Considering a limited budget probably using the factory barrel, what are your ideas on building a light weight rifle in 270, 7mm or 300 WSM ?

Md 70 vs. MD 700

Mc Million edge or Banser Hi Tech stock ?

Stainless or blue with a Teflon coating ?

Any way to reduce the factory action weight without blowing the budget ?

Buy a Kimber Montana.

I agree.

quote:

Buy a Kimber Montana.

Too many people claim the Kimbers only shoot 1.5 MOA.

If i could count on 1 MOA accuracy, that would be my gun.

Or a Ruger Ultralight. However mine is not a 1moa gun. May be a bit optimistic given the criteria.
Peter

This is from a past project, hope that you find it helpful:

http://www.americanhunter.org/....aspx?id=3896&cid=58

This year I put a factory Remington Ti into a McMillian Edge and added a PTG trigger guard and shroud. In .270, the finished weight is 5 lbs 5.6 oz.

The remington will be much easier to work with getting down to minimum weight is your goal.I'm pretty sure I could get one down to about 5# including the scope with a little work.

I hate to say it, but most fly weight rifles just aren't as accurate as standard weight rifles. I think a lot of this has to do with recoil and the shooters ability to be consistent. Then you got those super thin barrels. Some shoot and some don't. The more meat on you barrel the better. In that vein, I would choose a 270 over any 30 cal just because you might get a little less kick and barrel vibration. My idea of the perfect all weather mountain rifle would be a Kimber Montana in 6.5 Creedmore or 260 Rem. They emulate, and slightly improve upon the performance of the 6.5 Swede. We've all heard about all the Scandinavian Moose that round has killed. Maybe a minimalist caliber, but effective. Don't know if Kimber makes the Montana in either round.

quote:

Originally posted by Anaconda:

quote:

Buy a Kimber Montana.

Too many people claim the Kimbers only shoot 1.5 MOA.

If i could count on 1 MOA accuracy, that would be my gun.

I would be perfectly satisfied with 1.5 MOA in 5.75lb rifle. You can still kleenly kill big game at any sane range.

Looked at Kimber Montana on the web. Chambered in 270 win they are only 5.625 lbs!

quote:

Originally posted by Rhys:
The remington will be much easier to work with getting down to minimum weight is your goal.I'm pretty sure I could get one down to about 5# including the scope with a little work.

How?

I have had two Kimber Mt. rifles and they didn't shoot as I would have liked. I have had two Weatherby light or feather wt.'s, one in .270 and one in .280. Both are sub-MOA rifles. I sold the .270 because I prefered the .280 round. They are 5.5# rifles and handle well. Out of 70 some rifles the Wby in .280 is my go to rifle for Black bear/plains game on down. Look at the Wby Lt. Wt. I love mine.....Tom

I would go with the rem 700. It's a lighter action. Lap the lugs, square the action & go from there.

My experience with ultra light rifles is that they tend to very particular about what load they like so be prepared to for some bench time. Sometimes you find it quick, otherwise it is trial and error. Don't be dissapointed if it really sucks with some loads, you'll find the right one. My vote is for one of the original Remington 700 Titanium if you can find one on line. 5.25 lbs short action, 5.5 lbs long action. Whats nice about these is they are full sized rifles not scaled down versions. Mine in 30-06 is a consistant .75 moa.

What about one of the Kipplauf type rifles - eg the Blaser or Merkel. They are well under 6lbs and breakdown so can be carried easily in a back. 7x65r is a good flat shooting calibre that will do most things - have a look in the single shot forum.

My Ruger Ultralight is in 257R. However I did buy a Tikka T3 (plastic stock) in 308 that is very light and is very accurate out to 300 yards. Don't know the weight but a Googkle check should give you the weight. The guys on the NZ forum rate it very highly.
Peter

This should be exactly what you are requesting
http://www.gunbroker.com/Aucti....aspx?Item=327453898

Kevin Weaver ( a dedicated sheep hunter) builds a fine accurate rifle using the HiTech stocks. I had him build me a .270 on a Pre 64 and a 340 Wby on a transition Mod 70. Very accurate and light weight rifles.

Buy a Kimber Montana.

That's way easier than waiting for one and you will get a better than M70 design and a superior stock.

I have two Kimber WSM's in 270 and 7mm. The 7mm is one of the most accurate hunting rifles I have ever shot.

The 270 WSM is older and took some tweaking to get it right.

Last October just before the season started the 270 WSM, on it's last check, made a 1" two shot group at 100 yds and then a 1" two shot group at 200 yds and its right on where I want it at 200 yds.

Depends on your budget, and I know it's easier said than done....
If you have the action, and you want a custom rifle, get a nice fluted Lilja barrel, Put on a Bansners hi-tec stock, install a jewel trigger, and get it cera-koted......Done !!! work up a good load and your good to go.

Just started on mine. John Pierce should have my Titanium receiver in about a month. I will be making the stock out of carbon fiber balsa wood laminate with a carbon fiber skin. I have never seen a carbon fiber wrapped barrel that shoots in a hunting situation. I will try one of the aluminum barrels with a steel insert if I can save weight. It will be a long action in 280.
Just another[stupid] project that I have always wanted to do.

I just came into an early Christensen Carbon rifle based on a rem 700 action and McMillan stock. 300 win mag, 24" barrel. Weighs in at about 6 3/4 lbs. Nice!

quote:

What about one of the Kipplauf type rifles - eg the Blaser or Merkel.

HeymSR20 .......

My Blaser K95 in 7x57R, all-up w/scope (Zeiss 3-9x50 in Blaser Saddle Mount), sling (leather braided) and 1 round of ammo in the chamber is 7lbs. exactly.

Not a true ultra-lightweight but nevertheless still a sveldt, light-enough, handy little piece. I'd carry it up the mountain but it's not in the Ultra Light Arms and beyond (=below) class.

Shoots perfect in the field but takes some saavy to get it to shoot from a bench; there's some quirks involved in getting the lighter pieces to shoot from a table.

Buddy's got a Custom 300 RUM on a modified Remington action w/pencil-thin 28" bbl. & Leupold variable that weighs a pound less. I'm not too recoil sensitve but this one gets your attention when you squeeze the trigger.

Do something neat and build a light weight rifle based on a Mauser 98.

I have 1930's guild rifle in 9.3x57mm with a 24" barrel that has to be the lightest Mauser I've ever held. Standard action and bottom metal; barrel is a thin profile and the stock is incredibly light. It's a real thumper, though, when you shoot it. I will weight it and let you know.

I figure if you get rid of the bottom metal and go with a blind magazine and internal aluminum or thin steel mag well that it will even be lighter.

A colt light rifle would be a good choice from my, albeit limited experience of two said rifles, but it seems most owners have had the same experience as mine.

Kimber has brought out a new rifle lighter than the Montana. They offer it is 280 AI and a few other calibers. I handled one at the DSC convention. Really nice; comes with a muzzle break and I for one do not like them but it may have application on a gun so light,
I has a pretty ugly pixel conceived stock camo finish. Bolt, handle are scalloped.
My son has a 270 WSM Montana and it shoots MOA but this new gun is probably a pound lighter.
Kimber claims the gun is pillrt and glass bedded.

EZ

I really like the Steyr Ultra Light...comes in 7 08 and 308....just about 6 pounds without scope...and I've seen them for $1200. Don't know if the magazine would limit OAL if reloading.

I have a stainless steel Rem 700 mountain rifle in 30-06 with a Bansner sheep hunter model stock and Talley low rings and bases and a 2.5x8 Leupold scope. It weighs 6# 10 ounces with a decelerator pad and painted stock with a free floated barred. Shoots well under 1" three shot groups and cost less than $ 1,000 by buying all parts used and selling the original factory stock. I hired the stock finishing work done. If you can do the finishing work on the stock, you will save about $200.

Mine is not exactly a sheep rifle but I have a standard Rem. 700 ADL 7 Rem opened up to 7 Mashburn, Brown 'Pounder, and a 6x 36 Leupold in Talley light weight mounts. Loaded it is 7.4 lbs. It is my go to everything rifle and I have carried it up some damned steep tall country. A NULA in 7 Rem or .300 Win would weight not much less.

This is an easy one lol. Speedy has built all of mine and they shoot bug holes.. Has to do not only with the builder but the ammunition preparation and the shooter. Light rifles are much harder to get to shoot close to a BR rifle but it can be done. I have many of them in the safes.

You should consider a Cooper Excalibur. Coopers are accurate. Weight is about 6.5lbs. All my Coopers really shoot well.

Pierce Engineering called and they are shipping my Titanium receiver next week.

quote:

Originally posted by butchlambert:
Pierce Engineering called and they are shipping my Titanium receiver next week.

Butch--keep me advised on this one! Very interested!!

I will. It may be a couple months before I get started. I will post pics of the receiver.

Another plug for the Kimber Montana. Like others have said, finicky on the load. For the money vs weight vs accuracy, it's a winner. Otherwise, you'll be hard pressed to get it's equal under $2,000.

Except! A Tikka Lite:

http://www.tikka.fi/t3models.php?litess

It has it's limitations, but it is probably the cheapest, quality, ultra light commercial gun. Lots of guys love them in Alaska.

My latest is a model 70 fwt stainless in 270 winchester which shoots easily under 1" for 3 shots. Just ordered a mcmillan winchester hunter (sako hunter clone) in Edge technology. Finished with with a vxlll 3.5x10 will be a couple ounces over 7lbs, empty. Any lighter and I struggle to shoot them well, under pressure (like hunting situations!).
I went this way because 1. I like model 70s, and have tried many others 2. this one shoots very well 3. stainless for me is good if the action is slick, and it is on this model 70 4. I like 270s, have a lot of history and faith in one 5. I think the mcmillan stocks are the best value (not necessarily cheapest) if you can find a stock that fits you.
Like the last several I have built, this may be my last build!

I bought a Weatherby ultra-light in 270 Win., added Talley aluminum bases-rings and a Leupold 2.5x8 scope. 6 Lb 10 oz. Accuracy was not good at first. I eventually "spring-pressure" bedded the barrel (as per instructions in "Sporting Rifles, A Designer's Notebook) and now get 1/2 MOA groups (3 shots) out to 300 Yds. Sight in zero has not changed in three years. To me, it's perfect.
RF

How about a Tikka T3 action as an alternative?

Have you given any thought to the Forbes Rifle? Essentially a production version of Melvin's New Ultra Light Arms. 5.5 pounds for a .270 with what many believe is the best synthetic stock on the market.

Pretty hard to beat at an MSRP of $1400

http://www.forbesriflellc.com/

I like wood and blue steel..Ruger ultralight, Remington Mountain rifle, and the Win. mod. 70 FTW are all great rifles...

Keep in mind that a light rifle wobbles all over hell and back when you top a saddle to catch up with a deer or whatever, and they are damn hard to hold steady on that jump shot or even a broad side standing shot when the lungs are pumping..thus the reason that I like a 9 to 9.5 lb. scoped and loaded rifle, such as the old mod. 70 pre 64 std. weight for instance. but I only speak for myself.