Hunting rifles are often heavier than other guns, making them difficult to carry around for long periods. The weight can also be uncomfortable when carrying the Rifle for extended periods.
Some people have figured out how heavy their hunting rifle through a process called “lightening” or “de-weighting” the custom stock. In this case, they removed any metal parts (including screws) from the rear end of the gun and removed lead weights from inside it with an air compressor. A hunting rifle is equipped with a barrel, synthetic stock, and muzzle brake. It has a scope mounted on top of its folding metal carrying handle. The trigger is adjustable for the length of pull (LOP).
Ten Best Ways To Lighten A Hunting Rifle
- Remove Handguard: The problem with the most significant, powerful hunting guns like AK-45 is that they have handguards made of metal. The metal handguards are uncomfortable to carry because they add weight to the gun. The barrel will also be much hotter due to the heat generated by the metal surrounding it.
- Remove Current Stock: Other hunters have taken the opportunity to remove their hunting rifle’s wood stock, completely emptying it of its weight. Weight is reduced by this process, resulting in a much lighter gun.
- Remove Trigger Group: Some hunters have successfully removed the metal trigger group from their guns and replaced it with a more lightweight unit. They can then lighten their Rifle without losing any features that make it comfortable to fire over long periods. Such features include adjustable trigger and magazine release latches quickly on the shooter’s finger when holding the gun for long periods.
- Remove Screws: The screws used to mount the metal handguard to the gun’s receiver are often very heavy with being attached. As a result, hunters often remove these screws and replace them with lightweight titanium screws designed to be slightly shorter and cannot be easily removed by pulling them out.
- Remove Sound Suppressors: It is possible to add hearing protection while hunting. Using mini mufflers, hunters can reduce the noise made by their guns when firing on the game over long periods without hurting the accuracy of their shots. But this makes shooting sounds more like whistling, which is not as effective as having a scope loaded with lead pellets, so noise control is essential for hunters who hunt game over long periods.
- Remove Takedown Screws: Another idea for lightening the Rifle is to remove the takedown screws. Takedown screws are used to separate the gun into two halves for ease of carrying the gun around and putting it back together again. Removing these screws lightens the gun by making it a single-piece unit with no folding segments. However, the latter makes it much harder to clean and maintain because you have to take apart the gun entirely to reach any part of it.
- Remove Scope Mounting Screws: Using lightweight metal scope rings and lenses instead of heavier alloys or glass lenses can lead to lighter scopes mounted on top of metal carrying handles or other metal parts.
- Remove Barrel: Hunters have successfully removed their gun’s barrel from the custom stock. They have also removed the wood stock from the barrel, making it less heavy and more comfortable to carry around for long periods.
- Remove Trigger Guard: Trigger guards are metal rings that sit below the front part of the trigger, designed to be pulled with your finger while you hold the firearm. It can be seen as an unnecessary part of a hunting rifle, and its removal lightens the gun.
- Remove Magazine Housing:
- By removing the magazine housing from inside the gun, hunters can make their gun lighter without removing any other parts. In addition, removing the magazine housing makes it easier to carry and keeps unnecessary metal parts away from your skin when carrying it around for long periods.
Hunting Rifle Firearm Maintenance Tips
Just as with any other firearm, your hunting rifle and sniper rifle needs to be correctly maintained to work correctly. If you wish to make significant modifications to your Rifle, such as taking weight off or changing parts, consider this. Using the proper tools and cleaning equipment is critical to keeping your gun in working order, but some simple maintenance tips can save you from having to purchase new parts or tools down the road.
- Clean After Each Use
- Always Clean The Bore And Ensure They Are Clear
- Always Make Sure The Parts Are in Good Condition
- Always Maintain Your Gun In a Safe Way
- Be Careful About Weather Conditions
- Maintain Test Fireable Guns And Replace Old Ones With New Ones
- Maintain Your Gun By Doing Regular Maintenance and Fixing Problems
- Follow The Maintenance Schedule That You Set For Your Gun
- Keep Your Self-Defense Gun Working In Good Condition
How Lightening a Hunting Rifle Can Save You Money
It is essential to always think of your Rifle as an investment. Getting a hunting rifle can be costly, as you will have to buy many parts and components and buy much large-caliber ammunition. However, even minor modifications like lightening the furniture with titanium and graphite can do wonders for the overall feel of your gun and allow you to keep hunting for longer without breaking your arms or shoulders.
These Five Parts Will Help You Lighten An AR-15
Lighten the Trigger
There are many ways to lighten your trigger, but most of them involve replacing the stock assembly with a lighter one made of plastic or carbon fiber. With this mod, you can expect to lose about 0.45 pounds from your Rifle, which may not seem like much. However, when you add up to hundreds of shooting rounds, it will help you avoid becoming fatigued.
Change the Barrel
Changing to a lighter AR-15 barrel is simple and will help you to drop a little bit of weight off your Rifle, but it will also improve performance in a big way. A lighter barrel means less weight on the gun, which means less strain on your shoulder and hand when holding it for long periods of shooting in harsh conditions.
Add a Streamlined Handguard
The handguard on your Rifle is the part that covers the barrel and serves as a mounting point for accessories like flashlights, sights, and grips. It can also be a significant source of weight on your gun, so you want to keep things simple when looking for a lighter handguard. In addition, the fewer parts that are bolted to it, the less weight will be hanging off your Rifle.
Add Streamlined Sights
Sights are another part of a gun that can end up adding extra weight to it. If you’re hunting at short distances with an AR-15 in .223-Calibre Rifle or 5.56 caliber, you can usually get away with an old-fashioned iron sight (the kind that you’ve seen on every gun, ever since the invention of guns). These are less expensive than any other type of sight, and they weigh a lot less. Plus, an old-fashioned iron sight is incredibly durable — they’re practically indestructible.
Add a Lightweight Magazine
The heavy AR 15 magazine is another part of the Rifle that can reduce the overall weight without sacrificing durability. By having a lightweight magazine, you’ll be able to carry more rounds in your Rifle and won’t need to worry as much about breaking it in the middle of a hunting trip. It’s especially true if you use hollowpoints, which can cause a lot of damage if they go off inside your gun.
Types Of Hunting Rifle
There are four significant types of hunting rifles used today.
Lever Action Rifle
This Rifle has a lever on the right side of the receiver that, when pulled back and rotated down, ejects and loads cartridges into the chamber. The single-shot Rifle is one of the most powerful options available to hunters, and it is available in calibers ranging from .22LR to .45-70 Government.
Bolt Action Rifles
These guns are considered more accurate than lever-action rifles because they have fewer moving parts involved with loading rounds or firing them. As a result, bolt-action rifles make a better choice for target shooting and whitetail deer hunting. The downside to a bolt handle is harder to handle when firing. They are used in calibers ranging from .25-06 to .50-70 Gov’t.
Semi-automatic Rifles
The shooter must manually pull the rifle trigger to fire semi-automatic rifles each time he wants a round fired. Despite its increased accuracy over machine guns, most hunters will use this Rifle for hunting and target practice. Semi-automatic rifles are most commonly found in calibers ranging from .22 Long Rifle up to .308 Winchester rounds.
Autoloading Rifle
The fourth and most common type of hunting rifle is the autoloading Rifle. Also called a semi-automatic rifle. One round is fired every time the trigger jobs are pulled on this type of gun. Keep in mind that autoloaders must be fully loaded to be used, as the action will not accept an empty chamber.
Types Of Lightweight Barrels
- Stainless Steel Barrel
- Carbon Steel Barrel
- Chrome-moly Barrel
- Chrome-lined Barrel
- Titanium Barrel
- Fiberglass Barrel
- Aluminum Barrel
- Stainless Steel/Teflon Coated Barrel
- Stainless Steel Fluted Barrel
- Stainless Steel/Carbon Fiber Coated Barrel
Types Of Barrel Fluted
Fluted Spiral Barrel:
Fluting removes metal from the barrel, making it lighter without sacrificing its strength. It’s also a better choice than other types of barrels when you want to get rid of scratches and dents.
Conical Fluted Barrel:
Conical fluting is another type of barrel that causes the barrels to flare outwards, increasing their weight and decreasing their length. It is a beautiful choice for semi-automatic rifles that are used for hunting.
Summary
Hunting rifle “lightening” or “de-weighting” may be a relatively simple task to complete. Still, the lighter parts you use mustn’t compromise the durability or safety of your Rifle. AR-15s come with so many options that you may find it hard to find what you want. Take a look at new lightweight hunting rifles’ options to help you be the best hunter and shooter.
If you want to shoot with authority and accuracy, we recommend that hunters learn about the .260 Remington, which is ideal for medium-size hunting games at short distances. Also, remember that the higher the bullet’s velocity, the slower it will be when it enters an animal. Therefore, proper bullet expansion plays a vital role in minimizing animal cruelty.