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As per there website, the 84L 30-06 family, goes 5 lb 10 oz.



Jim in Idaho,

Never handled a Brown, how do you like them?


Thanks everybody for a lot of good information here.

The stock design and how it fits the shooter has a lot more to do with felt recoil than the rifle weight, especially shooting from field positions. It's not hard to set up a nice light rifle with relatively mild felt recoil if you know what you're doing, or a heavy rifle that kicks hard if you don't.

I think they are good stocks and are very comparable to a Hi-Tech. The grip is long and open, it feels a lot like a Remington KS stock. One drawback is that they don't come with checkering and unless you put a grippy paint on them can be a little slippery.

For what Brown charges I think a nice checkered McMillan Edge fill stock would be a better choice since they are similar in price. But also be aware that if you go with anything besides the slender McMillan Hunter's Edge pattern the McMillan could end up 4-6 ounces heavier than the Brown even with the edge fill.


Here's a decent view of a Brown so you can see the profile of the grip. This was my M700 FS .30-06 and is the one I used to get the 7 lbs. 2 oz weight.

That is what I did.

My Kimber 308 is a hair under 6 lbs scoped. I like it, but consider it a special use gun for those times when it has to be really light. I find 7-7.5lbs about perfect for all around use. Light enough, but not too light. You can do the same things with a Remington and be about 4 oz lighter. I just like the Winchester better and feel it is worth 4 oz. If I really want to go light I still have the Kimber.

You can keep a Tikka at 7 lbs scoped right out of the box if you keep the optics light. For the money not a bad choice.

SS FWT in an Edge, 30-06. 7 lbs 5 oz



Winchester 70 SS Classic 300WSM, Edge stock, PTG aluminum bottom metal with VX-2 in a 3-9X40 with Talley lightweights. 7.5 lbs and recoil is very tolerable. That is a Burris scope in the photo but it currently wears the Leupold.

If my brain were oriented around to your way of thinking I would be looking at a M70/MRC/Montana in 300 WSM.

The way I tend to look at things I'm considering a Ruger American Stainless Compact in 308 topped with a FX-II next.

That is if/when/after I make some progress on the other 2 dozen projects I'm working on first.

That stock was made for me by a smith in Stockton, Ca. I don't know what he starts with. He fit it to me and knows what he is doing because he also fits a lot of competition shotguns. It was built in the mid 80's and has a Sorbacoil pad.

To the OP, I've owned all that you have on your list except the Tikka. I recently replaced my Kimber Montana 308 with a MRC and have been happier with the MRC. Both are accurate in my experience, but as reviewed in another post, the MRC is more pleasant to shoot, and easier for me to shoot well. Maybe it's the stock fit, or the extra pound+, or both. If I were looking for a lighter version, I'd pay more for the lighter version of the MRC from their custom shop before going back to the Kimber. While I buy too many, I own/keep just a few rifles that I really enjoy and sell all of the others. So, I am willing to pay for the few that I really enjoy, which is less expensive than a safe full of ones that sit unused.

From an era when people could still carry a gun hunting...

If you can stomach a Tikka you may also want to check out the Sako A7.

I have one in 300 WSM that weighs right at 7lbs with a 6x42 Leupold. Recoil is 'noticeable' with 180's at 3000 fps but if you practice with it no big deal.

That said I like the Montana a lot. The 84M is beyond sweet and I plan on getting an 84L within the next year or two. They are pretty much perfect for carrying around the hills.

The thing is, no one's rifle posted thus far is 7 lbs. all up. Most are a minimum of 7.5, and quite a few are more like 8 ready to hunt. In 30-06, you're looking at something like a Kimber 84L Montana to get to 7 lbs. ready to hunt, and it's going to generate something like 24 lbs. of fast recoil with 180s. Not fun for practice. A 300 Mag at that weight is downright unpleasant.

I understand the idea of a stock that fits. A Kimber or NULA stock is a big help with a light rifle. But there's no overcoming physics. Light rifles kick hard, and are difficult to shoot in the field. 7 lbs. ready to hunt is the bottom end of what I consider an acceptable weight for field accuracy/portability.

Any who thinks differently has simply not shot a 7lb 300 mag & sometimes field positions are not perfect to shoot from thus making the shot harder & the rifle harder to handle.

Sometimes people just gotta learn by doing.

Hell, other than for 338's & above I don't even own a magnum anymore........standard cartridges at sane ranges kill just fine.

MM

Good point....


With sling and(4 rounds of 243 ammo) my 300 WSM weighs over 7.5lbs. Throw in a bipod and it might weigh as much as Shrapnel's rifle.....grin

Edge stock which is actually about 2ozs heavier than the factory plastic.

Worst case scenario from the bench(off bags) in the original(hollow) stock, recoil wasn't terrible. The Edge and soft pad turned it into ladies gun.




The little magic wand(243).

Imagine a 308 would be even lighter.




I bet a 30-06 Montana would be more fun to shoot than a 300 Win Tikka.

Man, I thought you were set on going with the MRC. Come on man, don't disappoint us now...

I have a Tikka T3 Lite in .300 win mag with straight 6x weaver sling and kickeez pad weighs a couple of oz. over 7 lbs. Its got recoil ,but causes no pain. Aint work with it enough to know how accurate but preliminary tests have been great.

If you want a truly lightweight rifle, you should start with a short action cartridge in the first place because it's lighter than the same rifle in a long action. You should also use aluminum rings and bases instead of steel.

There's no point in spending $1200 to get a light rifle and then immediately start adding weight back on.

Tikka 30-06


Kimber 270 WSM


Faux Ti 260

Turn key I would go 84L or a Tikka super lite. Kimber's stock has it all over the Tikka, though as mentioned, ain't many that've seen a Tikka that don't shoot.

Forbes? Maybe a Colt Light Rifle? A 700 with a 22" MR or KS contour in an Edge would be sweet. If your semi-handy, a Bansner HI Tech stock cans save you a couple bills. Lots of used McMillans around as well.

Proper rings and scope go a long ways to sub 7lb set ups.

I bet you're right.........

And a 270 would be even more fun...........

And a 7-08 in the 84M would be even more fun yet.........

And it would still be able to kill elk.

I have a 1st Gen Ti in 7-08 & it goes 6.25lb, scoped.

MM

Here's a Remington Mtn rifle in an Edge. Granted it's a short action 243, but a long action ain't gonna add 1/2 pound, especially with a bigger hole in the barrel.




Here's a Husqvarna 1640 in an Edge stock with a 23" barrel. It's a 7x57 but was a 30/06 before the new tube.