Mountain/Do-it-all rifle build suggestions.

[Weatherby Fan]

Ok just for you lefty's, I just had this built as a gift for a great friend,
30-06
1991 LH Rem 700 action
Rem stock bottom metal
23" #2 Benchmark non fluted
LH Grayboe Outlander stock
Talleys holding a Leupold VX3i 4.5-14x40 CDS 30mm

 

[SavageHunter11]

I haven't read all the posts in this thread so forgive me if someone else has given you this information.
I didn;t see where you mentioned your age and neither did I see you mention you want a light weight rifle. However, the older you get, the lighter you'll want your rifles to be. Therefore you'll probably be happier longer with a lighter rifle than with a heavier rifle! A 9 pound nor a 8 pound rifle is NOT a light weight rifle!
Considering that, you can get the same ballistics with a short action today as with a long action. The short action will save a lot of weight. The short Rem M-700 action will save 3 ounces over the long M-700 Rem and the Rem M-7 action will save even more. I haven't found how much the Rem M-7 action weighs but it's probably somewhere around 1/2 pound lighter than the Rem M-700 long action.
If you go with a Leupold 4.5x14 40mm scope rather than the 50mm, you'll save about 3.5 oz. That's a total of about 3/4 lb! You'll also save weight on a carbon barrel and a lightweight stock as well as light weight scope mounts.
Altogether, if you pay attention to the weight of each component, you can likely save up to 2 pounds of overall weight. Two pounds may not sound like much but the older you get -- the heavier two pounds becomes – especially multiplied by 7 days of hunting over mountains!
Granted you may not want the extra recoil that'll give you at the shot, but considering you should only have to shoot once at a game animal, I'd take the heavier recoil of a 270 WSM or 323 WSM in a Rem- M-7 action or short Rem M-700 action rather than the extra 2 pounds of rifle weight carried over mountains for the week of hunting to find that game animal!

Currently age 29, in fairly good shape, and i've lugged 13lbs rifles in the field before and it wasn't bad but it also was only 4 to 5 miles in the Black Hills of South Dakota for 3 days. However, I do know that the days of lugging rifles that heavy are going away which is why I am building what I am. I would certainly not say no to a rifle in the 7lbs area but in reality I think 8lbs is the target in my head. I see now that there are lighter stocks available then the 27oz carbon fiber Manners I have selected and I think down the line if 8lbs is getting too heavy I can shave 3/4lbs with a lighter stock.

As far as a carbon fiber barrel, I am still not sold that they are lighter than most #1 or #2 profile and for almost double the cost. Proof's website shows that a .284 bore, 24", carbon fiber bolt action barrel is 3lbs 1oz at $830 plus all the machine and fitment work required. A Criterion Sporter contour prefit at 24" is 2lbs 15oz for $550 and requires no additional machining. Then a Benchmark #2 at 24" long is 3lbs 0oz or 2lbs 11oz for a #1 contour. If there is something I am missing with Proof's barrels please tell me but everything I am seeing is that they aren't as featherlight as I once thought and I just don't see a justification for $1100-ish dollars into a barrel that isn't significantly lighter. If Proof's barrel was 2lbs flat it would be a different story for me.

I hope I am not appearing argumentative or dismissive of your help. I greatly appreciate the ideas. I'm trying to articulate my thought processes as best I can so that if I am incorrect about something, someone will hopefully correct me.

 

[rain4est]

@ Wby Fan - How does it shoot? MOA or better? Load?

 

[SavageHunter11]

Ok just for you lefty's, I just had this built as a gift for a great friend,
30-06
1991 LH Rem 700 action
Rem stock bottom metal
23" #2 Benchmark non fluted
LH Grayboe Outlander stock
Talleys holding a Leupold VX3i 4.5-14x40 CDS 30mm

Any idea how heavy the stock itself is? I always like seeing some love for us southpaw shooter.

 

[Tarheelpwr]

It's not $10,000 a year... It's only $200 for an 01 FFL (Dealer).

This is straight off the BATFE's website...

View attachment 121446

FFL that I used for my can told me he had about $10k tied up in the entire process - not sure what else he factored in on top of the $200 yearly fee. He had no reason to lie since he didn't even have to justify an Xfer fee. It was included through silencer shop.

Any rate, Not trying to derail the thread. Just offer up savings ideas if it helped the OP.

 

[Hookdown]

Currently age 29, in fairly good shape, and i've lugged 13lbs rifles in the field before and it wasn't bad but it also was only 4 to 5 miles in the Black Hills of South Dakota for 3 days. However, I do know that the days of lugging rifles that heavy are going away which is why I am building what I am. I would certainly not say no to a rifle in the 7lbs area but in reality I think 8lbs is the target in my head. I see now that there are lighter stocks available then the 27oz carbon fiber Manners I have selected and I think down the line if 8lbs is getting too heavy I can shave 3/4lbs with a lighter stock.

As far as a carbon fiber barrel, I am still not sold that they are lighter than most #1 or #2 profile and for almost double the cost. Proof's website shows that a .284 bore, 24", carbon fiber bolt action barrel is 3lbs 1oz at $830 plus all the machine and fitment work required. A Criterion Sporter contour prefit at 24" is 2lbs 15oz for $550 and requires no additional machining. Then a Benchmark #2 at 24" long is 3lbs 0oz or 2lbs 11oz for a #1 contour. If there is something I am missing with Proof's barrels please tell me but everything I am seeing is that they aren't as featherlight as I once thought and I just don't see a justification for $1100-ish dollars into a barrel that isn't significantly lighter. If Proof's barrel was 2lbs flat it would be a different story for me.

I hope I am not appearing argumentative or dismissive of your help. I greatly appreciate the ideas. I'm trying to articulate my thought processes as best I can so that if I am incorrect about something, someone will hopefully correct me.

I have a Carbon Proof barrel on one of my rifles and love it for what the rifle was built for. But your research concurs with mine. The lightest barrels are thin, all metal barrels. Carbon Fiber wrapped barrels offer considerably more stiffness at very little weight addition, along with better heat dissipation. Heat dissipation was not a concern of mine for a hunting rifle. The stiffness would be nice. But one thing to consider, as I did, is that the fatter profile of the CF barrels may preclude you from using some lightweight "mountain profile" stocks. They are designed to use sporter profile barrels or thinner, as the forend is not wide enough for CF profiles. Like you, I felt the additional cost of the CF barrels, along with their limiting consequences, made me decide against them for this particular build.

 

[SnowDingo]

Not sure how stuck on building a custom you are but cooper arms and Montana rifle co both make sub 6lb rifles in left hand. Cooper will be over 2k and Montana just under 2k. And both will allow custom options on a special order. They may be a little more $ than rebarreled savage, remington. Not trying to talk you out of anything just sharing some info i found looking for a similar rifle for my son.

 

[Rflamm250]

Decided to build myself a nice do-it-all (except bigger bears and moose) rifle. Planning to use it for antelope and whitetail every year and muleys, elk, goats, and sheep when I draw tags in my state plus any guided hunts I go on in the future. Trying to get as close to 8lbs scoped and ready to go and not exceed 9lbs. I have a build in mind, was hoping some of you with more experience could look at and see how correct I am with estimated weights and offer any suggestions if you see holes in the planned build. I am hoping to order everything this week or next week. Thanks again.

>> NSS Remington 700 left hand LA trued reciever-------------- 39oz
>>Remington ADL mag box, mag spring, and follower----------- 1oz
>>Sin Arms (Local to me) bolt fluting and threading service---- (-2oz)
>>Tactical Werks oversized carbon fiber bolt know-------------- (-1oz)
>>Pac-Nor Rem/Age #2 Super Match barrel 24" 280A.I. -------- 53oz
>>Pac-Nor fluting and muzzle threading service ------------- --- (-8oz)
>>APA Micro Bastard gen 2 ---------------------------------------- 1.8oz
>>Manners MCS-EH2 left hand carbon fiber stock ---------------- 28oz
>>Manners 9/16" pillars, 2 flush cups, and 3 sling studs --------- 2oz
>>Leupold VX-3i LRP 4.5-14x50 FFP scope w/ CCH reticle ------- 22.4oz
>>Hawkins Precision 25MOA rings ------------------------------- -- 3.5oz
>>Bedding service, barreled receiver cerakote, stock hydrodip --- 1oz?


Total build weight looks like 140.7oz or 8.8lbs. Looking at similar builds on here it appears my rifle is almost a pound heavier than I would expect it to be just comparing to others. Any and all thoughts are welcome.

Dont be afraid of the NSS trued actions. I have built on a few and all were .5 MOA or better shooters, with criterion and benchmark barrels.

 

[MudRunner2005]

FFL that I used for my can told me he had about $10k tied up in the entire process - not sure what else he factored in on top of the $200 yearly fee. He had no reason to lie since he didn't even have to justify an Xfer fee. It was included through silencer shop.

Any rate, Not trying to derail the thread. Just offer up savings ideas if it helped the OP.

I've heard that exact same number quoted so many times by people who don't know anything about the process (not sure where that number is coming from?), but I used to work for a Class II Manufacturing SOT, and it's nowhere near that amount.

Not saying they're lying, but I think a lot of these guys don't want any new competition in town, so they try to keep folks out by exaggerating the process and cost. If you ran it out of your house, and you already have a nice fireproof gun safe to keep the items in for your customers, then you should have all you need to get started, other than a business license and your ATF paperwork.

 

[yorke-1]

You should be able to get within your weight expectations pretty easy. I had a factory Rem 700 SPS in 300 RUM in a B&C Alaskan Ti stock that weighed about 8# 5oz with a VX-3 4.5-14x40 CDS scope mounted on there. A 24" barrel with a #2 contour in a light weight stock would be perfect. As far as a light weight FFP scope, try looking for a used Mk4 4.5-14x50 ERT. You should be able to get one at a good price and I think they're around 22-23oz.

Question for you with a shorter barrel, assuming you reload. With a shorter barrel, do you then select a powder from the reloading manual with a faster burn rate than you would a with a 4 inch longer barrel? That is probably a splitting hairs kind of question but i figured it's worth asking.

The short answer is no. You'll hear a lot of opinions about this, but very few of them come from folks with first hand experience.

 

[Weatherby Fan]

@ Wby Fan - How does it shoot? MOA or better? Load?

Which Rifle ?

 

[Weatherby Fan]

Any idea how heavy the stock itself is? I always like seeing some love for us southpaw shooter.

Definitely not a lightweight stock, thats with bedding material.

 

[ncwg2boatguy]

Build a 6.5-284 Norma

 

[Hookdown]

Build a 6.5-284 Norma

Bahahaha. Oh geez....
Did you read anything more than just the thread title?