I had a great transaction with a fellow member recently and we ended up chatting about lightweight rifles. so I figured we should put a thread up for fellow weight weenies to show off their featherweights.
All of these are under 6#ready to hunt. but I guess we can accept anything under 7# ready to hunt.
Start with my lightest, a 300BLK handi Rifle. I have a spare shell holder screwed into the side and a stock comb riser, but with a red dot this thing is stil my lightest hunting gun:
going up from there is a kimber montana .223 cut down to about 17.25" and threaded 1/2"x28 and it has an adapter to bring the threads up to 5/8"x 24 for my can. 9If I ever get a lighters .223 can this thing will be ready for it). This one wears a 2-7x33 Leupold VX-1 scope in talley lightweight mounts, with a titanium handle. giraffe paintjob probably adds a few ounces, but my kids dig it =]
Now to the heavy hitters!!!!
This one is a kimber montana in 338 Federal cut down to 16.5", I had to do some stock patching, and then painted it following a members tutorial on here. tactical titanium bolt knob off of here, talley lightweights and a Zeiss Duralyt 1.5-5x36 scope. This rifle has taken everything from a 9 point buck and 3+ hogs offhand inside 30 yards, to a fox squirrel at 125. shoots 200 gr. Federal trophy bonded factory loads into cloverleafs from the bench.
I love the HPG stock packs, gotta represent Texas when I can:
Last one:
this one is a Kimber Adirondack in 308, it was the older model with sitka forest discontinued camo pattern that was flaking off so I had a local guy ceracoat it to Kryptek Typhon. It wears a kimber thread adapter from the factory 9/16x28 (or whatever kimber uses) to the standard 5/8x24. Scope is a Vortex HD LH 2-10x40. I have also had the 1.8-8x32. both are great set and forget scopes with a few ballistic dots in what is otherwise a pretty heavy reticle if you are so inclined. It barely makes weight =] but shoots Barnes 130gr. TTSX amazingly well.
yeah... Yukon Cornelius approves, probably an ounce or two here:
First is a Remington 700 Titanium in .260 Remington, 22" barrel, Burris Extreme 2-piece bases. 5-lbs, 9.5-oz with Fastfire, 6-lbs, 6.6oz with 1.5-5x20 in Warne low QD rings, 6-lbs, 8.1-oz with 2.5-8x36 in Warne low fixed rings (not shown).
Second is the potential successor, a Kimber Adirondack in 6.5mm Creedmoor, 18" barrel (currently with threaded muzzle protector), Warne Maxima 2-piece bases. 4-lbs, 15.3-oz as pictured.
Just got this recently from another Campfire member, so far shows promise but I haven't fired for groups yet. That particular FastFire is a first gen model, just happened to be the easiest I could swap onto the Kimber quickly; likely that'll be replaced with a FastFire 3. I'll also put the 2.5-8x36 (probably, or maybe the 1.5-5x20) in Warne QD rings and get that sighted-in that as well.
My thought in 2004 when I got the Remington was about a "lightweight scout" rifle. It's fine for that, but in the meantime the Kimber Adirondack came along, even lighter (an "airweight scout"?) and 4" shorter so seems like it might be handier.
I don't do much long-distance shooting, so I see the .260 Rem and the 6.5 Cr as pretty much interchangeable...
As a foot hunter in the Rocky Mountains, I am a big fan of the lightweight rifle. My best, so far, is a sub-7lb Kimber Montana in 25-06 with a Kahles 3-9x42 scope:
I had a great transaction with a fellow member recently and we ended up chatting about lightweight rifles. so I figured we should put a thread up for fellow weight weenies to show off their featherweights.
Lets go ahead and set the bar pretty low at 6#. all of these are under that ready to hunt. but I guess we can accept anything under 7# ready to hunt.
Start with my lightest, a 300BLK handi Rifle. I have a spare shell holder screwed into the side and a stock comb riser, but with a red dot this thing is stil my lightest hunting gun:
going up from there is a kimber montana .223 cut down to about 17.25" and threaded 1/2"x28 and it has an adapter to bring the threads up to 5/8"x 24 for my can. 9If I ever get a lighters .223 can this thing will be ready for it). This one wears a 2-7x33 Leupold VX-1 scope in talley lightweight mounts, with a titanium handle. giraffe paintjob probably adds a few ounces, but my kids dig it =]
Now to the heavy hitters!!!!
This one is a kimber montana in 338 Federal cut down to 16.5", I had to do some stock patching, and then painted it following a members tutorial on here. tactical titanium bolt knob off of here, talley lightweights and a Zeiss Duralyt 1.5-5x36 scope. This rifle has taken everything from a 9 point buck and 3+ hogs offhand inside 30 yards, to a fox squirrel at 125. shoots 200 gr. Federal trophy bonded factory loads into cloverleafs from the bench.
I love the HPG stock packs, gotta represent Texas when I can:
Last one:
this one is a Kimber Adirondack in 308, it was the older model with sitka forest discontinued camo pattern that was flaking off so I had a local guy ceracoat it to Kryptek Typhon. It wears a kimber thread adapter from the factory 9/16x28 (or whatever kimber uses) to the standard 5/8x24. Scope is a Vortex HD LH 2-10x40. I have also had the 1.8-8x32. both are great set and forget scopes with a few ballistic dots in what is otherwise a pretty heavy reticle if you are so inclined. It barely makes weight =] but shoots Barnes 130gr. TTSX amazingly well.
yeah... Yukon Cornelius approves, probably an ounce or two here:
I like that 338 Federal! I just got a Montana chambered in that myself, with a Pac Nor barrel. I've only shot some factory stuff through it, but it's showing good groups with 185's and 200 grain Fusions.
First is a Remington 700 Titanium in .260 Remington, 22" barrel, Burris Extreme 2-piece bases. 5-lbs, 9.5-oz with Fastfire, 6-lbs, 6.6oz with 1.5-5x20 in Warne low QD rings, 6-lbs, 8.1-oz with 2.5-8x36 in Warne low fixed rings (not shown).
Second is the potential successor, a Kimber Adirondack in 6.5mm Creedmoor, 18" barrel (currently with threaded muzzle protector), Warne Maxima 2-piece bases. 4-lbs, 15.3-oz as pictured.
Just got this recently from another Campfire member, so far shows promise but I haven't fired for groups yet. That particular FastFire is a first gen model, just happened to be the easiest I could swap onto the Kimber quickly; likely that'll be replaced with a FastFire 3. I'll also put the 2.5-8x36 (probably, or maybe the 1.5-5x20) in Warne QD rings and get that sighted-in that as well.
My thought in 2004 when I got the Remington was about a "lightweight scout" rifle. It's fine for that, but in the meantime the Kimber Adirondack came along, even lighter (an "airweight scout"?) and 4" shorter so seems like it might be handier.
I don't do much long-distance shooting, so I see the .260 Rem and the 6.5 Cr as pretty much interchangeable...
-Chris
I’m pretty sure I tried to buy/trade for that Creedmoor!!!
Looks like it is in good hands.
Guns like this do well with reflex sights/ small red dots/ 1x power optics. I think that type of optic fully utilized the portability and quick pointing of the guns.
I’m pretty sure I tried to buy/trade for that Creedmoor!!!
Looks like it is in good hands.
Guns like this do well with reflex sights/ small red dots/ 1x power optics. I think that type of optic fully utilized the portability and quick pointing of the guns.
I guess just lucky timing for me.
Looks like the 1-5-5x20 plus rings would add 14-oz, and the 2.5-8x36 plus rings would add 16 oz. That'd mean around 5-lbs, 10-oz or 5-lbs, 12-oz total, respectively... neither being too bad...
But yes, the small reflex is almost perfect for my application, and I don't have to worry about bolt handle versus scope tube. The other options would be more for back-up or maybe a more specialized hunt in different, more open, terrain than I usually encounter these days.
Def lots of nice rifles listed here!!! Fun to see.
Here are a few of mine.
This one barely qualifies as its 6 pounds 14 oz with the 20 oz SWFA 3-9 on it. A browning Abolt Ti in 325 WSM cut to 18" barrel:
The next one started life as a 24" 270 Win Kimber Montana 84L that I had cut down to 21" and rebored to 338-06. This spring I had it cut down to 16" and muzzle threaded for a suppressor.
Rifle with a pic rail on it is is 4.75 pounds:
Put some rings and a 20 oz SWFA and its 6.25 pounds:
Then put a 1 pound suppressor on it and we get above the weight class for this thread
However its a joy to carry and even with the shorty 16" barrel it still shoots 230 ELDx bullets at well over 2600 fps so still bringing some heat to the table despite being cut back.
Finally we got the Kimber 84M that has gotta more work done to it over the years than Michael Jackson's nose
Originally was a 308 win for many years. Then had it bored out to 358 win and put into an MPI microlight stock, added some TI action screws and bolt handle as well as lots of fluting in places.
That final weight came in at just over 3.5 pounds naked rifle. Scoped with a 2-7X28 Leupold Ultralight it was still under 4.4 pounds or more than 1/2 pound lighter than a Kimber Mountain ascent with no scope or rings:
Then two years ago I decided I want to be able to shoot most of my rifles in my backyard which means they ideally need to be suppressed for working up loads. As such I had the rifle rebarreled with a 16" Lilja slightly heavier contour than the standard 84M profile.
Even so the rifle still weighs in at 4 pounds 2 oz naked:
With the SWFA UL scope on it the whole package goes 4 pounds 13 oz:
And with a 12 oz suppressor its still just over 5.5 pounds suppressed:
The little rifle is proving to be the most accurate Kimber I have owned shooting 135 Hornady A Tips at 2800 fps from the shorty barrel.
I admit... I stole the color scheme for my Adirondack from alaska-lanche afte seeing that 4# on another forum a few years back. I run mine with a can too, great little setup!!!
I have no center fires that are 6 pounds and lighter. I do have a few that are just a few ounces over 6 pounds however. Here is my lightest rifle. A 1900 Lee in 303 with a very light barrel, but as light is it is, it still shoots as well as I can from a rest with the iron sights it has. 100 yard groups hold a smidgen under 2MOA.
(If that's not good enough please keep quite about it ----------so the deer I have been killing with it WON'T KNOW it's not good enough to kill them. So far they don't seem to know that---------)
Not really an Ultralight at 6.2lbs bare but could have been kept right at 7#’s by removing the rail, using Talleys and light glass. As it is it weights just over 8.5 #’s loses with the Atacr 4-16 on top.
I have no center fires that are 6 pounds and lighter. I do have a few that are just a few ounces over 6 pounds however. Here is my lightest rifle. A 1900 Lee in 303 with a very light barrel, but as light is it is, it still shoots as well as I can from a rest with the iron sights it has. 100 yard groups hold a smidgen under 2MOA.
(If that's not good enough please keep quite about it ----------so the deer I have been killing with it WON'T KNOW it's not good enough to kill them. So far they don't seem to know that---------)
Is that a T3 or T3X? My superlight T3X 22-250 is close to six pounds, I know the T3's were lighter, but not by that much. I also have a Montana .223 and a Fieldcraft 22-250.