Thread: Wanting a lighter rifle

Or a light weight Bipod (neopod is just 82g plus 7-31g on the adaptor) and chop the barrel length down with a lighter suppressor

Often its the balance that you notice the most

Originally Posted by Taff

+1 or shoot off shooting sticks far better than a bi pod and lighter

Must be little sticks

If you like your rifle modify it, there are other stock options ,2" off the barrel and a lighter can A-tec or DPT come to mind.
If you don't like it , get rid, simple as that.
It will probably sell on T/M for a better price than you'll get for a trade but check that out.
Keep your rings and buy the carbonlite in whatever calibre you like, nothing wrong with the 30 06.
A cheaper alternative would be a Finn light and depending on how much your keen on keeping the S&B .If you wish to keep your S&B you'll already notice the difference if you strap it to A Carbon or Finn, alternatively a good brand 2.5x8 or 3x9 or x10 and you'll be away,

Originally Posted by MSL

Must be little sticks

Depends on which bipod you have and which sticks and obviously the gun will be lighter as the sticks are not attached to it.

i am going down the same road and have just brought a new l/h forbes 20B 308 with a swaroski z3 3-9x36 should be just under 6LB get it next wednesday $4500 later i must admit i,m a bit nervous about the forbes but have been assured me its good one as the dude i,m getting it off has set it up sited it in with 150gr Norma nosler ballistic tip ammo
i wonder if anybody else has a L/H forbes out there i would like to know what they think

@57jl I've owned 3 Forbes 20b's, this is by far the most honest non biased review I've found and is similar to your setup.

Forbes 20B Rifle in .243 cal with Swarovski Z3 3-10 x 42 scope - Hunting Kiwi StyleHunting Kiwi Style

Re barreling from 30/06 to 308 is going to save shag all. 308s are sometimes lighter due to shorter actions. If you kep the same action stick with 30/06. Shorten the barrel to 18 inches if you like and that will take a wee bit of weight of the front. Trading to Tikka would be a step down in my view. Yes Tikka's are god rifles, but Sako is too. Stocks can be lightened up depending on how far you want to go. (Shorten the LOP slightly, take some of the fore end back, hollow it out a bit) but before you go down that road, weigh the stock by itself and compare that to other types of stocks. While there is some weight difference between stocks, it is often not as much as people think. Rather than turning down barrel profile, consider fluting too. If you look to fluting, make sure you consider shortening and threading first. And the weight difference between the new Gunworks Spartan and the DPT light is 350grams versus 192grams so the DPT is 150 grams less. (Thats less that two moro bars.....) Ditch the bipod would be the first suggestion to make it lighter. Second would be a fixed power scope or simply a lighter smaller scope. S&B is listed at about 720grams, Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36 is 323 grams, Leupold 3.5-10x40 is 357 grams, Vortex crossfire 3-9x40 is 425 grams and all three will be bigger weight reductions than the suppressor....(but probably not as much as shortening the barrel.)

LH Tikka Hunter Fluted and get a Stug stock?
DPT or the titanium Oceania Defence... If funds allow that is.

Originally Posted by Biggun708

Dean Maisey in Tauranga did a good job of lightening my Sako, turned the barrel down to rem mod 7 profile, hollowed out the stock a bit, played around with a bit of other stuff... Did an awesome job and cut over a kg.. Real happy with the outcome and glad I didn't trade her in for something less...

cut over a kg @Biggun708 ? that's impressive. any pics of the work?

Originally Posted by Timmay

@57jl I've owned 3 Forbes 20b's, this is by far the most honest non biased review I've found and is similar to your setup.

Forbes 20B Rifle in .243 cal with Swarovski Z3 3-10 x 42 scope - Hunting Kiwi StyleHunting Kiwi Style

This is one of the best forbes reviews i've seen in a while Rifle Forbes 270 model 24b | Trade Me

Bloody interesting marketing ploy that one


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I'm in the same position with an 85 and S&B. I use an ATEC suppressor with 2 baffles removed. I don't use a bipod and have a very skinny sling.

I've thought of the Forbes too. To save a lot of weight you need to change away from the Sako with detachable mag. It would be interesting to see the detail of what Dean Maisey did.

I also think that of you want to use a light rifle you should use a lighter cartridge with less recoil. You could load down the .3006 of course but .260 or .257 Ackley and similar would perform better in a short light gun. If you rebarrel on the long action, consider a smaller bullet like 6.5x55, 270 or even 25-06.

You haven't said which model scope you've got but you've been spoiled and might be reluctant to change, I understand. Have a careful look at a VX3 and think what reticle and turrets you could get and whether 40mm is enough, then balance against how may grams you will save.

Originally Posted by Bagheera

I'm in the same position with an 85 and S&B. I use an ATEC suppressor with 2 baffles removed. I don't use a bipod and have a very skinny sling.

I've thought of the Forbes too. To save a lot of weight you need to change away from the Sako with detachable mag. It would be interesting to see the detail of what Dean Maisey did.

I also think that of you want to use a light rifle you should use a lighter cartridge with less recoil. You could load down the .3006 of course but .260 or .257 Ackley and similar would perform better in a short light gun. If you rebarrel on the long action, consider a smaller bullet like 6.5x55, 270 or even 25-06.

You haven't said which model scope you've got but you've been spoiled and might be reluctant to change, I understand. Have a careful look at a VX3 and think what reticle and turrets you could get and whether 40mm is enough, then balance against how may grams you will save.

Now there is some good sense.....

Sako 75 with wooden stocks are heavy indeed.
I would sell and get something else unless you have budget for owning two rifles.
The 85 action is definitively an improvement of the 75 action, noticeably regarding the front recoil lug set up and the finishing.
The 75 stock was probably one of the best design and most confortable stock ever made for a hunting rifle.

Sounds like sticking with the sako might be the go. Reason I thought going 308 was to cut the barrel as short as possible, been told 18inch may be a bit short for the 30-06? Plus if I needed to replace current barrel, be a good opportunity to do this? Definitely won't be getting rid of the bipod as I love shooting with one, might look at upgrading to one of these new light weight ones. Cheers for the opinions guys, keep em comig