I'm on a quest to lighten up my daughter's elk hunting gear, as two years ago I watched her quit on her first hunt. She just wan't mentally and physically ready for this hunt in my opinion, but at 13 years old her biggest problem was mental. She's now 15 and better prepared for it and she should draw a cow tag this year second choice. However, I do believe her heavy gear that first year resulted in her giving up as well especially when she saw the terrain she'd be hunting in.

The most recent piece of equipment I invested in for her is a Howa Kuiu Vias in .308 Win. A few years ago she asked me for a .308 Win but wound up with a M700 Classic in .300 Savage, that rifle weighs 8.5 lbs all up with sling, scope, and ammuniton. She absolutely loves that rifle and how well kills deer and pronghorn, and I suggested getting a lightweight stock from Manners or McMillan to lighten it up. You'd think I'd wanted to kill her puppy by wanting to remove the wood stock on her Classic!

The rifle I bought has the same barreled action that the now discontinued Howa Alpine rifle used. I had earlier this month found a guy selling a faux 7-08 Alpine, when he split it up I got the Bansner designed Alpine stock. I snagged it up and started plotting against my wife to get my daughter a lighter rifle.

So when I took off the Hogue stock I weighed it and it came in at 40 oz, the Alpine stock came in at 26 oz. So swapping the stock took a 7 lbs rifle down to 6 lbs 2 oz, and should leave her with an all up weight of less than 7.5 lbs. I'm currently waiting on the Talley lightweight scope mounts to come in, when they do she'll have a choice of scope options in VX III 1.75-6X32, Vari-X III 2.5-8X36, or VX II 3-9X40. Sportsman's had a close out Howa Alpine in .243 for $899 when I bought this rifle but I'm into the faux Alpine for about $650!



I'll post more pictures as I get the rifle put together. I figure I'll load it with the same bullets she likes to shoot out of her .300 Savage to keep recoil down, 125 grain BT and AB as well as 130 gran TTSX bullets which should server her well. I did buy 2 boxes of Nosler 125 BT grain ammo, since I don't have any .308 brass to reload yet.

You're a good dad!

Good luck on the whole project.

I hope your daughter gets her elk this year.

Sounds like you and your daughter are having a ton of fun! Do I sense some pride in your post?

And I agree. You ARE a good dad!

Kudos to your daughter for shooting such big bores in such a light rifle

quote:

Originally posted by B L O'Connor:
Sounds like you and your daughter are having a ton of fun! Do I sense some pride in your post?

And I agree. You ARE a good dad!

Yes, I have a lot of pride when it comes to my daughter.

I hope we do have a lot of fun together, but at 15 she doesn't really like the old man around much any more. She already told me she doesn't want me sitting with her anymore on our annual OK deer hunt. A few of my buddies and our kids have made this an annual hunt since she was nine, I guess my sitting with her is embarrassing when the other kids have their own blind by themselves. I know it's a phase, I just hope it doesn't last long.

Since shattering my leg and having my ankle fused, I can't keep up on the mountain hunts. So I turn her loose with either Graybird, Ted Thorn, or Snellstrom, hunting with honorary uncle's isn't as embarrassing for her. They've kept the passion to hunt alive in her when I couldn't take her for two seasons because of my leg. I think they're almost as proud of her as I am.

Well, I have a daughter too. She never cottoned to guns or shooting much less hunting.

But we did do things together as she was growing up: we worked every evening on her pitching (she was a damn good fast-pitch softball pitcher) and I suffered through a "phase" where I was, well, to put it mildly, unappreciated, a phase which flowered after she went to college and after, when she was a grad student.

But in the fullness of time, she has come to realize that she has only one dad, he's devoted to her and much of what he is, has said and done has turned out to have been motivated with her best interests in mind. She is now a wonderful daughter, a wonderful friend and, frankly, a wonderful human being.

I think you are ahead of where I was when my daughter was 15. You have much good $hit to look forward to! At least that's where I'm putting my money.

Perfect rig for a 15 year old. Good job!

the wife is trying to dissuade you cause she knows the girl is fine with the rifle she has.
I tried getting my girl a 6x57 instead of the 7x57 she had been using and I heard all about how it sucked.
worst 900$ I ever spent.
she did take the scope off the new rifle and put it on the other one and is still using it.

quote:

The most recent piece of equipment I invested in for her is a Howa Kuiu Vias in .308 Win. A few years ago she asked me for a .308 Win but wound up with a M700 Classic in .300 Savage, that rifle weighs 8.5 lbs all up with sling, scope, and ammuniton. She absolutely loves that rifle and how well kills deer and pronghorn, and I suggested getting a lightweight stock from Manners or McMillan to lighten it up. You'd think I'd wanted to kill her puppy by wanting to remove the wood stock on her Classic!

I had to laugh a little when I read this. My wife has a Remington 700 BDL .270 that she likes but not the weight. I tried to talk her into a synthetic stock for it but no way. I ended up finding her a mint Remington 660 .308 that weighs less than seven pounds. She now has a new favorite gun with the wood stock she prefers.

Have fun with your daughter, the time goes by all too fast!

My oldest at home is 6, we talk about hunting a lot. I am going to do the new Manners adjustable kid gun stock, and whatever left hand action I can get the cheapest and a 6mm BR for training.

When we get past that point, we'll look at a 6.5 Creedmoor, 260, 6.5x47 or whatever mid range caliber between 6.5-30 peeks her interest.

Her younger sisters will get the same stock fitted to a Bergara short action and a proof Savage barrel in 6mm BR.

I put a Remington 700 .270 action in an Ed Brown stock ($98 back in 1983). When my oldest graduated from high school I gave that rifle to her. She has killed many deer, antelope, and elk over the last eighteen years, and is still shooting some of the big pile of ammunition I gave her with the rifle. She will never part with it. The youngest is now a sophomore in High School. She will get a 7mm-08.

You are a great dad.

I just went the simple route and bought a Tikka T3 Lite. Rifle weighed slightly over 6 pounds and then added light weight rings and a 3-9x44 scope. Loaded weight with sling is just slightly over 8 pounds.

Of course it might not be as fun as customizing one's rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by Palladin8:
I just went the simple route and bought a Tikka T3 Lite. Rifle weighed slightly over 6 pounds and then added light weight rings and a 3-9x44 scope. Loaded weight with sling is just slightly over 8 pounds.

Of course it might not be as fun as customizing one's rifle.

It isn't really a custom rifle, I just recreated a discontinued factory rifle. I also did it for about $400 less than they sold the original Howa Alpine for. In fact I did it for about the same price as a factory Tikka Super Light.

.30-06

.308


.308 is lighter, that's about all I know. I hope to get to the range soon and let some lead fly.

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:

quote:

The most recent piece of equipment I invested in for her is a Howa Kuiu Vias in .308 Win. A few years ago she asked me for a .308 Win but wound up with a M700 Classic in .300 Savage, that rifle weighs 8.5 lbs all up with sling, scope, and ammuniton. She absolutely loves that rifle and how well kills deer and pronghorn, and I suggested getting a lightweight stock from Manners or McMillan to lighten it up. You'd think I'd wanted to kill her puppy by wanting to remove the wood stock on her Classic!

I had to laugh a little when I read this. My wife has a Remington 700 BDL .270 that she likes but not the weight. I tried to talk her into a synthetic stock for it but no way. I ended up finding her a mint Remington 660 .308 that weighs less than seven pounds. She now has a new favorite gun with the wood stock she prefers.

Have fun with your daughter, the time goes by all too fast!

Nothing wrong with the 600/660. My father loved his 600 as he aged. I have started using it now. It is nice and light.

Hope I get to see this rifle get some work done this fall.

quote:

Originally posted by graybird:
Hope I get to see this rifle get some work done this fall.

I hope you do to, since I'll probably need your help.

quote:

Originally posted by taylorce1:

quote:

Originally posted by graybird:
Hope I get to see this rifle get some work done this fall.

I hope you do to, since I'll probably need your help.

Me too I can't wait to see what tags are drawn this year and to see your daughter put that rifle to use!.