What light weight rifle has been your favorite over the years?

JohnnyB

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Mar 13, 2017
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Central California
My Tikka T3x lite in 300 winmag. It has been a tremendous value. Rugged, accurate, reasonably priced and light. Checks all the boxes I care about.
 

howl

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Dec 3, 2016
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GA
What qulalifies as lightweight? I don't think I actually have any lightweight centerfires, but they're as light as I want.
 

Comerade

FNG
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May 24, 2019
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91
There some amazingly light , accurate choices out there. Mine is not the lightest, but is the most compact,a BLR takedown.
I take it down all the time, it fits into a nice dry pack in just moments.
 
Joined
May 24, 2016
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1,774
Sako 85 Carbonlight Stainless in .260. The go to rig without a doubt! My favorite rifle I’ve ever owned.

what’s the best bc bullet you can get to the lands in that gun?

have you noticed a wandering zero with the lack of pillar bedding?

and has yours been free from the ejection issues some 85’s suffer?

a hunting partner of mine in NZ had one in 7mm-08 and it was impressive piece of kit. But then Moffat damned it with faint praise and when europtic was blowing them out at 1700$ it went in and out of the cart a few times before ultimately passing.
 

thinhorn_AK

"DADDY"
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Jul 2, 2016
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Alaska
I have nothing but good things to say about my Kimber Montana 308, it took awhile for me to really "love" it but after putting an SHV 3-10 and starting to re load for it, it's really taken on a life of its own. Before I was loading for it, it was shooting pretty well, 1" groups with a few bullets, now I've got some excellent loads worked up for it, even with the heavier scope on it, its still right about 6.5lbs loaded.

I have nothing bad to say about my Tikka either, its not as light as the Kimber but the accuracy has been great, I'm going to buy another Tikka, probably a 308, maybe an 06 next time I'm in anchorage since I've enjoyed the 6.5 I have so much.

Since light weight is also relative, I have a remington 700xcr2 375HH that is ~7.5lbs scoped, the stock design makes the recoil tolerable and its nice to have that sort of firepower in a package that light, its been an awesome moose gun and I appreciate the 2.5+ weight decrease from my last 375HH I had.
 

mxgsfmdpx

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Joined
Oct 22, 2019
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Central Arizona
what’s the best bc bullet you can get to the lands in that gun?

have you noticed a wandering zero with the lack of pillar bedding?

and has yours been free from the ejection issues some 85’s suffer?

a hunting partner of mine in NZ had one in 7mm-08 and it was impressive piece of kit. But then Moffat damned it with faint praise and when europtic was blowing them out at 1700$ it went in and out of the cart a few times before ultimately passing.

I’ve owned 3 Sako 85s over the last 6 years. None of them have ever had any issues with holding zero or accuracy. They are incredibly accurate rifles.

My .204 in the Varmint laminated stainless 85 variant had the ejection issue. My other two never showed this problem.

It honestly shoots anything I put through it really well. I’ve shot mostly the Hornady 129 Grain SSTs which it throws into .5” groups at 100 yards all day.
 
Joined
May 24, 2016
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.5” ten shot group? That’s pretty decent.

I think the 129 sst has a .486bc not bad, tough to leave over .2 on the table but is what it is.
 

mxgsfmdpx

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Oct 22, 2019
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Central Arizona
.5” ten shot group? That’s pretty decent.

I think the 129 sst has a .486bc not bad, tough to leave over .2 on the table but is what it is.

I usually do 6 shot groups and yes it will do .5” groups at 100 on my home rifle range any time I check zero before the seasons. It also rings the 6” steel plate at 500 yards every time.

With that little 20.5” barrel I’m not super worried about needing the highest BC possible. My velocities are much lower than the 24” and 26” barrels that normally shoot those bullets. Gotta know the realistic possibilities of the rifle and the cartridge and not expect it to be a long range rig. It’s a 500 yard max black tail rifle for me. Shots are usually much closer than that. Especially the whitetails I’ve taken with it
 
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jaredg

Lil-Rokslider
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Nov 19, 2017
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117
Location
N. Utah
I'll second the Sako Carbonlight. Mine is 243 with a Swaro Z3 4-12X50. One hole groups. I have it's sister in 22-250, same scope setup. I like these much more than my Barrett FC in 6.5 in the same weight class. Much more refined and love Sako's carbon stock, a work of art
 

Wedgie

FNG
Joined
Jul 7, 2019
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11
Yep, Sako Carbonlight ftw. Funnily enough I seem to take my other .243 Sako, a Finnwolf out more. It is a touch heavier, as accurate but much more fun Vs the CL.
 

Jimss

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Mar 6, 2015
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I have a Sako Finnlight in 300 WSM. I shot everything from antelope to elk to mtn goat/ bighorn with it. It's relatively light and built pretty solid. I really like the 300 WSM. Shells are easy to find, relatively cheap, and the ballistics are pretty fast and flat. Mine doesn't kick any more than my 270.
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2012
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7,390
Location
Chugiak, Alaska
I have a few of what I would consider light wt. mountain rifles (the heaviest being 7.1 lbs. and lightest being 6 lbs. all up), but the one I’ve had the longest, and killed the most animals with, is a Kimber Montana that I bought new back in 2004. Chambered in .300wsm, and with a few modifications, it weighs 6.5 lbs., including scope caps, and it’s easily one of my most accurate rifles. My son killed his first black tail buck and his first mountain goat with it when he was 12, and although I do plan on getting rid of it at some point, that won’t happen until I hand it down to him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Decker9

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Apr 10, 2015
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BC goat mountains
Tikka guy here, I packed a 300wm with a break for years in the mountains, relatively light, but that long barrel defeated the purpose. Compactness is more important to me personally.

My current is a 6 1/2 lb (scoped and loaded) tikka 6.5 swede.
 

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Joined
Nov 24, 2019
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Location
Jennings Lodge, Oregon
For many years my go to lightweight rifle was a Remington KS Mtn rifle in .280. I bought it new in the fall of 1992 and hunted with it up until maybe 5 years ago. Still a super nice rifle IMHO and weighs 7 lbs 4 ozs so not uber light but just about right.
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Then I discovered Tikka, so lately its been a Superlite in 7MM-08 in a McMillan Hunters Edge stock - it works!!
 
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