Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Pack Rifle

You mean like this...

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=298979

Jerry

John Harvard, my initial thought was, "That's kind of a cool idea, but it looks pretty fragile; why not an AR-7 that stows inside its own buttstock?" But then I looked up the specs and saw it weighs 3.5 lbs instead of 1 lb...

After reading your follow-up post on why you were thinking about this rifle and how you hunt, etc. I was thinking about what you said about the S&W 317 and how you're pretty decent with it out to 10-15 yards when it hit me, if you're an archery hunter, don't they make an arrow for small game to do just that? It would only cost you the weight of an additional arrow or two, I'd think. Pardon my ignorance if that wouldn't work, because I'm not into archery.

I often in similar situations but I have a supressed 22/45 that i lite, compact and does the trick.

bhemry, up until a couple of years ago we always used an arrow with a small-game head. It's not as efficient as an accurate 22 but can get the job done. If the grouse is up on a limb taking a shot at one with an arrow puts a $30+ arrow at risk of being lost. I already own a Henry AR-7 Survival rifle and liked the idea enough to buy it. But as you said, at 3+ pounds it's not ideal. Plus, to make it quiet I have to shoot low-velocity/quiet ammo like the CCI CB. That won't cycle the AR-7 action so it becomes a 3+ pound single shot.

AKPENDUDE, if I could own a suppressed 22 pistol I would, but living now in California I can't. However, to cycle the action on a 22 semi-auto I assume I'd have to use higher-velocity 22LR ammo. At supersonic speeds, even suppressed, I'm not sure that setup would be any more quiet/less noisy than my little revolver with CCI CB Longs and CB Shorts. A suppressed 22 semi-auto would weigh more than 13 ounces too (the weight of my 317).

Wow! Enough said! Now I remember why I chose not to get into archery years ago, I still had guns to buy and couldn't afford to do both.

Another thought I had was, and I'm sure you already thought of this, is if you're using a revolver as your bear protection is to use a low-powered SWC or full wadcutter, but then again, you still have the noise factor of a short-barreled gun even at low power.

Don't know what your bear gun is, but maybe if you saved enough weight by going to the Scandium 329, you could offset the weight of a lightweight .22?

Actually you have got my curiosity up about this gun, so I sort of hope you do buy it and write up a review of it here. Selfish, I know.

For bears I carry a customized 480 Ruger revolver, so it can't be used to take a grouse or rabbit for a variety of reasons. The little 317 is light weight, carries 8 rounds, fully loaded with a CT grip weighs 13 ounces, and is accurate enough if I do my part. The only problem is the noise. Not terrible mind you with CB ammo, but it's definitely louder than I want. Maybe there is no better option? That's why this little rifle was so intriguing when I saw a writeup about it. The report/noise from a rifle barrel firing CB ammo is less (I think) than the best suppressed semi-auto 22LR pistol firing high-velocity ammo. A single shot is all I need for my intended purpose. Just looking at it online and having never held one, the durability of the pack rifle is my biggest concern. That's why I was hoping to find someone who owns one to comment.

As to durability-the materials the Packrifle is made from are machined alumium and carbon fiber tubing. Those are basically the same materials used in trekking poles that last thousands of miles being pushed against the ground with ones full body weight or twisted between rocks ,logs whatever .. The Pack rifle's slso probably much stromger than the structural poles used in modern high end ultralight tents that can hold up to gale force winds.

As to noise- some of the report of a revolver comes from the cylinder gap..So even if you had a custom barreled 22 revolver with
the same length barrel as a fixed breech rifle- the revolver would still be louder.

Not I. When looking at the same thing but wanting a .22 Mag/.22WRF capability I found these. http://www.rutalocura.com/products.html

DB, I had also found the Ruta Locura site but wasn't sure if they were still in business. Do you have one, and if so, how do you like it?

John,

Here's an old (2009) review on the rifle You are asking about.

https://backpackinglight.com/pak_rifle_review/


Keystone arms Crickett Rifle & Pistol:
These are some kits from Ruta Locura (?) to convert Your Cricket 22 Rifle/Pistol to a lightweight platform and a review by a blogger that goes by 'WoodTrekker'. I would have liked to have picked up one of the barrels but they were not available back when I had the Cricketts... the stock sucks IMO (based on pictures only as I never had one of the kits).

http://www.rutalocura.com/22magPRK.html

http://www.rutalocura.com/PPK.html

http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2013/06/ultralight-backpacking-rifle-ruta.html

I'll add a link of a guy who built his own backpacking stock for the Crickett:

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=869105


Savage Rascal:
I used to have a couple of Cricketts (for the Kid's) and never really cared for them. When Savage came out with the 'Rascal' I picked one up and like it a lot (so did the Kids). Unlike the Crickett; rounds can be dropped in the breech and chambered by working the bolt, it has a Real safety, it cocks by working the bolt, the sights are much more robust and if You so desire ...it is drilled and tapped for Weaver scope bases (a scope on such a tiny rifle is too much IMO). They are quite accurate... I can hit a 3 inch swinger at 50 yards 3 or 4 times out of 5 shots offhand. BUT it is probably too heavy for what You are looking for, as the bare rifle weighs 2 pounds - 11 ounces. Here is a blog again by woodtrekker of a Rascal that He modified... He fails to drop much weight though;

http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2014/06/ultralight-backpacking-rifle-savage.html


My experience:
Like You I had a S&W 317. it was a delight to carry but I was not Grouse accurate with it so I tripped it (unfortunately I might add). Now I've got a S&W 63 w/ a 4 inch barrel, it weighs 27 ounces but I am much more accurate with it than the 317. I also have a Ruger Mark III 22/45 lite, weighs 22.7 ounces (w/an empty mag.) and a Ruger Mark III 22/45 with an 8.5 inch Tactical Solutions barrel which weighs 25.5 ounces (w/an empty mag). I can shoot the 22/45's better than the S&W 63 particularly the one with the 8.5 inch barrel and the Savage Rascal even better than the pistols... the trade off being ease of carrying.

If You can locate some, try CCI's 'Target Shorts', they are much more accurate than CB caps or standard shorts and a Lot quieter than any other shorts I have tried (out of a rifle) and I have tried Remington, Winchester, CCI HiVel., Aguila Shorts & Aguila Target Shorts. I've got a bunch of CCI 'Quiet' ammo, but have not compared the sound signature or accuracy between the two.

Were I to pursue an even lighter set up I would either a.) see if the Ruta Locura rifle barrel would fit the Savage Rascal or b.) Buy a Keystone Crickett Pistol and install a Ruta Locura Pistol barrel on it.

Enjoy Your Journey,

Jerry

No, I don't. I got a .22 WMR SS Cricket and an extra stock. I am guessing I will get one of the stock kits at the very least.

If I got one of the PackRifles I'd want to McGuiver some sort of case to carry it in. My pack gets pretty beat up every day while hunting - used as a seat or a back rest or just bumping into rocks. I'd never feel comfortable carrying the PR broken down strapped to the outside of my pack. I can envision getting everything inside of a fairly small diameter tube except the grip. Maybe cut a slot in the tube for that? I'd have to get that figured out before I'd want to carry it.