Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Ever bought or shot a light/ultra-light rifle

Shot my new to me 308 Adirondack on Saturday. Less than 6lbs. Is a delight to shoot and accurate as well.

I have heavier rifles than my Kimbers. Is usually 375 and up.

^^^^^ This

I have Kimber Montanas in 6.5 Creed, 308, 338 Fed, 7 RM (Ascent). Guess which one gets shot the most <G> In fact I just resized and processed 100 6.5 cases over the weekend, and bought 500 more Hornady 140 SP. That 140 load lopes along at a massive 2500 ft/sec. Recoil is very light. I shoot that rifle 20-30 times every session, all from field positions. Shooting prone with that rifle feels like cheating.

I do think shooting unsupported is harder with a light rifle. I filled my doe tag last year shooting from kinda/mostly kneeling using a thumb size stick as support. She was only about 80 paces but planted the 165 AB tight to the shoulder from a bit of a weird position. With practice light rifles can be shot accurately.

^^^ this as well. I bought a Kimber Ascent 7 RM recently. It weighs a shade over 8 lbs. We'll see how I like that at 10000 feet after a 2-3 mile hike in. I suspect I won't notice it much strapped to my pack but in my hands all day may get old. We'll see. The Kimber Montana 308 will be along in case I feel geezery.

My Tikka Compact in 308 (https://choose.tikka.fi/global/code/TF1T2927A130063) is lighter than advertised. The website says 6 pounds 3 ounces, but mine is 5 pounds 9 ounces. For reference, a Kimber Montana in 308 weighs 5 pounds, 2 ounces. Based on recoil, this is as light as I want to go in a 308 that will use full-power ammo. Lots of practice in prone is a fact of life if you need to make long shots and that's just no fun with a rifle this light.

Accuracy and trigger are typical for a Tikka, but it’s harder to shoot well than a heavier rifle. Weight is 7 pounds, 6 ounces with a Nightforce 3-10x42 SHV. Sub-MOA groups from the bench are common enough with this scope and inexpensive factory loads, but it feels top heavy and awkward in fast offhand shooting and the eye relief is too short for prone.

With a 4x Leupold, it weighs 6 pounds, 13.75 ounces. It’s fast in offhand but it’s harder to make good groups from the bench. Recoil is also sharp, partly due to the hard factory recoil pad. Eye relief is better with the Leupold but still awkward in prone.

Not sure where I’ll end up on the optic, probably a conventional 3-9x42 with the largest eye box I can find.

Nice rifle overall, but harder to shoot well than something heavier.


Okie John

Had a model 700 TI in 30-06 that was pretty snorty with 180’s. It was sure nice to carry, and shot well.

Same approach I take.

I have a .223 in a Rem M7 set up like my hunting rifles and another 700 in .223 set yup like my precision rifles.

When working on position shooting 8 times out of 10 I'm either using a .223 or a .22LR. I also find both calibers more challenging when it comes to reading wind.

the lack of recoil and cost is definitely a benefit.

Mine weighs 9lb 6oz all together which is light enough to carry and pleasant enough to shoot.

My 358 win 700 is 6-10 ready to hunt. I basically had to learn to shoot again but it may be my favorite rifle now. Its pretty sporty recoil-wise. My M7 7-08 is 6-8 rth but nothing approaching the recoil of the other.

A Kimber Hunter in 6.5CM was the lightest big game rifle I ever owned. It was a bear to keep under 1 1/2". Spent more time waiting for it to cool off than shooting it so I sent it down the road. Have since had a medium weight (~8#) Bergara and most recently a Tikka T3X Lite. Both were much better rifles than the Kimber with the Tikka being the best of the bunch.

The majority of my rifles are lightweight, from Weatherby Backcountry Ti at 4.9 pounds bare, to 3 Rifles, Inc. Stratas with similar weights, a ULA in .17 Rem. and a .223 Montana. I guess I'm used to them and have no problem hitting out to 400 yds. if necessary.

My Brother had a Model7 308. Walnut short thin barrel. He always had me shoot to check zero because I shoot better than him. That was the most miserable gun I have ever shot. Painful.