PHOTOS of Your Light Hunting Rifles!

[scothill]

Flamingo,
Now we are talking.... I hope that is what you are going to run in the Cain class so I can try it out.

[snakey2]

Flamingo nice but the ammo is a bit heavy isn't it? And it doesn't leave much meat!

[elmbow]

Some excellent pics and discussions, I've been too busy making carmel corn, cookies, wrapping gifts, shopping, etc. to get pics of any guns posted, so until next week, Merry Christmas to all on the Kifaru boards!

[KurtB]

I see a lot of gold rings on the scopes. I just bought a 3.5-10x40 VX3 with CDS turret. My initial impression is extremely good. If you have not played with a CDS yet, thinking it is a very good thing and my M1 turrets may be getting traded out shortly.

[CCH]

The one thing I notice about Leupolds is their weight. On average, they seem to be lighter than similar models from other manufacturers. Makes them naturals on lightweight rifles.

[Sawtooth]

Great thread, Timberline. My big game rifle is a Weatherby Super Big Gamemaster (no longer produced, but identical to the Ultra Lightweight) in 30-06. A set of Talley aluminum rings/mounts carry a Leupold VX-III 2.5-8. This rifle has been a joy to shoot, develop handloads for, and carry. I'm on the road and don't have access to my notes, but I think this rifle weighs 6 lb. 5 oz. unloaded, no sling.

[Timberline]

The more light rifles we show and list here over time, the more valuable this post will become as a resource for all those thinking and wondering about lightweight hunting rifles and their basic components.

It would be nice, too, if we could sidestep the off-topic and joke posts in order to build up this thread's resource for all.

[Kmassaro]

My light rifle is a Remington 700 LH in 270, with a 20", #1 contour Lilja barrel, and a Garrett Accur-Light stock. Garrett no longer exists, but the stock is a Model 70 Featherweight clone in fiberglass.

The barrel is 10 oz lighter than stock, and the aluminum bolt shroud took off 2 oz.

Scope is a Kahles 3x9x42 American Hunter in Conetrol mounts. Both are a little heavier than a 2.5x8 Leupold in Talleys, but I like the scope and mounts. And I'll sacrifice an ounce or two for better optics, as I replaced a 2x7 Leupold compact when it wasn't bright enough to see the crosshairs one morning. (My hunting partner's cheapie 3x9

It's 6 lbs, 8 oz, with 4 in the mag as I recall. I'll post a photo as soon as I can find my digital camera. It's in one of my hunting packs, I think.

[scothill]

Well since we have to be serious, I will post a pic of my most hunted with rifle, or at least the one I still own. It is my Marlin Guide Gun modified by Brockman. I have carried it now on several Elk hunts. 1985 Guide Gun cut to 16.25 with magazine extended to match, Wild West Guns light mount, XS sights and scope mount, Leupold WQR, and a Leupold 2.5 IER scope. No luck, but it has been out there. I guess I will also post the one I used to own. It was a BLR in 308 with factory scout mount, refinished wood, weaver leupold or warne (I can't remember) quick release rings, williams peep sights, and a kickeez butt pad, and either a Leupold 1-5x20 or Burris 2-7 scout scope. Never killed with it either, but carried it for both deer and elk seasons. Heck while I am at it I will post a picture of what I hope is my ideal hunting rifle. Spanish Mauser in 308. Custom bedded stock, Scout mounts from a local smith. Modified Leupold WQR, and the Burris scout scope. I plan to add a ching sling to it and a NECG banded front sight and a rear sight of some kind.

Oops guess I don't have one of just my 45/70. So a couple of other guns snuck in as well. Hope that is alright and not to far off topic.

Do we have to have killed something with the rifle to qualify? If so I guess I will have to delete this and put up pics of my Remington .22 bolt action and my Lyman .54 Trade Rifle. The first was my rabbit gun growing up and the second was my prarie dog rifle.

[CCH]

Hopefully this post is sufficiently bereft of any attempts at humor. Sorry about the poor pics, but I can't get out right now and take some pretty ones in better light. They are here for informational purposes. I don't consider the Trapper my hunting gun. It weighs more with the peep sight than the Kimber does with a scope and has considerably less range than the .308 so it is a more specialized tool. If you can't make it out, the Kimber goes 5 lbs. 12.8 ounces with Leupold VX-II 1-4 and Warne Weaver style mounts and rings. Talley lightweights would probably shave an ounce or two off that weight since those are steel rings and bases. My scale is not certified but a digital model that goes to 35 lbs. Compared to Kifaru scales, it weighs things heavy. Compared to others, not.

The target is from the Kimber. Those groups were shot starting at six o'clock going clockwise with little cooling, twelve shots in a row (100 yards). Naturally my handloads are the ones that suck the most and are by far the least accurate I've shot out of that rifle. The scope was not adjusted at all for the different loads so I'm rather happy with everything shooting to roughly the same point of aim. I'm also not the best shot nor do I use the best rest. I have yet to work on developing anything other than that Remington Core-Lokt load that I've been using for practice. It normally does about 1.25", that group was particularly poor. I hunt with that Federal HE 180 gr. Partition load which seems to give adequate accuracy despite Kimber's recommendation of 165 grain bullets due to the twist. I think it's a good gun. It took a bunch of trading, but I'm into it for about $750 plus $200 for the scope. That seems pretty reasonable for what I've got.












"Trophy" Shot, all I could find with the rifle in it that was remotely scenic. Taken just to prove that once in a while I fire a rifle in the field.: