Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ultimate Lightweight Big Game rifle

kinda late answering this... but I am going to answer different from anybody else I saw. 1895GS 45/70 Guide Gun Stainless. Pretty darn light and handy. With the right ammo, itll take Cape Buffalo.

Tex,<P>What is the definition of lightweight? My wife claimed my ruger ultralight M77. I suppose if I were to build a lightweight gun I'd get a stainless M77 short action, a lightweight plastic stock, and neck the WSM to .35 caliber. That said, I don't like lightweight guns, and if I'm hunting brown bears I want a 416, and I definately don't want a light 416! <P>Maybe we could throw in a compact gun, I'd take a stainless guide gun, toss the barrel and turn it into a 50 Alaskan with an 18" barrel. Would be light, and enough for coastal browns, but range limited to 150 yds.

How about a Rifles, Inc .300 win mag and a 3.5-10 Leupold? Total weight with sling and ammo is 5.75lbs. It has done everything I have asked of it so far....<P>SRM

SRM, -- welcome to the campfire, do you still have the ore cart setting on the main drag in Leadville? You have some beautiful hunting country all around you, if you own or have a friend that owns a horse. -- no

NO: Still there, I have even contributed some ore to it on occasion. You are right, outstanding elk country. My two horses are named Danner Left and Danner Right. Actually, in some of the areas, I wouldn't feel comfortable taking a horse. But at least you understand my desire for a lightweight rifle....<P>SRM

SRM, -- ole "no" is ready for bed and on second nightcap so be gentle. I have hunted rough country for many years at altitude, most of these posters don't realize what it is to hunt high. The coast hunters think they have it tough with rain and wind with temperatures in the thirties, wonder what they would do with snow so big and heavy you can't see 50 yards and dropping temperatures to way below zero. Hard to skin out an animal before it is freezing and your hands so cold you loose feeling in them, can cut your fingers or palm very bad and not realize it till too late. Unprotected ears frostbite before you can blow your nose when the wind is blowing. A sheepherders tent is like the Hilton when you get to it. The light rifle is a Godsend. The Remington 600 series is the ultimate in my book, never shot one in any caliber that wasn't a minute of angle shooter. I had a complete set of eight including the 223 and sold them last year. Now I have two 35 Whelens and would not feel underguned any where on the North American continent, acutally anywhere in the world. Might make some people nervous but with the ammo of today and the capacities of the magazines for some of the rifles, no problem, FOR ME! JMHO -- no