Light rifle

tripod3

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I have enjoyed a light short rifle that also maneuvers in the truck easily.
This week a friend brought over a gun magazine showing a new rifle weighing 4.9 lbs.
What is the limit?
 
Originally Posted By: AWSI don't know about rifles other than the Forbes rifles were quite light and they morfed into the Colt Light Rifle.

I n Shotguns Bretton made the "Baby" 12ga O/U at 4.8# and the "Tiny" 20ga O/U at 4.1#.

http://www.bretton-gaucher.com/anglais/f_legers.htm

I think some of the Forbes stuff went into these Barrett's too. How could a common hunting cartridge rifle possibly get down to 4 lbs? Maybe in my lifetime it may happen.
 
Here's the confusing history of how Barrett started making these rifles....I see there is also another thread started on the Barrett. Anyway, Melvin Forbes started Ultralight Arms (ULA) back in 1985. His claim to fame was a 5 lb rifle that shot as accurate as a heavy gun, but handle like a dream. His actions are scaled down to caliber, and stocks are made from hand laid kevlar. The light weight barrels were fully bedded to the stock, because the kevlar stock is actually stiffer than steel, and dampened barrel vibrations, increasing consistency and accuracy. He said the stock took him 4 years to design, and it is the most comfortable stock I've ever used. It controls recoil better than anything else I've found as well. The 35 Whelen I had....just over 6 lbs with a scope, was more comfortable to shoot that my Ruger 77 .243 Win.They are light! I've handled a few, and owned one.

In the 90's Melvin sold ULA to Colt, who after a few year screwed up the company, and Melvin bought it back, creating New Ultralight Arms (NULA). NULA rifles are the same as the original ULA's, all hand made by Melvin.

In 2010, Melvin partnered with a machining company from Maine, can't recall the name, to start building a copy of his NULA rifles. That joint company was called Forbes rifles. Basically they were a CNC machine semi-production version of a NULA. They still used the same Melvin stock, and most shot well. In 2015, Forbes Rifles fell apart too. Barrett bought the rights to Forbes Rifles, and now they morphed it into the Fieldcraft rifle.

I have handle a couple of the Fieldcraft rifles, but not shot one. They have made some really nice improvements to the action from Melvin's original design. They were talking about changing up the stock some, which I hope they do not for the production guns, as the kevlar is what make those rifles so light and accurate.
 
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RBO11 That clarifies it for me.


Originally Posted By: Jim ByersMy Adirondack weighed 4 lbs 13 oz.. as a bare rifle.. it's short light and shoots like a dream come true.
That's exceptionally light for those calibers.
 
I have had a Kimber Montana in 243 for several years now, and it was one of the toughest guns to shoot accurately at long distance for me. It was like trying to learn how to shoot a rifle, all over again for the first time. I put a muzzle brake on it, a bipod, and large scope, and that weighed it down and field ready now is 8 pounds. Anything lighter is tough hitting yotes at long range for me.
 
Originally Posted By: 243kimber I have had a Kimber Montana in 243 for several years now, and it was one of the toughest guns to shoot accurately at long distance for me. It was like trying to learn how to shoot a rifle, all over again for the first time. I put a muzzle brake on it, a bipod, and large scope, and that weighed it down and field ready now is 8 pounds. Anything lighter is tough hitting yotes at long range for me.

8lbs is certainly a good shootable weight. I prefer lighter shorter rigs and do ok on long shots with my Sako/tikka lights. Usually around 7 lbs scoped and loaded.
Scored a few @340, 355, 360 which is long for me.
I have had other ultralight rifles and couldn't achieve it.
I has proved to me that original accuracy, design, trigger and fit all play such an important part in getting there.
 
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