Ultralight Hunting Rifle
- Thread starter cbh560
- Start date
Rem M7 Action -Timney trigger - Pac Nor barrel SS 22" chambered in 7mm-08 or 308 - Wildcat Stock - Talley LW 1 pc rings-bases- Leupold 3-9 Ultralight scope ! Parts + With Gun Smith cost's about $3000.00 - 6 lbs ready to Shoot !
RJRem M7 Action -Timney trigger - Pac Nor barrel SS 22" chambered in 7mm-08 or 308 - Wildcat Stock - Talley LW 1 pc rings-bases- Leupold 3-9 Ultralight scope ! Parts + With Gun Smith cost's about $3000.00 - 6 lbs ready to Shoot !
Perfect...But to find one in LH!
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Or, Kimber Mountain Ascent and 4lbs 15oz, with fluted stainless barrel, stainless controlled round feed action with three position wing safety (serious upgrade over Remington), fluted bolt, skeletonized bolt handle, removable muzzle brake (comes with thread protector, so your choice), for $2200. Lighter, arguably cheaper, and a better action to boot.
Take a look at the fellow on one of the Alaska forums who took apart a Montana and Mountain Ascent and weighed the components. The Montana has a 24.7 oz stock (the Mountain Ascent stock is 25.2oz). You could get a regular Montana for about $1500 and drop it into a MPI micro-light (about 16oz finished) and it would weigh less than the Mountain Ascent. Or if a fellow wants to get really crazy, the same stock will drop 1/2 pound off a Mountain Ascent.
http://www.thealaskalife.com/guns/kimber-rifles/
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
Being horrendously late to the discussion I'll still offer my never having climbed a mountain opinion. A M70, despite being my favourite platform, wouldn't be my first choice for a purpose built lightweight. If I had to have CRF I would go with one of those sweet little Ti action Mausers from Satterlee. But at about $3K for an action there are alot if ways to get to that result with less financial masochism. Build off an older Remington Ti with a pencil barrel and a Wildcat stock with Talley lightweight and an old Leupold 2-7x lightweight and you'd be logging.
As for downsizing or downweighting the attendant gear I think I would revert to my old commando days rather than wearing the Ardent/Dogleg lace thong. I mean, honestly boys, I thought Gatehouse's tu-tu was bad enough. But the mere thought of that grimacing Dogleg in a lacy thong is enough to make me want to got to church, PJ pants and all. That said, it would explain the grimace...if I had just shot a giraffe while wearing a lacy thong I might look decidedly similar.
As for downsizing or downweighting the attendant gear I think I would revert to my old commando days rather than wearing the Ardent/Dogleg lace thong. I mean, honestly boys, I thought Gatehouse's tu-tu was bad enough. But the mere thought of that grimacing Dogleg in a lacy thong is enough to make me want to got to church, PJ pants and all. That said, it would explain the grimace...if I had just shot a giraffe while wearing a lacy thong I might look decidedly similar.
cbh You mentioned a rifle for carrying in the bush. You didn't mention if you want a clip magazine, hinged floorplate or a blind magazine.You did not mention if you handload or if this has to be strictly factory ammo that feeds this rifle. You could choose from several factory made rifles. As nowarning has mentioned the Tikka lite can be had a little over 6 lbs and in a 30-06 will handle any game. The Browning Micro hunter in a 308 would be a similar starter. A Sako A-7 is nice rifle that starts out just over 6lbs as well. There is also the Remington Mountain series that can be had in 308 or 30-06 or the Model 7 .
If you don't want to start with a factory platform then I would suggest you start with a Rem model 7 action. There are several very good lightweight stocks that are made for this action. Get close to a couple of them a see what feels best in your hands. I would suggest you put a quality barrel on it about 20 inches long and chambered for the 358 Win calibre. For a scope I would mount a Leopold Firedot 2-7x33 scope. Second choice would be the Zeiss 2-7 scope. Once you get this together try some 200 gr Barnes TSX bullets, some 225 Nosler Partitions or some 225 gr Sierra spitzers . Don't panic if you can't find 358 brass at the corner store, 308 brass can be necked up and used with no fireforming. Find out which bullet groups best in your rifle and go hunting.
If you don't want to start with a factory platform then I would suggest you start with a Rem model 7 action. There are several very good lightweight stocks that are made for this action. Get close to a couple of them a see what feels best in your hands. I would suggest you put a quality barrel on it about 20 inches long and chambered for the 358 Win calibre. For a scope I would mount a Leopold Firedot 2-7x33 scope. Second choice would be the Zeiss 2-7 scope. Once you get this together try some 200 gr Barnes TSX bullets, some 225 Nosler Partitions or some 225 gr Sierra spitzers . Don't panic if you can't find 358 brass at the corner store, 308 brass can be necked up and used with no fireforming. Find out which bullet groups best in your rifle and go hunting.
cbh............this is my creation with the same goal in mind............
It started life as a 700 Ti in 300 WSM, I put a Brown Precision 14 oz Kevlar stock on it and a PT&G speedlock kit with alum bolt shroud. 3-9 Leupold compact and with sling and loaded it weighs 5 lbs 15 oz. In my opinion this is about as good a mountain rifle as one can get in a full power cartridge and it shoots 150 gn TTSXs into less than MOA at about 3300 fps, flat as a laser within hunting ranges and good in the wind, with enough energy and bullet weight to deal with a grizzly if necessary.
As far as weight reduction goes, us serious mountain hunters don't trim the labels from our underwear.......we eliminate the entire garment, totally. We don't trim the handles off out toothbrushes.....we eliminate them..........we don't use a spork, we use fingers and caping knives.......etc, etc, etc..........
One could lighten this rifle up even more by cutting the barrel from 24" to 22" and then having the barrel octagoned with the flats across the bottom of the flutes. This would shave another near 1/2 lb from it.
It started life as a 700 Ti in 300 WSM, I put a Brown Precision 14 oz Kevlar stock on it and a PT&G speedlock kit with alum bolt shroud. 3-9 Leupold compact and with sling and loaded it weighs 5 lbs 15 oz. In my opinion this is about as good a mountain rifle as one can get in a full power cartridge and it shoots 150 gn TTSXs into less than MOA at about 3300 fps, flat as a laser within hunting ranges and good in the wind, with enough energy and bullet weight to deal with a grizzly if necessary.
As far as weight reduction goes, us serious mountain hunters don't trim the labels from our underwear.......we eliminate the entire garment, totally. We don't trim the handles off out toothbrushes.....we eliminate them..........we don't use a spork, we use fingers and caping knives.......etc, etc, etc..........
One could lighten this rifle up even more by cutting the barrel from 24" to 22" and then having the barrel octagoned with the flats across the bottom of the flutes. This would shave another near 1/2 lb from it.
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I don't log in here too often during the warm months...too much outdoor stuff to do, so I just check into these interesting threads periodically and try to catch up...
This one, although informative, is also increasingly disturbing...
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Never discount shame as a motivator. And things that seem weird in everyday life are accepted on the mountain.
The Satterlees Ti's start at $6k US for the bare action and a 3-4 year lead time right now unfortunately, mine with options is at about $8,500US. Got the first seriously in progress pics of it and it's coming along, just sent him my Ti rings for lapping. Going to look into shaving a Krieger I have here to bottom basement proportions, no safety factor dimensions. Want a rifle that points like a magic death wand in the end.
Ah Hoyt, you know as well as I do, that you never hear nor feel your rifle go off when shooting at game...........Load development tends to be abbreviated, first load that does an inch is perfect..........best if it happens in the first 15 shots off the bags.
I do agree that lighter is better but honestly IMHO if a rifle is a pound heavier than 5.5 lbs it won't make or break a mountain hunting trip.
Mind you my experience only comes from hunting BC and AB, so I doubt I"ve ever been much over 8000 ft on a hunt.
The kimber montana in 308 seems like a nice option.
Mind you my experience only comes from hunting BC and AB, so I doubt I"ve ever been much over 8000 ft on a hunt.
The kimber montana in 308 seems like a nice option.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I must have been thinking about his cro-mo actions. Or I was just completely on fumes. I thought this low VOC paint was supposed to be better for you. Clearly more industry BS. But I digress.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Yea by the time you've done custom bridges and bottom metal, it's $10k landed in Canuckistan. You nailed the chro-mo ones, about $3500 bare action, pretty reasonable, Holland & Holland builds on them and then charges $30k+.
Mine's this far, 3 1/2 years in I believe, we're getting there.
Mine's this far, 3 1/2 years in I believe, we're getting there.
Action is NOT better - 3 pos wing saftey is only a personable preference i like the stock remy better - wing safety is Not a UPgrade AT ALL ! mine would have a fluted bolt - NO fluted barrel as not needed as its only for Looks - Muzzle brake TOTALLY UN - NESSACARY ! on this rifle as for weight YOURS will NOT be 4-15 ready to shoot and cost well i might have being a bit high
but who CARES ! RJYou know Ardent, 3 1/2 years to get to "not even close to finished is just way too long. He needs to hire/train/supervise people. Just my opinion.
Nobody has mention this so far, but I also really, really like the fine little kiplaufs. A Merkel or Blaser in the Stutzen version is very light and compact.
Nobody has mention this so far, but I also really, really like the fine little kiplaufs. A Merkel or Blaser in the Stutzen version is very light and compact.
