The rifles have factory-installed muzzle brakes and Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pads to moderate recoil. The Mountain Ascent’s stainless steel action is pillar-bedded to the stock, and it has a Model 70-type wing safety and a Mauser claw extractor. Stocks are made of reinforced carbon fiber and have a Gore Optifade Open Country soft-touch treatment (other versions have a moss green or subalpine camo finish). Unlike some other companies to offer mountain rifles, Kimber doesn’t sacrifice barrel length with these guns-they measure 22 to 26 inches-but the stainless barrels are rather thin and can heat up quickly. The rifle shaves weight by use of fluted barrels, bolts, and bolt handles along with a hollow bolt knob. Some of these guns, in long-action versions in magnum persuasion, can weigh up to 6 pounds, 7 ounces. Starting at 4 pounds, 13 ounces in rifles chambered for 6.5 Creedmoor, 308 Win., and 7mm-08 Rem., the Mountain Ascent is billed by Kimber as “the lightest production bolt-action big game rifle available today.” Weight does go up, by necessity, if you choose other caliber options ranging up to 300 Win. Kimber has long been known for making lightweight hunting rifles, but one model tips the scales at a new low. Best Lightweight Hunting Rifles: Reviews and Recommendations Kimber Mountain Ascent With decades of experience handling firearms, we used our vast knowledge and expertise to narrow down the list of the best lightweight hunting rifles you can buy today for any budget based on their performance, specs, and handling. To appreciate just how much today’s production rifles have slimmed down, it’s worth remembering that one of the original lightweights, the Winchester Model 70 Featherweight, weighed around 7.5 pounds when first introduced. Over time, better options in factory lightweight hunting rifles appeared, thanks to advances in materials and manufacturing techniques. That approach reduced weight, but often resulted in rifles that weren’t terribly accurate or well balanced, or were only suitable for people of smaller stature. Mike DickersonĮarly efforts to lighten things up with factory rifles were characterized by guns that were little more than standard-issue rifles with pencil-thin or lopped-off barrels and chopped-off stocks.
There are now a wealth of options in factory rifles that weigh less than that. When he last hunted the Canadian Rockies, the author toted a 6 ½ pound rifle.
There’s still demand for those guns, as NULA and others, such as Christensen Arms, Proof Research, and MG Arms, will happily build ultralight rifles with your selected options if you can afford them. Previously, anyone wanting a true ultralight rifle generally had to turn to custom or semi-custom gun makers such as Melvin Forbes of New Ultra Light Arms (NULA), who turned the hunting world on its ear in 1985 when he unveiled rifles weighing less than five pounds. How We Picked the Best Lightweight Hunting Rifles Sa vage Model 11/111 Lightweight Hunter.If you’re willing to pay the price, here are 14 of the best lightweight hunting rifles that will get the job done without weighing you down. There can be a steep price to pay for many of these rifles-in terms of both cash and increased recoil-and many people can’t shoot lightweight hunting rifles as accurately as heavier, more stable platforms. The list gets shorter when you limit weight to 6.5 pounds-and even shorter if you want a factory rifle weighing about 6 pounds or less. Now, virtually every major manufacturer offers a hunting rifle weighing less than 7 pounds. Learn more ›Īt a time when rifles are made with such lightweight materials as kevlar, titanium, and carbon fiber, it’s easy to forget that not too long ago, high-quality lightweight hunting rifles weren’t all that easy to find. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.
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