Light Mountain Rifle Ideas

ZSteinle

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I am Currently in the process of builidng my 338 edge and once that is finished I have been flirting with the idea of making an ultra light (as light as I can go) mountain rifle. Just been thinking of doing it off of a 700 titanium but not sure if the the extra cost is worth the advantage. Would I be better off to just build it off a standard 700 and do bolt fluting and possible action fluting myself to help reduce weight. The plan is to do it in a 6.5X284 or maybe up to a 7Rem Mag. Stock in another question, love the Burns stock but are there lighter options out there at around the same 300 dollar price range? Any ideas for the build would be great.
 
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If you wanna go lite why not go with a SA cartridge? Maybe a 260ai, or a 6.5/300wsm or 7wsm...

For stocks, look for maybe a used McMillan Edge stock, they are above your $300 range new, but used might be affordable. The other option is the B&C Alaskan stocks, they have different options from full alum bedding blocks to no bedding, but they are super lite and pretty affordable, same sock that comes on the Remmy 700 Ti...
 
Match Grade Arms in Houston built there business on the ultra lite rifle they offer. WAAAAYYY spendy for my blood, but you may get some ideas from them.
 
Tikka T-3 light. I think they weigh about 6-3/8 pounds in magnum. Great trigger, inexpensive and extremely accurate. I just hunted all over Alaska with mine in 338 winchester and was a pleasure. Deadly on big game to a half mile. I have a 13.9 ounce swarovski 4-12 on it and with 4 ounce bipod I am hunting at about 7-1/2 pounds. I have taken grizzly, sheep, moose and caribou with the 338 winchester in Alaska with good success. This is the best carry rifle I have ever used for the weight and performance.
 
Alaskasourdough, After all that it looks like you saved one pound over my tikka but spent a bunch more money and trouble. Mine was $499 on sale at cabelas. My point was for the price and what you get in performance the Tikka is hard to beat. You can go custom and spend a lot of money to save a pound. But you may be limiting yourself by taking away some long range ability that was the purpose to begin with. It is extremely hard to shoot long range with a light rifle and the Tikka is about as light as you can go and retain good long range one shot kill ability out to a half mile or so. It can be done but takes a mighty good shooter with excellent form. I would say maybe one percent of shooters maybe could take my tikka weight rifle and be dead on one shot kills at a half mile. Just way more to consider than just weight. How light is light enough to not be cumbersome? How light is to light to not be accurate at a half mile? The little 3x9x33 scope you mentioned is not a good long range scope in hunting light conditions. My 13.9 ounce swarovski is very good.

I am not saying the tikka is the best thing that a guy could come up with but for the money does a very good job. It also has just enough weight in it to be effective at fairly long range if a guy is a very good (excellent) shooter.

Thanks for all the info in your long post. Enjoyed reading it.
 
Go with the lonewolf stock, a Hart #1 contour bbl at 20-22" a 2x7 scope or even a 3x9 and do a short action in 7-08. I have a Hart #1 in 270 and it is a real shooter.
 
I have a life, which I've put to better use than you have yours. At least I've gathered enough knowledge in life that I can manage to do more than recommend my off the shelf boat anchor of a rifle to someone clearly seeking information on a light as possible custom build. When your dealing with these types of builds 1# is alot of weight and the actual weight difference of nearly 3# is tremendous, but a knuckle dragger like you wouldn't notice. Go back to elementary school and learn how to read. Illiterate Neanderthal. Na, I take that back, a Neanderthal was at least smart enough not to throw his spear at a Moose, Bear, or Sheep a 1/2 mile away, and they still became extinct. One can only hope your blood line will follow suit.
Can you say banned by the 15th post? Must be a new record...
 
I don't know if the owner will ban you or not. I'm guessing he lets some of these disagreements get brushed under the carpet but maybe not. I've seen worse exchanges on other forums.

When I read the original poster's light rifle, the one I typed in came to mind quickly. Sure it's not a long range supermag but it will kill a lot of game to 600 yards and that's a good poke.

If I were to build a featherweight handy rifle, the one I wrote up would be it. Secondary calibers would be 260 or 308 and perhaps a 260 AI just for the wow factor.
 
Akaskasourdough,
You sound like someone else with a proclavity for skull & crossbone decals on his shooting irons. He had some nice builds but trouble suffering others...
 
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