Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats How light can one make a model 70?

As has been said, M70 actions are heavy. There's a number of easy ways to lighten the rifle, the stock and barrel contour being the first place to start. Find a 24 oz stock and you're on your way. The M70 Featherweight barrel contour is a brilliant compromise that eliminates the typical barrel shank, but still has a nice medium taper from the little mini 1/4" shank to the muzzle. It's stiff, but not a pencil barrel like the M700 Mountain Rifle contour. The next place to think about weight is the scope and mounts. The Talley lightweight's in x-low are the place to be for lightweight unit. Mount a scope that doesn't go over 12 oz's. Bottom metal is another place to look - ditch the factory stuff and go to an all-aluminum bottom metal assembly (like PT&G). Get rid of the metal factory follower and replace it with a composite follower. Use a Butler Creek Mountain Sling (there really is no lighter, functional sling). You can even ditch the factory firing pin and get a Tubbs speed lock unit, saving an ounce.

Here's a lightweight 308 Win I did (you could lose 2 oz's going to a blind magazine with aluminum trigger bow and losing one round) :