Recommended Chassis and Barrell for a light hunting rifle

[harry_x1]

Hi all,

I am planning to build a light hunting rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor. I already have a BigHorne TL3 action. Am looking for the best options in chassis and barrell to have a really accurate hunting rifle which can also do double duty as a sniper rifle. Would like to keep the weight minimal. Budget is not much of an issue. Would rather spend $ and get the right stuff built. Are there also any recommendations on how I should bed the action, please share those as well as any other advise that can help me in my project.

Aim is to keep the rifle only (excluding weight of scope/rings) weight between 6-8 pounds max

Barrell Length - min 18 inches. Will run it suppressed.

Scope I am planning is S&B 5x20 Ultra Short




thanks
harjeet

 

[jbuck88]

What is your definition of light? As in what weight do you want to end up at? What scope do you plan on running? Barrel length? Suppressed or unsuppressed? Braked?

Going to need more information to give any solid recommendations.

 

[Supersubes]

XLR element magnesium or MDT HNT 26, no bedding required for either. Proof carbon barrel.

 

[harry_x1]

What is your definition of light? As in what weight do you want to end up at? What scope do you plan on running? Barrel length? Suppressed or unsuppressed? Braked?

Going to need more information to give any solid recommendations.

Thanks for these questions… added that info to my post

 

[Steel head]

XLR element magnesium or MDT HNT 26, no bedding required for either. Proof carbon barrel.

 

[B4forever]

I’d run the HNT26 with a 20-22” proof prefit. Throw your S&B in a set of Hawkins ultralight rings and you’d have a very light setup. A carbon shell Manners with a mini chassis is also a slick setup if you prefer the feel of a traditional stock, but it won’t be as light as the HNT.

 

[4O6shootist]

The magnesium xlr w/ carbon but and grip is 28oz, add an aics 5 Rd or billet mag and you're at 31-32oz. Not enough real world weights on the different configs of the hunt26 out there yet to know, but it'll likely be over 30oz w/ arca rail and mag. There are a few carbon stocks out there that are in the 24-26oz range, will be around 30-32oz w/ btm metal. I have the xlr element mag 3.0 and I've found a lot of flex in the system, once I added the xlr arca it helped a lot, also added 7oz to the chassis. I have a new 4.0 w/ the integrated arca in the safe it's still in the original shipping box, no field experience yet. Proof makes a good light barrel. I much prefer the rock creek and mullerworks wrapped blanks from Pederson Precision anymore. They're not quite as light, but you can cut em to any length you want, and all have shot excellent for me.

 

[jbuck88]

8 pounds should be pretty easy to hit. XLR element, mdt hunt26, CA chassis and barrel of your choice. I don't think carbon is required to get to your mark. Roughly 4lbs for your chassis and action leaves you ~4lbs for barrel.

If your not set on a chassis you could go with a McMillan Edge or Manners Elite and make similar weight.

 

[Franko]

Buy two guns; one for hunting and one for target work. It's where you are going to end up anyways and you might as well save money by doing it right the first time around.

 

[Shootinsurveyor]

Regular XLR chassis is still pretty lightweight. I have heard the thin steel barrels can actually be lighter than the proof barrels. Should be good to go whatever you get in a chassis though. I would do as suggested above and just build two rifles. Long range can be done with a light rifle, but it is a different beast than a heavy barrelled target rifle.

 

[harry_x1]

Buy two guns; one for hunting and one for target work. It's where you are going to end up anyways and you might as well save money by doing it right the first time around.

Yeah...honestly money is not the issue. But I like to build rifles which are practical. A target rifle can potentially reach out a mile easy, but what use it is in real world (god forbid), if I cannot carry it around easily. That is just my thinking, but I do appreciate your suggestion.

 

[4O6shootist]

There are two different classes of light weight hunting rifles. There us tactical guys who usually shoot heavy rigs for target/prs/tactical/field style shooting. A light hunting gun to us is usually 10# all up. Then theres the mountain hunter clan, who to them a lightweight rifle is 7# all up. I've had them as light at 7.5# w/ long range optics. This requires titanium action, short carbon barrels and carbon stocks. Here's the deal, that rifle was much more difficult to shoot small at distance, especially in field situations with wind. Hell the wind alone moves the rifle in 15-20mph gusts. A practical weight for a long range hunting gun is 10# for stability on target, but not too heavy to pack. This is my opinion. I think your 8# target without optics is a good objective, and that can be done with steel barrels of moderate contour.

 

[jbuck88]

Buy two guns; one for hunting and one for target work. It's where you are going to end up anyways and you might as well save money by doing it right the first time around.

I don't think the 6-8 lb is a bad all around weight. I have a 7 pound 6.5cm that is my all around favorite. It's a 20" proof in a McMillan Edge. It's my truck gun/main hunting rifle and I shoot it out to 1,000yds regularly.

I do think there is a place for a heavier gun to go with it. I have heavier guns, but I seem to take my 7 pound 6.5cm most of the time.

 

[Franko]

Yeah...honestly money is not the issue. But I like to build rifles which are practical. A target rifle can potentially reach out a mile easy, but what use it is in real world (god forbid), if I cannot carry it around easily. That is just my thinking, but I do appreciate your suggestion.

I understand completely on the practical aspect. In that spirit here are my thoughts:

1. Sell the Bighorn on the PX. Buy a Defiance Anti. That will net you about half a pound on weight savings and at no loss in performance.
2. Go with an XLR Element in magnesium or MDT HNT chassis. I own multiple XLR's but if buying a new chassis, I would go with MDT as it appears to offer all the features of the XLR but is lighter.
3. Go with a Bartlien CF barrel, consider their new steel alloy as it will help the barrel to last longer. The guy I buy my barrels from has seen some issues with Proof barrels and advised me to steer clear.
4. I suggest you look at the Vortex 4.5-22 (much lighter) or the March 4.5-28 (dramatically better magnification range). I believe that both are significantly better for your application. I just bought the Vortex but would have bought the March if it had fit on the action (the scope is too short to fit onto the Anti-X long action with integral rail) for the gun I just built.

Good luck.

Edited for grammar...

 

[Skg_Mre_Lght]

Buy two guns; one for hunting and one for target work. It's where you are going to end up anyways and you might as well save money by doing it right the first time around.

Yep. Most of us in my circle have tried the Hybrid Competition/hunting rifle thing and it isn't really great at either task. It isn't heavy enough to be competitive and has too much recoil due to cartridge selection and being lighter than practical, and they end up being a tad heavy and a bunch of crap that catches on branches and other shit in the mountains.

We have all tried it, but it's best to have two guns instead of one gun that does neither task well.

 

[MDT_Josh]

Thanks for all of the love guys <3 The HNT-26 is pretty much the perfect chassis to drop your Bighorn into if you're looking for lightweight, modular, solid design! They have been used to win NRL Hunter matches already, so they have proven to be accurate and reliable, as well as already harvesting some critters with them!

To answer the earlier concern from @shootist406 about the real world weights, the heaviest chassis configuration is 31 oz. (Tikka LA, ARCA Forend and Folding Stock). If you were to do a R700 SA, Fixed and standard forend, you'd be sitting at that 26 Oz. mark

- Josh

 

[Cummins06]

Take a look at AG Composites for the stock. Several different options that will be light weight and look fantastic.

 

[acudaowner]

have you though about those made by Springfield armory the adds have been in the forums for at least a month now or if money is no object then maybe a gap

G.A. Precision - Professional Quality Rifles & Equipment

G.A. Precision has been in business since 1999. We strive to create top professional quality rifles that are not only precise, but are also affordable.

www.gaprecision.net

best of luck finding something you like you got tons of choices .
while I know no one yet running one of those springfield rifles yet I have seen a guy at our semi local range shooting a ruger american at 600 yards and while it's not the longest distance in the world he puts down some pretty impressive groups off hand and he has some impressive pics of hunts he has gone on with the gun . While his pencil barrel does seem to heat up pretty fast it don't seem to keep him from shooting or hunting with it . and as far as gap goes I don't yet own any of there rifles , but I have had the chance to shoot one of them in 6.5 saum it was a very nice shooting gun but for the money they charge Id expect no less .

 

[harry_x1]

have you though about those made by Springfield armory the adds have been in the forums for at least a month now or if money is no object then maybe a gap

G.A. Precision - Professional Quality Rifles & Equipment

G.A. Precision has been in business since 1999. We strive to create top professional quality rifles that are not only precise, but are also affordable.

www.gaprecision.net

best of luck finding something you like you got tons of choices .

thanks for bringing this up. I am always curious as to how these off the shelf hunting guns shoot vs something that I might conjour up with diff parts. Does GAP do something different to their make that will make it more accurate than what I might assemble on my own? Just trying to learn...

 

[4O6shootist]

thanks for bringing this up. I am always curious as to how these off the shelf hunting guns shoot vs something that I might conjour up with diff parts. Does GAP do something different to their make that will make it more accurate than what I might assemble on my own? Just trying to learn...

I've been around a waypoint and a few seekins havak rifles, they all shot fantastic with factory eld-m or eld-x ammo.

 

[jbuck88]

Modern rifles are capable of producing great accuracy compared to the past. Accuracy is only one of the criteria for selecting a new gun. My last factory Rem 5r was a solid sub-1/2" gun. Savage produce very good shooting guns, as well as the last 2 Rugers I bought.

So if accuracy alone is your criteria you have lots of options.

Now the trend is towards prefits and chassis'. This excludes a lot of the long waits from smith's of the past. However you can run into tolerance stacking and feeding issues. So if your mechanically inclined you can work some of those issue's out yourself.

What you get with GAP is quality components and someone who will fix issues and problems you have.

I don't think I have ever shot a more accurate rifle then my "switch barrel" AI. And my next build will definitely be a prefit built (unless it's another Winchester)