Light tactical rifle concept

[Stockman]

I have read a lot of how most people like short barreled bolt actions and the general purpose concept. This makes me think about the Rem 700 LTR.

I’m thinking something close to a GAP gladius or XM-3 with some weight savings.

I have a 24” heavy rig in 6.5 creedmoor and am thinking about cutting it down to 18”or 20”. I just don’t use it that much.

I hunt occasionally and do some local competitions. Most of my shooting is targets, coyotes, and shooting deer in my garden.

Thoughts or advice? What do you have and what would you change?

Post some pics if you have them.

 

[kthomas]

While chopping your barrel 4-6" is going to save some weight, it's not going to turn your heavy rifle into a light one. The weight savings will be minimal.

What does your rifle weigh now? What do you want it to weigh? What aspects do you like about a "light tactical rifle" - is it the functionality of a lighter weight rifle? The aesthetics?

 

[kthomas]

I don't have any "light weight tactical" rifles myself to share.

If I was to have one, it would be something like a TacOps Tango. A TacOps rendition of an XM-3 would be really cool as well (I'm not a clone person, so don't care to 100% replicate an XM-3).

Doing a mere barrel chop wouldn't turn any of my rifles into a "light weight tactical" rifle - it would require new barrels, that are shorter and slimmer in contour. It would require different stocks or chassis', and depending on how LW I wanted to get it, different scopes.

 

[TheJeanyus]

I found myself with 2 6.5 Creeds...a Tikka Tac A1, and a MPA built Curtis action + 26" MTU profile barrel. Having 2 long, heavy rifles in the same caliber didn't make a lot of sense for me, so I had the Tikka cut off to 18" to make it handier with a suppressor mounted for hunting. I'm also going to down-size the optic on it (currently has a Mk5 HD 5-25), but this is how it sits now. Hoping to shoot it for the first time in the new configuration this weekend.

 

[TheJeanyus]

Oh...and I forgot that I happen to have a picture of it with my Dad's LTR.

 

[dirtybores]

Chopping a 6.5 loses what makes them great. Chop a 308. It was fat and slow to begin with. An LTR is a good platform to start from. Pick a slim folding chassis and an optic with more bottom end than top... bam, light and short. I once did a 223 LTR like that. Made it a 223AI, mdt lss folder, 6x optic. Best varminter I've had to date.

 

[XP1K]

Chopping a 6.5 loses what makes them great. Chop a 308. It was fat and slow to begin with. An LTR is a good platform to start from. Pick a slim folding chassis and an optic with more bottom end than top... bam, light and short. I once did a 223 LTR like that. Made it a 223AI, mdt lss folder, 6x optic. Best varminter I've had to date.

I passed on a 223 LTR about a year ago and wish I hadn't. Would have paired nicely with my 308 LTR. but now it's not really an LTR anymore.

It's getting a 20" 9 twist lilja. I had another 16" 308 bolt gun that I sold to a family member, it's in my original LTR stock. It's a handy package with a can on it. It had an 8 twist lilja on it, mid range scope, 4-16x, shoots factory hornady match consistently under half moa. Should have kept it.

I'd like to put my current build in a folder but we'll see how green my money tree is. I want a whiskey3.

Oh yeah, and before I cut this LTR up it shot my personal best ever .072" for four shots and it would consistently do a quarter minute five shot groups.

 

[Stockman]

I’m not looking to clone anything. I’m just thinking about slimming mine down a bit. The Rem LTR had a stock that was a little trimmer than the Police models and a moderate barrel profile.

The better option is to do a new build but I’m not really using my current rifle much as it is. I’ll leave it as a creedmoor because I am already invested in a Krieger barrel and loading supplies.

I appreciate the advice and pictures.

 

[Northernjets]

A muzzle braked 20" barreled action in either an MDT HNT26 or XLR Element 4.0 magnesium and a ~28oz optic would probably fit that role quite nicely. My 223 currently sits at almost 10lbs on the dot in a HNT26 arca + folder with an empty mag, NX8 4-32, and gen 1.0 Nucleus with 20" Savage steel pre-fit IBI barrel (0.86" muzzle iirc). Will be eventually getting a 20" CF wrapped barrel and running a Heathen lite muzzle brake. Don't have a photo of it with my barreled action but here it is at 6lbs 4.3oz with a barrel-less Nuke 2.0 and no mag.

 

[dirtybores]

Could pull your barrel and send to Kampfield or SPR. Cut to 22" and flute "for maximum weight reduction". Then scoop an MCS-CS or similar from the PX... be pretty awesome.

 

[Nortex]

This is my primary hunting/light setup the only change made from this pic is it now wears an tbac ultra 5 can that is a bit lighter. The barrel is a #6 Broughton cut to 21” and the entire setup comes in at 15lbs even with a fairly heavy optic.

 

[coldboremiracle]

I put this one together a few years back, if you did something similar with a short barreled 308 or 6.5 it would be killer.

The 257 Blackjack

A custom rifle built on the 25 caliber wildcat cartridge the 257 Blackjack

coldboremiracle.com