alaska and given where we hunt the possibility for wolves or a huge moose out of bow range definitely exists. Hence his desire for a tag-along rifle. We've been using my 308 Blaser (I own two Blaser 308's and both shoot lights out) but all-in it's a bit heavier than either of us want to carry just because.

Agree with everyone that within reason a bit more weight makes a rifle arguably more accurate or at least easier to hold still. It just makes them harder to carry around as a "might use" backup.

This is more a quest to find the lightest 308 I can. I'd love to keep everything under six pounds all up. That's pretty limiting I know but that's my goal. Mainly just because that's what I want (as opposed to need).

John,I'll help you out and trade you my already bedded Kimber Montana 7-08 for one of those Blazers.

In that case, get the sub 5-pound Kimber and put an Aimpoint micro on the front bridge. That would be light and handy.

[video:youtube]https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=PuZbPPccvas[/video]

https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=PuZbPPccvas

I use the military T2 version and Aimpoint makes a micro base plate for it to mount directly to the front bridge of my Sako 85. If you check my old posts, been working on getting one made available in the US for some time.