Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Lightweight rifles

heading out west for a hunt next year. what the best lightweight rifle for up to $1,500? will be chasing elk and mule deer.

I’m partial to the Remington model seven or 700 mountain rifle.

Tikka T3x 30-06, Burris 3-9 FF II & a few bucks leftover for tags.

Damn hard to beat that package. Op could take his pick of good cartridges to use. I have them in 6.5cm, 7mm08, 308win. All prime candidates sure to work on elk. Great choice though.

Although all my lightweight rifles are M700’s, that combo would be a good and easy way to go.

Take the remaining money, put it in the bank to pay bills, and spend a couple extra days in the field…….

Another vote T3x. But in 270 or 06. Vx3 3.5-10 with CDs for easy dialing. Or meopta 2.5-10.
Maybe 7 rem mag if you feel you need a magnum to kill an elk.

I went from a Ruger M77 boat paddle in .338 to a Kimber Montana in 300wsm. The 338 felt like it was 10 pounds, where the kimber comes in around 6. Killed several bulls with the WSM out to 280 yds. Archery hunt now and prob never go back to a rifle.

A SS Tikka is around $750 here. Blue, closer to $600. I can see the advantages to SS, but it wasn't worth an extra $150 to me. I have other rifles that cost more, but I sometimes wonder why.

My choice would be a Winchester M 70 Featherweight .30/06. A Leupold 6x or 2-7x would be good choices for scopes.

Load it with 180 grain Nosler Partitions and go hunting.

My nephew has a Kimber Hunter in 280AI, I'm seriously jealous, wish they made them in 22-250, would be a great coyote calling rifle.

Model 70 Classic Stainless synthetic in 308 that I bought in 93-94 with a VXII 3x7 weighs in at 7.8.....use to wear a 3x9 but like the 2x7 for what I hunt.

Meant to say a VXII 2x7 shooting the TTSX 130 in handloads.

Really hard to beat Tikka. Super accurate as well. Add a Swarovski 3.5-18 x 44 on it with the ballistic turret and you're good to go out to 500 yards (with proper site in). The scope weighs a mere 15.9oz. with best of the best glass. You can have a rifle, scope, sling, and loaded magazine under 8lbs.

Good choice, and one I had for a long time, but the OP want's a lightweight... the M70 isn't!

lightweight rifles ? is kinda a decision each person has to decide your size and how fit you are can make a decision more than the weight of a rifle .

Totally agree... I'd go 270 Win, but the concept remains the same. Whenever I meet someone new to hunting here in Montana who is asking for rifle advice, that's the setup (in 270) I tell them to get.

I agree, but by any reasonable modern definition, an all-up 8+ lb rifle is not a lightweight.

I feel like one of those featherweights in a LW stock like an EDGE or Brown, is just about right. for me its like the 3 bears, Standard featherweight too heavy, 308 Montana too light for me to shoot really well in all positions, but a 22" featherweight with a 22oz stock just right.

Relating to your OP, this rifle should meet you price and weight requirements, the Tikka is also very popular. https://christensenarms.com/mesa/

I've had something like 6 M70 Fwt's with the McMillan Hunters Edge before I quit them... man do I hate that stock! I'd go Brown or Bansner.

A LA M70 Fwt in a 24oz fiberglass stock, with all-aluminum bottom metal (or a blind magazine), X-Low Talley lightweights, a 6x36 Leupold, 5 rounds, and a Butler Creek Mountain Sling, can be brought in "all-up" right around 7lb's 8oz's. In my world that's a "midweight" but it's still a darn good place to be!