I had a great transaction with a fellow member recently and we ended up chatting about lightweight rifles. so I figured we should put a thread up for fellow weight weenies to show off their featherweights.

Lets go ahead and set the bar pretty low at 6#. all of these are under that ready to hunt. but I guess we can accept anything under 7# ready to hunt.

Start with my lightest, a 300BLK handi Rifle. I have a spare shell holder screwed into the side and a stock comb riser, but with a red dot this thing is stil my lightest hunting gun:





going up from there is a kimber montana .223 cut down to about 17.25" and threaded 1/2"x28 and it has an adapter to bring the threads up to 5/8"x 24 for my can. 9If I ever get a lighters .223 can this thing will be ready for it). This one wears a 2-7x33 Leupold VX-1 scope in talley lightweight mounts, with a titanium handle. giraffe paintjob probably adds a few ounces, but my kids dig it =]





Now to the heavy hitters!!!!

This one is a kimber montana in 338 Federal cut down to 16.5", I had to do some stock patching, and then painted it following a members tutorial on here. tactical titanium bolt knob off of here, talley lightweights and a Zeiss Duralyt 1.5-5x36 scope. This rifle has taken everything from a 9 point buck and 3+ hogs offhand inside 30 yards, to a fox squirrel at 125. shoots 200 gr. Federal trophy bonded factory loads into cloverleafs from the bench.




I love the HPG stock packs, gotta represent Texas when I can:






Last one:

this one is a Kimber Adirondack in 308, it was the older model with sitka forest discontinued camo pattern that was flaking off so I had a local guy ceracoat it to Kryptek Typhon. It wears a kimber thread adapter from the factory 9/16x28 (or whatever kimber uses) to the standard 5/8x24. Scope is a Vortex HD LH 2-10x40. I have also had the 1.8-8x32. both are great set and forget scopes with a few ballistic dots in what is otherwise a pretty heavy reticle if you are so inclined. It barely makes weight =] but shoots Barnes 130gr. TTSX amazingly well.




yeah... Yukon Cornelius approves, probably an ounce or two here:

First is a Remington 700 Titanium in .260 Remington, 22" barrel, Burris Extreme 2-piece bases. 5-lbs, 9.5-oz with Fastfire, 6-lbs, 6.6oz with 1.5-5x20 in Warne low QD rings, 6-lbs, 8.1-oz with 2.5-8x36 in Warne low fixed rings (not shown).








Second is the potential successor, a Kimber Adirondack in 6.5mm Creedmoor, 18" barrel (currently with threaded muzzle protector), Warne Maxima 2-piece bases. 4-lbs, 15.3-oz as pictured.



Just got this recently from another Campfire member, so far shows promise but I haven't fired for groups yet. That particular FastFire is a first gen model, just happened to be the easiest I could swap onto the Kimber quickly; likely that'll be replaced with a FastFire 3. I'll also put the 2.5-8x36 (probably, or maybe the 1.5-5x20) in Warne QD rings and get that sighted-in that as well.

My thought in 2004 when I got the Remington was about a "lightweight scout" rifle. It's fine for that, but in the meantime the Kimber Adirondack came along, even lighter (an "airweight scout"?) and 4" shorter so seems like it might be handier.

I don't do much long-distance shooting, so I see the .260 Rem and the 6.5 Cr as pretty much interchangeable...

-Chris

I’m pretty sure I tried to buy/trade for that Creedmoor!!!

Looks like it is in good hands.

Guns like this do well with reflex sights/ small red dots/ 1x power optics. I think that type of optic fully utilized the portability and quick pointing of the guns.

I have no center fires that are 6 pounds and lighter. I do have a few that are just a few ounces over 6 pounds however. Here is my lightest rifle. A 1900 Lee in 303 with a very light barrel, but as light is it is, it still shoots as well as I can from a rest with the iron sights it has. 100 yard groups hold a smidgen under 2MOA.

(If that's not good enough please keep quite about it ----------so the deer I have been killing with it WON'T KNOW it's not good enough to kill them. So far they don't seem to know that---------)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by .com/photos/156296479@N08/]Steve Zihn, on [bleep]
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by .com/photos/156296479@N08/]Steve Zihn, on [bleep]

Merkel K1, 7mm-08 Rem, with irons.



With Optics!

ya!

GWB

For me, "sub 6lb rifles" are what you carry - scoped, sling, and rounds.

Only a few on this thread make that threshold...

That's because there really ain't that many around that make that mark.....................just sayin'.

Especially with 20" or longer barrels.

MM

That's because there really ain't that many around that make that mark.....................just sayin'.

Especially with 20" or longer barrels.

MM

I have no center fires that are 6 pounds and lighter. I do have a few that are just a few ounces over 6 pounds however. Here is my lightest rifle. A 1900 Lee in 303 with a very light barrel, but as light is it is, it still shoots as well as I can from a rest with the iron sights it has. 100 yard groups hold a smidgen under 2MOA.

(If that's not good enough please keep quite about it ----------so the deer I have been killing with it WON'T KNOW it's not good enough to kill them. So far they don't seem to know that---------)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by .com/photos/156296479@N08/]Steve Zihn, on [bleep]
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by .com/photos/156296479@N08/]Steve Zihn, on [bleep]

For me, "sub 6lb rifles" are what you carry - scoped, sling, and rounds.

Only a few on this thread make that threshold...

I have no center fires that are 6 pounds and lighter. I do have a few that are just a few ounces over 6 pounds however. Here is my lightest rifle. A 1900 Lee in 303 with a very light barrel, but as light is it is, it still shoots as well as I can from a rest with the iron sights it has. 100 yard groups hold a smidgen under 2MOA.

(If that's not good enough please keep quite about it ----------so the deer I have been killing with it WON'T KNOW it's not good enough to kill them. So far they don't seem to know that---------)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by .com/photos/156296479@N08/]Steve Zihn, on [bleep]
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by .com/photos/156296479@N08/]Steve Zihn, on [bleep]

This one reminds me of one I built...never weighed it but I'd be surprised if it were #6.5...

How many rounds do you want me to carry and still make sub 6 pounds? Good point though. Unless I swapped to a Leupold Vx2 or 3 on a couple of mine than they don’t meet that criteria. That’s fine. That’s the beauty of starting with a rifle well below 5 pounds. Gives options for scopes and slings and other such things....yeah I know that rhymed

Hope you’ve been well Brad and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Tikka Superlight in .223 5.5 lbs without scope...I dunno what it weighs all up...

Not really ultralight, just genuine, full sized, big game caliber, light hunting rifles.

MM

6 1/2 as shown, 7-08


7.0 as shown, 270 Win


7.0 as shown, 280 Rem

I edited the thread to be more inclusive. I kinda wanna see some Remington model 7, 600 or 660 Mohawks posted up on here.

For me, "sub 6lb rifles" are what you carry - scoped, sling, and rounds.
Only a few on this thread make that threshold...

But the point is, a rifle’s weight should be what you carry on your shoulder or in your hand on the mountain, not what it weigh’s bare in your kitchen.

It seems like the answer is to cut down the barrel.



P

Yeah..l I know.

But the point is, a rifle’s weight should be what you carry on your shoulder or in your hand on the mountain, not what it weigh’s bare in your kitchen.

I'm not choppin' barrels.

MM

Lovin' that .280!

I was thinking that my Steyr guns with sling and scope, loaded, would be no more than 7#s and maybe close to 6#. Not sure? Hook do you know what the '03 or '05 in 6.5 would weigh all up? My sling may be a bit heavy as it is out of ele hide. Be Well, RZ.

Yeah..l I know.

But the point is, a rifle’s weight should be what you carry on your shoulder or in your hand on the mountain, not what it weigh’s bare in your kitchen.

Kimber Montana .223 w/Superchicken 2.5-10 UL. No idea what it weighs, but it feels like a toy.

SWFA Ultra light scope.

Aluminum low rings. No rail, no loctite, doesn't need it, just ads weight.

Remove the sling studs.

It's the shorter threaded barrel, so lose the thread protector.

Clean it real well, don't use a lot of lube. Lube ads weight.

And mostly, I put this ammo box under the stock.

SWFA Ultra light scope.

Aluminum low rings. No rail, no loctite, doesn't need it, just ads weight.

Remove the sling studs.

It's the shorter threaded barrel, so lose the thread protector.

Clean it real well, don't use a lot of lube. Lube ads weight.

And mostly, I put this ammo box under the stock.

That's how ultra light rifles work, trade offs and sacrifices. It's light, but harder to shoot. Plus now I have to carry that stupid ammo box with me in the woods.

Merkel K1, 7mm-08 Rem, with irons.



With Optics!

ya!

GWB

Sheesh that Merk is gorgeous.

Yeah..l I know.

But the point is, a rifle’s weight should be what you carry on your shoulder or in your hand on the mountain, not what it weigh’s bare in your kitchen.

I

Last one:

this one is a Kimber Adirondack in 308, it was the older model with sitka forest discontinued camo pattern that was flaking off so I had a local guy ceracoat it to Kryptek Typhon. It wears a kimber thread adapter from the factory 9/16x28 (or whatever kimber uses) to the standard 5/8x24. Scope is a Vortex HD LH 2-10x40. I have also had the 1.8-8x32. both are great set and forget scopes with a few ballistic dots in what is otherwise a pretty heavy reticle if you are so inclined. It barely makes weight =] but shoots Barnes 130gr. TTSX amazingly well.




yeah... Yukon Cornelius approves, probably an ounce or two here:

I bought my Remington 700 Titanium .308 before I joined the Campfire and learned "the rules" for making them lighter, but I never had a reason to change anything. Now that 200,000 acres of my woods have been charred over the past 3 years, what I now call the "BurnTree" pattern stock works great.



It's a real pig by some of your standards, and I almost didn't qualify to play.

old school lightweight

Kimber adirondack
Titanium bolt handle
Rem ADL trigger guard
Talley lightweight one-piece rings/bases
Butler creek scope caps
Swaro z3 3-10x42

5lb3.5oz
(4lb1.7oz bare rifle)

Cal is .308
I’d like to shave some more weight off yet, get under 5lbs loaded.

Seems odd. Kimber says 4-lbs, 13-oz for a .308, and my Adirondack in 6.5 Cr starts at 4-lbs, 12.4-oz bare. Wouldn't have expected the titanium bolt handle to make almost a ¾-lb difference...

I don’t know how to post photos.

Kimber adirondack
Titanium bolt handle
Rem ADL trigger guard
Talley lightweight one-piece rings/bases
Butler creek scope caps
Swaro z3 3-10x42

5lb3.5oz
(4lb1.7oz bare rifle)

I modified my Fieldcraft to get it to come in a hair over 4 pounds.

Sorry, I did miss adding the stock on the list, it was supposed to be under the trigger guard there.

The scope (3-10x42) is advertised at 12.7oz. The 3-9x36 is 12oz and a Leupold 2.5-8x36 is 11.4oz. My only real option of saving some more weight in the scope is a vx2 2-7x33 at 9.9oz

More metal needs to come off.

I don’t run slings as I hate them. I carry the rifle in hand or its strapped to my pack.

This^^^^^. I do carry a light nylon sling in my bino pack though.


What critters, at what distances? 1.5-5x20, closer to 9 oz?

-Chris

I apparently know how to make an ultralight rifle heavy. This is a little titanium action 6.5 SAUM built by Dallas Lane.
Specs are as follows:
Rifle weighs 5 pounds 6 ounces
Mac Bros Evo titanium action
Hawkins 30mm hybrid pow rings
MCS ultralite classic radius pillar bedded
Bart #2b spiral 8 twist 23" threaded 1/2-28 with cap
APA Micro bastard brake nitride coated
APA dbm w/ 3 round mag.

But, you throw an NXS Compact and three rounds into the mag and it jumps up over 7lbs quick. Really don't care as it proved an absolute killing stick this year on my sheep, plus back up on wife's griz and ram.

another old school lightweight ('er Featherweight)

Got the kitchen sink in there with ya too, Hawk?

M-Hawk, what is that UL Glock? 10mm with aftermarket barrel? Bear loads?

That was the first backpacking/hunting trip where I brought my then-9-yr-old son alone with no other companions, and we had low temps in the teens with lots of snow. So, I carried a bit of extra stuff for safety and comfort. About 70lbs not counting the rifle.






That was my G20SF with a 6” KKM bbl. I keep it in my cabin now in Colorado. It mostly has been supplanted by my G40 and DW Bruin.



I likely was carrying the DT 200gr HC loads back then. But I tend to carry the UW 140gr Xtreme Penetrators now. If I was back in Alaska, I would carry the UW 220gr HC loads.

Chrono results below:

Got my 22" Howa Mini in 6.5 Grendel finished up (5lbs 12.5oz)...

What stock do you have on that mini?

Gosh we in America have become a bunch of pussies. I never thought an 8 lb rifle was a bother. YMMV.

If you carry an eight pound rifle on your shoulder in a sling, it’s no issue. If it’s in your hands where it should be and must be where I hunt, it gets tiresome.

I didn't either. Then I had shoulder surgery.....

Ive had shoulder surgery. Still ok. It’s only 8lbs. Jeez.

No it doesn’t. At least it hasn’t for the last 40 years.

I guess nobody's as tough as you.

Congratulations.

Lol! Yeah. Right. I wonder how our Grand dads did it? 8 lbs? Really?

As a matter of fact one of them is. The other is a Model 70 Classic Stainless. Both weigh about 8.5 lbs. And I don’t recall ever wishing I had a 6 or 7 lb rifle. I’m usually hunting. However if you need a 6 lb rifle, more power to you.

Maybe you need some testosterone? Just saying....

What’s your problem dude? Your bent because I hunt with a 8lb rifle? Really? Ok. You do your 6 lber, and I’ll do my 8. Jeez.

I have to have light rifle because I’m carrying an extra two pounds of meat in my pecker. Sorry you have a micro-penis and don’t understand.

Savage Lightweight Hunter in .308. Vortex Razor LH scope on Talley lightweight rings. Butler Creek Mountain sling. 4 rounds of .308 in the magazine.

My cheapie lightweight, as most of my hunting doesn't require lightweight. Still, under 7 pounds loaded and ready to hunt is better than 9 pounds if you're putting on the miles.

Got my 22" Howa Mini in 6.5 Grendel finished up (5lbs 12.5oz)...

Here is a 284 win that is a ULA and updated by Melvin with stainless barrel. Surprised how much lighter it is than the 260 NULA which is spec’d the same including trigger.
4lb 15.4oz with bases/rings.

Hart barreled 7-08AI on the left, Hawk hill barreled .223 on the right. Can’t recall weights off hand but I’ll post it tomorrow.
Both shoot lights out. Hard to beat a Montana.

Leupold scopes.

Talley lightweight rings.

They may shoot lights out, but I bet they can't handle being thrown in a creek or rock pile......

😂

300 rum titanium. 6.4 lbs as is.




Rum https://imgur.com/gallery/yDUjCHh

I just weighed my Kimber Hunter in 6.5 CM, with SWFA 3X9 in Leupold two piece mounts.
7# on the nose.....so I won't bother with a picture.

The really nice thing about light weight rifles is it gives you the option to add bigger optics to the package and still keep the weight down.

Leupold scopes.

Talley lightweight rings.

They may shoot lights out, but I bet they can't handle being thrown in a creek or rock pile......

😂

Tikka Superlight in .223 5.5 lbs without scope...I dunno what it weighs all up...

I'm surprised no one was using the 24hr, patented flop flop recoil pad to shave a few more ozs ?

That used to be the scchhiit years ago....

I've got a couple of Basnser stocks finished with them. I actually prefer them to any other recoil pad.

Def lots of nice rifles listed here!!! Fun to see.

Here are a few of mine.

This one barely qualifies as its 6 pounds 14 oz with the 20 oz SWFA 3-9 on it. A browning Abolt Ti in 325 WSM cut to 18" barrel:



The next one started life as a 24" 270 Win Kimber Montana 84L that I had cut down to 21" and rebored to 338-06. This spring I had it cut down to 16" and muzzle threaded for a suppressor.

Rifle with a pic rail on it is is 4.75 pounds:


Put some rings and a 20 oz SWFA and its 6.25 pounds:


Then put a 1 pound suppressor on it and we get above the weight class for this thread


However its a joy to carry and even with the shorty 16" barrel it still shoots 230 ELDx bullets at well over 2600 fps so still bringing some heat to the table despite being cut back.



Finally we got the Kimber 84M that has gotta more work done to it over the years than Michael Jackson's nose

Originally was a 308 win for many years. Then had it bored out to 358 win and put into an MPI microlight stock, added some TI action screws and bolt handle as well as lots of fluting in places.

That final weight came in at just over 3.5 pounds naked rifle.
Scoped with a 2-7X28 Leupold Ultralight it was still under 4.4 pounds or more than 1/2 pound lighter than a Kimber Mountain ascent with no scope or rings:


Then two years ago I decided I want to be able to shoot most of my rifles in my backyard which means they ideally need to be suppressed for working up loads. As such I had the rifle rebarreled with a 16" Lilja slightly heavier contour than the standard 84M profile.

Even so the rifle still weighs in at 4 pounds 2 oz naked:


With the SWFA UL scope on it the whole package goes 4 pounds 13 oz:


And with a 12 oz suppressor its still just over 5.5 pounds suppressed:


The little rifle is proving to be the most accurate Kimber I have owned shooting 135 Hornady A Tips at 2800 fps from the shorty barrel.