Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Ultra light Rifles

I've always built mountain rifles around 5.5 lb so I can go a bit heavy with a 18-20oz optic and finish just at or under 7 lbs with all the trimmings. Seems to be a perfect combo for me and I can still have enough rifle to shoot at extended range that being said, I have a couple rigs with the Leupold ultralight 3-9 that shave off 10 oz over the heavier optics.

I running Swarovski Z5's on my 2 light weigh guns, have a Z5 3.5-18x50 BT on my Weatherby 240 mag (5.9 pounds before scope) and a Z5 2.4-12x50 BT on my Seekins Element Havak 308 (5.4 pounds before scope).

I currently have a 2.5-10x42 NXS on my Fieldcraft. Prior to that I had a 3-10 SHV. If I was looking to go lighter I would probably go with a 3-9 Accupoint as I have had them in the past and liked them a lot.

Not an ultralight but works so well I just pretty much use this rig now exclusively for hunting whitetail(Northeast). 1955 Winchester Pre-64 M70 FWT "Thirty Aught Six"(30.06) without iron sights on barrel, aluminium base and scope mounts, Leopold 2.5-8 Vxi, McMillan Carbon Stock. About 8#s, sling, loaded with 5 rounds. Point and shoot out to 225 yards. It just plain works for me. doesn't punish me when I practice and I can carry all day. I'm almost 70 now and climbing mountains is over for me. I won't take a shot unless I know the critter is going to drop right there. I'll tag a pic when I can get it uploaded.

1955 Win M70 Pre-64 Fwt “aught six”

Weatherby Outfitter (Custom Shop Ultralight) in 6.5 Creedmoor with a Docter 3-9x36

My NULA in 7-08 that Melvin Forbes built for me in 2008 wears a Leupold FX-II 6x36 with a post and duplex reticle that was ordered from the Custom Shop. At Melvin’s suggestion, I had the scope drop shipped to him and he mounted the scope and sighted it in before shipping everything to me. The rifle and mounted scope weight 5 pounds 14 ounces. It was a pleasure to carry in Africa back in 2021 when I was 79!

Not just my ultra lites, but all my hunting rifles wear either Leupold 1.5-5X20, 2-7X33 or 2.5-8X36. I only shoot at game to 300 yds. Never sent any of them back to Leupold for issues

JGrass, how much does your pre 64 weigh and what kind of stock is it in?

My Adirondack 6.5 currently wears an LH 1.5-8, which seems about right for the package. FWIW, I’ve found the lightweights much easier to shoot accurately and long, when they have less free recoil from lighter calibers or being suppressed. All up with a suppressor, that thing is still very light yet a joy to shoot. I’d take plenty more ultralight rifles and learn to run them, gladly.

Leupold UltraLight 3x9 ( my favorite, have 6 ) or 6x36 with dots

I have 3 Kimber Montana’s, one in 204 Ruger that wears a Zeiss 3-9, it’s my bobcat and coyote gun so shots are usually under 100 yards but it will reach out if I need to.

The second is in 223 and wears a Trijicon 3-9 Accupoint. It’s kind of a do it all gun that one day I’m gonna chop down to 18” and have it threaded for my suppressor.

The third is in 22-250AI and wears an SWFA 3-9, I don’t notice the extra weight of the scope but I do notice the utility in the scope whether I’m hunting coyotes or banging steel at 1000 yards.

Swarovski Z3 3-10x42

My lightest is 5 lbs bare. Weatherby Backcountry Ti 338 RiPpeM Scope is a Primary Arms GLx

I like the Swarovski Z3 for a non-dialing scope. Light, clear and you will be able to shoot well before and after legal light. The 3-9 is 12oz and the 3-10 is 12.9oz.

If you want to dial turrets, then it becomes more complicated due to size/weight vs. features and FFP/SFP. An Athlon Heras is 22oz and the Argos is 19oz. A Zeiss V4 4-16x44 is 22oz. ALL three if those are SFP.

I have experience with the Swaro, Zeiss and Athlon Helos. All are good scopes but have different purposes. Is weight savings or features your first priority?

Forbes LH 7-08 and 280 AI and Tikka 3 SL 7 Rem Mag all have SWFA Mil 3x9