Lightest rifle

[Kurtr]

Mine is just shy of 13 pounds. Drug that mother fer up and down the mountains of Idaho. I don’t t shoot light guns well.

 

[Wall-eyes]

Sub 5# without scope, not with. Not even with a Leupold Ultralight 2-7 or fixed 4x will that come in under 5#.

They're fantastic rifles, honestly probably won't ever be equalled in a package that an "average income" person can save for and afford. Of the 3 Non-Melvin "copies/iterations" that have been on the market, Barrett did the best job. We'll have to see how the 4th Gen Wilson does but I don't like the addition of a hinged floor-plate nor their current choice of twist rates.

Been along time since Dad and I weighted it, had many guns and dad whole lot more. I would say closer to 5.2 or 5.3 lbs

 

[SDMF]

Been along time since Dad and I weighted it, had many guns and dad whole lot more. I would say closer to 5.2 or 5.3 lbs

What scope is mounted on it? Last NULA 22” #1 taper 270Win W/14Oz scope mounted I had in my scale was about 1Oz heavier than my Kimber Montana 7-08.

 

[SLE]

Doing some sleuthing I found two separate blurbs on Melvin Forbes NULA 0.28 and found both of these in different locations. Looks like a 6lb gun with scope ready to shoot, so very light none the less.

"It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that an innovative West Virginia gunmaker, Melvin Forbes, recognized the potential of the .284 case while designing his short-action, 4¾-pound Ultra Light Arms M20. This was the first high-tech, ultralight, durable, yet deadly accurate mountain rifle. In it the .284 Winchester reached its potential."

"Long story short, this rifle was an original ULA arms chambered in a 7 mm. I bought it at an estate sale from the original owner. I sent it back to Melvin and he had a picture of the gun on his screen saver with the original owner. The original owner had several NULA's and had know Melvin well enough to have him customize his serial numbers. Anyway, Melvin took it, turned it into a repeater, chambered it into a 284 win mag, gave it the classic NULA paint job, and put a stainless barrel on it. He told me I wouldn't live long enough to shoot out a stainless barrel (probably right). I had a custom load worked up for it with Nosler brass. Gun comes with 45 rounds, a 55 once fired Nosler brass, 284 dies, and a Leopold vx3 4.5 x 14 x 40 bought new for the rifle. I need to verify scope and all the extras. I think I have a bunch (like a hundred or 200) of unfired Nosler 284 win mag brass as well. Used on one hunt for 7 days in CO. 55 rounds down the tube. Patterns like all of Melvins rifles - dead on. Weight is a hair under 6lbs with scope! Asking $4k"

 

[SLE]

...............My most effective light weight hunting rifle is a Fierce Firearms Carbon CT with a 24" barrel in a 6.5 PRC topped with a Night-force NX8 4-32x50, muzzle break, carbon fiber 13"-30" Caldwell bi-pod and sling. I gotta check total weight again, but I believe it was around 10lbs ready to hunt.......................

I checked my Fierce last night and with the 30" Cladwell Bi-Pod attached it was 10lbs 2oz, without the bipod it tipped the scale a 9lbs 6oz. I could probably squeak it down under 9-lbs if I removed the sling, bipod, scope covers, sunshade and muzzle break but is it actually a long range hunting rifle at that point, I suppose but not many would be able to shoot it to its capability at-least without carrying some kind of a rest with you in the field.

When I ordered and started this build/purchase, my goal was to be under 10lbs with a moderate recoil gun that would accurately shoot "factory" rounds to 1,000 yards while retaining 1,000 ft-lbs of energy (arguably the energy needed for deer size game). It has absolutely met my expectations.

 

[Big Iron]

Mine is just shy of 13 pounds. Drug that mother fer up and down the mountains of Idaho. I don’t t shoot light guns well.

Amen brother.

 

[Wall-eyes]

My rifle is 20 model built be Melvin it is an early built one has number on it don't remember, they are lighter than models built by Colt and then Wilson now and know they make 24 and 28 series I think now.

 

[SDMF]

My rifle is 20 model built be Melvin it is an early built one has number on it don't remember, they are lighter than models built by Colt and then Wilson now and know they make 24 and 28 series I think now.

270Win would be a 24. The 24 is for “standard” or non-Magnum long action cartridges. 270/30-06 etc. 20 is the short action .473” bolt-face, 22-250/Creed/308/284 families, and 20S is the short action for .378” bolt face (223 family). 28’s are 3.34” mag-box belted mags (7 mag, 300Win, etc). Colts were all “28’s” give or take. No short action colts but they did have standard (non-mag) and belted mag chamberings all on the same basic action.

 

[Wall-eyes]

270Win would be a 24. The 24 is for “standard” or non-Magnum long action cartridges. 270/30-06 etc. 20 is the short action .473” bolt-face, 22-250/Creed/308/284 families, and 20S is the short action for .378” bolt face (223 family). 28’s are 3.34” mag-box belted mags (7 mag, 300Win, etc). Colts were all “28’s” give or take. No short action colts but they did have standard (non-mag) and belted mag chamberings all on the same basic action.

Looked when I got home mine was 284 win number 672 built, I run 3x9 Leupold was like 1 or 2 oz heavier than 2x7 Leupold I thought. I have one of them too on my 270. To many guns and shitty heath brain don't work right most days. I will have to weight it sometime. I bet my Kimber might be just Tish lighter. Later around 2006 after Melvin bought business back i think around 2000 or so I had him build me 7mm mag. that one weights is around 7.5 to 7.75 lbs I believe. shot over 5,000 rounds easy and a lot of big game, if that gun could talk what fun. My dad and his group of hunters where good friends with him very nice man for sure.

 

[espringers]

i've got a 308 i bought from some dude on this site a few years back. with scope, pods and a can on it, it has got to be about as heavy as a 308 could possibly be.

 

[Wall-eyes]

i've got a 308 i bought from some dude on this site a few years back. with scope, pods and a can on it, it has got to be about as heavy as a 308 could possibly be.

scope pods and can add about 4 to 5lbs depends off course. I carry outdoor tripod carbon fiber, I use to do pods on few guns kinda like kinda dont, number after model 20 is number of gun built.

 

[5575]

Awesome rifles if you can find them.
Mountain rifles Inc by Dana Campbell Palmer Alaska, 30 years ago. 4 1/4 lbs in a 30-378. His brake tamed recoil down to that of a .270

 

[SDMF]

scope pods and can add about 4 to 5lbs depends off course. I carry outdoor tripod carbon fiber, I use to do pods on few guns kinda like kinda dont, number after model 20 is number of gun built.

I believe ULA sn’s were sequential. Post-Colt NULA has the yr a dash then the number of the gun being built for that yr. So, the 100th gun built in 2022 would be 22-100. Iirc you could also choose a specialty SN if you wishes as well.