Ultra Light Mountain Rifle

So I spent the last week humping the hills of western Colorado looking for elk. Long story short I humped just a few hills here to no avail.... weather is just to warm. Anyway I was carrying a 300 Win Mag that weighs just over 11 pounds when I left the truck and close to 80 when I got back at night. So I am thinking about building a 284 Win with a 22" sporter contour barrel. Thinking that it would work well out to about 400 yards which is further than I would be shooting in the country I was hunting this year.

Any thoughts?

Ryan

Great idea. I love the 284.

I'd start with a 111LWH in 30-06 or 270 and swap in a 22" pencil barrel 284.

The long action will let you set the long heavy bullets out as far as you want and still use as a repeater.

Top it with a light scope and it would be some strong elk medicine.

I kind of understand what your saying in regards to the 284 but the LWH comes in 6.5-284 Norma in their LA. If that really didn't work for you, you could swap out the barrel to the 284 and use your 6.5-284 casings by just sizing them up. More than likely you'll have to buy 6.5-284 casings anyway?

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Originally Posted by chukarmandoo

I kind of understand what your saying in regards to the 284 but the LWH comes in 6.5-284 Norma in their LA. If that really didn't work for you, you could swap out the barrel to the 284 and use your 6.5-284 casings by just sizing them up. More than likely you'll have to buy 6.5-284 casings anyway?

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The OP was wanting the 284, and I'm fond of it myself.

I don't believe that Savage is currently listing the 6.5x284 in the lightweight hunter series anymore. At least it is not listed on their site. It probably would be the best model to start from.

Even then, a 20" barrel with the 284 case capacity will be a bit of a handicap. Even more so with the 6.5mm version. It would be best if a couple inches of barrel could be added and still be under whatever weight limit the OP is looking for.

Yesterday a buddy and I was loading for a 284. It is a Kenny Jarrett mountain rifle with a 20" pencil barrel. the rifle weights 6.5 pounds with scope and sling. IT is built on a sako short action so it only loads to 2.80". We'll see how load development goes. My 260 LWH with scope and sling weights 6.5 pounds and has a full 3" mag. and is a shooter.
Geargrinder, I think I know what the op was saying and because I have experience with both rifles and calibers I responded to his post!

Thanks guys for your input. I own a 6.5-284 but it needs a trailer hitch and a set of wheels. Its a shooter dont get me wrong. I was thinking the straight 284 because its something a little different and more than capable of being an elk rifle. I dont mean to sound like a cry baby about the 300 being to heavy, but please understand I was averaging close to 8 miles a day with about 2500 to 3000 foot climb each morning. Do that for a week and no matter what you are carrying gets heavy. I like the idea of doing it on a long action so that I can seat the bullets as long as they need to be and keeping the barrel between 20 and 22 inches. The area that I hunted in this year was mostly dark timber and THICK aspens. Most shots would have been under a 100 yards. With the occasional cross canyon shot as they were heading into the dark timber again. I was just carrying to much rifle this season. (Not that it mattered at all. The weather was almost like summer with green grass still up at 11000 feet, they just werent coming out of the high country).

Not sure if it can be done or not but I have a 7mm-08 factory barrel that I would like to have rechambered to 284. Think that would be a good place to start to see if I even want to go this route. I also think that its funny that most likely I will have to neck up 6.5-284 brass back up to the parent case, kind of ironic.

Ryan

I'm not saying that you can't find 284 brass. I'm saying it might be difficult. the 284 kind of died on the vine because of the way it was marketed. The 6.5-284 found more favor as a wildcat but then took over the parent case to the point it became a standard chambering. Now with the help of better bullets and a long range crowd the 284 is making a come back and most shooters are having to use the 6.5-284 factory cases and neck them up. My buddies rifle doesn't have a long action nor is it chambered in the (Norma) version so it is limited to bullets that don't maintain good ballistics. For this reason I suggested getting the 111 LWH in 6.5-284 and seeing if it could work for you. If not, the cost of a simple barrel change to the caliber you desired would be all that you would need basically. Of course though, you have tons of other options. Have fun and kill a elk next time!

Have you considered going with a 280AI? More brass, die and factory ammo options are available. And performance with less powder/recoil was only about 100-150 fps slower than my Savage factory sporter 24" barrel in 7mm Rem Mag. Sportsman Guide was offering a $100 Savage SS PreFit 23" #2 contour barrel from an unknown barrel maker that only weighed 2 lbs. Unfortunately, these barrels are sold out and no longer listed for sale or backorder. I always wanted a mountain rifle, so I bought a Savage 111 LWH and sold the factory barrel as a new take-off and replaced it with the Sportsman guide 280AI barrel. Total Savage 111 LWH rifle with Sportsman Guide 280AI barrel, Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40 scope and Burris Signature Zee rings is 7.4 lbs. Of course you could do the same thing with a custom barrel chambered in .284 if that's what you want.

jpdown,

That is a great idea! Thats why I posted on here.... guys that know more than me. I didnt even know that Sportsmans Guide even sold barrels. I sure missed the boat on that one. I guess for now I am going to leave the 7mm-08 alone and use it totally stock. I can push a 160 grain Sierra gameking bullet comfortably at almost 2750. How does that 280 AI barrel shoot?

Nice thing is that I dont have to be in a hurry casue I have a year to get moving on this. Next season is this December and its a cow hunt. Hoping that we get some serious weather to bring them way lower. Like to the highway would be ok with me!

It will push a 154 gr Hornady SST at 2,880 with 60.5 grains of IMR 7828 which was the accuracy node below max I stopped at to make my brass last. It will shoot 3-shot groups into 0.5-0.6" before the thin contour barrel heats up and groups open up. So I am very happy with this kind of performance from a hunting rifle. I don't get many opportunities to hunt elk size game. But I don't see why a 160 grain Nosler Accubond, Partition or Barnes TSX would not get the job done. Check out the Nosler web page for load data on the 280AI. Nosler's testing was done with a 26" barrel, so don't expect those velocities with a shorter tube.

I'm in the same boat. I hauled around my 13 lb. 300 WM third season in CO as well, and ended up with 70+ miles on my boots between 8,000' and 12,000' and as soon as I got home I started planning my next build! I love my 300, but its just too much for that type of hunting. I'm leaning to the 6.5x284, but looking at other options as well.

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Originally Posted by jpdown

Have you considered going with a 280AI? More brass, die and factory ammo options are available. And performance with less powder/recoil was only about 100-150 fps slower than my Savage factory sporter 24" barrel in 7mm Rem Mag. Sportsman Guide was offering a $100 Savage SS PreFit 23" #2 contour barrel from an unknown barrel maker that only weighed 2 lbs. Unfortunately, these barrels are sold out and no longer listed for sale or backorder. I always wanted a mountain rifle, so I bought a Savage 111 LWH and sold the factory barrel as a new take-off and replaced it with the Sportsman guide 280AI barrel. Total Savage 111 LWH rifle with Sportsman Guide 280AI barrel, Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40 scope and Burris Signature Zee rings is 7.4 lbs. Of course you could do the same thing with a custom barrel chambered in .284 if that's what you want.

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I bought one of those barrels and built a rifle based on a LA stevens. Turned out to be a great lightweight rifle. Wishing now that i would have put a couple of those barrels in my safe for future builds. I mounted a VX-2 3-9 on mine and used the original stock that i stiffenend with a couple of carbon fiber arrows and painted. Believe me when I say i love that rifle.
I did not work real hard at making it ultralight but even then with a picatinny rai, the Leupold scope and a pretty heavy muzzlebrake it weights 7lb 14 oz. I did bed the action and install a bedding point at the forearm to stabilize that light contour barrel. Using 140gr accubonds it will shoot under .75 for 3 shots and a little beter if you go slow and don't let it get too hot when you shoot the groups.

Here are some weights.
With a standard savage action, 20" cut down sporter barrel, tupperware stock, ultralight scope base and rings and everything else light you can hit about 7# - 7.5# with a a scope with a short action.

ACTIONS

Short action with bolt egw base and machined lug with blind magazine and action screws - +- 36 oz
Long action flat back with bolt and EGW base, lug, with DBM box and mag - 39.5 oz

STOCKS

SA tupperware stock - 29 oz
SA duromax stock - 43 oz

LA DBM factory stock with complete magazine - 38 oz (Old model)
LA tupperware internal stock w some epoxy - 32 oz
LA duromax stock - 44 oz

BARRELS

19" 308 cut down sporter barrel and nut - 35.5 oz
EST 16" 308 cut down sporter bbl - 32 oz
24" 338 WM barre1 and nut - 51 oz
24" 358 whelen shaw bbl and nut - 58 oz
21" 458 wm barrel and nut - 48 oz
Factory blued 22" 270 bbl - 41 oz ??
21" cut down stainless 270 factory barrel and nut - 38 oz

SCOPES

2-7x VX-1 leupold scope - 11 oz
1-4x VX-2 - 9 oz
Nikon prostaff 4-12x mildot - 14 oz
Leupold 3-9x Ultralight - 9 oz
Vortex HS-T 6-24x - 23 oz

Misc

Factory recoil lug - 1 oz
Machined recoil lug - 1.5 oz
Burris extreme med rings, 1/2" - 6 oz
Burris extreme med rings, 30mm w 1 tac top - 6.2 oz
Burris zee rings steel low - 3 oz

A few thoughts on lightweight rifles.

I completely understand the physics of rifle gaining weight the farther you carry them.

The Savage plastic stock, though flimsy, are lightest stock you can get for them.

Consider a tough scope that will handle the recoil and have A LOT of eye relief. Getting scope eye on a stalk sucks to no end. Taking weight from a rifle increases felt recoil so get a good pad.

Right now all brass except .30-06 is still in short supply so you may have to put your favorite calibers on hold unless you want to pay through the nose.

+1 for the 280 AI for an ultra light weight. That is the caliber I am building my light weight in for mtn elk hunting.

Question? I've been reading about lightweight rifles here lately. What is so wrong with a 10 pound gun? I get the idea of it getting heavy over the course of the day, but I'd rather the gun be heavy than have too much recoil. My wife got me my first Savage a while back, an Axis in .308. Light as hell, but too light. Kicks worse than anything I own short of a shotgun with slugs. Is this .284 a light recoiling round? Reading a lot about some off the wall calibers since I joined up here. Many, I never heard of, wildcats maybe?

280 is a 30-06 necked down to 7mm so with the same weight bullet about the same recoil.
For me the stock has a lot lot to do with the felt recoil as well as the slow big bullet push vs smaller cal magnums.

Had a 375 Ruger in a B+C duramax stock at about 9# and it was not bad at all loaded up with 270 gr bullets at speed and I would rather shoot it than a 300 win mag same weight.
10# rifle over miles will make you appreciate a 7# rifle a lot.

As far as shooting at game you dont feel it anyway for the most part.

Hello I f you have a 7-08, have you tried a 150 gr. or the 160 gr. part ion? its an excellent bullet for the elk in the smaller calibers.

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Originally Posted by tammons

10# rifle over miles will make you appreciate a 7# rifle a lot.

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I've humped an M-60 enough miles in my time to know what a heavy weapon feels like... I just figure that a heavy piece can be compensated for by conditioning... Although I'm a crippled old retired guy now, and can appreciate a lighter burden, I still like the feel of something substantial in my hands. Must be personal preference.

just go with the tried and true 30-06. Lots of brass available and wont break the bank to shoot it. plenty of gun for elk,

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Originally Posted by tammons

As far as shooting at game you dont feel it anyway for the most part.

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Game = enemy combatant...

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Originally Posted by daddyusmaximus

I've humped an M-60 enough miles in my time to know what a heavy weapon feels like... I just figure that a heavy piece can be compensated for by conditioning... Although I'm a crippled old retired guy now, and can appreciate a lighter burden, I still like the feel of something substantial in my hands. Must be personal preference.

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:)

Spoken like a true war-horse veteran.

You're not wrong, daddyusmaximus, but, without realizing it, I truly think you've outclassed us amateurs. :)

Thank you for your service, by the way.

I'm an amateur when it comes to hunting. Funny thing to say, but the only thing I've ever shot at larger than a squirrel... is people. That .308 Axis is light gun, and I don't like the recoil. (I'm also getting old and have had 1 too many shoulder surgeries.)