Which milsurp rifle for use as a light-ish hunting rifle?

alpining said:
More good ideas, thanks again folks, it helps put everything in perspective. Here are my thoughts:

All 8lbs and heavier rifle options - Hard pass for me in this application. Great rifles for what they are, but that's just not what I'm looking for here.

Lee Enfield Jungle Carbine - Looks good (even though I don't particularly like the 303 for deer hunting). Looks like it would be $800ish for a shooter-grade rifle?

Mosin Nagant M38 Carbine - Maybe. Getting heavy. And that's a lot of cartridge for such a short barrel... Hard to find and expensive?

Swedish Mauser 1894 Carbine - Looks great, but it would be close to $1000 for this option, no?

Carcano Cavalry Carbine - Cheap and available right now, and I think I could handload ammunition and modify the sights to my liking. But I'm wondering if they carry well in hand, with the magazine extension below the receiver.
Click to expand...

Light-ish and milsurp don’t go hand in hand unfortunately, it’s the compromise you have to make if you want to hunt with an old classic full of character. I’m sure it’s one of the big reasons you don’t see more of them in the hands of new hunters, you can pick up a savage/ruger/rem for a reasonable price that will shoot well and weighs a lot less. Not as nice to carry around though.
 
alpining said:
More good ideas, thanks again folks, it helps put everything in perspective. Here are my thoughts:

All 8lbs and heavier rifle options - Hard pass for me in this application. Great rifles for what they are, but that's just not what I'm looking for here.

Lee Enfield Jungle Carbine - Looks good (even though I don't particularly like the 303 for deer hunting). Looks like it would be $800ish for a shooter-grade rifle?

Mosin Nagant M38 Carbine - Maybe. Getting heavy. And that's a lot of cartridge for such a short barrel... Hard to find and expensive?

Swedish Mauser 1894 Carbine - Looks great, but it would be close to $1000 for this option, no?

Carcano Cavalry Carbine - Cheap and available right now, and I think I could handload ammunition and modify the sights to my liking. But I'm wondering if they carry well in hand, with the magazine extension below the receiver.
Click to expand...

Carcanos are great to carry, excellent balance. They are so cheap you may as well just get one and see if you can work with the sights.
 
No one has mentioned the FR-7 yet. Pretty short. Not too heavy and mine is accurate. Not an inexpensive option these days though.

Lee Enfield #5 a good choice. Also not cheap.

I have a 91/24 Carcano (I think I have the model # correct) Lightest shortest milsurp I have ever owned!

Had a 6.5 Greek MS carbine years ago. Bore was a sewer pipe (really too bad) and it's long gone

My personal choice would be my O3A3. I know not a carbine but well balanced and carries like a great sporter. Definitely not cheap these days.

Just some thoughts from someone who has owned and shot most of the common and a few not so common milsurps.
 
Claven2 said:
He said light. The K31 is anything but light.
Click to expand...

That’s true, but it depends on what style of hunting you do. My father in law was my hunting partner until he got too old to bushwhack on foot, so we settled for road hunting. I know it’s a style a lot of people frown on, but it kept him going out until he turned 80, and I was happy to be out with him until he called it quits.
 
Tudenom said:
You should have a look at Intersurplus, I’m betting they’ll have quite a few M96 actioned sporters that are as light as most milsurps get.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, they have a fair number of Swedish M96 sporter options in some useful chamberings. Anybody carry one of these much? They do look nice but I'm wondering if the balance is still good, since they have a relatively long barrel on the lighter sporter stock.
 
Mosin M38
No. 5 Enfield

Or my current (and long running, now) lightweight thumper, the FR7

fr7_farm1.jpg

Lots going in favor of the FR7. Lightweight(ish), handy rifle. Plenty accurate. Common caliber.
 

Attachments

  • fr7_farm1.jpg
    fr7_farm1.jpg
    66.9 KB · Views: 270
I've been selling the centerfire rifles in my safe that have plastic on them, except maybe for butt pads. Replacements have been steel and walnut Enfields and Mausers. Maybe I'm pining to re-connect with the rifles I started with 40+ years ago.

I think that "light-ish" is a relative term for an all steel/walnut rifle with a 24" barrel. This one weighs in at 8lbs 2oz unloaded. I think that's "light-ish" but it is over the 7lbs rifle you seek.

FN model 1950 Colombian contract (wears the Colombian crest on the receiver) in the still excellent 30-06. I don't know who, where or when it was sporterized but they did a pretty good job. It's perfectly balanced at the mag box. The stock is the original stock that has been shortened, (heavily) sanded and it's very comfortable to shoulder. The FN 98 Mauser action is sturdy, smooth, reliable and is factory chambered in 30-06. The re-blue was excellent. I replaced the butt pad, added the Lyman and cleaned it up considerably. Something like this can be found for +/- $600.

1950spt1 (2).jpg1950spt2 (2).jpg1950spt3 (2).jpg
 

Attachments

  • 1950spt1 (2).jpg
    1950spt1 (2).jpg
    25.3 KB · Views: 266
  • 1950spt2 (2).jpg
    1950spt2 (2).jpg
    37.9 KB · Views: 262
  • 1950spt3 (2).jpg
    1950spt3 (2).jpg
    18.9 KB · Views: 263
Last edited:
Potashminer said:
In pounds and ounces (or kilograms and grams) what does that FR7 weigh, as shown in your picture?
Click to expand...

About 7.5lbs loaded, with the sling and shell carrier (loaded) on the buttstock, IIRC. "Naked" it comes in at a hair over 7lbs. Any of the online references I've come across always list the weight of the FR8 - which comes in at around 8lbs.

One thing to consider is not just the raw weight, but the balance of the rifle. Carbines always have a center of balance further back, which tends to make them a bit easier for shooting off hand.
 
Thanks, grelmar - is a thing I have noticed - the actual "weight" versus how it is balanced in the rifle - can make it feel as if it is several pounds heavier or lighter. I suspect absolute "weight" comes into play with some "boomers" - an acquaintance thinks I would be nuts to try to touch off many quick rounds from my 9 pound 458 Win Mag - he describes symptoms of brain concussion from doing that - he thinks like 12 or 13 pounds or so, like his rifle is, is more suitable for that recoil level and quick shooting - in my mind, seven pounds or seven and a half pounds about "right" for more normal "deer cartridges" - but can really mess that up by where that weight is distributed.
 
Potashminer said:
Thanks, grelmar - is a thing I have noticed - the actual "weight" versus how it is balanced in the rifle - can make it feel as if it is several pounds heavier or lighter. I suspect absolute "weight" comes into play with some "boomers" - an acquaintance thinks I would be nuts to try to touch off many quick rounds from my 9 pound 458 Win Mag - he describes symptoms of brain concussion from doing that - he thinks like 12 or 13 pounds or so, like his rifle is, is more suitable for that recoil level and quick shooting - in my mind, seven pounds or seven and a half pounds about "right" for more normal "deer cartridges" - but can really mess that up by where that weight is distributed.
Click to expand...

Your friend is not entirely wrong. A light rifle isn't something you're going to want to burn through a bunch of ammo in a hurry with. But for something that you're going to carry all day (or for a week) and shoot once to fill the freezer, well, who cares if it bruises your shoulder a bit? Bruises heal, but deer tastes good all winter long.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom