Rifle Build for Backpacking

I just want to recommend not being TOO caught up on the weight for a "backpacking" gun. I was once in your shoes and had the same exact type of build in mind. Now 10 or more custom rifles later, I know than an extra pound will open up the doors to more components as well as cartridges that'll shoot those bullets a little faster out of an 18" barrel, and still have manageable recoil.

They ONLY benefit of a light rifle is carrying it. Everything else is a drawback during the whole shooting process. You don't have to make it 15 pounds to see the benefits either. Just going from and 8lb to a 9lb rifle is noticeable on every level.

I would do a 9lb 6.5-7PRC (my pick of your cartridge choices) with a 147 ELDM personally. Those bullets are killing machines and you can shoot them plenty fast out of that 18" barrel and I THINK the recoil would be minimal enough to spot shots. And I like reloading and wildcats. So it fills those needs too haha.

Good luck on your build and update us when you can!!


I have a 6 PRC shooting 108 Elite Hunters at 3320fps out of a 26" barrel. Also an option if you like the 6mm.

quandary said:

For your application if it were me I'd go minimum 7PRC or 7 Rem Mag. For my 7PRC and 300PRC I use BAT Vampire actions. These actions are made of aluminum with a SS insert for the chamber area. The actions are very stiff, very accurate and very light. This would work if you want something different than titanium. I also have a 6.5PRC built with a Lone Peak titanium action, it is also very, very nice. The 7PRC and 300PRC both have 22" Carbon6 barrels and are mounted in Manners PH stocks. I also have a XLR 4.0 Element magnesium folder chassis that I can use to run the 7 and 300 in. None of these combination are close to 5-6 pounds bare. They are more in the 7 to 8 pound region.

My son has a HNT-26 for his 7PRC rig, it is a very sweet stock, he loves it.

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Any complaints with the pistol grip style? Never had anything like that before.

DirtNap35 said:

I should add I have the following cartridges already…6.5 PRC, 7 PRC, 300 wm, 300 NMI, 338 reaper. All these are 9 pounds plus

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Well ****, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know then hahaha. I thought this was a "building my first rifle" post lol.

If you have that experience with rifles and cartridges, and want 7-8lbs scoped rifle, go for it! If I'm going below 8lbs, I'm going fast 6mm. Spotting shots is critical IMO, and I think you'd have a hard time doing it with anything much larger in the field if conditions aren't perfect.

I went folding chassis for back pack carry etc and light. With can is sub 9. It's a prc and I think what you're doing this is the choice or a something similar. Sherman, saum, prc.

Basically my choice in the build was short as possible and light. That way I could get the rifle low profile and it carry's well. I have gone to a pack sling lately for my mystery ranch vs my eberlestock team elk. The pack sling carry's on the side and I like it a lot. I can also fold the stock and carry in the pack. Currently it's my favorite setup.

Make some great points. Yeah most of the time I would assume rifle will be attached to backpack system. Do you think chassis offer any benefit, like a folding stock? Or is the shoot ability better with traditional stocks? Not sure on the pistol style grip. @Huntnful

DirtNap35 said:

Make some great points. Yeah most of the time I would assume rifle will be attached to backpack system. Do you think chassis offer any benefit, like a folding stock? Or is the shoot ability better with traditional stocks? Not sure on the pistol style grip. @Huntnful

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I have a good buddy that had serious issues with a folder chassis on a late season hunt. Snow/Ice related wouldn't open or close properly. Other than that type of scenario, they might be fine thought. And that was also an XLR, but I don't think brand has much to do with it.

I'm not a fan of carrying chassis rifles and the folder seems like an issue point to me. So I stick with carbon stock for my hunting rifles.

I have a new 6 PRC in a chassis, just so I can shorten the LOP for my daughter. It's fine. But not my preference.

DirtNap35 said:

I should add I have the following cartridges already…6.5 PRC, 7 PRC, 300 wm, 300 NMI, 338 reaper. All these are 9 pounds plus

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From your list, I would go with the .338 Reaper.

DirtNap35 said:

What's the pros and cons to a chassis like a hnt26 vs traditional stock?

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The advantage of a chassis, esp. with a folding stock, is its modularity. For my .338 Thor (NMI, https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/my-338-thor.327058/), I went with a CA MPR.

DirtNap35 said:

Any complaints with the pistol grip style? Never had anything like that before.

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It's not for everybody, and it might take time to get used to, but I do not have any issues with pistol grips.


.338 Thor

.30 LARA (.300 Jarrett Improved)/

DirtNap35 said:

Any complaints with the pistol grip style? Never had anything like that before.

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I have no issues going back and forth between a Manners PH (vertical grip) and the pistol grip on either my XLR or MPA chassis'.

DirtNap35 said:

Are you running a short or long action? I'm thinking about long just to have that option of changing if I ever wanted. Was looking at TiX even though I'm not a fan of titanium actions, but at 18 oz hard to pass up.

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Short action, just buy a long action down the road for a long-action caliber and build a second rifle. I would stick with steel, titanium is like bubblegum, and the steel action will not flex under recoil nearly as much as a Ti. Its fine for .223 caliber recoil, but that's about it in my experience trying to run them in magnum cartridges, and a few extra ounces will always help with recoil management. Besides, the AntiX is lighter than my Lone Peak Razor and far more rigid.

Buy a tika lite. You can get one in the 5.5-6.5 pound range depending on caliber. Europtic has them on sale.

DirtNap35 said:

Make some great points. Yeah most of the time I would assume rifle will be attached to backpack system. Do you think chassis offer any benefit, like a folding stock? Or is the shoot ability better with traditional stocks? Not sure on the pistol style grip. @Huntnful

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The benefits of the folder are conditional to your use. I like the XLR 4.0 MG if I'm running my Ultra 5 to reduce the length and I know it will strapped to my Exo pack for long hikes in steep country covering lots of miles. If not using a suppressor and will be hunting on moderate country closer to the pickup, I like carrying my MCS Pro Hunter in my hand better than the XLR.

Ive been down this road and back. Ive built super light rifles and worried about all that stuff and it is dust in the wind. Although lots of fun to think about...

In the end:
1. Accuracy is still KING (if you cant hit it at distance everything was wasted)
2. Use Enough Gun! (If you dont have enough knock down power after impact, everything was wasted and your trailing a wounded animal)

Build a 7Saum or a 300wsm or bigger then spend your time being physically fit and shooting at distance and you will be ready for those hunts

Now Im packing a 300wm w a 28" Proof barrel & can with Mannars EH1 because I know it will knock anything down I need beyond 1000 at a loaded hunting weight of 12lbs out the door but Im in so much better shape then when I started it seems so much easier.
Let us know what you decide
James

Truly spotting impacts with a 6lb magnum cartridge is a tuff chore. . 7m-08 162 EldM is good medicine.

DirtNap35 said:

What's the pros and cons to a chassis like a hnt26 vs traditional stock?

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Chassis are like a car that allows you to adjust the seats, the mirrors, and the steering wheel.

A fixed stock is like trying to drive vehicle that's tuned to nobody.

Once you get all the components that make YOU comfortable driving the gun, other benefits included more control over hand grip, modularity, and head position which is a big one. Length of pull. Stuff like that. All aimed at making you the shooter more consistent and thus more accurate.

The only con is the money. Again, I'm not sure the hnt26 offers much more than the XLR magnesium but all adjustable chassis will give the shooter a better rifle set up for the reasons already mentioned.