You always were a masochist.
HOW LIGHT IS TOO LIGHT?
- Thread starter patrickb41
- Start date
^ Agreed, I usually like to stay in this range as well.
Just around 7’ish lbs for non magnum cals and 8-8.5lbs for a Magnum Cal all in seems to be the sweet spot of weight for most of us.
I’ve run B&C’s mostly, but I do have HS Precision Stocks which I prefer over the B&C’s. As much as the Wildcats have a favourable rep, I really don’t need to spend the $$ on Ounce loss as I’m not in Alpine territory. I don’t think you could go wrong with either the B&C, HS Precision or a McMillan Edge really.
i second the "never too light to carry" but certainly comes a point where too light to shoot, worth a hoot without some serious concentration an repeatability.
my kimber montana is light light-- great to carry ! im a schit shot with it. 2.7kg?
the franchi is around 3.2kg? and i can shoot it GREAT- just feeels "heavy" compared to KM.
the ruger 35 whelen is HEAVY-- but its easier to hold on target an feels much more planted off hand or against a tree for a lean etc.
happy medium, had i not owned a kimber, around 3kg-3.2kg wold be my target weight lol
my kimber montana is light light-- great to carry ! im a schit shot with it. 2.7kg?
the franchi is around 3.2kg? and i can shoot it GREAT- just feeels "heavy" compared to KM.
the ruger 35 whelen is HEAVY-- but its easier to hold on target an feels much more planted off hand or against a tree for a lean etc.
happy medium, had i not owned a kimber, around 3kg-3.2kg wold be my target weight lol
A light rifle is an advantage to a hunter who climbs mountains or walks many miles. As for myself, I'll never hunt with a light rifle; they are to flighty to shoot, pound the shoulder on the bench, not as accurate as a heavier rifle. I walk about 5 miles per day while hunting deer and my 9.5 lb. rifles never seem to bother me.
Currently, I'm having a rifle built, as well, on a B&C stock, with a 27" barrel chambered in the 25-06 Remington. Again it will weigh between 9 to 9.5 lbs with the scope. No light rifles for me, happy trails.
My main hunting rifles are a 280 Rem at just over 7 lbs with a Wildcat stock and light profile 23" barrel, my 7-08 is just over 6lbs with a very light barrel and again a Wildcat stock. I shoot both rifles reasonably well and since I carry them more than shoot them when hunting I have made that choice. By the way I am 71 years old and built like a hobbit but when I was younger my main rifle was a Browning 338 rifle weighing near 9 lbs (I read a lot of Elmer Keith back then)
Here's my 7-08
Here's my 7-08
Last edited:
Forgive me. I am so far from being a part of this crowd but if the rifle is a quality build, is the only concern of the lightweights the recoil?
If so, may it prudent to consider what most call a ‘sissy’ pad? Recoil absorbed at the shoulder seems, to me, to be a great thing in this pursuit. Even the gel holster/bra style.
Yes, of course you need trigger time using it.
If so, may it prudent to consider what most call a ‘sissy’ pad? Recoil absorbed at the shoulder seems, to me, to be a great thing in this pursuit. Even the gel holster/bra style.
Yes, of course you need trigger time using it.
Last edited:
When we started making titanium actions in 1997, Ross and I built a 5lb 3 oz .300 Weatherby. I'm a lefty, so I made the action LH, and it was my own hunting rifle. I put some silly light Leupold M8-4x on it and it was terrible to shoot even with a big radial ported brake.
We rode the ultralight rifle craze in the time of Melvin Forbes of ULA, Lex Webernick of Rifles Inc. and used to sell at SCI, SHOT and FNAWS. I think it was in 1999 or so, a bunch of Remington engineers were in our booth scoping things out, and the next year or so they launched a 700 Ti rifle that was a lot less than ours. This was around when we transitioned to our .338 Timberwolf rifle for military applications.
We rode the ultralight rifle craze in the time of Melvin Forbes of ULA, Lex Webernick of Rifles Inc. and used to sell at SCI, SHOT and FNAWS. I think it was in 1999 or so, a bunch of Remington engineers were in our booth scoping things out, and the next year or so they launched a 700 Ti rifle that was a lot less than ours. This was around when we transitioned to our .338 Timberwolf rifle for military applications.
Balance goes out when you try to drop weight without thinking, it goes far beyond a simple stock change to be honest.
Think about that before a great big knobby bolt handle or an over sized scope in tactical rings with a great big leather sling gets put on as well.
For myself I built a .284 Win on a short action stock, then had the bolt skelatilized and the action fluted, coupled with a compact 3-9x scope in aluminum hardware, then set up in a MPI glass stock. With 3 rounds in the magazine and an ultra light sling the rig tips the scales at 7 lbs 6 ounces.
140’s at just shy of 3100 are achievable, and do just fine on big game.
Think about that before a great big knobby bolt handle or an over sized scope in tactical rings with a great big leather sling gets put on as well.
For myself I built a .284 Win on a short action stock, then had the bolt skelatilized and the action fluted, coupled with a compact 3-9x scope in aluminum hardware, then set up in a MPI glass stock. With 3 rounds in the magazine and an ultra light sling the rig tips the scales at 7 lbs 6 ounces.
140’s at just shy of 3100 are achievable, and do just fine on big game.
- Location
- Saskatoon Saskatchewan
My lightest big game rifle is a tikka 308 in a stockys stock with a Burris ff2 3-9×40 in talleys. Comes in a 6lb 10oz and is very nice to carry. Shooting it is fine out to 400 which is about max for that rifle anyway. I wouldn't want to go any lighter without a brake. I have a srs arca Pic rail on the forestock and when clamped into a tripod, the rifle is very stable and much easier to shoot.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I remember stopping in at Prairie Gunworks in 1998 or thereabouts. They had a little 308 on their titanium action sitting in a Wildcat stock. If I remember correctly, it was 5lb 4oz without a scope. It was unbelievably light in the hands. Not sure how much heavier a long action would have been, but also keep in mind that was before the days of carbon wrapped barrels, which likely would have shaved a few ounces as well. Could you get the whole package done and loaded for 6lbs? I'm not sure, but in a well-mannered cartridge like the 280, it would be an awfully nice rifle to pack around.
This^^^
It's amazing how much you can decrease the momentum transfer from the gun to the shoulder with the appropriate pad.
I use a slip-on Limbsaver on the 30-06 and the 9.3x62 (didn't want to bubba the nice Husqvarna buttstocks).
If I was doing a light build in anything bigger than 6.5 (got one in mind in 9.3x62), then I'd go with a permanently mounted Limbsaver or maybe the one that Backfire sells.
Big bore dinosaur
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- NORT OF COW.TOWN.EH
Never thought my kimber M.A in 280 Ai kicked, with the break on
I hunt without the break , but
, never noticed recoil when shooting at animals .. to excited
I hunt without the break , but
, never noticed recoil when shooting at animals .. to excited
Yes and no, if shooting a heavy hitting calibre in a lightweight recoil can be an issue, even a 30-06 in a sub 6lb rifle can be unpleasant. The other factor is lightweight rifles are more difficult to hold steady while shooting offhand and are what many call whippy.
Bustercluck
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fort McMurray
Are carbon fibre wrapped barrels really lighter?
- Location
- Kamloops, B.C.
Some yes. I believe one of the carbon barrel makers says something like “lighter than a steel barrel of similar profile” so if it’s varmint contour it will be lighter than a varmint contour not a #2 or #1.
Edit - it’s Proof Research and they say “Up to 64% lighter than traditional steel barrels of similar contour.”
B
Bustercluck
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fort McMurray
Yeah, I can’t get on the carbon fibre barrel craze. I think if you’re looking for the absolute lightest barrel on the market it will be steel.
The trouble with building rifles is you agonize over every part going into it, take it to a guy who can turn on a lathe and hold a popsicle stick and then you get what you get.
Its going to shoot about as good as the barrel, work about as good as the action, weigh the same as the sum of the parts, The stock is going to fit the only way the stock you picked can fit you and the trigger will pull about the same as the trigger you bought.
After a wait of between overnight and 2 years from next Thursday you pick up your unique creation that probably is between 7 and 8 mm, between 7 and 8 pounds and throws a bullet between 140-200 grans between 2800 and 3100 fps.
What you don’t know is how its going to balance, how its going to feel, hell how it sounds when you work the bolt might bug you. Some rifles just feel special to some people and about the only way to get that for sure is to copy someones elses build that you like. Or twist the guys arm until he sells it to you.
.
A bricklayer knows exactly what his project is going to look like before he starts, the precise location of every brick and why it would be wrong or look stupid done another way. He doesn’t just stack bricks hoping it all works out. We should be more like the bricklayer.
Its going to shoot about as good as the barrel, work about as good as the action, weigh the same as the sum of the parts, The stock is going to fit the only way the stock you picked can fit you and the trigger will pull about the same as the trigger you bought.
After a wait of between overnight and 2 years from next Thursday you pick up your unique creation that probably is between 7 and 8 mm, between 7 and 8 pounds and throws a bullet between 140-200 grans between 2800 and 3100 fps.
What you don’t know is how its going to balance, how its going to feel, hell how it sounds when you work the bolt might bug you. Some rifles just feel special to some people and about the only way to get that for sure is to copy someones elses build that you like. Or twist the guys arm until he sells it to you.
.A bricklayer knows exactly what his project is going to look like before he starts, the precise location of every brick and why it would be wrong or look stupid done another way. He doesn’t just stack bricks hoping it all works out. We should be more like the bricklayer.
Bustercluck
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fort McMurray
I bought a weatherby backcountry, brought it to the range about 3 times and sold it at a huge loss. After that I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted and like you said, a couple years later I had exactly what I wanted… except I ended up with an extra stock I couldn’t sell so I decided to put together a twin in 7mmThe trouble with building rifles is you agonize over every part going into it, take it to a guy who can turn on a lathe and hold a popsicle stick and then you get what you get.
Its going to shoot about as good as the barrel, work about as good as the action, weigh the same as the sum of the parts, The stock is going to fit the only way the stock you picked can fit you and the trigger will pull about the same as the trigger you bought.
After a wait of between overnight and 2 years from next Thursday you pick up your unique creation that probably is between 7 and 8 mm, between 7 and 8 pounds and throws a bullet between 140-200 grans between 2800 and 3100 fps.
What you don’t know is how its going to balance, how its going to feel, hell how it sounds when you work the bolt might bug you. Some rifles just feel special to some people and about the only way to get that for sure is to copy someones elses build that you like. Or twist the guys arm until he sells it to you.
A bricklayer knows exactly what his project is going to look like before he starts, the precise location of every brick and why it would be wrong or look stupid done another way. He doesn’t just stack bricks hoping it all works out. We should be more like the bricklayer.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
You're probably right, but a pencil profile barrel is more inclined to wander as it warms up. They can be a real bastard off the bench when you're developing loads. The last three big game animals that I have shot were with carbon wrapped barrels in 28 Nosler. To get a 26" barrel of the same profile would be a boat anchor. I built my 300WM before carbon wrapped barrels were particularly available, and it's a chunk of rifle...12 pounds plus I believe, and that might have been before I swapped scopes on it. That same rifle with a carbon wrapped barrel would be significantly lighter and far more fun to carry.
