Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Light weight bolt action rifles...

I can only add that I love to carry my Rem Ti 30-06, but I hate shooting it at the range! I think 7-lbs is about the right combo.

Oh! What could he know back then?

I have a kimber 84L 06 that goes 6lbs 9ozs with the Zeiss 3x9. It doesn't feel to light and recoil isn't bad either. It has killed every animal it was pointed at. I hope to chase Elk with it next fall where in sure the lack of weight will be appreciated.

Oh yeah I've had a blr and marlin 1895 guide gun trying to rekindle my love for levers that I had in my youth. They were the only guns I ever missed deer with as an adult......I much prefer a bolt gun!

7.5lbs of pure sweetness(minus the pod and a little mud).



I should go clean that [bleep] off, still laying in the garage on a lawn chair. Nah.....maybe next week...grin

So what is that thing? A Tikka? A Sako?


Travis

Sako A7/Edge.

Is that like a Finnlight?


Travis

Negative, it's a poor man's Finnlight.

Basically a cross between a Sako and a Tikka.


Pretty the A7 weighs less than a Finnligh. Same barrels, slighty different action, plastic mag/bottom 'metal'.

I have a standard 85 that never gets used just because the A7 is so much nicer to carry. Rifle is right around 6lbs bare. No pencil barrel either.

Hmmmm.... interesting.

Thanks buddy. GFY.


Travis

That's a good point. And there are ways to save weight without carrying a lighter rifle. Gear, pack and what's in it matter too. Besides, I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one that could shed some weight off my middle and save WAY more than a few ounces.

I'll take that bet. YOU are the only one overweight. NOT

An honest-to-goodness lightweight is 2nd on my need/want list after another AR lower. It will get used for antelope, mule deer and elk. While I'll practice to 600 yards (the limits of my range), the longest shots I've taken in 31 years of big game hunting were 399 yards for my elk three weeks ago and 350 yards for an elk some years ago. All others have been under 300 yards. The lightweight rifle, therefore, should be completely adequate at 400 yards and provide acceptable performance at 600 given a broadside opportunity.

Lower recoil is more pleasurable for long range sessions and whatever rifle I get can expect significantly more range than field use. Also, I don't particularly want a cartridge I already load for, with the possible exception of the .280 Rem. That limits the available cartridges somewhat. Short magnums are not ruled out completely but the only one I'm seriously interested in is the .300RCM.

For barrel length I like the 20" of the Ruger RCMs but final length may be shorter or up to 22" depending on action and other factors. A full custom is unlikely although some mods, like shortening the barrel and restocking are acceptable.

Short Action:
.260 Rem
7mm-08
.308 Win
.300RCM

Long Action:
6.5-06
.270 Win
.280 Rem

Long action cartridges don't excite me that much although I haven't completely ruled them out. The .270 Win would be a good choice in a long action but no better than the 6.5-06 or .280 Rem. Moreover I don't currently load any .277" bullets and don't need another pile of bullet boxes in my reloading area. For all the others, short action or long, I already keep a good selection of bullets on hand. Since I already have a 7mm RM, .280 Rem and 6.5-06AI, a standard 6.5-06 with a 22" barrel would be a good long-action choice for what I want.

If my .280 Rem was a bolt gun I'd probably just chop the barrel, put a lightweight synthetic on it and call it good. More likely is a used Remington SA in a McMillan Edge or a Ruger Compact (20" barrel, 6.75 pounds) in .308 Win or .300RCM.

Like many here, yes, I could lose more weight by shedding my love handles. Working on that too, down 22 pounds since mid-September, another 22 to go.

Do you carry your belly in your hands? How about the stuff in your pack?
Your rifle is the only item which you carry in your hands while hunting and stuff carried in your hands is supported by your muscles. 8oz in your hands is likely the equivalent of 15lbs in your pack.

I agree. Light rig has nothing to with gut size.


Travis

I'm wondering why the heck someone would carry the rifle in their hands when they have slings and gun bearers. I don't know anybody who hikes around all day carrying the rifle. Rifle on your back, hands free to glass.

When still hunting I prefer the rifle in my hands. Of course, the mt sides I hunt generally have a max range of 100 through "holes" and most shots are ~75 yards, so things are kinda tight. It could be done with a slung rifle, but I prefer to carry it. I usually carry it in my left arm, arm bent at 90 degrees, rifle sitting sideways.....my right hand holds bino's with the right elbow resting on the stock for support, right index finger holds edge of cap bill to steady. A 6.5lb rifle is nice when doing this.

My lightest rifle has no sling nor the swivel studs for one. In the thick Alder brush and in the overgrown swamps of NE MN the rifle better be in your hands or you'll not get a shot off.
And the binos stay in the shack whilst traversing this vegetation choked terrain as they'd be nothing more than an encumbrance.

Belly .........bloody slows me down a bit...........must be the good wife's cooking........
Gus

Still hunting for the most part it best be in your hands, although there are exceptions when you catch them off guard. I like light rifles, but around 7lbs 8ounces may be the best compromise for me most time in Pa.

Agree with battue and nsaqam. When still hunting the rifle is in my hands.

I've got the itch to lighten up my M7 .358 some. Thinking I'll pull off the barrel and re-profile it on my new big lathe. It's got the infamous Pac-Nor long shank which, if nothing else, makes re-stocking it a pain.