Lightweight rifles
 

What do you guys think is "too light"? 6 lbs scoped? 4.5lbs bare?

IF YOU HAVE TO CARRY IT IN...............??

Only have to shoot it once; if it's accurate !!!

4.5lbs too light? Maybe for one of my revolvers :-P

I do have a little difficulty stabilizing off hand with a Marlin 60, it claims 5.5lbs bare if I remember correctly, but the balance is quite close to the trigger for the newer models. Absolutely DREADED offhand shooting with a forend-less mountain takedown rifle.

I'd play with the balance point as much as I did the weight. If you can keep the balance out front far enough to lock down for off hand shooting, you could go a little lighter and still not feel as light.

Then of course, balance your recoil too - I assume you're talking a substantial brake on these unless the cartridge is quite mild. I'd rather carry a 10lb rifle I can stand to shoot and practice with than a 5lb 7mm mag which beats the he11 out of me.

Centerfire? Rimfire? What caliber and application?

Centerfire, big game hunting rifles.

A NULA is under 5lbs...

So much depends on your choice of caliber and the fit of the stock to your body. Balance, as has been mentioned, is key for gaining quick comfortable mounting, but the fit of the stock to your shoulder/face/cheek can greatly help your perceived recoil.

Only their .223rem length mini action - the "short" is under 5. The standard length is listed at 5.5, bare. The magnum rifles are 6-7.5lbs.

Getting down to a 20oz action is a feat.

The NULA model 20 is around 5lbs and beautifully made, i know because i have one of his custom smokeless muzzle loaders called a M209.

(The Ultimate Mountain Rifle) This rifle is built on an intermediate length action. It is designed for exceptional accuracy with .308 class cartridges, while maintaining extreme lightweight. The action weighs a modest 20 ounces, and the finished rifle is only 5 pounds.* The Ultimate Mountain rifle is available in all .308 length cartridges, including the .284 Winchester. A three-inch magazine is featured to allow extra versatility for load

Model 24 in 30-06 weighs in around 5.5lbs and Model 28s start around 6lbs for calibers like 338 Win Mag.

My Model 20 weighs in at about 7.5lbs with a custom order heavier/longer barrel (ready to hunt). It thumps when i shoot a 275gr bullet at nearly 2450fps. Still very manageable though and far from abusive.

Most of mine weight 7-8 pounds, plus the scope, rings and ammo. I don't begrudge anyone wanting a lighter/heavier rifle as it's personal preference.

Lighter is nice, but recoil tends to be more. With a good sling, I don't mind heavier rifles.

Stay tuned... :) :) :)

X2

My rifle weighs 10 pounds fully equipped, yet it never once felt heavy or cumbersome while hunting in the mountains of Colorado, Idaho, or New Zealand.

you must still be a younger person LOL
get older and things like ounces add up!
I don't need a super light rifle, but I do feel a rifle the longer I carry it up hill or down now a days
and longer barrels also get in my way more, I don't dip and bend so well LOL
also remember folks the material of a stock also has a bunch to do with recoil too
some absorb recoil better than others and stock design can make it harsher or not, on that end as well!
so just cause its lighter, doesn't always mean more smack at the shoulder

have seen BIG difference's in recoil just by swapping stocks on many magnum caliber rifles over the yrs!

I'd say 7 to 8 lbs loaded and scoped sounds right. I've got a few mountain rifles that carry nice on long hunts

I remember the days when humping a 100# pack and running up a mountain was easy too!! Now, just carrying my big old arse up a hill is painful! Carrying one of my 12-16# AR's hog hunting all day is a bear nowadays. If I could find something lighter that was just as accurate and just as fast on followup shots for drilling sounders out of existence I would jump all over it without a second thought!

Guilty as charged. :)

That's actually a very good question. Except for the A-bolt 30-06 I'm going to make my go to rifle, and use it on everything having worked up 2 pet perfect loads that'll cover anything I'm ever likely to hunt again, I'm seriously considering building a whitetail rifle, on a A-Bolt action chambered in 7mm08 for all day, day in & day out packing, and I'll have a target weight max of 6#-scoped, slung, loaded, & all ready to go.

I think I have a 7lbs scoped 4.5-14x, .243

I think this is pushing the too light, perhaps because of how it balances, barrel is real light.

It's done...

22.8 ounces for a complete action ready to go with trigger, recoil lug, rail, etc...

3.5 ounces lighter then a Pierce Ti and nearly twice as stiff.

Pics soon.

There's a thread on 24hr with pics if anyone can't wait for pics here.

Diablo action... 1 lb 6.8 ounces



Pierce Titanium... 1 lb 10.3 ounces




Basically on the stiffness test, we clamped the front of the receiver in a barrel vise put a dial caliper on the rear bridge and hung 60lbs just behind the indicator.

The Rem 700 flexed .003 of in inch.
The Diablo Phantom flexed .004 of an inch.
The Pierce titanium flexed .008 of an inch.
Pretty impressive for an ultra light.

New lightweight barrel also...

who's the barrel maker ?

The liner or the wrapping?

The rifle in the photo below weighs just over 5 lbs.



Mannlicher Schoenauer Model 1903 chambered for 6.5x54MS. It is a joy to hunt with.

Good looking rifle and ram!

All up, the Phantom WITH a 20oz scope will be a tad over 5 lbs...

The Liner please, But tell me about the wrapper as well ?

Liner is a match grade stainless.

Carbon wrap is a proprietary process that is infused with aluminum to aid in heat dissipation.

Jeep,

I'm sorry; are you guys buying blanks and making your own barrels ?

Yes sir, that's correct.