Yeah yeah go back to the circus Mr Jolly Green Giant.Only 6'5 245
Long range backpack rifle
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UplandFreak
Well-Known Member
In my mind an ultra light rifle starts at sub 6lbs and then ends sub 7lbs all in. Thats just my opinion. Ultra light and long range really aren't super compatible - a 9-10lb rifle is a good compromise. Also, a sub 7lb rifle should make it easier to hoof it within 500 yards for a good shot.
I have a ton of confidence in my current set up - there are a couple things I don't love about it tho....it has a 26" barrel plus a brake. It sucks to bust through brush with it. It has the detachable mag. Once again crawling through brush with it attached to my pack I have had a branch hit the mag release and drop my magazine. Luckily my hunting partner was behind me and grabbed it. For those reasons, my next rifle will be an ultra light set up with a short barrel and preferably just a blind magazine.
I have a ton of confidence in my current set up - there are a couple things I don't love about it tho....it has a 26" barrel plus a brake. It sucks to bust through brush with it. It has the detachable mag. Once again crawling through brush with it attached to my pack I have had a branch hit the mag release and drop my magazine. Luckily my hunting partner was behind me and grabbed it. For those reasons, my next rifle will be an ultra light set up with a short barrel and preferably just a blind magazine.
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tnek13
Well-Known Member
You like Savage so go with the Ultralite 6 pounds plus scope, it is not hard to re-barrel a Savage, but if you went with a Proof barrel you probably wound spend as much as you would to buy the Ultralite.
LongRangeFever
Active Member
If your going to stick with savages, I would recommend investing in some tools to do your own prefix barrel swaps. That is how I started out. Savage builds are nice because they are really easy to swap out barrels. I would get a light weight chassis and rebarrel one of your existing long actions. There are many good tutorials online. Just like reloading, attention to detail is very important. Also note, you can do the same with Tikkas...
Coddington99
Member
Thank you for all the help guys!
I went with the Kimber Mountain Ascent in 280AI With a Swarovski Z5 3.5-18x44. 6.71 lbs. Sub MOA with Federal premium 168 grain Berger Hybrids. Solid shooter
BrentM
Well-Known Member
I have a 6.5 PRC and 6.5 CM that I use for hunting that are both lighter but capable of longer range. I run a suppressor on these so I wound up reducing weight and length for both lighter and more compact carry. My previous long range rifles weighed 12-13 non-suppressed. I target sub 10 now with the added suppressor.
The creed is for wolf mainly but I'd be fine running it on elk and deer closer in, maybe out to 500. It runs a proof bull 20" 9lbs scoped and suppressed. The 6.5 PRC runs a proof bull 22" and is 10 lbs ready to shoot but it has a folding chassis and is my go to rifle.
My thought is that generally if we are packing we also tend to like the compact rifles. By nature you get a reduction of weight and a easier to maneuver rifle. Sometimes a heavier rifle feels better if its a bit more compact. Food for thought.
The creed is for wolf mainly but I'd be fine running it on elk and deer closer in, maybe out to 500. It runs a proof bull 20" 9lbs scoped and suppressed. The 6.5 PRC runs a proof bull 22" and is 10 lbs ready to shoot but it has a folding chassis and is my go to rifle.
My thought is that generally if we are packing we also tend to like the compact rifles. By nature you get a reduction of weight and a easier to maneuver rifle. Sometimes a heavier rifle feels better if its a bit more compact. Food for thought.
My second rifle ever is early '80s Winchester M70 Carbine in .270 Win. 20in barrel and slightly shorter LOP than standard (although I don't know the exact amount shorter). Very light weight, even with a good scope, and very accurate with 130gr bullets. If you can find one of the carbine models, it might be what you're looking for.
The one downside is I have never been able to find a 150gr load that it likes in the almost 40 years I've had the rifle. I think it just doesn't have enough length to get the speed needed for the 150gr to shoot well. The 180gr bullets we could get in the '80s were REALLY bad. However, 130gr are devastating.
Shot two yearling bucks from atop a cliff South of Sheffield, TX, about 500 yards from the base with that rifle at 16. Had to shoot both twice to drop them and missed out on the doe that was with them when she decided to bolt after the second yearling dropped. Would have tagged out on that lease in 10 minutes if she had stayed.
On the left is my pre-64 Mod 70 in .257 Roberts with a 22" barrel (it started life ad a 25-06). On the right is my early '80s Mod 70 Carbine in .270 Win with a 20" barrel.
The one downside is I have never been able to find a 150gr load that it likes in the almost 40 years I've had the rifle. I think it just doesn't have enough length to get the speed needed for the 150gr to shoot well. The 180gr bullets we could get in the '80s were REALLY bad. However, 130gr are devastating.
Shot two yearling bucks from atop a cliff South of Sheffield, TX, about 500 yards from the base with that rifle at 16. Had to shoot both twice to drop them and missed out on the doe that was with them when she decided to bolt after the second yearling dropped. Would have tagged out on that lease in 10 minutes if she had stayed.
On the left is my pre-64 Mod 70 in .257 Roberts with a 22" barrel (it started life ad a 25-06). On the right is my early '80s Mod 70 Carbine in .270 Win with a 20" barrel.
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I also had a Backcountry 92 in a 7 RM that I took on a hunt in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Thank God, I purchased this light weight rifle for that hunt. I was able to connect on a mule deer from one ridge top to the other. Right around 600 yards. I would highly recommend the Backcountry 92 models!
I have handled and loaded for three of the 110 ultra lights. None of them have been sub 6 lbs. the 280 AI was 6.0 the 28 nosler 6.3 ounces the 300 wsm was 6.2.
They are nice guns but they are not being completely honest about the weights.
They are nice guns but they are not being completely honest about the weights.
Backcountry sports
Well-Known Member
I'm with you 100% I've set up 4 for customers all great shooters
dmj
Well-Known Member
I do have a couple of the cooper Backcountry rifles. One is a 280ai, the other is a 300wm. The 280 has been a little finicky on finding a bullet that it would shoot well. Was going to try some hammer bullets but have some 175 eld-x so decided to try them. Found a load that shot well under 1/2 inch. Haven't run it through the chronograph, but it does shoot well. The 300 seems to shoot everything I've tried so far quiet well. Hope it continues to do well as hopefully it will be my light pack rifle. Do like both rifles but at least to me they are a little on the more expensive side. Not necessarily compared to what some of the guys and gals on here shoot. Unfortunately this is not a cheap sport. There is always something new to want rifles, scopes, rangefinder, binoculars, reloading gear and supplies. Good luck
UplandFreak
Well-Known Member
But how did they shoot??
