Extremely light weight calling rifle options?

Dultimatpredator

Dultimatpredator

Well-known member
I have enough heavy barreled rifles now and wanted a really light weight walking predator centerfire rifle. After I bought a 22 wmr RAR and CZ 452 ultralux super exclusive last year I got the notion for something lighter in a centerfire for coyotes after feeling confident in making some extremely long shots with my lightweight rimfires. I was looking for something around the same weight as my rimfires...5.5lbs or lighter. I couldn't find anything chambered in 22-250. I guess CZ makes a 5.5lb varmint chambered in 204 but for some reason the 17 rem they have out is 7lbs and their American 17 hornet weighs 6.3lbs? Everything seems to be 6 lbs or more. Ruger makes a compact 22-250 at 6 lbs I believe and their predator 6.3lbs. I have a few Americans and they are extremely accurate.

I forgot I have a Remington 600 chambered in 243 that weighs 5.5lbs and has a 18.5" vented rib barrel. I had an aftermarket trigger installed years ago. Think it was a jard? I acraglassed it and tested only one load. It was a load that cloverleaved in my heavy barreled 243. 90 gr NBT...it shot a half inch group at a 100 yards. I have a few boxes of 55 gr nosler CTs I could load and try. The gun looks like brand new like it just came out of factory box and sits in the safe. It might be time to pull the three year production rifle out if the safe and get it scratched up. I wanted to find a hs prescion stock for it but never could find one. I was just hopping to find a smaller caliber option that I would have a half a chance of being fur friendly and wasn't going to blow predators in half.

Are there manufacturers out there making a 5-5 1/2lb centerfire rifle in 17 to 22 cal?
 
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Barrett Fieldcraft makes one in 22-250 that is right at 5lbs. 3oz. The Kimber Montana makes one in 223 & 22-250 at the 5lbs. 5oz weight. I have a Montana in 204 and one in 17Rem. both in ready to hunt form are 6lbs. 3oz and 6lbs. 4oz.
I wish they still made the Montana in 204. Mine in 17 Rem. was a 204 rebarreled to 17 Rem.
 
Originally Posted By: ackleymanSome of the model 7's that remington made are very light.

I thought the model 700 predator in brush camo was lighter. It says 7 lbs.
 
Why not try an Ar-15 with a light barrel/furniture and just not puke the entire rifle up with tacticool accessories from one end to the other{like everyone else does these days}??? The best answer to "fur friendly" caliber would be full metal jacket non-expanding bullets...unfortunately I have not found any current manufactured ones that will actually shoot. Might as well spray buckshot.
You really don't need two 30 round mags clipped together, a 10 round mag should do it. Watch what scope and rings you put on it too...some are lightweight and some are ridiculously heavy. I like a semi for a calling rifle.
 
I'm not an AR guy...I do own a POF. Cloverleaves at a 100 yards and dime size groups at 200 off the bench but i am not an ar fan...and it sure isn't light! The [beeep] pinned brake blows my ear drums as well. Bolt gun it will be.

I have a Ruger American ranch 450 BM and RAR 22 WMR that I adjusted the triggers both down to a crisp 1.2lbs. The 22WMR shoots .3" groups at a hundred yards and the bushmaster shoots MOA with 300gr Lee flat nose cast bullets I made. They look like whiskey barrels. I never checked to see if their free floated from factory yet. I'm pondering the thought of a predator at 6.3lbs or compact at 6lbs and having the bolt fluted and handle hollowed. I would assume it would shave off a quarter pound? I just can't get use to the plastic magazines though but it shaves the weight down. I just set up a 30-06 American for a friend. I polished the bolt so it wouldn't make the normal "zipping" noise when cycling the action along with polishing the lugs and lightened the trigger to 2lbs. It shoot under MOA with 180 gr core Locts when I sighted it in.
Ive been reading up in the Kimbers and it sounds like they are hit and miss. Sounds like they need triggers or triggerwork as well and for the price I would expect full length aluminum bedding vs pillars. I believe your buying a name with them. If I have to go through all that work for a rifle that costs 2/4 times more than a cheapy and I still have to float,bed, polish the feed ramp and action, and bed it what's the point. When I spend that kind of money all that should be done already. I've leaned over the years that between adjusting the trigger, bedding a rifle, and custom tailoring one if my reloads I can make just about any rifle cloverleaf.
 
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I have a Ruger 77RL in 243 and my son has a Model 70 carbine in 243. The Ruger is less than 6 pounds and the Model 70 maybe 6 lb. Both have 20" barrels and are light and easy to handle in the bush. I have two bad shoulders and the light gun is faster for me to mount.

My Ruger is finicky with different loads and usually shoots a little larger than a MOA with most everything. I tried some loads with the 55 grain Noslers. I tried a load I got off someone on here and it went into less than a half inch. I was so happy I used up the whole box punching holes in paper. Now I have to buy more. The 55 grain Nosler should work well for you.

Your Remington 600 sounds like just the rifle your looking for. Why waste money when you may have the perfect rifle in your safe.
 
Originally Posted By: DogfaceI have a Ruger 77RL in 243 and my son has a Model 70 carbine in 243. The Ruger is less than 6 pounds and the Model 70 maybe 6 lb. Both have 20" barrels and are light and easy to handle in the bush. I have two bad shoulders and the light gun is faster for me to mount.

My Ruger is finicky with different loads and usually shoots a little larger than a MOA with most everything. I tried some loads with the 55 grain Noslers. I tried a load I got off someone on here and it went into less than a half inch. I was so happy I used up the whole box punching holes in paper. Now I have to buy more. The 55 grain Nosler should work well for you.

Your Remington 600 sounds like just the rifle your looking for. Why waste money when you may have the perfect rifle in your safe.




Anyone know where I can get a HS prescion stock for the 600? Or any other full length aluminum bedded stock that will fit it? I might have to try some 55's through it and see how they group. I've shot a good 5/6 dozen plus coyotes with my 243 heavy barrel varmint now and it 50/50 if if going to blow them up or not, I'd like something more fur friendly.
 
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Originally Posted By: ackleymanSome of the model 7's that remington made are very light.




Model 7's are are right down the middle - nothing but net - for this type of job.
 


Quote:Anyone know where I can get a HS prescion stock for the 600?


I think 600's and model 7's are the same thing with different names.

If so......https://www.stockysstocks.com/stocks-by-brand/h-s-precision-inc/varmint-tactical-stocks/h-s-precision-pro-series-2000-varmint-stocks-remington-model-7-seven.html
 
The Ultra Light Arms Corporation Model 20 Short is 4.75 pounds without the scope. It is chambered in micro action cartridges from .17 Remington through .30 Remington AR. They are $3500 for just the rifle.
 
Originally Posted By: MartyB

Quote:Anyone know where I can get a HS prescion stock for the 600?


I think 600's and model 7's are the same thing with different names.

If so......https://www.stockysstocks.com/stocks-by-brand/h-s-precision-inc/varmint-tactical-stocks/h-s-precision-pro-series-2000-varmint-stocks-remington-model-7-seven.html

I believe the Remington 600s, Mohawks, and 660s all have different trigger and bolt placements than the Model Sevens.

If left unmodified I don't believe the Model Seven Stocks will fit the 600 series barreled actions.
 
I have been using either my .223 RARR or the pencil barrel AR with a red dot. The AR is light enough I can point it one handed like a pistol, also has quick detach for the RDS and a 2-10 scope in a quickie mount. The dot works fine out to 200 in the tighter areas, switch to scope if in the more open country.
 
Current coyote rifle is Kimber Montana with threaded barrel. Installed a factory brake on it. Hardly any recoil. Very accurate with Hornady 50 gr superformance. Sighting in shoot 2-3 rounds and let cool. Hold on to front end. Light weight Kimbers can be really accurate if shot the proper way. Rifle is great for carry, hardly know it's there with a good sling.
 
I once switched a bolt from a model 7 i had into my 600....seemed to function fine....the action of both of those and the xp100 are the same....as mentioned bolt handle location and floorplate and bbl contours may cause issues which may be ablr to be corrected easily enough
 
Originally Posted By: Mike BI once switched a bolt from a model 7 i had into my 600....seemed to function fine....the action of both of those and the xp100 are the same....as mentioned bolt handle location and floorplate and bbl contours may cause issues which may be ablr to be corrected easily enough

There is place on Oregon that makes aluminum floor plates for around $79. Is a metal floor plate going to help increase accuracy over my barely warped plastic one?

I removed the stock today and gave it a light wet sanding job and applied some minwax tounge oil on it. It's been sitting in my safe collecting dust and I could feel the grain raised just a little so my OCD kicked in. I'm going to put one more coat on it tomorrow and call it good. I have a leupold 100 th anniversary 3x9 with two drops in the in the crosshairs mounted on it. I'd like a little more magnification.
 
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