Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Light weight bolt action for old guy

Great picture! Send a copy to each of his OLD friends.

To keep recoil down without sacrificing performance, consider a .260 Rem or 6.5 Creed. Then have Melvin build you a NULA while you are still young enough to enjoy it.

One shot at 225 yards 2015 opening day. The bull walked about 90 feet and fell over. 140 gr Accubond.





P

OP definitely needs a sendero in .300 win mag.

The 7mm-08 even works on elk with a single Ballistic Tip. Who knew...

Well, I'm 79 and while I still use 8 to 8.5 pound rifles most of the time, I've gone to a Winchester M70 Featherweight in 7x57 for most of my hunting. I can load it up to 7-08 velocity without any problem and the rifle is light enough that it doesn't break down my arches in the field. The rifle has proven accurate with just about everything I've run through it. I'm also playing with a Ruger #1A in 7x57 plus a custom FN Mauser I have put together a few years back. Both of those rifles are also in 7x47. The ruger is probably 7.5 pounds andd the Mauser I'd guess a bit over eight pounds. I'd guess the M70 is 7 pounds even as it is the lightest of the three.
I do have a custom Steyr Mauser in .308 that was an experiment on how light I could go. Five pounds even with scope, sling and full magazine. Hardest gun I have ever shot regarding accuracy. Just can't hold it still. Too light for sure.
I also have a Danzig Mauser that was rebarreled by P.O. Ackley in .270 that must not weigh more than 6, maybe 6.5 pounds. A real pre-war style Mauser than needs the proper scope mount to make complete. Otherwise my gunsmith will have to fill in eight screw holes and a large hole on the rear receiver ring before he can properlu drill and tap for a modern scope rig. Then do a new bolt handle and put a scope usable safety on the gun. My guess would be maybe 7 to 7.5 pounds when done. Many dollars to accomplish. Wonder if I'll live long enough to get that job done.
Oh well, my money'd on the M70 Feathereight in 7x57. I do have a Pachmeyr pad on mine for my wife's comfort for when she was able to hunt with me. My other Featherweight in in .257 Roberts. Love 'em both.
Paul B.

Watch your scope weight. Light rifle with big ass scope defeats the purpose of light rifle. Seen it done.

My Dad turns 80 this year, he went the lightweight route a few years ago with two:

Ruger 77 RL tang version in 257 Roberts
Montana 84M Montana 7mm-08

The 7mm-08 gets carried when he's walking a ways or during bad weather, even whacked a Dall Sheep with it when he was 73. He's never really warmed up to the Ruger.

If he's sitting, he has an Ithaca LSA-65 in 270 that he has the most confidence in and usually goes with him. Not a bad choice either, it's probably in the 7 - 7.5 lb range.

But if you can shoot a Ruger in a WSM off the bench and it weighs 2 lbs less than your other rifles, you can do pretty much what you want! Used Colt Light Rifles would be a good place to look, 30-06 is the most common caliber, and are more budget conscious. Of the rifles you listed, the Kimber would be my choice.

Another vote for the X-Bolt. I have the Stainless Stalker in 30-06 and the recoil isn't very noticeable. Good ergos and recoil pad. As has been said, a .308 or 7-08 would kick even less.

If you keep shooting the first bull you see you'll never get a big one.




P

I have a Savage lightweight hunter in .308. About as light as I want to go unless I was to go down in caliber.

If I were to do it over I would get a NULA in 6.5x55 or possibly a model 20 in 6.5x284 and be done with it. But then there is the 6.5x55 AI that is a great round if you don't mind fire forming. Any of the 6.5's would be ideal.

One man's pussycat is another man's mule. I have found stock fit is the main determining factor in perceived recoil. Tikka stocks fit me so poorly that shooting a T3 Lite in 308 was simply punishing. However, shooting a skeleton stock Ruger 30-06 with heavy loads seemed almost pleasant. Find a good rifle under 7lbs bare that fits your properly, preferably in 7mm-08 or similar and you will have found what you are looking for.

IMO - Reloading is required for performance in the Swede

I know Other opinions vary.

Jerry

I have two fairly light rifles; a Browning X-Bolt Stainless Stalker in 300 Win Mag and a Tikka T3 7mm-08. Both are easy to carry, whether chasing elk in CO or deer hunting in SD or elsewhere. One of the most balanced rifles I own, is a heavier Ruger All Weather M77 short action 358 Win.

Just my opinion, but a good balanced rifle, sometimes trumps a lighter rifle, especially when strapped to a backpack. I use a Crooked Horn Gun Commander on my packs for carrying my rifles. The ability to quickly adjust it's position on my pack's shoulder strap makes a huge difference in comfort, regardless of which pack I use. By the way, I'm an older hunter (soon will be 66 yrs old) with a bad back, nerve damage in one leg and an arthritic knee on the other. Getting old sucks, but it sure makes one creative in finding comfortable ways to hunt.

At 72 going on 73, with a bum shoulder from a rough surgery in '06 that took 18 months of rehab to regain 75/80% mobility I am finally giving up on the idea that I am still 10 feet tall and bulletproof when it comes to rifle recoil.

So...I've been letting my fingers do the hard work on the keyboard shopping possible alternatives. Back after the shoulder surgery and the beginnings of the recovery I bought a T3 Lite SS 270, and proceeded to load up my usual maxmax 270's loads and the lil gun shot 'em all in one hole, but the side of my face, neck and shoulder turned black and blue by the time I got home and freaked the wife, from the plavix I'd forgotten about did that when I was least expecting it. The T3 Lite weighed 6lb's 2 oz's and the all up with a Burris FF II was about 7lbs 4oz's . I know it was the T3 Lite that did the dirty deed 'cause I'd been shooting a 9.3x62 CZ 550 & 300WMg M70 Classic tupperware off the bench and never felt a thing even with the big Winnies loads reduced by 3 grains & the 9.3 & a max load of 270gr'ers had never bruised me even right after the 4 stent's were put in....just pushed me around a little. A PAST pad helps in bench work too.

So for a solution, I went and found one of the last T3 6.5 Swedes left from the 1st shipment in the Gander Mtn system about 150 miles from home and was a happy camper...as the Hunter Grade wood stocked rifles weigh 6 5/8ths lbs bare nekkid and the stock fit me like it was made for me personally. 47+r's of RL19 loads under a 6.5 120gr Sierra PH's & 130gr NAB's roll Texas WTails just like the T3Lite 270 I had done for years in Max'ed 130's did..and never left a mark on me.

Fast forward to today ...I had already bought a T3 Hunter 260 last year realizing that I am winding down in my hunting career and swapped off all of the belted boomers, then just picked up one of the last of Whittakers 6.5 Swede Superlites, and last fall had backed into a XTR M70 7x57 Fwt too, and am just now putting the rigs together to go spend some quality time at the range. I trust one or all 3 of these rigs will get the job done on anything I can get a crosshair on without any issue's.

Hope this'll give you some ideas about how I addressed the same issues you are facing. FWIW I just spent some rainy day time earlier this week in Europtics website looking at their T3 closeouts & specs...all the T3 & T3x wood stocked Forests & Hunters weigh 6lb 13oz's for almost all of the calibers still left. The Swede's in both wood stock styles also weigh the same @ 6lb 5/8's and the T3 7Rmg and 270WSM's weigh 7lbs even as I recall....a downloaded 7Rmg at beginning powder levels in the Nosler online manual, and give about the same MV's as a 6 3/4lb M70 Fwt 280 too...and IMO would make a good choice if you can take the small increase in recoil over the 7-08 & 7x57's.

So, 6.5s & 7-08's (about 50 fps faster than a 7x57 with about the same load) is where I would suggest you concentrate. until you decide what other options you want to follow...however with better bullet choices than any of the smaller diameter shooters. 6.5's & 7mm's are where I am going to go for a "long term" solution...but then I did do a Texas Management Lottery Hunt one time with a 86 year old wearing a pacemaker that filled his tag complete using a 250 Savage so I KNOW that it can be done.
Ron

I love my Kimber Montana but if I had my druthers and could get the permission of my wife, Id order up a NULA.

I hope to turn eighty in September. I was much of a man until at seventy two, I lost my heart rhythm. Two cardioversions and a pacemaker later, has changed the way I hunt. Fortunately, I already had two lighter rifles in the safe. A matched pair of Browning Safaris in 243 and 308, built on the small ring FN Mauser wearing pencil barrels. Of the two, my favorite is the 308 wearing a 4X Zeiss. If the 308 becomes a bit much, I have confidence in the 243 loaded with 95 or 100 Nosler partitions.

Part of my problem is defective heart valves. I can't get enough blood flow to get in hunting shape anymore. Chasing desert mule deer in the foot hills is no longer feasible. The Brownings are a bit lighter than the Winchester featherweight's, but that is no longer much of an issue. Texas legal, my hunting vehicle is a Kawasaki Mule, equipped for hunting. Most of my hunting now is from a box stand overlooking a feeder, food plot, water, or all three. I sometimes take the Mule to a remote place then build an improvised hide or stand. Food plots, water and game trails usually dictate where. For this purpose, I'm glad that I kept most of my standard rifles. All the magnums are long gone. Since my carry distance is short, I find an old Browning BAR Gd III to be welcome. Due to weight and the gas system, the 30-06 doesn't bruise me up. Due to a life sentence of blood thinners, a 20 ga shotgun that does not produce unpleasant recoil never the less, leaves me bruised. Not so with the BAR.

It sounds like you are not otherwise handicapped. My suggestion to you is a T3 in something between 243 and 7-08. If elk are on the agenda, go 7-08. Keep one or two of your standard guns. If you get to where walking is no fun, weight is not critical, they may become useful again.

Modern bullet construction has put lighter calibers on steroids.

Best wishes,

Jack

In the Free Classifieds, Onpoint has a Tikka T3 SS .308 for sale $585. NIB. Might want to look at that.

Forgot to add the easy cure for my T3 270 Lite's bite was to get rid of the truck tire non slip butt pad on the T3's, and pickup a ready fit Limbsaver. Just use a bit of vaseline on the shaft of a #2 Phillips head screwdriver to keep from tearing the soft Limbsaver screw holes, and spend 5-10 minutes for the changeover...the difference in felt recoil is mindboggling. I still felt the 270 Lite's jump, but the owie pinch factor was all gone and had no more bruising anywhere.

That 1st T3 Swede HunterGrade was left deadstock and had so little felt recoil I prolly could have shot it off my forehead with no ill effect....and would expect a 7-08 to be the same. It'll be interesting to see if the new T3 Superlite Swede will need some Limbsaver help, but I doubt it, and I am planning on it becoming my everyday allday go to critter gitter
Ron