Light weight factory rifles
- Thread starter Jim870
- Start date
I've got Kimbers in 22/250, 270 WSM, 300 WSM, 7 Rem and .338 Win Mag. Recoil isn't all that bad, once you get used to the speed of the impulse. At first its startling and then........................nothing. It's like a major league pitcher wound up and threw a potato chip at you.
Correct. After the first few shots all was well, and to be truthful it wasn't the kick it was kinda the jump of the lightweight rifle. Both my 13 year old son and I each put a box of ammo through her on Sunday.
I am in the same position as you (an old guy who has fired quite a few rifles) and own a Remington Mountain Rifle with a Leupold 2.5X8 VX 3 only mine is in 30/06. I can tell you that I have tried everything to get that sucker to shoot but to no avail. It's been bedded and free floated and given a custom barrel. Many different hand loads and factory ammo have been tested but the best it has done is 2 MOA. Good enough for hunting to be sure and slim profile and a joy to carry but an accurate rifle it is not.
It sounds like you've got a good one although 2 shot groups are not really a good test. At least 3 shots would give you a better statistical average. That being said enjoy your rifle for I suspect that tight groups are not the norm with this design.
Yes, I have four of these walnut blued beauties downstairs
A mint 30-06, as new, not bedded will shoot 3/4" to 1", 150 tsx's and imr4350.
A nice 270win. Bedded, floated and by far the most accurate of the four. The 270 win walnut mountain rifles seem to have an accuracy reputation(?) 130tsx's and imr 4350 iirc...
A minty 260 rem dbm job. Bedded floated again. 3/4" gun running 120 ttsx at 3000fps with rl17 abusing lapua brass.
Another minty 308, bedded, floated, same story. 3/4" gun with 150 ttsxs and a compressed case of Varget.
I'm a Remington junkie and these are a few of my pride and joys. The triggers are easy to adjust and these guns out shoot their weight and size. All wearing vx3 2.5 -8 as well except the 308 has a 2-7.
Fairly skinny things too, a bit short for me but they are my preference in lw rifles that I rarely use.
pete dobinson
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Courtenay BC.
I know three hunters that have the older style remington mountain rifle's. Two are 280 rem, and both of those are accurate. The other is a 30-06 owned by a hunting partner of mine. He tried a lot of powders in it and settled on IMR4064, it seems to shoot good now. I think he's using hornady sst 150gr bullets.
- Location
- Eastern Edge of the Foothills
I've got 3 Remington Mountain Rifles.
1. Blued, wood, hinged floor plate - .280 Vari-x IIc 3-9x40
2. Blued, wood, DM - .280 VX-II 3-9x40
3. Stainless, Laminated, hinged floor plate .30-06 VX-II 3-9x40
They are all accurate at ~1MOA or better with their pet loads.
I have a Howa Alpine Mountain Rifle with factory cerakoted metal and a factory fiberglass stock in 7-08 currently wearing a Burris E1 3-9x40. I just found a load it likes and it shoots 2 shots touching and the third goes up and left (warm barrel), but still keeps the group better than 1 MOA. Cold barrel shots will all touch (or nearly) at 100 yards if I'm doing my part.
I have some lightweight Husqvarna 1640 rifles as well. 4 of 'em. They are each under 7.5 lbs scoped. A 6.5x55, two .270's and a .30-06. All but the .30-06 have pet loads that shoot under an inch at 100 yards. The 30-06's best load is 1.4". It's so light (7lb 0.6oz scoped) that the plastic butt plate is rather sharp after a few groups at the range. I'd like to get a better recoil pad on it so I can shoot it more and maybe find a better load for it.
I tried a Sako A7 in .270. It was 1/2 lb heavier than advertised making it over 8lbs scoped. I put a VX-II 3-9x33 ultralite on it to try to bring the weight down. I found that the brass wanted to eject straight up into the scope and half the time would bounce back into the action causing a jam. I sold it, and have no desire to try one again. My Tikka T3 hunter doesn't have the same issue.
I recommend the Rem 700 mountain rifles, the Howa Alpine and the Husky 1640's. I recommend against the A7. To me it's not really a light rifle, more of an average weighted rifle.
If I had the money I'd get a rifle that is ~5lbs bare. In .284 win or 6.5-.284. But that's a dream.
1. Blued, wood, hinged floor plate - .280 Vari-x IIc 3-9x40
2. Blued, wood, DM - .280 VX-II 3-9x40
3. Stainless, Laminated, hinged floor plate .30-06 VX-II 3-9x40
They are all accurate at ~1MOA or better with their pet loads.
I have a Howa Alpine Mountain Rifle with factory cerakoted metal and a factory fiberglass stock in 7-08 currently wearing a Burris E1 3-9x40. I just found a load it likes and it shoots 2 shots touching and the third goes up and left (warm barrel), but still keeps the group better than 1 MOA. Cold barrel shots will all touch (or nearly) at 100 yards if I'm doing my part.
I have some lightweight Husqvarna 1640 rifles as well. 4 of 'em. They are each under 7.5 lbs scoped. A 6.5x55, two .270's and a .30-06. All but the .30-06 have pet loads that shoot under an inch at 100 yards. The 30-06's best load is 1.4". It's so light (7lb 0.6oz scoped) that the plastic butt plate is rather sharp after a few groups at the range. I'd like to get a better recoil pad on it so I can shoot it more and maybe find a better load for it.
I tried a Sako A7 in .270. It was 1/2 lb heavier than advertised making it over 8lbs scoped. I put a VX-II 3-9x33 ultralite on it to try to bring the weight down. I found that the brass wanted to eject straight up into the scope and half the time would bounce back into the action causing a jam. I sold it, and have no desire to try one again. My Tikka T3 hunter doesn't have the same issue.
I recommend the Rem 700 mountain rifles, the Howa Alpine and the Husky 1640's. I recommend against the A7. To me it's not really a light rifle, more of an average weighted rifle.
If I had the money I'd get a rifle that is ~5lbs bare. In .284 win or 6.5-.284. But that's a dream.
- Location
- Republic of Alberta
Howa alpine
pete dobinson
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Courtenay BC.
1899, Nice group, what's that rifle chambered in?
Black-Jacket
Regular
My MTN LSS is damn lite and I don't mind carrying it all day.
Maybe is just me, but I was hell bent to buy a Kimber Mountain Ascent in 280ai until I handled one, just felt super cheap to me.
My Kimber in .308. Took me a bit to wring all the accuracy from it but now it’s my true sidekick.... The 2.5-8 has been swapped for another Leupy. With a sling (nylon & skinny) c/w 4 rounds it’s still under 6 1/4.
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Like the T3X. My wife uses a T3 Superlite and it is fantastic.
First load and group through the rifle:
5lbs 14oz
But I really want to try the Barrett Field Craft rifle. That would be my choice for a lightweight factory rifle.
What does it weigh with s scope?
You can add 2.5oz for the Talley mounts - so call it 6 pounds even. It used to wear a Z3 3-10x42 and that would have been somewhere around 6 pounds 12oz - 6 3/4 pounds. It now has a Zeiss Victory 2.5-10x50 and is just over 7 pounds. Still very handy, yet mild to shoot.
pete dobinson
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Courtenay BC.
I got the Z3 3-10x42 mounted on my Kimber MA 270 win, I'm pleased with the scope. A fairly light scope too for its power range.
For a lightweight, Precision Hunting Rifle suitable for medium game, I seriously doubt that you could do better than the Christensen Arms Modern Precision Rifle chambered in 6.5mm Creedmoor. Mine weighed 8 lbs, 3 oz before the Scope and Bipod, and less than 12 lbs all-up including Sling. My optic is a Bushnell Elite Tactical XRS II 4.5-30x 56mm with a 34mm Tube. The Bipod is an Atlas and the Sling is the excellent Savvy Sniper.
Weight is concentrated towards the rear half of the rifle as a result of the Carbon-Fibre wrapped match grade 24" Barrel and the C-F MLOC Handguard and Cheek-Riser. The Trigger is fully adjustible and breaks like a glass rod. After Barrel Break-in I managed to turn in a .27" witnessed 5-round group at 100m using 140 Gr Sierra Matchkings from Federal Gold Medal Match ammo. The complete system is a lightweight Precision Rig specifically intended to go afield. The only kicker is the price at $3.4K for the rifle alone.
Weight is concentrated towards the rear half of the rifle as a result of the Carbon-Fibre wrapped match grade 24" Barrel and the C-F MLOC Handguard and Cheek-Riser. The Trigger is fully adjustible and breaks like a glass rod. After Barrel Break-in I managed to turn in a .27" witnessed 5-round group at 100m using 140 Gr Sierra Matchkings from Federal Gold Medal Match ammo. The complete system is a lightweight Precision Rig specifically intended to go afield. The only kicker is the price at $3.4K for the rifle alone.
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