Factory Lightweight rifles for western hunting.

[sable tireur]

How about a Remington 700 Titanium in 7-08? Mine weighs 6 pounds, 3 ounces with a 3.5-10X scope and mounts.

They still make these?

Nope!

Fortunately some of the custom action makers are able to supply us with Titanium actions for personal or professional builds. So the lack of Remingtons is really no great loss.

When Remington was still making the Titanium actions and rifles, we would buy the whole rifle and tear them down just for the action. Now though individual actions will come up for sale occasionally. They started out at $1,200.00 but the last one I saw sold for $1800.00! They were good actions but not THAT good! I buy Pierce Ti actions instead.

 

[FEENIX]

I ended up getting a great deal on a savage 110 ultralight in 300 wsm.

Come on, you know the rule.

 

[SofaKing]

Come on, you know the rule.

View attachment 527260

lol

 

[FEENIX]

lol

Brother, don't leave us hanging.

 

[chav0_12]

The Savages are good rifles. I have a few. They're fun to make into semi-customs too. If I were buying an UL rifle I'd be looking at the Weatherby or what I'd really want is the Barrett Fieldcraft. At the end of the day, I want to build an UL rifle though. I'd like to build a sheep/goat rifle and try to get it just under 5lbs bare rifle. That's a really expensive endeavor though, but I still want to do it.

 

[Reelamin]

Fortunately some of the custom action makers are able to supply us with Titanium actions for personal or professional builds. So the lack of Remingtons is really no great loss.

When Remington was still making the Titanium actions and rifles, we would buy the whole rifle and tear them down just for the action. Now though individual actions will come up for sale occasionally. They started out at $1,200.00 but the last one I saw sold for $1800.00! They were good actions but not THAT good! I buy Pierce Ti actions instead.

Nice to hear. Most times with just about anything if you are willing to pay for it you can get it. I'm in the huge majority group sticking with just plain old factory guns. Factory as in entire rifle for well under 1K, a big splurge is 1300 for the savages.

 

[SofaKing]

Brother, don't leave us hanging.

View attachment 527271

 

[COBrad]

I've had 6 ultralight rifles. The 300 WSM's were just too much recoil for me to accurately shoot the heavy bullet loads I prefer. 7-08's and .243 were great as was a .284 Winchester. Besides too much recoil in the WSM's the ultralights were just more of a challenge to shoot the half moa I strive for. I have a custom light weight 300 WSM build underway now. Defiance An-Ti XM, fluted Bartlien 3b 25" with a small 3 port brake. Manners UC-Plus stock, March compact 2.5-25x42 and Hawkins Featherweight mounts. With bottom metal and trigger it should come in right around 8.5 lbs. I expect this to be easier to shoot well at longer ranges than my ultralights were.

 

[cabelasken]

How about a Remington 700 Titanium in 7-08? Mine weighs 6 pounds, 3 ounces with a 3.5-10X scope and mounts. PM if you'd like more details. -Ed

My titanium wears a 2.5X8 leupold with Talley rings. Factory barrel was replaced with a Light Pac Nor barrel. It fits nicely in my eberle gunrunner scabbard. Thinking about turning the 7-08 into an ackley.

 

[cabelasken]

I've had 6 ultralight rifles. The 300 WSM's were just too much recoil for me to accurately shoot the heavy bullet loads I prefer. 7-08's and .243 were great as was a .284 Winchester. Besides too much recoil in the WSM's the ultralights were just more of a challenge to shoot the half moa I strive for. I have a custom light weight 300 WSM build underway now. Defiance An-Ti XM, fluted Bartlien 3b 25" with a small 3 port brake. Manners UC-Plus stock, March compact 2.5-25x42 and Hawkins Featherweight mounts. With bottom metal and trigger it should come in right around 8.5 lbs. I expect this to be easier to shoot well at longer ranges than my ultralights were.

I agree - my limit is about 7.5 lbs for accuracy. I have 3 rifles below that and as I got closer to 6 lbs complete, my groups went up to 1 1/4". And I know it's not the rifles fault!!! My custom 284 is just below 8 lbs loaded and it has produced many 5 shot groups below 1/2 MOA. Field shots are really challenging with rifles below 7.5 lbs.

 

[mnoland30]

I have a Browning Mountain Ti in 7mm WSM. With a homemade Boonie packer Safari sling and Leupold 2.5-8x40, it weighs under 6-1/2 lbs. It isn't that fun to shoot with factory loads (and not that accurate). I load it down to around 7-08 velocity (2850 with 168 VLDs). That load has worked great on javelina to bull elk and everything in between. It shoots well for me, but I'm not taking long shots. Furthest I've ever needed to shoot was 340 yards. It is a joy to carry. I'll never carry a heavy rifle again. When I was in my 50's, I carried a 10 lb. rifle but I'm not so young anymore.

If I had it to do over again, I'd buy a Savage 110 Lightweigt Storm in 6.5 Creedmoor at 5.6 lbs. or maybe a Howa Super Lite at 4.7 lbs. Mild recoil and devastating terminal ballistics. My friend's 11 year old grandson just shot a cow elk in the heart at 500 yards with 143 gr. ELDX out of a Howa.

 

[Mike D Texas]

I ended up getting a great deal on a savage 110 ultralight in 300 wsm.

Well you've already purchased but if I were looking for the rifle you described I would get the Weatherby backcountry (probably Ti) in 280AI.

That's probably about as well balanced of a setup that exists.

 

[sable tireur]

I was at the range with one other shooter. I took a break to let him set up. He started a target so I switched over to watch his group develop. Oh MY!

A quick assessment using the 1" squares was approximately 4" on the first go round. He stared at that target for a couple of minutes then started another target. Same basic result. He pushed back so I walked over to see if there was anything I could help with.

Brand spanky new Weatherby Back Country TI in 6.5 RPM. Nice Leupold scope, factory ammunition. We chatted a minute then I asked if I could handle the rifle to check a couple of things just in case.

It didn't take long since the actions screws were ever so slightly loose. The scope mount needed a little attention also so I got my tools out of the truck and fixed what I saw as the problems.

He set back up again and proceeded to shoot several 1" or less targets which seemed to please him. Mission accomplished.

He let me handle and examine this rifle to satisfy my curiosity. I even shot a couple of groups (3 shot) which were slightly smaller than his. It took me a little juggling to get comfortable with a rifle lighter than I'm used to but it is a fine rifle in my opinion for being so light. The cartridge is a favorite of mine.

Not cheap but a nice rifle in this lightweight category.

 

[David_h]

I was at the range with one other shooter. I took a break to let him set up. He started a target so I switched over to watch his group develop. Oh MY!

A quick assessment using the 1" squares was approximately 4" on the first go round. He stared at that target for a couple of minutes then started another target. Same basic result. He pushed back so I walked over to see if there was anything I could help with.

Brand spanky new Weatherby Back Country TI in 6.5 RPM. Nice Leupold scope, factory ammunition. We chatted a minute then I asked if I could handle the rifle to check a couple of things just in case.

It didn't take long since the actions screws were ever so slightly loose. The scope mount needed a little attention also so I got my tools out of the truck and fixed what I saw as the problems.

He set back up again and proceeded to shoot several 1" or less targets which seemed to please him. Mission accomplished.

He let me handle and examine this rifle to satisfy my curiosity. I even shot a couple of groups (3 shot) which were slightly smaller than his. It took me a little juggling to get comfortable with a rifle lighter than I'm used to but it is a fine rifle in my opinion for being so light. The cartridge is a favorite of mine.

Not cheap but a nice rifle in this lightweight category.

I just had similar issue on my son's brand new Left Hand Weatherby Backcountry 2.0 in 280 Ackley Improved. The rear action screw (bolt) was too long allowing a little movement. Most noticeable in the floorplate trigger guard. I had to shorten the bolt by up to 2 mm. Now it is solid up against the pillars. I'm hoping son can shoot such a lightweight rifle well. I struggled with same rifle except mine is RH and Ti. My best groups off bench had bipod hanging in front of forward bag. Extra weight must help with muzzle lift.