Thread: Making a light rifle, lighter

I have recently picked up a kimber hunter in 6.5 creed with the intent of building a lightweight carry rifle that is still good to 400 odd. I love the 284 tikka but with the 20moa rail, rings, bipod adapter vx5 and can she is still pretty heavy and better suited to being slung than in hand.

Came across a thread on a Yankee forum about the hunter stocks being loaded with a heavy rubberised material for sound deadening. Thought I would post the process here for anyone wtih the same rifle can save an easy 250-300 grams.

Whip the recoil pad off(2 screws) and wind the rear sling stud out. You will see the goo. Using a long flat head screw driver work the sides away from the stock and feed a bit of oil in to loosen it up. Should all pull away pretty easily. Once you've got right round and loosened it run an auger into the rubber a couple inches then give it a good tug. Should pop out in one piece. You then romove the cap on the pistol grip and there is a chunk more in there, this slides out a bit easier. I stuffed a bit of lightweight foam (pool noodle stuff) in there to serve as sound deadening. Then throw it back together. Bam 250-300 grams lighter. Whole job takes 15 minutes

Finished rifle with dpt and vx3 1.75 - 6 is 2.77 kg almost a full kg lighter than the tikka or my bergara.
I should be able to achieve close to 2700 with 130 eldms which will get me grunt out further that I would want to shoot it.

Has a stripped/seized action screw so I might get it sent in to be removed and matching the bolt handle for a few extra grams.

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Originally Posted by muzza

leave the ammo at home - that should save a few grams ....

Ive done that, unintentionally

Originally Posted by muzza

leave the ammo at home - that should save a few grams ....

You COULD choose to load light, fast bullets since you don't plan on shooting anything beyond 200m anyway. May also increase dropping power within that range.

Originally Posted by muzza

leave the ammo at home - that should save a few grams ....

Load 90's?

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Originally Posted by mimms2

Flute the bolt, barrel, put a thinner fixy scope on it...

Or just stay off the McDs and have a good crap before you leave... at least half a kg right there.

It's not the mc'ds for me, the fancy craft beers are what keeps the belly

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What strange junk in the stock. Still it will need something to give it internal support and boost strength. The Bell and Carlson stocks are filled with Polyurethane foam so a tin of PU expanding foam like Ramset expanding foam will do the trick and weigh mere milligrams.

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

What strange junk in the stock. Still it will need something to give it internal support and boost strength. The Bell and Carlson stocks are filled with Polyurethane foam so a tin of PU expanding foam like Ramset expanding foam will do the trick and weigh mere milligrams.

I don't think it offers much in the way of structure, the sceptic in me want to say they used that over a foam to make the rifle weigh more than the Montana to justify the big jump in cost

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Cool rig man. I was wondering if the bergara had kept its place in the arsenal

You might well be right regarding the weight, but anything non compressible is going to add strength / impact resistance

120gr sierra pro hunters at speed will be epic out of that rifle

What length barrel is it? Does it kick much being that light?

Yeah it's pretty soft would provide some cross sectional strength but as it isn't keyed or bonded to the stock will provide no strength during recoil etc

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Originally Posted by 308mate

What length barrel is it? Does it kick much being that light?

16ish. Havnt shot it yet, but I'll only be shooting 120's and 130's so I don't think it will be to bad.

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Originally Posted by Nick-D

Yeah it's pretty soft would provide some cross sectional strength but as it isn't keyed or bonded to the stock will provide no strength during recoil etc

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You might get a surprise. If the recoil pad sits slightly proud on the foam, then the recoil would be transferred through the foam to the pad and not through the shell of the stock. Punch a piece of polystyrene and see how much energy it can absorb ….. even the recoil pad itself is foam

Originally Posted by Nick-D

16ish. Havnt shot it yet, but I'll only be shooting 120's and 130's so I don't think it will be to bad.

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Is that Brad's old gun?