Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Favorite Lightweight Rifle?

For me it is my Kimber Montana 84 in 308. It is an absolute joy to carry and hasn't let me down.

I have to agree, and +1 for the adirondack and mountain light line if you can afford the extra coin on one.

I have a M70 featherweight compact in .22-250 for my daughter, it's a great little gun too, shoots 1 MOA with winchester 40 round bulk box ammo, but it can't compete on weight with the longer barrelled and full stocked kimbers.

I wish I grabbed one of those Winchester M70 stainless featherweight shot show specials a few years back in .243 seeing the one posted above makes me drool also!

What caliber is that Stainless classic featherweight?

Of the lightweight rifles I have owned the list would look like this from favorite to least favorite.

Nula model 24
Nula model 20 (on order but I imagine will be in this spot when it arrives)
Forbes model 24B
Model 70 Featherweight (not exactly lightweight)
Kimber Montana M84L
Sako 85 Finnlight
Sako A7 (sort of light)
Tikka T3 Lite
Tikka T3 Super Lite

Sako 75 Finninght
Sako L579 243

Both the above were once considered lightweight but no longer in today's standards which to me would be 6 lbs and under without scope.

Forbes 24B
Kimer Montana
I consider both lightweight rifles. Both are very accurate rifles but I shoot the Forbes best,or you might say the Forbes is easier to achieve accuracy with. It might just fit me better since I'm 6'4". It does have a longer LOP and is longer overall.

What is the LOP of the Forbes?

My Sendero's.

Most of those are hardly lightweights by today's standards. For me 8 lbs scoped is a heavy rifle. Lightweights are under 7 lbs scoped.

1999 Winchester 70 Classic Compact 308 WIN.

A real sweetheart, when I can wrestle it away from my son. I do believe he's claimed permanent possession.

Still looking.....

Dang, as I read your post I was hoping your first choice was the Model 70 XTR FWT in 7x57 (7mm Mauser)...

I measure 14 1/4 on the Forbes and 13 1/2 on the Montana.

Original 30-06, purchased to make 338-06.

I have a Remington Mountain Rifle in 7-08 that I've further lightened with an ultralight B&C glass stock, an aluminum trigger guard, and a Gre-Tan (PTG) bolt shroud/spring/pin assembly. It's really light. Shoots good too. With a Leup 2.5-8 in Talleys it is, as they say, model-perfect.

Stepping it up a solid notch I have a Kimber Montana in 7 WSM. It sports a 3-10 Nightforce SHV in Talleys. That's not a light scope. Overall though, for a 7-mag the whole package is very light.

Light rifles take discipline to shoot well. I've worked really hard to get to where I can reliably print tiny, sub-MOA groups with the Kimber for instance. As a big bonus, if you put in the work to get good with a featherweight, heavier rifles are a breeze to shoot well!

I have two:

1) An Austrian made "stalking rifle" in 6.5X52R - weighs in at 5.75 lbs.



and 2) a custom Sako L579 action in 250-3000 built by a local western PA gunsmith (Red Riddle) - weighs 6.25 lbs



PennDog

Both are nice but I really like the stalking rifle.

Dang, that Sako looks nice Penn..

Thanks RHClark & Jericho.....as seen in the photos I do more carrying than killing anymore so I appreciate the weight savings....the 250 is better in person this gunsmith did some fine work ahead of his time....the stock is thinned out everywhere - it actually only holds two in the magazine and the barrel is pencil thin and 19.5" long...it handles very well (actually both do).

PennDog

Waiting on my NULA's but right now this is it:

Penndog wins. Those are both beauties