Help with a light weight hunting rifle

[Coyote41]

I know I’m looking for a unicorn, but I thought I’d ask anyway. I’m also looking more for a caliber than a specific rifle.

What I want is a 16” light weight bolt action rifle that is capable of ethically taking elk out to 500 yards. This is the maximum distance of where I hunt, and I feel confident in my ability to make that shot. Currently I use a Tikka T3X lite in .300 win mag, and with a scope I’m right around 8 lbs. I would prefer the full set-up be sub 7 lbs if possible.

So what cartridge is capable of delivering this performance? Does it even exist?

Finding data for shorter rifles in hunting calibers has been near impossible. Ideally I’d like to have a tikka or something similar cut down to 16” and threaded for a break. I’d even consider shorter with a pin and weld.


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[pyrotechnic]

The factory rifles that come to mind weight wise are the Seekins Havak Element and the Sako Carbonlight.

Both of those are right around 5.5 lb naked or so with a light optic to could get them down 7 lb. Getting them under and still having a scope that dials reliably is going to be a tall order. I think the NXS 2.5-10 is right around 20oz and is one of the lightest reliable dialing scopes out there.

Both the above rifles have fluted barrels so I don't think you'd be able to get them down to 16" Seekins might do semi-custom versions though.

I don't think you need a magnum to kill an elk at a max of 500, even with the performance being hampered by a 16" tube. While you're going to get more out of a .300 win mag than a .308 regardless of barrel length I don't think the extra recoil and blast would be worth it in a 7lb gun.

A 16" 6.5 PRC would be interesting. You would probably be right around 20" 6.5 Creedmoor performance without an excessive amount of recoil.

ETA: I think Tikka is starting to chamber the 6.5 PRC I don't know if you would meet the weight requirements, but cutting a T3 lite down to 16" would be alot cheaper than the sako or seekins route. I'm sure you could find a carbon fiber stock for it and still not be in it an arm and a leg.

[GJM]

I have a Havak Element in .300. Still getting to know it, but so far I love it. Mine has a Leupold Vx6 2-12.

[OlongJohnson]

You could do a lot worse, and spend a lot more money, than just cutting 4-8 inches off your Tikka and putting it in one of these stocks:

http://wildcatcomposites.com/Tikka.html#features10-49

They often finish out around 19 ounces, which is about 9 ounces lighter than the factory Tikka poly.

A few ounces for the shorter barrel. Think about a lighter scope and mounts.

I recently weighed some parts. Found my preferred Warne steel Tikka rings weigh 6 ounces, while the factory aluminum rings weigh 2 ounces. Leupold scopes tend to be light, but have been criticized for not dialing all that well. Up to 500 yards, with the right reticle, that may not matter.

You may be closer than you think.

I'm contemplating going down this path with a Tikka.

[Guerrero]

One of the Ruger Scout rifles?

[Coyote41]

The Havak element is interesting, but I’d prefer a shorter barrel. Getting to the area I like to hunt in requires getting through young aspens and other bushwhacking (no trails, etc). I was just hoping for something easier to move around even more so than the weight.

The Ruger scout is limited to .308, which is less than I would prefer for Elk at distance. The other problem is my example was a 3 MOA rifle even with good factory ammo.

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[okie john]

The Havak element is interesting, but I’d prefer a shorter barrel. Getting to the area I like to hunt in requires getting through young aspens and other bushwhacking (no trails, etc). I was just hoping for something easier to move around even more so than the weight.

The Ruger scout is limited to .308, which is less than I would prefer for Elk at distance. The other problem is my example was a 3 MOA rifle even with good factory ammo.

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The mention of aspens make me think you're hunting Rocky Mountain elk rather than Roosevelts. I'd imagine that @Lost River will be along directly to describe the ancient ways of taking them at longer ranges with a 308.

What optic, rings, and bases did you have in mind?


Okie John

[littlejerry]

Someone already beat me to the "cut down your Tikka" suggestion. I'll also add that there are a few outfits offering prefit Tikka barrels these days. I'm sure you could order up whatever length/contour/fluting you wanted.

[Coyote41]

The mention of aspens make me think you're hunting Rocky Mountain elk rather than Roosevelts. I'd imagine that @Lost River will be along directly to describe the ancient ways of taking them at longer ranges with a 308.

What optic, rings, and bases did you have in mind?


Okie John

Yep. Rocky Mountain Elk. I actually lugged an LMT MWS around one year (miserable). The T3 has an old Leupold VXR 3-9 with Leupold back country rings on an EGW 20 MOA base.

.308 is fine for elk out of a longer barrel. It just looks anemic at 16”.

If cutting the .300 win mag down is a possibility I may just compromise and do 18”. I was looking at .338 federal as a contender, but it may be marginal. I am also making the assumption that I’ll be relying on crushing injury entirely and little hydrostatic shock. So larger, heavier bullets would seem the way to go.


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[OlongJohnson]

Since you're focused on shortness, another option may be a single shot of some kind. By eliminating most of the length of the receiver, they come out at a much shorter overall length for a given length of barrel. Maybe 4-5 inches. So you could have a 21-inch barrel and have the gun be the same overall length as a bolt action with a 16-inch barrel. Add in the easy takedown feature so you can just have the whole thing stuffed in a pack if you have a hike in where you're confident you won't encounter The Big One, and it gets interesting. Several companies make custom barrels for T/C Encore. There are various classy falling blocks, and there's the CVA Scout and H&R break-opens at the bottom end.