Help me build a medium weight hunting rifle

[pyplynr]

Help me build a medium weight hunting rifle with the parts I already have. Unless there is a better lighter option, that I can get without a long wait time. This build will mainly be for hunting, but would like to use it for steel target shooting without having to let cool after every 3 shots.

Here's what I have in mind right now. And have all the parts on hand, or ordered and soon to be.

Caliber - 6.5x47 shooting the 130 hunting VLD's
Stiller Tac30 A/W with Stiller 20moa base - ordered in the group buy
Timney trigger - coming with the Stiller action
Kreiger light palma 8 twist (thinking 19" threaded for can) - have on hand
Manners T4 with mini chassis - have on hand
NXS 3.5-15x50 - have on hand
Not sure on which brand rings - yet to order

What would you change, if anything? I won't be packing this rifle more than 1 mile but would like it light as possible to hunt coyotes, hogs, and deer with and still use it for steel target fun out to 1000 yards

 

[Grand]

Re: Help me build a medium weight hunting rifle

What is your target weight?

 

[pyplynr]

Re: Help me build a medium weight hunting rifle

Not sure really. My current hunting rifle is the 6.5x47 Savage in my sig pic. It has a heavy varmint contour @26". I think it's about 14-15lbs. So maybe around 10-12lbs as a target weight. If that's even possible with what parts I have.

 

[ranger1183]

Re: Help me build a medium weight hunting rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pyplynr</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Help me build a medium weight hunting rifle with the parts I already have. Unless there is a better lighter option, that I can get without a long wait time. This build will mainly be for hunting, but would like to use it for steel target shooting without having to let cool after every 3 shots.

Here's what I have in mind right now. And have all the parts on hand, or ordered and soon to be.

Caliber - 6.5x47 shooting the 130 hunting VLD's
Stiller Tac30 A/W with Stiller 20moa base - ordered in the group buy
Timney trigger - coming with the Stiller action
Kreiger light palma 8 twist (thinking 19" threaded for can) - have on hand
Manners T4 with mini chassis - have on hand
NXS 3.5-15x50 - have on hand
Not sure on which brand rings - yet to order

What would you change, if anything? I won't be packing this rifle more than 1 mile but would like it light as possible to hunt coyotes, hogs, and deer with and still use it for steel target fun out to 1000 yards </div></div>

Yes, I know you said you wanted a MEDIUM WEIGHT hunting rifle, but I thought I'd throw a few ideas out and see what sticks. You've got a great rifle there, but not an ultra light one. Sometimes the two simply don't mix. Personally I think you should build what you have and be happy with it. But IF you really wanted to reduce the weight you might want to consider the following changes.

1. Stiller actions aren't lightweight hunting actions. Track down an ultra lightweight action and see if your gunsmith can even lighten it up some more. Titanium actions are really light, (not saying that I actually like them). So what's that? Maybe 8 ounces or a pound lighter?

2. Barrels are a huge source of weight in a rifle. You've decided to go short (19") which is a great way to reduce barrel weight. How much lighter a contour are you willing to try? If you stick with 19" but are willing to try a Krieger #0, #1 or #2, you're really talking lightweight then! Maybe a full pound lighter even with that short barrel?

3. Any stock with an aluminium chassis is going to be heavier than an ultra light 100% carbon fiber stock. I've seen great hunting stocks weigh in at 10 ounces (prior to the recoil pad being put on). Tough as nails, just light as a feather. Of course these are very pricey and have a year waiting list, but damn if the result isn't stellar! So how much weight could you save if you bought the lightest version of that Manners stock that was offered? A full pound or more?

4. Optics are a huge source of weight in a rifle. That Nightforce you are using is Thor's Hammer compared to a lightweight hunting scope. The reason I bought a Leupold was for no other reason than to get the reticle I wanted in the lightest scope I could find. That NF weighs 30 ounces. You could loose at least 8 ounces (if not a full pound) by picking a lighter alternative.

Add all this up and you're looking at LEAST 2 pounds lighter. Maybe even three or four pounds lighter depending on the sacrifices you're willing to make.







Then again, you already have great parts so why not build what you have?

 

[mdesign]

Re: Help me build a medium weight hunting rifle

Look at the specs for some of the GAP nontypical hunters the guys post up. A lot of them run between 7.5-9 lbs depending on the scope and stock options.

McM Edge is pretty light and a #3 barrel helps as well. Add some Talley rings in a simpler scope and it's a nice lighter weight package.

If you hunt rougher country and pack your rifle a lot, lighter is much better.

 

[pyplynr]

Re: Help me build a medium weight hunting rifle

I hear what your saying, and agree. I will probably be building the rifle with the parts I have, I was just wondering if there was something I could change with the parts I have to shave a bit of weight. I guess I should have re-worded the title and subject matter of my post. What I'm really looking for is a target rifle that is more pleasurable to hunt with. I target shoot a lot more than I rifle hunt. 80% of my deer hunting is with a bow. So I can't really bring myself to build a dedicated lightweight hunting rifle. The scope situation is flawed from the beginning for me. I'm a moa guy so that leaves me with limited scopes/reticles to choose from. I thought about getting a NXS 2.5-10x32 with the NPR-2 reticle which would shave off 10-11 oz. But I'm leery if the 32mm objective would gather enough light at dang near dark.

 

[fw707]

Re: Help me build a medium weight hunting rifle

Change the stock to a McMillan Classic, and change the scope to a NF 2.5-10x32. It's plenty bright at 6x until after legal shooting hours, and the illuminated reticle dials down low enough that it doesn't wash out your image.

 

[calling4life]

Re: Help me build a medium weight hunting rifle

One thing to watch is energy, make sure you're getting the velocity needed to maintain good killing energy at the distances you plan on shooting animals.

Perhaps keeping a little extra length to aid in speed can be offset by fluting?

 

[lonely_wolf]

Re: Help me build a medium weight hunting rifle

Agree on the stock- Go with a smaller carbon fiber stock. Consider an aluminum floorplate (Badger M4). This will easily knock off 2-3lbs compared to the mini-chassis.

Optics are personal- maybe more so than stocks!? I run a 50mm NF on my 'light' rifle. I like the scope, so I'm willing to sabotage my 'light' rifle. Of course, the same could be said about the stock...

Rings- Nightforce Ultra Lights are really nice. Murphy Precision offers full titanium. Badger has aluminums.

 

[pyplynr]

Re: Help me build a medium weight hunting rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: calling4life</div><div class="ubbcode-body">One thing to watch is energy, make sure you're getting the velocity needed to maintain good killing energy at the distances you plan on shooting animals.

Perhaps keeping a little extra length to aid in speed can be offset by fluting?</div></div>

Longest shot I have hunting is probably 500 yards. That's also about as far as I would be comfortable with also. According to Quickload and JBM this combo will have right around 1100ft/lbs at that distance.

 

[USMC_03XX]

Re: Help me build a medium weight hunting rifle

Keep what you have - if you are okay with slightly over 12 pounds then go with a 18.5" rem varmit contour. All being said you should be 'close' to 12ish pounds. Somebody correct me if i am wrong. Unless you want to ditch your current setup in favor for a lighter everything, keep what you got. God made me to do several things on this world, one of which is to carry heavy shit, so a couple pounds in exchange for a more diversely capable setup is well worth in in my opinion.