Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Lightest possible AR-10

Has anyone ever built (or had built) something like this?

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/building-the-lightest-ar10-ever.822282/

I have made 2 that came in at 7 pounds and 6 Oz, but that was with all metal parts, me doing by own barrels. Using plastic I am sure it's possible to get a lot lighter.

I am kicking the idea around about making a 358 Winchester AR and if I do I'll make it light with a 16-17 inch barrel. The larger bore takes some weight off as does the shorter barrel, and if a 10 round P-mag is used I think I can come up with a very nice woods gun for elk and a good defensive arm for big bears.

I really wish Weaver still made a 3X fixed power scope. The best scope I could use today for the money may be a good 2X-7X. I am looking for quality and reliability with light weight.

Building a very lightweight AR-10 for hunting makes a lot of sense to me. I own a couple of Melvin's NULA rifles including a .308 that with scope weighs 5# 13oz. So why not build an equally lightweight AR-10 for hunting? Using carbon fiber furniture and very lightweight carbon-wrapped barrels you can end up around 6# with scope. Not an inexpensive build to be sure but NULA's aren't cheap either.

Yes, actually I've helped that guy with some machined parts for his light weight builds on a different forum. He's put together some interesting stuff and is not making it up.

The big weight savers are the carbon fiber handguard, Smoke Composites stock/buffer tube, and light weight barrel. The light weight carrier has some impact as well. If a guy used a reasonably light weight forged receiver set like PSA, the weight savings in the rest of the parts is only a few ounces for a lot more cost.

One caveat - from my discussions with him a few years ago, when he says "total weight" he's not counting any optics or sights, so plan to add at least 1 lb or so for a light weight scope and mount. With that said, it's possible to build something like he has, with scope and an empty Pmag, at about 6 lb.

A 20 round mag full of 308 adds another 1+ lb, but I haven't felt the need to fill the mag for hunting, a few rounds is generally fine.

Those are some lightweight rifles. My son and I built one while trying to get it light, did not go to those extremes or prices. We ended up with metal parts and came in at 8.2 pounds in a 20" barrel in 6.5Cred topped off with a Vortex Tactical II 6x24 FFP with Warne mounts and a sling and a empty mag.

Recoil is mild and while it may be light for a AR-10 it still exceeds the weight of a rifle, scope and sling of a traditional bolt action rifle. It does have the second shot follow up a wee bit quicker than a bolt shooter however.

Yep, I’m counting on an empty weight of 5# or a bit less. Add an 11 ounce scope and rings and 6# empty is quite doable.

When it comes to AR-15 lightweight builds I think the lower limit NOT requiring exotic materials and huge amounts of money is ~6lbs before optics & ammo. To get less than that will require some serious bucks and exotic bits. I would be interested in the lightest AR-10 that similarly uses non-exotic bits.

I don't agree with that, from my own experience. 6 lb is easily done with a lot of standard off-the-shelf parts without even focusing on light weight. If a guy pays attention to weight when selecting parts, 5-5.5 lb is possible depending on configuration without any exotic materials or expensive parts. That is even more true in the last few years with light weight parts becoming more common.

a loaded 20 round PMag 308 is one pound.

Under 6 pounds is easy with an AR15, a little more difficult with the AR10. Really Barrel and bolt weight will be the biggest factors in getting the weight down. Faxon makes a 308 pencil barrel that is the lightest I have seen in a budget build, JP LMOS bolt and you are in for about $600 with just that.
I guess that info is a duplicate of the above link. I really don't see why anyone wants to hunt elk with an AR10.

Why not?

Who make the lightest factory AR10? The DPMS GII Compact Hunter weighs 6.9lbs. Anything lighter?

Don't know if this link will work, Xanthos Lite 308 from 2A Armament: https://www.rainierarms.com/2a-armament-xanthos-308-xlr-18-rifle/

I would like a medium weight barrel in a 358 Winchester, 18" barreled gun. My R25 is a pig compared to something built with the purpose of being light. I thought a 2.5X Leupold for a scope. Or a red dot sight on the rail. Probably on a QD set up for both close and regular hunting. It is fun to think out specs for an ultimate gun. Good luck in your quest. Be Well, Rustyzipper.

You can definitely do a 358 Win like that, and barrels are available without going the custom route.

I like coated a BCG but the Titanium light BCG for $420 is pretty high, I’ll stick with the DLC and keep the 4 oz.



https://www.armorally.com/product-category/ar-parts/

I will stick with my 6.5grendel.just the bigger size of the ar10 turns me off.

I just noticed a typo in my post above. I wrote 7 pounds and 6 Oz. I hit the 7 key instead of the 8 key.
It's 8 Lb 6 oz not & lb 6 oz.
Sorry.



As far as why anyone would want to hunt with one...........same reason someone would hunt with a Mauser 98 instead of a lever action, or a lever action instead of a single shot breach loader, or a single shot breach loader instead of a cap-lock muzzle loader and why a cap lock instead of a flintlock or a match lock, or a spear?

Now I see both sides of the discussion clearly. In fact I do often hunt with flintlocks and many times with iron sighted rifles designed in the late 1800s to about 1920. I killed most of my game this year with iron-sighted rifles designed from 1895 to 1908. But there in no reason for me to decry a newer designs.

I love my old timers, but I have killed a lot of game with my M1, my M14, my AK47 and my AR15 in 6.8 SPC. So what is the issue? I can fire my autos as slowly as I do my flintlock, and in almost every case so far, I have. One shot per animal.
In the world of auto-loaders we have the Browning BARs and the Remington 740,742,7400, but as far as accuracy AND reliability the AR10 style rifles beat both.
A lightly built AR10ish rifle is actually a bit lighter then the steel frame BAR, just as accurate if not more so, and weather proof. It's as good an any auto-loading 308 made for hunting. So why not?
Because it's "modern"? So was every type of rifle I mentioned above at one time or another. Even the spear was modern when it first replace hand held rocks.

For hunting, yeah, I think I'm in that camp too.

I’m having this AR built because it serves as bear protection in addition to taking pot shots at wolves. I hunt with one of my company’s recurves, so the AR is a secondary weapon carried strapped to my backpack. That is why I want it to be as light as possible. If I was going to carry it in the lower 48 states I would consider other calibers besides 308. However, back when I lived in Alaska and hunted moose with rifles I used 375H&H, 300 Win mag, 30-06, 7 mm STW, and 308. I have killed more moose with a 308 than any of the other calibers. It is a cartridge I am used to and I feel comfortable with it, so I figure why change?