Light weight factory rifles

When I'm hunting an easy day might be walking 6 miles up and down steep coulees or up some steep ridges. More often I cover more ground than that in a day. My rifle will be on my shoulder or in my hands from before sun up until after sun down. To me a 12 pound rifle with that much bulk is not what I want. If you want to call that a lightweight rifle, go ahead. But I'm looking for something 7.5 lbs or less. 8.5 lbs is doable. Less is preferable.
 
You evidently missed the part where I said Lightweight Precision Hunting Rifle. Everything is relative. The vast majority of chassis-based Precision Long Range Rifles weigh considerably more. Different application (long range hunting) = different hunting methods = different Hunting Rifles. I'm in a wheelchair and hunt off a tripod from a static blind situated on fixed firing lines. Each to their own. Don't disparage my type of hunting and the enabling rifle and I will return the favour!
 
pete dobinson said:
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.
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IMO the best balance for a lightweight scope. It offers quality optics, good magnification range and the excellent BRH reticle.
 
Bartok5 said:
Don't disparage my type of hunting and the enabling rifle and I will return the favour!
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Take it easy man. Who was disparaging your type of hunting? You’d be hard pressed to find anyone calling a rifle that weighs 12 lbs light...unless it was a really big bore double. Most people don’t even consider a PRS type rifle a hunting rifle - not that there is anything wrong with it at all!
 
Suther said:
What does it weigh?

I am also interested in getting a lighter rifle than the one I currently carry. The Howa Alpine Mountain rifles have caught my eye, as has the Winchester Model 70 Extreme Weather SS (although I think that'll come in at pretty close to what my current rig weighs)...
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the howas are heavy on average though ey? like a ruger... the metal is the metal.

back on topic, i have fondled all 3, A7, T3, KM 84M also Marlin X7 which is slightly heavier but not Ruger heavy.....

the A7, whilst i didnt handle it tooo much, seemed similiar to the Tikka but slightly 'better' imo the plastic felt nicer an bolt an action a little different....
the T3s are light but depends on the Scope you use or you end up with a Remington 700 class weight rifle...............
Kimber hunters montana ascent are LIGHT.......... i would Feel one before purchasing though as No bullwinkle Poo they are SHORT in every way. LOP...small bolt handle, small barrel, freakishly beautiful....

understand that if i grab my Marlin X7 it feels like a full size rifle that isnt as Heavy as my Ruger which i call "Heavy class"

i felt the A7 was in the T3 class.... personal pref there. full length feeling rifles.
 
I didn't disparage your type of hunting. You didn't even make mention of your type of hunting until after I posted, so how could I? I said that if you want to call a 12 pound rifle lightweight then go ahead, but I don't think it's very lightweight. Then I mentioned my type of hunting and why I prefer what I prefer.
I don't think I was negative or disparaging whatsoever.
 
WhelanLad said:
the howas are heavy on average though ey? like a ruger... the metal is the metal.

back on topic, i have fondled all 3, A7, T3, KM 84M also Marlin X7 which is slightly heavier but not Ruger heavy.....

the A7, whilst i didnt handle it tooo much, seemed similiar to the Tikka but slightly 'better' imo the plastic felt nicer an bolt an action a little different....
the T3s are light but depends on the Scope you use or you end up with a Remington 700 class weight rifle...............
Kimber hunters montana ascent are LIGHT.......... i would Feel one before purchasing though as No bullwinkle Poo they are SHORT in every way. LOP...small bolt handle, small barrel, freakishly beautiful....

understand that if i grab my Marlin X7 it feels like a full size rifle that isnt as Heavy as my Ruger which i call "Heavy class"

i felt the A7 was in the T3 class.... personal pref there. full length feeling rifles.
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My howa alpine is 7.2lbs scoped and full mag. Z3 3-10x42 optic.
 
The problem I have with the Howa Alpine - and I am a big fan of Howa/Vanguard- is that they are around $1600. Add $550 to that and you have a Barrett Field Craft or Kimber Montana. Both of those are much lighter and have longer barrels- but both have blind magazines vs detachable magazine in the Howa.
 
WhelanLad said:
the howas are heavy on average though ey? like a ruger... the metal is the metal.

back on topic, i have fondled all 3, A7, T3, KM 84M also Marlin X7 which is slightly heavier but not Ruger heavy.....

the A7, whilst i didnt handle it tooo much, seemed similiar to the Tikka but slightly 'better' imo the plastic felt nicer an bolt an action a little different....
the T3s are light but depends on the Scope you use or you end up with a Remington 700 class weight rifle...............
Kimber hunters montana ascent are LIGHT.......... i would Feel one before purchasing though as No bullwinkle Poo they are SHORT in every way. LOP...small bolt handle, small barrel, freakishly beautiful....

understand that if i grab my Marlin X7 it feels like a full size rifle that isnt as Heavy as my Ruger which i call "Heavy class"

i felt the A7 was in the T3 class.... personal pref there. full length feeling rifles.
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I have a Rem 700. The metal is metal, 22" barrel, floorplate. 5 lbs 7 oz bare, 6 lbs 2 oz scoped. Rifle is all stock minus the stock which is just a Wildcat. Rem 700s can be very light and still have a floorplans and good length barrel.
 
1899 said:
The problem I have with the Howa Alpine - and I am a big fan of Howa/Vanguard- is that they are around $1600. Add $550 to that and you have a Barrett Field Craft or Kimber Montana. Both of those are much lighter and have longer barrels- but both have blind magazines vs detachable magazine in the Howa.
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$550 half the cost of the Z3.


Also I found my alpine at leduc crappy tire for under $1400
 
i did finally found the lightweight (not ultralite) for a lefty and it is the t3x in 308 win. with talley rings and leupold 2.5-8x36 they are really good and light compare to all the little heavy rifles i have
 
medvedqc said:
i did finally found the lightweight (not ultralite) for a lefty and it is the t3x in 308 win. with talley rings and leupold 2.5-8x36 they are really good and light compare to all the little heavy rifles i have
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Hey Phil ........ A rig like yours but with the bolt on the proper side would be perfect for most of us. How light is light enough for avg Joe weekend warrior anyways? Many spend thousands on the very lightest they can show off and never trek into the mountains where it really matters.

My comfort zone is about 7lbs scoped. No mountains here. :)
 
Although ultra lightweight rifles aren't a necessity, they certainly are nice to carry and more so as one ages. ☺
 
I forgot to mention that the A bolt 2 was a light enough Rifle... short LOP i rekoned.

SuperCub said:
Hey Phil ........ A rig like yours but with the bolt on the proper side would be perfect for most of us. How light is light enough for avg Joe weekend warrior anyways? Many spend thousands on the very lightest they can show off and never trek into the mountains where it really matters.

My comfort zone is about 7lbs scoped. No mountains here. :)
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Too true down here too man, although down here its still kind of "Cool" to say you bought a $2,500 or even cooler if it was more and weighs less...... even if you cant chute er right or take er into the big country.. those in the "rem 700" class weights are perfect weekend guns!

cam1936 said:
I have a Rem 700. The metal is metal, 22" barrel, floorplate. 5 lbs 7 oz bare, 6 lbs 2 oz scoped. Rifle is all stock minus the stock which is just a Wildcat. Rem 700s can be very light and still have a floorplans and good length barrel.
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I guess there is exceptions to the generalisation of the "rem 700", mountain Ti for ex. im sure some fluted models are light an like yours,

play.soccer said:
My howa alpine is 7.2lbs scoped and full mag. Z3 3-10x42 optic.
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thats fairly good, variables to the finished product in overall weight , remember i am in australia an the exact models you guys have proberly vary a bit, the howa alpine i seen here had a green speckled stock from a fairly known brand, i cant remember off top of my head- an i figured that was about the extent of the howa alpine variation in aus :p aka sales pitch away from those darn chunky hogues..
 
I have a Thompson center encore pro hunter with a 30-06 barrel that was cut to 22" with a leupold vx1 3-9x40, dnz scope mount, rifle is 3 inches shorter that a Winchester 94 and weights about the same,
 
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