Looking to make a light mountain rifle...any suggestions?

[drover]

Here is your out of the box rifle - Barrett Fieldcraft - 5.2#, all stainless, 6.5 Creedmore
https://barrett.net/firearms/fieldcraft/#specifications

drover

 

[walker2713]

On a whim, I bought a "sporterized" Spanish Mauser.

Someone had cut down the military stock and Bubba'ed a scope mount on it. I was going to clean it up and put a new stock on it, but the damn think grew on me! I am in the process of piller and skim bedding the action and I'm going to leave it alone as it weighs nothing, and I found I really like the 7X57 Mauser. Very light recoil, great ballistics for a California knock-about rifle.

So, I'm keeping it in its crude state as it is an ideal gun to carry through the brush and still kill ANY American game.

But, I also bought a VZ24 action and 7X57 military barrel along with a semi finished laminate stock. This will be my "pretty" gun and will no doubt be a bit more accurate and can be loaded heavier than the M93 small ring Spanish rifle.

Would you favor us with some pics??

Thanks

 

[tmx199]

I have a rem mod7RS in 7mm-08AI 18in factory barrel with a brown presion stock luepold 3.5×10 whieght is 6#. My next rifle will be a mod7 with a high tech specialty stock 29un barrel and have it cerakoted.

 

[Mozella]

I'm looking at making a really light mountain rifle. It's going to be chambered in either the the 6.5 Creedmoor or the .260 rem...haven't decided yet but the action/bolt will be the same either way so it dosn't matter at this point. So, if you were going to make a light weight mountain rifle, what would you use? Here are my particulars:

1) Remington 700 action or clone...must be stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, etc (non-rusting)
2) Lilja barrel, probably a number 2 contor (6.5 mm obviously) probably 24"...maybe a number 1 and a shorter barrel, don't know..
3) Synthetic stock
4) Don't worry about scope

So using those particulars, what would you build? Which stock, action, trigger, etc. would you put together? What would be a good weight to accuracy ratio? Would you flute the barrel, bolt, etc.? Lets try to keep the un-scopped rifle under six pounds. As far as price, Lets keep the action/donnor rifle, barrel, trigger, stock, etc. under $2000. Don't worry about gunsmithing costs.

Thanks for your opinions.

If you have a 3d printer it's easy to make ultra light weight stocks. This particular one is for F/TR so adding weight was desirable. It has a large cavity for lead shot and some of the heavy wall hollow carbon fiber rods are filled with steel rods. The idea was to make it very stiff without regard to weight and it's still a bit under the F/TR weight maximum. It's VERY stiff.

But if you wanted to make a really light stock for killing God's little furry creatures, you could use thinner wall carbon fiber tubing and perhaps a slightly different design and come in at somewhere around 13 ounces or so.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

If you have a 3d printer it's easy to make ultra light weight stocks. This particular one is for F/TR so adding weight was desirable. It has a large cavity for lead shot and some of the heavy wall hollow carbon fiber rods are filled with steel rods. The idea was to make it very stiff without regard to weight and it's still a bit under the F/TR weight maximum. It's VERY stiff.

But if you wanted to make a really light stock for killing God's little furry creatures, you could use thinner wall carbon fiber tubing and perhaps a slightly different design and come in at somewhere around 13 ounces or so.

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Very cool. Does that forend not hit the barrel on recoil? Is it springy on the bipod?

 

[normmatzen]

Walker,
I can't send a picture of the Spanish mauser re-build as I bought a take-off 7mm Mag barrel re-chambered for 7X57 and built a proper rifle for my Grand son. The damn thing shoots better than my VZ24 actioned, cut down military 7X57 barrel!
My gun looks very similar to my grand Son's just a lighter barrel and action. My gun weighs just at 9 lbs and I would guess my grand son's is 7 lb.
Don't belittle the Mod 93 Mausers, they are a very good action and well strong enough for 7X57 loads. My grandson's loads are "light" as he was
pretty young when I gave it to him but still sends 140 gr bullets at close to 2800 fps. And shoots better than 1 MOA at 100yds.
The attached picture is of my VZ24 based gun.

 

[muleystalker]

Gunwerks is running a sale on their GBR actions right now for 750.00, they are great actions come with recoil lug, scope base, field strippable bolt, cut for WYAHTS box, and are SS. one piece bolt and removable bolt knob and Borden bumps. . This would help bring the price down a little for custom action.

 

[grovey]

Buy a Tikka T3x Superlite . Less than 6lbs bare, accurate, Nice trigger than can be adjusted down to the 1 1/2 lb range with one screw in 5 mins . Use the $1,200 that's left over to scope it, buy components, and you'll still be able to fill your truck up and take your family out to dinner..

https://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com...roductDetail/Rifles/prod99999046876/cat100003

 

[muleman69]

Why not just buy a Tikka T3 in stainless in the caliber of choice and go hunting.

Paul

Just what I was thinking.And they shoot lights out

 

[muleman69]

I have a rem mod7RS in 7mm-08AI 18in factory barrel with a brown presion stock luepold 3.5×10 whieght is 6#. My next rifle will be a mod7 with a high tech specialty stock 29un barrel and have it cerakoted.

May I ask what wt. bullet and velocity you are getting?

 

[boltfluter]

If you have a 3d printer it's easy to make ultra light weight stocks. This particular one is for F/TR so adding weight was desirable. It has a large cavity for lead shot and some of the heavy wall hollow carbon fiber rods are filled with steel rods. The idea was to make it very stiff without regard to weight and it's still a bit under the F/TR weight maximum. It's VERY stiff.

But if you wanted to make a really light stock for killing God's little furry creatures, you could use thinner wall carbon fiber tubing and perhaps a slightly different design and come in at somewhere around 13 ounces or so.

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What king of plastic did you use to print your stock? Looks very nice for being printed. Much better than many items I have seen.

Paul

 

[boltfluter]

Gunwerks is running a sale on their GBR actions right now for 750.00, they are great actions come with recoil lug, scope base, field strippable bolt, cut for WYAHTS box, and are SS. one piece bolt and removable bolt knob and Borden bumps. . This would help bring the price down a little for custom action.

These are very nice actions for the asking price. A really great value. If I needed another action I would be jumping on this.

Paul

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Buy a Tikka T3x Superlite . Less than 6lbs bare, accurate, Nice trigger than can be adjusted down to the 1 1/2 lb range with one screw in 5 mins . Use the $1,200 that's left over to scope it, buy components, and you'll still be able to fill your truck up and take your family out to dinner..

https://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com...roductDetail/Rifles/prod99999046876/cat100003

This in 30-06 would be the do-all.

 

[10at6]

Barrett Feildcraft with NF shv would be my choice

 

[CharlieNC]

If you have a 3d printer it's easy to make ultra light weight stocks. This particular one is for F/TR so adding weight was desirable. It has a large cavity for lead shot and some of the heavy wall hollow carbon fiber rods are filled with steel rods. The idea was to make it very stiff without regard to weight and it's still a bit under the F/TR weight maximum. It's VERY stiff.

But if you wanted to make a really light stock for killing God's little furry creatures, you could use thinner wall carbon fiber tubing and perhaps a slightly different design and come in at somewhere around 13 ounces or so.

View attachment 1060033
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You should post "how to" details about this, I'm sure there would be mucho interest.

 

[Barlow]

A buddy bought a Kimber Hunter in 280AI last fall from Cabelas and got a deal on it, around 700.00 iirc. Light as a feather and in a great chambering. Holding moa with 160 Sierra's. Barlow

 

[muleman69]

A buddy bought a Kimber Hunter in 280AI last fall from Cabelas and got a deal on it, around 700.00 iirc. Light as a feather and in a great chambering. Holding moa with 160 Sierra's. Barlow

My buddy bought a Kimber mountain Ascent this spring and is pulling his hair out, can't seem to get it to shoot at all. Has tried numbers of different loads and even factory bullets with no luck. Headed to Alaska on sheep hunt in three weeks and takeing his Tika .260 which shoots lights out.

 

[jbmarshtx]

Here is your out of the box rifle - Barrett Fieldcraft - 5.2#, all stainless, 6.5 Creedmore
https://barrett.net/firearms/fieldcraft/#specifications

drover

Those look quite a bit like the Forbes rifles of a few years ago. Reduced diameter/scaled remington footprint. non-free floated barrel, etc.

 

[GSPV]

OK. You have a lot of good options. This one is solely to provide something different.

Tikka T-3 action. Keep the factory trigger. Buy a lighter weight trigger spring and adjust to your preference. Manners Elite Hunter vs the one shown below. I’d use a blind mag bottom metal setup vs the tactical jobber on this one. Use a sporter-weight barrel vs the magnum sporter in this one. If Manners calls it a “drop in”, don’t bother bedding it. It won’t need it.

The one below is a little under 8 lbs *with scope*. Make the changes and it’ll be under 7.

The rifle shown is in 7x47 Lapua. It’s as easy to load for as the 6 BR. My reamer’s freebore lets me shoot 100 gr flatbases up through 168 grain SMKs with the bpressure ring above the donut, at least a little jump, and fit it in an AI 308 mag. It’s scary accurate

With that said, most folks don’t share my idea of fun, so consider a 7-08 with some care choosing your freebore.

As I said above, take this with a grain of salt. Just wanted to throw a curveball into the game. But, at least it’s a curveball and not a knuckler.

 

[riflewoman]

Look at these:

https://defiancemachine.com/actions/deviant/deviant-ultralight/

And then whatever you build compare it to this

https://www.americanrifleman.org/ar...history-of-the-mannlicher-schoenauer-carbine/

These were 40 inches long and weighed 6 pounds. An 18 inch barrel on a 6.5 Creedmoor should do a bit better than the 6.5 x 54 MS.