This is our first attempt at a truly lightweight rifle. It's not fully done yet but it's far enough along to test. Deer season started last weekend so it's in time to log a few miles and maybe bag a deer with it. We got hung up waiting on the right rings to fit this odd combination. After the hunting seasons are over the stock will be refinished and have webbing or something creative added to it. BTW, painting the stock and Cerakoting the metal added 4 ounces to the rifle. Compared to the 10 pound Accumark I usually hunt with this thing is unreal. It feels like a precision toy.

If we could find a plastic 308 follower and whittled on the mag box a little I think we could get back under 6 pounds pretty easy. This scope weighs 15.1 ounces but I do like the illuminated reticle.

Here is the specs. 7mm-08AI. The complete rifle minus ammo and sling as shown weighs 98.2 ounces.

The parts list includes:
Pierce Engineering Ti short action
Ultralight Bolt and Ti handle upgrade
Pierce .250� Titanium lug pinned to the action.
Holland aluminum trigger guard
Remington steel follower, mag spring and stainless mag well.
Krieger 7mm 4 groove 9.5 twist #0 barrel finished at 23�
Pendleton lightweight stock with 2 aluminum cross bolts added. Pillar bedded and free floated barrel. ��
Cerakote in H-146 Graphite Black
Jewel trigger
Talley light weight rings
Leupold VX-R 4-12x40 CDS 30mm. #111238.

Looks like a mountain hunters dream rifle. Can't wait to see how it shoots! Very nice work.

How is the bolt? It almost looks like it would take a bit of shooting to get used to that handle. The build looks great, hope it preforms up to your expectations. Have you had a chance to put it on paper yet?

Bob

We shot some 150 Partitions through it at 300 yards to sight it in on a clay bank. Then assassinated some pine cones and other small sticks that were just laying around from 100 to 300 yards.

This is the only paper shot with it so far. This is a Fed Ex Medium flat rate box with the security tape stop sign stuck on it. Sighted in at 300 yards we backed into the 100 yard zero using Exbal.

That skinny little bolt handle actually feels pretty good. Part of the whole "toy" feeling.

My son Brady did shoot 3 shots at a card board box at 100 yards wobbling around on a stump with a single point rest. It wasn't anything to speak about. Probably 3/4" vertical and around 2" horizontal. I didn't measure. Next time I will shoot it from a bench and use my mechanical rest. The load was 49 grains of RL-22 clocking 2660 so far on the Magneto Speed. These were all fire forming new Norma brass as we go. I've been searching high and low for 150 grain Nosler long Range Accubonds. Then we will see what she will do. With the Krieger I kind of expect it to shoot pretty well.

Shame it don't have a stainless tube.

No one would build this barrel in stainless. That would have been easier to care for the chamber and bore in bad weather.

You said you liked the scope but you could shave off quite a bit with different optics and it looks "big" to me on the rifle. Good looking rig, don't get me wrong, just my 2 pennies worth.

Nice Looking Rig

Really nice rifle.

To say that no one would make a stainless barrel in that contour isn't correct though. Hart, Lilja, Pac-Nor, to name a few would do it. You might have wanted to stick with a cut rifle tube though.

I'm with the OP on the scope though, the scope is the worst place to shave weight. It's where you give up the most performance by trying to go light. A great scope like that is worth the extra 4-5 ozs.

Cut rifling was the preference. When I can I use Bartlein but they wouldn't go this light so Krieger was chosen because I have a bunch of positive experience with them. We even looked into some guy that is going even lighter with some sort of cold spray on metal technology. We had to pass for now as he hasn't quite perfected it and I guess he blew up a couple barrels.

This scope really makes the rifle. It's nice to be able to see.

How do you like the action? Silky smooth? and feeding issues with the AI?

I runs really smooth and feeds perfect with the Nosler Partitions. I hope it works as well with the LRAB's.

Douglas would build that contour in SS as well. Builds them for Mel all the time.
Kreiger won't in stainless, neither will brux, ironically based on kreiger's cold weather shooting liability/policy.

The Vx-r in 33mm will save you two ounces over the 40mm.
Figure if you're going "ultralight" all options are on the table.

Great build, thanks for posting!

Great looking rifle, really like the bolt. Hope the accubonds shoot well for you.

This is a Brux that my Gunsmith's proprietary contour. Custom turned 3 step barrel...


Score High Gunsmithing Lightweight Packer




Are you able to do a custom contour on a barrel?

How do you like the pendleton stock? I have been looking for a short fore end sythetic for awhile. Could it be inletted for a mauser? BTW Cool Rifle!

If you're referring to the rifle above, it's a High Tech/Bansner lightweight stock

Can I do a custom contour? That is no problem at all but this is as light as Krieger will make one. It seems pretty thin. I can't imagine making it much thinner. What does your Lightweight Packer weigh in ounces?

The stock is light that is for sure. As a blank it was 16 ounces. It feels like working with a potato chip. It looks like they make them for a few different rifles. http://www.oregunsmithingllc.com/Pendleton-Composite-Stocks.html

I finally got to shoot it off a proper bench. The same fire forming loads as before actually shoots consistent 3/4 MOA. Something I didn't notice at all from field position that showed up at the bench is the amount of kick for such a light round.

I couldn't agree more. When I did my ultralight I decided on a max weight of 18 ounces. The one I chose weighs 18.1 and is very good in low light.

HiredGun,

What does the action weigh?

It was 21 on the dot with the Jewel trigger and recoil lug.

Wow! That's five ounces lighter than the Weatherby Mark V six lug I'm using. How much is it and where can we get one?

Rock Creek will do a skinny stainless as well.....if he decides to take your order.

Shocking to me that cerakote and paint adds 1/4 lb. Whoda thunk it??

This short action was $1485 before freight direct from Pierce. Without the trigger the complete action with lug is 17 ounces. This is one of the most expensive rifles Brady has ever built.

That's a lightweight stock for sure!

My lightweight rifle weighs 7.5# with the scope. It's not as light as it could be made for many reasons. If I recall correctly, the stock is 26 ounces. Made to my 14.5" LOP doesn't help on the weight. I also have a 24" barrel plus a muzzle brake. Some metal has been removed from the action and bolt handle.

Yours sounds like an all out assault to make it as light as technologically possible. Awesome!

That was the exact plan. A year of research went into selecting the components. We wanted to see what was possible yet maintain reasonable accuracy. I still need to find a plastic follower. I may have to adapt one from something else. There are a couple ounces left to be lost on the rifle. Weatherby has plastic followers and the recoil spring fits right in it. Look for a reweigh once I get the follower in it.

A shooting update. Off a bench on bags and off a mechanical rest it shoots a little better than the single point stump. I'm hoping Accubonds and some RL-17 tune it up a bit. These were still the fire form Partitions.

Looks great to me. Very nice. Love the cartridge too.

Beautiful rifle. Thanks for posting. Never heard of Pendleton stocks.

Jordan

I have the same stock and do like the stock. I don't care much for the owner of the company and his service. He was installing the stock and coating the gun, medeia blasted the chamber and inside the barrel and muzzle, he just said polish the chamber and cut an inch of the barrel.... We also had to re do his bedding.
BUT the stock is very nice and very light.

Sweet rifle!! I really like my Pierce action(cm) I have on another gun

He was very pushy about being the one to bed it and paint it but we refused. It arrived cracked right in front of the trigger area where he swore there is a steel pin. We dug into it with the mill and there was no cross pin. We went ahead and sunk a thin end mill into the front bedding area where he said the other pin was and there were no cross pins. We made up some trick aluminum ones and epoxied them in and that made the whole stock more rigid. I'm glad you posted. It was between them and MPI. If we do another I am sure MPI will be the next one we try.

If anyone sand blasted the inside of the barrel on one of my rifles he would be up for replacing the barrel. I use a flush system and will not even let cutting chips touch the inside of a barrel. Shooting grit in there? That is messed up.

Glad you didn't get mad about me posting it on your post. I do like the stock, but would not deal with him again. He tried hard to get the entire build, I told him I had a Brux barrel ordered and he said never heard of them. I said they are hear in WI and since I live in WI I get my barrel from one of the barrel makers here. Got didn't know anyone makes barrels in WI, I named a bunch and again he said never heard of them. In a later talk with MPI I dont' think Doc has much love for him as a past employee. Nope won't touch anything from Wayne again!

HiredGun,

I forgot to get back on this thread to thank you for the answer about Pierce Titanium actions. I purchased the lightened long action. With no trigger it weighs exactly 20.0 ounces on the postal scale. I have a 26" 6.5mm Christensen Arms carbon wrap that will weigh approximately 42 ounces when threaded and chambered. The MPI stock weighs 20 ounces, but it is still in the rough. I mean no barrel channel, no recoil pad, on inletting. It has the Weatherby cheek piece and Remington ADL magazine.

Officially, thanks.

You are welcome. Glad I could help.
Shawn

Thanks for the info on Pendleton stocks. I think these were the guys that I talked to at a booth at RMEF Elk Camp this year. I am looking to have my old .280 Mountain Rifle redone and these people wanted to do not only sell me the stock but all the work. The stocks looked nice and didn't have the wait time of Mcmillans.
Looks like I'll go in a different direction.