New ultralight rifle

I do
I have a CA Ridgeline in 300 WSM. It's a very good rifle, but for the price, not quite great. It's a consistent 1 MOA rifle no matter what I put through it. I reload Hammer Hunters for it now and it's about .75 MOA at best with those. The accuracy is good enough, but I still think the rifle could be a little better for what it's supposed to be... "semi-custom" is just a meaningless marketing term so don't think you're getting anything near actual custom.

That being said, I love the rifle and it is still my go to rifle for all my elk hunts. It fits me very well and I have it topped with a Vortex HD LH 3-15X42. Ideal for anything from dark timber to extended ranges.

I have a CA Ridgeline in 300 WSM. It's a very good rifle, but for the price, not quite great. It's a consistent 1 MOA rifle no matter what I put through it. I reload Hammer Hunters for it now and it's about .75 MOA at best with those. The accuracy is good enough, but I still think the rifle could be a little better for what it's supposed to be... "semi-custom" is just a meaningless marketing term so don't think you're getting anything near actual custom.

That being said, I love the rifle and it is still my go to rifle for all my elk hunts. It fits me very well and I have it topped with a Vortex HD LH 3-15X42. Ideal for anything from dark timber to extended ranges.
I've honestly never heard of anyone refer to a Ridgeline as a semi-custom before.
 
I do



I've honestly never heard of anyone refer to a Ridgeline as a semi-custom

I do



I've honestly never heard of anyone refer to a Ridgeline as a semi-custom before.
I honestly remember it being referred to as a semi-custom somewhere before. Thought it was on the company website as a marketing term, but who knows... I probably picked the term up on another thread.
 
My three lightweights:
1) Tikka, 6.5 CM, Vortex scope, approximately 7.2 lbs
2) SAKO 85 finnlight, 30-06, Leupold scope ,7.3 lbs (most accurate factory rifle I've owned)
3) Forbes 24, 270, Leupold scope 6.8 lbs
 
Well, my "local" shop is showing the Weatherby Mark V Hunter as "coming soon".
Going today to see about ordering one in 280AI.

With rifle weighing 6.1lb, Crimson Trace Hardline weighing 18oz, i should be under 7.5lb complete.
Then off to see if i can fill one of the 2 deer tags i still have.
 
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Any particular reason you prefer a lightweight rifle? I don't. They kick more and don't point as well a heavier gun. I'm no Charles Atlas but I can still carry my WWII Sringfield 30-06 all day ... at age 69. Not sure exactly how much that war horse weighs but definitely not lightweight. I hunt pheasants all day, day after day, with a Browning A5 Magnum Twelve, probably the heaviest 12 gauge auto ever made. It is rarely slung on my shoulder (sling is in the game bag for walk out).

Unless you have a specific need for a lightweight rifle (e.g. dall sheep guide), I think you will likely be disappointed. Hard recoil, whippy, and noisy.
I initially had a similar opinion until I bought a couple lightweight rifles. If the rifle is properly designed I don't think you run into these problems. I have 2 kimber montana rifles. One in 6.5 creedmoor and the other in 30-06. Both weigh about 6.75 lbs with leupold vx5 2-10 in talley lightweight rings without sling both shoot .5-.75 inch groups.
 
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6lbs is a tough place to get to unless wanting to spend some big money. Either the Christensen or tikka is going to come in close to 7 if not a little over before optics
Love my Christensen Rifle going on now 7 years dropped it in a Sendero Stock and added a HS precision Detachable Mag on it
Sweet rifle now had it free floated and front lug bedded the stock added a little weight to it but she will shoot!
338 Win Mag
 
Well, i put money down and am on the wait list for the new Weatherby Mark V Hunter in 280AI.

The store had received one in 6.5 Creedmoor. (I know, big shocker, right??!!)
So i at least got to hold one & check it out.
Stock is gray, light & fit me ok. Nothing to really write home about. It did have a decent butt pad though.
The action has a spiral fluted bolt. Decently sized bolt knob.
I was surprised to see the safety is attached to the bolt!
Something i'm not used to.
Bolt throw was a little stiff. Will have to address that if mine is the same.
Rifle is advertized as having a threaded muzzle.
I was a little thrown off, as the protector for the threads matched perfectly with the barrel. I couldn't see the line between the protector & the barrel.

The Trigger Tech trigger is a thing of beauty!
Light, crisp with no creep!
And a super wide shoe, that was really comfortable!

The rifle wasn't as nice as the Mark V Backcountry they had there, but at $600 less, i'm good with it.
 
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Well, i put money down and am on the wait list for the new Weatherby Mark V Hunter in 280AI.

The store had received one in 6.5 Creedmoor. (I know, big shocker, right??!!)
So i at least got to hold one & check it out.
Stock is gray, light & fit me ok. Nothing to really write home about. It did have a decent butt pad though.
The action has a spiral fluted bolt. Decently sized bolt knob.
I was surprised to see the safety is attached to the bolt!
Something i'm not used to.
Bolt throw was a little stiff. Will have to address that if mine is the same.
Rifle is advertized as having a threaded muzzle.
I was a little thrown off, as the protector for the threads matched perfectly with the barrel. I couldn't see the line between the protector & the barrel.

The Trigger Tech trigger is a thing of beauty!
Light, crisp with no creep!
And a super wide shoe, that was really comfortable!

The rifle wasn't as nice as the Mark V Backcountry they had there, but at $600 less, i'm good with it.
That's a nice rifle. I am sure you will be very happy with it.
 
@FEENIX thats about where my Montana is with bipod - I think I'm at 7lbs 10 oz with rifle, scope and bipod.
but I had some customer work done to lighten mine up a little as well - semi custom build for a mountain rifle.
 
This has peaked my curiosity. Never weighed my old war horse. Always guessed it at 8 lbs. I don't have a kitchen scale but will see what shows with it and me on bathroom scale ... 9 lbs with full military length 24" barrel. Some would probably say that's heavy but fifty-seven years carrying it I never noticed. Prior to this fall it weighed a little less wearing original barrel that Dad cut off 3.5" shorter. I have a recently acquired 9-13" bipod but it's a flatland apparatus. Don't use it in the mountains. It will go back to Africa with me next summer for Barbary sheep, letchwe, and whatever else gets in the way.
20211206_122514.jpg
Sigh! I see I'll have to make another plaque for rifle hanger. The saddle scabbard I made forty years ago also is now too short. That's a heartbreaker. Oh well. Gun is no good if the barrel isn't reliable.
 
I like the light rifles, but I've run into balance issues depending on the scope and mount selection.

For example, my first rifle was a Remington Model 7. At 6.5lbs stock, not an ultralight by any means. But, I had Leupold 2 piece bases and a VXii 2-7 scope on it and it was handy enough for Eastern hunting, until I took a spill and lost zero on a hunt in the mountains.

I had a rail mount for 30mm tube so I added a Murphy precision rail and threw on a Minox ZE5i 1-5x which I thought would suit this for a durable yet portable quick shooting package for tracking deer.

It's much more awkward in hand now.

As you get lighter and lighter, I kind of feel like you have to match with proportional components...but most of the higher end scopes and even some mounts have a bit of weight to them.

As for what gun, looks like you're set. I like the NULA and Kimber selections, or build on custom action (like a defiance AnTi or something).
 

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