Gunsmithing how to lighten my rifle

[tjonh2001]

i have a remington 700 long action chambered 6.5x284 for hunting it sits in a bell and carlson medilist stock weight 2lb 3oz..the barrel is a broiughton #4 26inches long. right now it has leupold rings and base (dovtail) and has a nikon tactical 4x16x50.the rifle is around 9 lbs total i want to try to get this lighter.i just bought a nxs 2.5x10x32 for it.i want to keep this rifle capable of shooting deer and coyotes at 6-700yards.

Should i have the barrel fluted or will it hurt the barrel since its been lapped?

planning on switching to a edge stock is it worth it?

how much do you loose for weight if you have the action shaved?

should i cut this barrel to 24inches is the weight worth the loss of velocity?

anyother ways to save weight?

 

[mdesign]

Re: how to lighten my rifle

A nine pound hunting rifle is not that bad. Switching to an Edge stock will save you half a pound over your current stock and may be the best cost value for lightening a rifle.

Shortening your barrel 2 inches will not save you much weight but may change the balance of the rifle so it handles different and feels lighter. More of a personal preference thing than a weight savings. Same with fluting but taking off too much could effect accuracy.

From my experience, the addition of a NF scope is a good way to add weight to a rifle. The scope you just bought will most likely be heavier than what you have but maybe not. IMO, you don't need a big, heavy, highpowered scope to shoot well at longer distances. There are guys posting great groups here all the time shot with medium cost, lighter weight scopes.

Before I changed the stock, fluted/shortened the barrel, lightened the action and changed scopes. I would carefully buy the right combination of those components and assemble a lighter weight rifle.

 

[USMCj]

Re: how to lighten my rifle

Try lifting some weights!

 

[JJones75]

Re: how to lighten my rifle

you can have an inch cut off the shank , that will yield more weight than the muzzle end plus it'll clean up the throat plus an inch off the muzzle , 2" may drop the velocity 100fps , swap the rings and bases out for the Tally one piece aluminum ones.
Not sure what the edge stock your looking at weighs but High Tech Specialties makes some that are only 20oz , convert the gun to an ADL configuration.

having the action "lightened" will probably only yield a few ounces as will fluting the barrel. Nate may have fluted some Broughton barrels so I'd ask him how they turned out but on that profile your not gonna be able to drop much weight anyway by fluting.

 

[BOLTRIPPER]

Re: how to lighten my rifle

by selling it....it will get real lite

 

[Adam B]

Re: how to lighten my rifle

all joking aside get the barrel spiral fluted

 

[Notime]

Re: how to lighten my rifle

I would be careful fluting the barrel. Broughton barrels are button rifled, and stand a chance of not shooting well if fluted after being completed. Proper machining practices will minimize this, choose your smith wisely if you pursue this option.

All of the options you have listed will work. New stock, fluting, shortening barrel then lightening action will likely be the most to least change in weight.

Scope/mount/ring weight can be a large variable also.

MV

 

[300sniper]

Re: how to lighten my rifle

i don't have enough experience to say if fluting a button rifled barrel will in fact hurt the accuracy. i do know some well known smiths won't flute a broughton barrel because of the risk.

 

[Adam B]

Re: how to lighten my rifle

I have heard that too, give Kampfeld Custom a call, he give it to you straight. I do know for a fact that he has spiral fluted Broughton barrels with good results.

 

[tjonh2001]

Re: how to lighten my rifle

i have 4 other broughton barrels that are fluted but they were sent to my smith and fluted then sent back to broughton for the final lapping. i was only thinking of loosing some weight. i dont plan on useing this for long range anymore since i built an ABS 300 rum in the same weight.

 

[BlackOps Tech]

Re: how to lighten my rifle

I've fluted Broughtons and the rifles they're on shoot in the quarter minute area....

 

[257speed]

Re: how to lighten my rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: USMCj</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Try lifting some weights! </div></div>

hahahahahah thats what I was thinking but wasn't gonna say it. All in good humor of course

 

[JJones75]

Re: how to lighten my rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: USMCj</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Try lifting some weights! </div></div>

I'm an amature body builder and competitive power lifter ,I don't like carying a heavy gun either !!

I have a couple pieces fo 2" grade 5 titanium that i was thinking about making an action out of , coupled with an ABS barrel and a HTS stock I'm thinking about a 6 pound scoped 7 mag

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: how to lighten my rifle

Not going to suggest you sell it, but I will suggest you leave it as it is and consider purchasing another firearm that's already configured usefully. Figuring costs for the mods, maybe the money is better spent on an outright purchase. You end up with two firearms for roughly the same price, and one of them you liked enough to build the way it is, and the other one will be configured the way you're looking for now.

Stop and just think about that for a few moments.

Also not suggesting you get one, but some idea of what can be done can be gleaned from the Savage rifles web site.

Their package guns run around 6 1/2 to 7lb all up with scope and DM, chambered in .30-'06, and list price out at around $520. That's a basic, capable firearm, light in weight, chambered with an adequate cartridge, and the hardest part of the whole deal is ordering it.

Greg

 

[Alan Griffith]

Re: how to lighten my rifle

Here some ideas.

Turned Rem 700 LA with Swiss cheesed bolt.

Turned down barrel at shank. Lilja muzzle is .552" @ 26".

When I had this built back in 1982, it was a R700 ADL LA in 30-06 with a 22" barrel, Conetrol 2-pc mounts/rings, Leupold M8 4x, blind mag, 1" Pach pad all up @ 6 lb 8 oz.

I've since had it rebarreled w/ a 26" SS Lilja in 30-06AI. Still a tack driver. This is @ 818 yds.

Not sure why the picture won't show. Scope is an IOR 3-18 that fell apart internally about 20 shots after this pic was taken. Recoil from a 180 @ 3100 in a 7.5 lb rifle is up there!


Alan