Lightweight rifle parts

OP
dirtytough
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
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2,208
Here is another build I came across today. My action is lighter, barrel and stock should be a smidgen lighter, no pic rail. That scope is lighter then an X5. Not sure on all the other stuff.

280AI @ 8lbs 13oz
R700 LA BDL trued by Axisworks
.250" PTG recoil lug
Deep spiral Bolt fluting -2oz
Alloy bolt shroud -2oz vs factory steel bolt shroud
TI firing pin @ Wolfe Blitzschnell spring
Carbon fiber bolt knob -2oz vs factory steel bolt handle
Manners EH1 bedded (27oz) w. 2 studs (1 ea F/R)
R700 factory alloy BDL metal
Shilen Match trigger @ 1.5lbs
26" 1:9" Proof Research Sendero Light
Hawkins 3 port brake (3oz)
Seekins alloy 20MOA Picatinny rail (4oz)
Seekins alloy 30mm medium high rings
March F 3-24x52 Illuminated FML-1 (24.4oz)
Flatline Ops level


This thread is kinda interesting. Here is a build on a regular action. But it’s 3 oz lighter then Brendan’s build right above it built on a Ti action. Both have the same stock. The March is 4-5oz lighter then the X5. Just goes to show it doesn’t take much to gain half a pound if you aren’t careful. And it’s not just guns. It’s easy to gain half a pound adding a pocket to a pack.
 

Broomd

WKR
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Sep 29, 2014
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North Idaho
Nice rifle but I wouldn’t consider it lightweight.
Agreed. But It also makes sense if the guy can't shoot a super-light with accuracy. One has to go with what works.

For the one or two shots at 'go time' I'll take the lightest rifle I can practically afford. And frankly I don't understand why some try to reinvent the wheel. My wife's Kimber Montana .308 has a ti bolt knob and ti trigger guard. It comes in at 4lbs 11 oz naked (5lbs 6oz. scoped) and it flat out shoots lights out. I wish they made a lefty!!
Until then I'll use my LH Forbes .308 at 5lbs 4 oz bare. It's a helluva shooter too.
 

tdhanses

WKR
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Sep 26, 2018
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Agreed. But It also makes sense if the guy can't shoot a super-light with accuracy. One has to go with what works.

For the one or two shots at 'go time' I'll take the lightest rifle I can practically afford. And frankly I don't understand why some try to reinvent the wheel. My wife's Kimber Montana .308 has a ti bolt knob and ti trigger guard. It comes in at 4lbs 11 oz naked (5lbs 6oz. scoped) and it flat out shoots lights out. I wish they made a lefty!!
Until then I'll use my LH Forbes .308 at 5lbs 4 oz bare. It's a helluva shooter too.

Love my Forbes!!! I just don’t use it much but it is accurate! But I’m going to rebarrel it to either 6.5 creed or 6.5x284, it’s a .270win. I have a 0 contour Krieger in 6.5 blank already. I’ll probably go creed so my kids can start out using it.
 
Last edited:
Joined
May 29, 2012
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Lewiston ID
Don't believe everything you read on the internet. Did the below build have a pic of the rifle on the scale? I went through and weighed everything below. You'll see my edits in Red.

280AI @ 8lbs 13oz
R700 LA BDL trued by Axisworks + .250" PTG recoil lug 16 oz
Deep spiral Bolt fluting -2oz 7.5 oz (Factory weights 9.5 oz)
Alloy bolt shroud -2oz vs factory steel bolt shroud Factory shroud weights 1.5 oz, aluminum is .6 oz. call it 1 oz weight.
TI firing pin @ Wolfe Blitzschnell spring I could see another 1-1.5 oz saved here. Factory weighs 3 oz. Call it 1.5 oz credit.
Carbon fiber bolt knob -2oz vs factory steel bolt handle Factory steel handle with bolt knob is 2 oz already. Just turning and threading the existing bolt handle and going with a CF knob will MAYBE save you 1 oz. Likely less. Assume it still weighs 1 oz.
Manners EH1 bedded (27oz) w. 2 studs (1 ea F/R) Almost every Long Action EH1 I've weight after bedding is 31-32 oz. I just pulled a Short Action EH1 off the shelf (without bedding) and weighed it at 31 oz with 2 studs front and 1 rear. I call BS on a 27 oz EH1.
R700 factory alloy BDL metal 5 oz (verified)
Shilen Match trigger @ 1.5lbs 2 oz (verified)
26" 1:9" Proof Research Sendero Light 48 oz for a 26" barrel (according to your weighed barrel, could be either way a bit, not sure how long your blank is).
Hawkins 3 port brake (3oz) Verified
Seekins alloy 20MOA Picatinny rail (4oz) I've weighed these, they're actually 2 oz
Seekins alloy 30mm medium high rings Weighed these as well, 4 oz for a set.
March F 3-24x52 Illuminated FML-1 (24.4oz)
Flatline Ops level Call it 1 oz

That puts him at 9 lbs 3.4 oz.

This thread is kinda interesting. Here is a build on a regular action. But it’s 3 oz lighter then Brendan’s build right above it built on a Ti action. Both have the same stock. The March is 4-5oz lighter then the X5. Just goes to show it doesn’t take much to gain half a pound if you aren’t careful. And it’s not just guns. It’s easy to gain half a pound adding a pocket to a pack.
 
OP
dirtytough
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
2,208
I agree don’t believe everything you read. But I don’t think it’s that far off. You have him 6 oz heavier then stated going off of a 48oz barrel.

My barrel has a 2” shank on the muzzle end that needs cut off, plus muzzle threading, plus threading and chambering. I can see losing 4oz off my barrel easy. Mines 26” also. Plus his smith could have cut more off the shank end.

Also looking at his list not all parts had weights. I think he has an overall weight and weights of some of the parts but not all of them. Otherwise I assume he would have listed everything. And some of those weights I bet he got off of the manufactures website.

Anyway I just posted that build since I came across it and he had lots of different weights listed. It could even be heavier then you came up with Mike since I wasn’t there to see it actually weighed.

I’ll try to get exact weights on everything I use just for my own curiosity.


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I agree don’t believe everything you read. But I don’t think it’s that far off. You have him 6 oz heavier then stated going off of a 48oz barrel.

My barrel has a 2” shank on the muzzle end that needs cut off, plus muzzle threading, plus threading and chambering. I can see losing 4oz off my barrel easy. Mines 26” also. Plus his smith could have cut more off the shank end.

Also looking at his list not all parts had weights. I think he has an overall weight and weights of some of the parts but not all of them. Otherwise I assume he would have listed everything. And some of those weights I bet he got off of the manufactures website.

Anyway I just posted that build since I came across it and he had lots of different weights listed. It could even be heavier then you came up with Mike since I wasn’t there to see it actually weighed.

I’ll try to get exact weights on everything I use just for my own curiosity.


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I agree he's not that far off, but he's off enough that I wanted to clarify some weights. Stating you'll shave 2 oz off a part that doesn't weigh 2 oz to begin with is a big red flag. I get a LOT of customers that call and want to build a "6 lb rifle to kill elk at 800-1000 yards". The perception of the ease of building a lightweight rifle like that is fairly prevalent when the numbers in the shop and on paper just don't add up. As I said earlier, 7 lbs is doable, getting under 6.5 lbs is going to be tough with a factory steel long action, and in my experience the components needed don't help the average shooter at distance.

Mike
 
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I I get a LOT of customers that call and want to build a "6 lb rifle to kill elk at 800-1000 yards".
Mike

Rokslide told me tikkas are accurate and weigh 6 lbs. I'm just going to put a scope with dials on it and bam, 1000 yard elk gun. ;)
 
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Rokslide told me tikkas are accurate and weigh 6 lbs. I'm just going to put a scope with dials on it and bam, 1000 yard elk gun. ;)

Hey now, secrets like that will put most builders out of business... ;)

Branden, hope the post didn't come across as confrontational, just trying to keep data factual! Good luck with you're build, you've got some great components picked out!

Mike
 
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My “light weight” build turned out not to be super light but for a long range hunter it is right about where I want it. 280AI built by Alamo Precison Rifles. Used a TL Technologies long action, 24 inch proof light sendero, McMillan A3 sporter carbon fiber, PTG aluminum BDL with a Wyatt’s box, APR brake, 20 moa rail, vortex PMR rings and a Leupold 3.6-18 mark 5. Comes in at 9.3 pounds with a Harris 9-13 on it. Not too heavy to pack, but heavy enough to be very stable.
 
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Jan 2, 2017
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TX
Mike built this 300WM for me. LPA Razor TI, 26" bbl, brake, X5, manners EH1. Unloaded.

(That picture was a quick test fit with nothing fastened down)
db767ed4d59f29615e47f7620c8cfd76.jpg
How do you like the Razor Ti? I am considering it for a custom build as well...
 

Brendan

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Massachusetts
How do you like the Razor Ti? I am considering it for a custom build as well...

I rifle hunted a grand total of 1 day this season, so better off asking other people (It was an archery and muzzleloader year for me). Planning to get more time behind it in 2019 and going forward though....
 
OP
dirtytough
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Feb 25, 2012
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Nope Mike not at all. Also if he is 2 ounces off I don't see that as being very far off since its about 1.015%. And since you didn't actually weigh the parts he used I could easily see a 2 oz variance between stuff you have personally weighed and the parts he used. I personally think his gun weighs 8 13 since you are only 6 oz off with a barrel that's not even chambered yet and has a 2" hunk of barrel sticking off muzzle end.

How heavy is one of your 26" carbon blanks? Heavier or lighter then the Proof?
 
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Nope Mike not at all. Also if he is 2 ounces off I don't see that as being very far off since its about 1.015%. And since you didn't actually weigh the parts he used I could easily see a 2 oz variance between stuff you have personally weighed and the parts he used. I personally think his gun weighs 8 13 since you are only 6 oz off with a barrel that's not even chambered yet and has a 2" hunk of barrel sticking off muzzle end.

How heavy is one of your 26" carbon blanks? Heavier or lighter then the Proof?

My 30 cal light hunter contour with a 1.5” tennon (from action face) at 26” unchambered is 2 lbs 13 oz un chambered.

Mike


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