Making a rifle lighter?

[oldone]

How about that company that makes fiber barrels>

[chucknbach]

243 caliber with scope and a synthetic stock. Unsure of the barrel length, I'll have to check. Thinking of possibly cutting 2 inches off and getting it fluted. Possibly the bolt too. ]

Just take the stock off and the scope they are way over rated or just quit being a feline and pack it.

About the comment saying you don't need a follow up shot, you are mistaken and you must have good luck. I've seen a deer run with about half of it's head missing. It needed another shot. And even with a fatal shot, not every deer magically drops instantly. Many run. Running a few hundred yards is somewhat common and they were shot in the heart. Just yesterday one ran about 3/4 of a mile that was shot in the chest with a .300 magnum where I was hunting.

Sounds like a follow up shot is not needed in these cases just patience unless swiss deer is what your after.

[ltc444]

I had a Vouree Mauser in 243 some years back. It had a thin barrell with a diameter of my little finger. With scope, a bushnel banner. it weighed 5.5 pounds. It would place the first three rounds in a 3/4 inch group at 50 yards.
After that they opened up to about 2 inches as the barrel heated up.

For hunting this is good accuracy. You might check with some of the Barrel makers and get the thinnest barrel they make.

If you have a wood stock you can drill holes in it and remove a fair amount of wood without destroying the integrity of the stock.

[lefteyedom]

Making the rifle more compact and better balanced will go along way toward making it less of a burden to carry. Cut the barrel to 18", mount a lighter scope with light weight rings and mounts will help. you need a good sling.

My best suggestion is to find a tactical sling that you like. One that will allow you to rapidly shoulder your rifle. Getting the weight of the rifle off of your arms and onto your shoulders will make a big difference over the course of the day.

I often carry a nearly 14 pound 308 target rifle to hunt Antelope, I could not carry that beast all day with out a very good sling.

[taylorce1]

Making the rifle more compact and better balanced will go along way toward making it less of a burden to carry. Cut the barrel to 18", mount a lighter scope with light weight rings and mounts will help. you need a good sling.

I agree to a point you are correct about a more compact rifle being less of a burden. However I don't think just cutting a barrel back to 18" is going to help with balance. I like hunting rifles that balance at the front action screw or that are slightly muzzle heavy around an inch or two in front of the action screw. They tend to settle better for offhand shooting you have to do sometimes hunting. Just cutting a barrel to 18" will often times make your rifle butt heavy which isn't what I like to carry. My opinion as well slings should be shooting aids more than useful for carrying your rifle.

[lefteyedom]

I like hunting rifles that balance at the front action screw or that are slightly muzzle heavy around an inch or two in front of the action screw. They tend to settle better for offhand shooting you have to do sometimes hunting. Just cutting a barrel to 18" will often times make your rifle butt heavy which isn't what I like to carry. My opinion as well slings should be shooting aids more than useful for carrying your rifle.

Both of the points are good general shooting points, I was trying to address how to lighten the burden the OP is feeling from carrying his currently rifle all day.

Very thing is a trade off, one feature is given up for another, to strike a balance that meets the shooters needs.

Balance point is a matter of personal preference, mine generally is centered about the chamber area. I hold my rifles with the lead hand just in front of the magazine. It is about getting the feeling that the shooter likes, sometimes adding a little lead into the front of the stock really helps.

I agree that a sling can and should be a great shooting aid, Though most hunters do not under stand how to properly use it. Once again compromise.


As for barrel length, between 18" to 22" seem to be the happy medium for most none magnums. The effect of shorten a rifle may be more mental than fact. That said, the "feel" of something is subjective, to me compact rifles carry easier.

At one end I have a 8X57 Mauser with a 16 1/4" barrel , at the other end I have a 26" barrel 308 rifle that weights in at over 14 pounds. Love them both.

[johnwilliamson062]

Along with som eof the other sling suggestions, look into different ways to carry with a sling. If you are using a traditional military method you may find there are other ways to carry which are more convenient for fast shouldering or even plowing through a thicket.

I use a set-up similar to this picture for my muzzle loader. It may not look traditional, but I can easily make sure it isn't hitting or getting caught on anything and also shoulder quickly.

[NHSHOOTER]

How do you like the boyds thumbhole stock??

[WV_gunner]

The scope on the fun is bad, but I just got a Bushnell for free.
I use a regular shoulder sling but i try to always carry the gun though.The style showed in the picture wouldn't work for me. Looks like it'd be in the way when getting through brush.