The present trend seems to be centered around short-action rifle and cartridges, and I've had my share of light rifles based on that theme. But the one I've had the longest, and killed the most big game with, is a NULA .30-06 that's now 20 years old--and would be one of the last I'd part with. Despite having a 24-inch #2 Douglas barrel it weighs six pounds on the nose with scope.
One of the great virtues of NULA's is they shoot a LOT of ammo well, and often to the same point of impact, one reason I've never permanently settled on one load. (The other is new bullets and powders over the last 20 years.) Another is that unless the scope goes bad, or somebody falls on it, they retain zero year after year, even when traveling from continent to continent. My wife's first NULA was a .270 Winchester with a #1 22" barrel, and for a decade she'd go to the range early each fall and shoot one round. It would land two inches high at 100 yards, never varying more than about a 1/4", and she'd go hunting. The scope finally died (the sometimes do on real lightweights) but that wasn't the fault of the rifle, and in that period it had not only hunted all over Montana but went on two caribou hunts involving several plane rides, plus bouncing around in boats, one on the Arctic Ocean.
Some people make a big deal about the lighter weight and shorter bolt throw of short action, but the .30-06 is a Model 24, which means the action weighs 24 ounces. The bolt throw is less than half an inch longer than that of a Model 20 NULA action.
I acquired this rifle back when I was traveling a lot more than today, one reason it's a .30-06: If anything happened to my ammo, some could be easily found, anywhere ammo is available on earth. If making the same choice today I might opt for a .308 Winchester, but maybe not One thing I've noticed is the .30-06 also works fine with what are essentially .308 loads, whether factory ammo or slightly reduced handloads.
All in all, however, the virtue of my NULA isn't the chambering but the overall consistency of NULA rifles. Eileen eventually replaced her .270 with another NULA, a Model 20 in .257 Roberts, not for lighter weight but due to less recoil. We went to the range the other day to check the zero before pronghorn season, and it put one shot in exactly the same place it has for several years.
There is no doubt that the NULA is an absolutely awesome lightweight rifle. I've truly enjoyed mine. I've had a few different calibers. My 30-06 is incredibly accurate, but I don't enjoy shooting it as much as the other, especially in a prone position. I'm not exactly carrying a lot of extra weight and my stiff handloads pack about as much punch as I can tolerate. I've been debating rebarrelling to something a bit tamer since I'm such a wus. For a lightweight carrying rifle, I wouldn't look any further.
