Lightweight Rifle

Many hunters who hike long distances in rough terrain, or who are Backpack Hunting or Backcountry Hunting begin to seek out lightweight rifles. Lightweight rifles are not universally favored, as many find them more difficult to shoot well from field positions, and often claim that their skinny barrels lack the inherent accuracy potential of stouter designs. However, as the miles add up and the terrain intensifies, the reduced carrying weight of a lightweight rifle becomes more critical.

One way to end up with a light rifle is to simply start with a lightweight factory rifle. There are many readily available options to purchase over the counter with 6 ½ lb and under base weights. Some examples would be the Remington 700 in Alaskan Ti and Mountain LSS, the Winchester Model 70 Featherweight, the Kimber Montana, the Browning A-bolt Mountain Ti, the Tikka T3 Lite, and the Sako A7. The Remington and Kimber offerings in particular make excellent mountain rifles, with stainless barrels, robust designs, and superior fiberglass stocks.

Another way to arrive at a light weight rig is to put an existing rifle on a diet. The simplest ways to save weight will be to go to a lighter weight stock and a thinner contour barrel. For a lightweight gun, fiberglass is the most popular stock material, but more exotic choices include graphite, kevlar, and carbon fiber. Excellent aftermarket stocks are made by McMillan, Brown Precision, Lone Wolf, and Manners Composite stocks. Significant weight can also be lost in a rifles barrel. Some gunsmiths will turn down a factory rifle barrel in a lathe, but accuracy potential can be inconsistent. A great way to end up with a light weight barrel is to have your rifle re-barreled with a custom barrel in a thinner contour.

Weight can easily creep into a rifle via the additional components which are hung on it. On a lightweight rifle, care must be paid when selecting a scope, scope mounts, and a rifle sling, or a lightweight base rifle can end up exceedingly heavy. Small and simple scopes such as the Leupold 2-7x33 or 6x36 weigh less than 11 oz and make good choices for mountain rifles, where weight, size, simplicity, and durability are all at a premium. A light scope mounting option such as the 2 oz one piece Talley Lightweights and a light sling such as the Butler Creek Mountain Sling round out a mountain rifle sensibly.