Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Ultralight 7/08

Finally finished my ultralight Model 7 in 7-08.

It started life in May 1983 as a 18.5in 243. After taking delivery of it earlier this year, I have fitted a 2.5-8 VariX III in Talley lightweights, a PTG alloy firing pin assembly and housed it all in an Ultralight Wildcat Composites stock (17oz).

A NoS 7-08 barrel from a Ti was fitted and headspaced.

Cerakote H in Sniper Grey for the Metalwork, and Coyote Tan for the stock and bottom metal.

All up weight of 6lb 1oz ready to hunt.

Nice rifle.

Target pics?

I had to get to the range to get them done properly. Very happy with the result though.

Dang, how do you guys go to the range and only shoot one group anyway...?

Also is that 6 lbs 1 oz all up as in the with rounds and sling?

Nice looking rig by the way, I like it.

Dober

Thats a hell of a light rig

Ultralight?

My Kimber Montana 308 weighs 6#6oz. with a 2.5-8 Zeiss Conquest and sling.

It shot well from the first day. It has a M70 type safety, CRF etc. The bolt is not brazed together either.

The M7

Huh, what do you know your Montana looks just like his rig...

Dober

I just did an edit to label the M7 photo.

That brown color is so brown. The floor plate and trigger guard too!

It's 39F with some snow on the ground here in NW CT.

Here is the 308 Montana (in the center) when it had a 4X Zeiss on it.

So you are carrying an extra quarter pound and paid a lot more for the privilege.

Wow, those Wildcat Composite stocks are light and inexpensive.

May have to try one even if I do have to convert it to left hand configuration.

The Wildcat stocks are very well made. Obviously you must finish yourself,but a little quality time with some 240grit wet and dry, some gelcoat filler and a rattlecan of spray putty will get you there.

Sav99 - given this rifle has been going since 1983 I doubt the bolt is going to come undone anytime soon. And for the money it has cost, I'll proudly stack it against any of Kimbers lightest - their reputation for inconsistent accuracy precedes them. I'm sure some ahve said to you that 'you got a good one'. This is a pity really as there is so much to like in the design.

The brown will work well in my main hunting areas, and the grey is consistent with dead branches on trees, reasonable camo without going over the top. I chose to colour the bottom metal the same as the stock as I didn't want the contrast.

Apologies for the odd replies, I can only post here through my Android tablet, the PC cannot log in and stay logged in on this forum - it drives me nuts!

Oh and I did shoot some other groups at 200m, but most of the 12 cartridges I took with me went towards zeroing @ 200m. The last two were 'wasted' dropping a silhouette ram @ 500m.

The weight is as seen there, sling adds a little, magazine full adds much more again. I can't see the point in quoting weight with magazine full, ammunition is not consistently the same weight from 7/08 to 30/06 to 375H&H.

Pretty darn impressive! Inexpensive alternative if a person is willing to put in a little work and you have the option of anything from a utility rifle to a fairly expensive build. Reminds me of MPIs, did a couple of those on some Rugers when they first came out.

God Job!

Bob

Thanks all, I'm going back to the range in the next couple of days before I have to report back to work from leave. With a little luck, I'll prove to myself that the rifle is consistently capable of sub-MOA performance out to 300m, my limit for this rifle and cartridge.

I'll update as things develop.

Eventually I'll swap the VariX-III out for a new VX3, probably with a CDS dial. Too many other projects on the boil right now to go doing it pronto. I did try a spare Kahles 2-7x36, but the ocular was too large for those Talleys and the bolt handle.

I don't see the prices on their site at all?

Funds won't allow it at this time, but sometime or other I'd like to re-stock my Model 7 and wouldn't mind a little bit of a project.


Nice little rifle

Cal, if you're referring to Wildcat Composites here's their pricing page.

http://www.wildcatcomposites.com/prices.html

Doesn't appear to offer S/A ADL's.


Travis

I noticed that too.
Strange, the configurations they do not offer.

That's what happens when you live in CanaDUH.


Travis