There's a saying among special forces soldiers that, according to the Internet, goes something like, "Ounces equal pounds. Pounds equal pain."
While the exact formulation of the saying (or its source) is debatable, no one can deny its wisdom. If you’re trying to pack ultra-light–whether for a once-in-a-lifetime sheep hunt or an incursion into enemy territory–it pays to count your ounces. Three or four ounces isn’t much by itself, but cutting that weight from each piece of gear can lighten your kit by several pounds.
A lightweight rifle isn’t likely to mean the difference between a successful hunt and tag soup, but as one of many gear choices geared toward weight reduction, it’s a no-brainer. The good news is that you have options. Big-name rifle makers and boutique outfits all offer lightweight rifles perfect for high mountain hunts. Here are a few of our favorites.
Jump to: Lightweight Rifles We Recommend
What We Look for in a Lightweight Rifle
A lightweight rifle should be light. That’s obvious. But how light?
That depends on who you are. I’ve known hunters who lug ten-pound rifles up and down the mountains. For them, an eight-pound rifle might feel like a luxury. For someone smaller in stature, on the other hand, a rifle might need to be closer to five pounds to seem truly lightweight.
To make things simple, here’s a gross generalization. The average hunting rifle weighs something on the order of 7.5 pounds (without ammo, scope, etc.). I’d consider a rifle over 8.5 pounds to be heavy while anything less than 6.5 pounds is light. That’s not based on what I personally feel is heavy or light–that’s just a description of what you’ll most commonly find on the market.
Along with the overall weight of the rifle, you should consider how the gun maker cut those ounces. It’s easy to lighten a rifle by shortening a barrel or cutting down a stock, but these choices come with drawbacks. A short barrel reduces the velocity of the bullet, which may reduce your maximum range, and a shortened stock can impact comfort when shooting.
It’s better to find a rifle that reduces weight by using lighter materials or a slim-profile barrel. Carbon fiber is all the rage these days, and there’s a reason: it offers rigidity and strength while reducing weight. In a similar fashion, slim-profile barrels can significantly reduce weight without negative drawbacks, namely, a reduction in muzzle velocity. These skinny barrels can shift point-of-impact at high temperatures, but that’s unlikely to be a major concern in a one- or two-shot hunting scenario.
As with any long gun, a lightweight rifle should also have everything you’d expect from a high-quality firearm: a crisp trigger, good accuracy, and a smooth action. All of these rifles fit that bill.
Jump to: Product Notes
Lightweight Rifles We Recommend
Kimber Mountain Ascent Caza
|
Weatherby Backcountry 2.0 Ti
|
Springfield Model 2020 Redline
|
Ruger American
|
Howa Super Lite
|
Savage 110 Lightweight Storm
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlight | Best Overall | Best Magnum | Newest | Budget Friendly | Lightest | Best Value |
| Weight | 4.8-6.5 lbs | 4.7-5.6 lbs | 6-6.25 lbs | 6.1-6.4 lbs | 4.5 lbs | 5.6 lbs |
| Barrel Length | 22-26 in. | 18-26 in. | 16, 20 in. | 22 in. | 20 in. | 20 in. |
| Overall Length | 41.25-46.5 in. | 40-48 in. | 36.5-41.75 in. | 42 in. | 39 in. | 40.375 in. |
| Chamberings | .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, .300 Win. Mag., .30-06, .270 Win. | .243 Win., .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, .257 Wby. Mag., 7mm PRC + 8 others | 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win. | .30-06, .308 Win., 270 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, .243 Win., 7mm-08 Rem. | 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win., .243 Win., 7MM-08 Rem. | 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win., .243 Win., 7MM-08 Rem., .223 Rem., .270 Win. |
| Price | $1,766* | $3,350* | $2,190* | $500* | $950* | $720* |
| Field Notes | Field Notes | Field Notes | Field Notes | Field Notes | Field Notes |
Product Notes from the MeatEater Crew
Best Overall
When hunters think about ultra-lightweight rifles, Kimber’s Mountain Ascent is often first to mind. The .308 Win. and the 6.5 Creedmoor models weigh an astounding 4.8 pounds, which makes the Ascent nearly as light as the Weatherby 2.0 Ti and the Howa Super Lite.
Kimber achieves this incredible weight reduction using a carbon fiber stock, a slim, stainless steel barrel, and a desire to cut unnecessary materials at every opportunity. For example, the Mountain Ascent’s 6.5 Creedmoor bolt assembly weighs about 8.5 ounces while the bolt on my Ruger American weighs just a hair under 13 ounces. It’s not much, but those weight-saving decisions add up to one of the lightest factory rifles on the market today.
The Kimber earns the "best overall" nod because along with being extremely light, it's also super accurate, well-made, and reasonably priced. The Weatherby might be lighter, especially when comparing magnum models, but it costs nearly twice as much. And the Kimber can go toe-to-toe with any lightweight rifle in the accuracy category, so we think it’s a great option if you’re trying to find a stellar ultralight rifle.
The Caza is only one of the models in Kimber’s Mountain Ascent line. If none of those chamberings move the needle for you, other offerings can be found in 7mm-08 Remington, .270 WSM, .280 Ackley Improved, .300 WSM, and 7mm Remington Magnum.
Specifications
- Weight: 4.8-6.5 lbs.
- Barrel Length: 22-26"
- Overall Length: 41.25"
- Chamberings: .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, .300 Win. Mag., .30-06, .270 Win.
- Price: $1,766
Best Magnum
Weatherby says the Backcountry 2.0 Ti is the lightest, fastest hunting rifle on the market today, and we haven’t found anything to the contrary.
Short-action models like the 6.5 Creedmoor and the .308 Win. clock in around 4.7 pounds, which makes the Weatherby about as light as the Kimber Mountain Ascent. But unlike the Ascent, Weatherby’s magnum rifles weigh less than six pounds. The .300 Wby. Mag., for example, weighs a scant 5.6 pounds and the .240 Wby. Mag., weighs only 4.9 pounds. The 4.9-pound 6.5 Wby. RPM screams out of a 24-inch barrel at nearly 3,400 feet-per-second, making this rifle the lightest and fastest rifle you can buy.
The super thin, fluted barrel helps cut some of that weight, but the carbon fiber Peak 44 Blacktooth stock is what really separates this rifle from others in its class. The lightest of these stocks weigh less than 20 ounces, and the 3DHEX recoil pad helps keep those magnum cartridges from doing too much damage to your shoulder. The Accubrake ST muzzle device also helps keep the ultralight rifle from jumping out of your hands when you pull the trigger.
All those features cost a pretty penny, which is the biggest knock on the Backcountry 2.0 Ti. But if you’re already dropping $20,000 on a sheep hunt, what’s another $3,000?
Specifications
- Weight: 4.7-5.6 lbs.
- Barrel Length: 18-26 in.
- Overall Length: 40-48 in.
- Chamberings: .243 Win., .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, .257 Wby. Mag., 7mm PRC + 8 others
- Price: $3,350
Newest
Known for its AR-type rifles and striker-fired handguns, Springfield entered the bolt-action market in 2020 with the Model 2020 Waypoint. That rifle featured carbon-fiber-everything, but while it’s an excellent rifle, it wasn’t all that much lighter than other hunting rifles on the market. Now the company is offering a truly lightweight rifle: the Model 2020 Redline.
The Redline can be had in 6.5 Creedmoor or .308 Win. with 16- or 20-inch carbon fiber barrels. The 16-inch barrels save about a quarter pound, and it would make an excellent rifle for anyone who needs something handy and maneuverable. But a 16-inch barrel doesn’t take advantage of either cartridge’s full potential, which is why Springfield also offers a model with a 20-inch barrel.
The 28-ounce Grayboe Trekker stock cuts even more weight and features an adjustable length of pull system. The stock can be adjusted in .25-inch increments with a range of 13.25 to 14.25 inches, and can be extended up to 16 inches with additional spacers.
The Weatherby and Kimber rifles come with a sub-MOA guarantee, but Springfield has them beat with a 0.75-MOA guarantee (0.75-inch groups or smaller at 100 yards). You should take these guarantees with a small grain of salt, but Springfield is at least trying to push the envelope. A lightweight hunting rifle that can shoot a sub-0.75-inch three-shot group at 100 yards is a shooter. I don’t care who you are.
Specifications
- Weight: 6-6.25 lbs
- Barrel Length: 16, 20 in.
- Overall Length: 36.5-41.75 in.
- Chamberings: 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win.
- Price: $2,190
Budget Friendly
Not everyone can afford to drop thousands of dollars on a hunting rifle. In fact, I’d wager that describes most of us (myself included). The good news is that many bargain-bin rifles use what are affectionately known as “Tupperware stocks.” These are thin plastic stocks that aren’t much to look at or to shoot, but they reduce weight. (You might also put Savage’s Axis line in this category.)
Ruger’s line of American rifles use these synthetic stocks, but they feature an integral bedding block system to positively locate the receiver and free-float the barrel. This means that even though the rifles cost 75% less than some of the other rifles on this list, they can still produce solid accuracy. In my experience, Ruger American rifles are more than capable of shooting one-inch groups at 100 yards, and handloads can improve on that.
Plus, these rifles come with adjustable triggers, a 70-degree bolt throw for quick follow-up shots, and durable, cold hammer-forged barrels.
You don't get all the bells and whistles of the other rifles on the list, and the lightest Ruger American (.308 Win., 6.1 pounds) is more than a pound heavier than the Kimber or Weatherby. But you can buy $1,200 worth of ammunition and a Ruger American for the same price as the Kimber. I’d wager that for most hunters, shooting 800 rounds at the practice range will make you a better hunter than the lightest rifle ever could.
Specifications
- Weight: 6.1-6.4 lbs.
- Barrel Length: 22 in.
- Overall Length: 42 in.
- Chamberings: .30-06, .308 Win., 270 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, .243 Win., 7mm-08 Rem.
- Price: $500
Lightest
Japanese gunmaker Howa isn’t first to mind for many American hunters, but their stuff is worth a look. The new Super Lite model uses the company’s legendary 1500 action, and it’s a great middle-of-the-road choice for anyone looking for a lightweight mountain rifle. In fact, at 4 pounds, 7 ounces, the Super Lite is the lightest rifle on our list despite being significantly less expensive than the Kimber, Weatherby, or Springfield.
Howa achieves this weight, in part, by limiting their chamberings to short-action cartridges and cutting the barrel to 20 inches. This is a fine barrel length for a .308 Win., but it doesn’t squeeze all the velocity from a 6.5 Creedmoor. Still, the rifle can be found on the street for less than $1,000, so users perhaps shouldn’t expect the same level of engineering as some of the other rifles on this list. A slightly shorter barrel is also more convenient if you plan to use a suppressor.
Best of all, the gun is a tack driver. The Howa rifles I’ve owned have all been great shooters, and the Super Lite is no different.
Specifications
- Weight: 4.5 lbs.
- Barrel Length: 20 in.
- Overall Length: 39 in.
- Chamberings: 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 Win., .243 Win, 7MM-08 Rem.
- Price: $950
Best Value
Savage rifles are often put in the “best value” category–and with good reason. The company has made a name for itself by offering solid rifles at an affordable price, and the 110 Lightweight Storm is no different. Based on the company’s highly respected 110 action, the Lightweight Storm weighs only 5.6 pounds and measures just a hair over 40 inches. Those stats aren’t quite as good as the Howa Super Lite, but you’ll pay about $200 less for the Savage.
The stainless steel barrel will hold up against even the worst conditions, and both the trigger and stock can be adjusted to fit the shooter. The former can be adjusted down to about 2.5 pounds and the latter has a length-of-pull range between 12.75 and 13.75 inches.
All in all, the Savage 110 Lightweight Storm is an excellent option if you’re looking for a step above bargain-bin but don’t have the cheddar to step up to a more expensive weight class.
Specifications
- Weight: 5.6 lbs.
- Barrel Length: 20 in.
- Overall Length: 40.375
- Chamberings: .308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, .300 Win. Mag., .30-06, .270 Win.
- Price: $720
