I was never a fan of lightweight rifles, and until I started sheep hunting a few years ago, I didn't see how any true rifleman could be. To me, the pound or two a light rifle saved wasn't worth losing the stable, muzzle-heavy feel of a real rifle. Now, thanks to advances in technology--stocks and metallurgy--and some good old-fashioned ingenuity on the part of the gun industry, I don't have to choose between light weight and that "real rifle" feel.

In the high country, every ounce counts. Here, the author takes a breather on a bighorn sheep hunt in British Columbia. The rifle is his lightweight .300 WSM from Hill Country Rifles.

The first lightweight rifles were virtually identical to their standard-weight brethren, with the exception of their pencil-thin barrels. Those thin barrels certainly helped those rifles shed a pound or two, but they moved the balance point way back, resulting in rifles that didn't point naturally and were difficult to hold steady. That lack of balance was exaggerated by heaving chests and nerves--two things that always seem to be abundant at the moment of truth.

Later, some custom makers began skeletonizing standard rifle bolts and actions to save weight. The combination of lightweight, synthetic stocks and thin barrels made these rifles balance a bit better, but they had their share of faults. In the field, they were still more difficult to hold steady than sporter-weight rifles. They also kicked like mules. Most got around that with muzzle breaks, but that was at the cost of grumpy hunting guides who weren't too thrilled by having their ears blown out because their clients couldn't handle recoil.

My biggest beef with such rifles has to do with safety. I cannot see the wisdom of removing steel from an already-heat-treated pressure vessel designed to contain an explosion next to my face. I am not aware of any safety issues with such modifications, but those holes in the action are unsettling to me.

It wasn't until some better options came along that I willingly gave up my sporter-weight rifles.

The Custom Route
My first lightweight rifle was a custom .260 Remington built on a Model 70 action by the guys at Hill Country Rifles. The M70 action is no flyweight, but Hill Country shaved weight by using good components like a McMillan synthetic stock with the new lightweight Hunter's Edge fill. They also used Talley's ultralight mounts and a quality No. 2-contour barrel. Although the barrel is a bit thinner than I like, it still has a slight muzzle-heavy feel, despite weighing just 7.75 pounds with a Swarovski 3-9X riflescope and a sling attached.

Despite its light weight, that little rifle pounds those 6.5mm 140-grain pills into sub-half-inch groups with astounding regularity. And thanks to a good, straight-line stock design and quality recoil pad, it doesn't kick a bit. I was so pleased with it, I ordered an identical rifle in .300 WSM last year.

A European Solution
My Hill Country rifles are great, but they aren't as light as I would like in some situations. In preparation for a mountain goat hunt in B.C., I happened upon the little Blaser K-95. This sleek .270 single-shot has a 23.6-inch barrel yet weighs only 5.3 pounds. It has gorgeous wood, balances beautifully, and shoots like a house afire. Its faults are few--it's almost too pretty to tote up the mountains, and it kicks a ton. In fact, I didn't even think the .270 Win. kicked at all until I shot that little Blaser.

Still, that dainty rifle is a joy to carry. The fact that it is one of the most accurate rifles I've ever owned also inspires a great deal of confidence. Truth be told, I was not expecting sub-quarter-inch accuracy from a break-action single-shot, but I am not about to throw it away either. Still, I am not that adept at reloading it quickly, and it really is almost too pretty to hunt with, so I kept looking for other options.