Kimber Mountain Ascent 84M



Well under 6lbs scoped.

I think sometimes, the gizmos on a AR get in the way in a real walking/hunting situation. I have walked with my AR and sometimes brush gets caught on the guard, mag, sharp edges, or whatever. And that 20 round mag. Tends to get in the way, (in different blinds) , usually hitting the bottom of the window or rest. But, I've killed a lot of pigs with it. I'd go with any light bolt.

I admit that a few AR makers are starting to look at ways to lighten up their product. I recently bought a DPMS Light Hunter .243L. It weighs 7.9 lbs according to the website info. With a 3x9 scope and a small 10-round magazine, mine weighs just under 10 pounds. The big magazines will add more weight.

My AR in 7.62x39 weighs about the same. My Bushmaster in .223 weighs at least a pound more. Each of my ARs weighs at least 2 pounds more than the equivalent bolt gun in the same caliber.

So the AR boys are making progress in turning out a light, handy outfit, but they've still got a LONG way to go.

Remington 750 Carbine in 308, small, easy to carry, accurate, and plenty of umph.

Last spring I bought a Thompson Center Venture WeatherShield 308 in the 22" rifle version that weighed 6 3/4lbs during a Rebate Sale to use as a Hog & Swamp Beater....and traded it off before I ever got to shoot it. There are allllmost NO Sacred Cows in guns at my house.

The WeatherShield is a SS looking coating that is s'posed to be bunches better than SS in preventing corrosion & a black Nitride coating on the bolt that is designed to "slick up" the bolt, and is being discussed here on THF or elsewhere on something I just read in the last couple days.

TC Ventures are made in the USA by Smith & Wesson...have a Lifetime Warranty to the original owner...are guaranteed to 1" MOA... have floated barrels and are aluminum pillar bedded....5R rifleing like Remmy , PacNor and some others....have an externally adjustable trigger....grooved non slippery touch pads in a Houge Stock unlike the Remmy SPS's tupperware stock (& Boyd's makes aftermarket stocks for them) that is shaped to use off bags or a Bipod with a semi flat forearm unlike the Ruger American's egg shaped round forearm that is to accomodate the non floated barrel's V shaped aluminum bedding Inserts .... and generally sell at the same or less than a Ruger American, especially when there is a Rebate on them.

TC Ventures also come in a Carbine styled 20" barreled adjustable stock version at slightly less $'s than the Rifle length guns, in 223, 22-250 & 3 of the 5 308 Family of calibers. The addition of the recent 223 chambering is confusing the issue for me a little & access to cheap Ch*% factory $5 a box ammo, as I had bought a 308 last time and planned on reloading used MilSurp brass to not be too concerned with recovering my brass & with less than max MV loads for shots at 25/50 out to 200 yards at most....

Based on the guys I've talked to around the 'Net, I am waiting to see if there is going to be another Rebate this year, but will for certain buy another Venture of some sort this year & most likely in a WeatherShield coating again....to use for the same stated purpose of a Hog & Swamp Critter Getter that can be taken to the carwash to get the mud off of it & double as a Jonboat Paddle if necessary.
Ron

Again you state you opinion as fact. And those that don't agree are wrong. I never recommended an AR for a light weight rifle, but I will not tell someone that prefers them thaylt they are wrong, Ford, Chevy, Dodge. My AR has been collecting dust for years, but of late I see a mission for it. I also know I need to educate myself on some of the details of the platform. Therefore I will pay attention to these men that have more experience than me with the platform instead of arguing with them.

If half the hunters are recommending them then maybe they are good rifles afterall.

No, long range is not the answer for everything. But when questions arise (daily) some of us know what we're talking about and have solid answers to give, helping those that want to know. That is, by the way what this forum is for.

FiremanJG I'm not mad at anyone. And I don't state my opinions as fact. I do provide facts in support of my opinions.

I know you know your stuff in the shooting area. I know you are an excellent marksman. You remind us often. But you don't know everything. I have read your responses to a bunch of hunting questions on this forum for quite a while. Each and every one is through the narrow lens of a long-range shooter who spends most of his time on the bench. Ranges of 500-1000 yards+ are routinely incorporated into your responses to basic hunting situations. This has no practical appication in the vast majority of situations.

Same with ARs. They were not designed for hunting. Their basic design has not changed. They are not good rifles for the majority of hunting applications. There are many reasons for this based on their design.

And, yes, I can be stubborn in support of my opinions. This stubbornness is borne out of trying to give sound responses to questions asked based on 40+ years of hunting experience.

The AR and benchrest crowd can be stubborn to. This is borne of their fondness for their specialties/specialized equipment. I get it. But IMO this leads to a stream of responses trying to constantly shoehorn their specialties as an answer to every hunting application. But square pegs do not fit in round holes.

I am a fan of bolt guns first and foremost, mainly because of their accuracy. However, I think for a "walking around gun" something with a higher round capacity is nice to have. Who's to say you may not encounter numerous targets and of varying species. Maybe during your walk you encounter a coyote, or a rabbit, or a sounder of pigs, maybe even that late in the year monster buck. Heck, you maybe even encounter all of these during the same morning. No, you don't have to go all gadget queer and add everything possible to your AR. Keep it simple, my next AR is going to be geared towards speed, a smooth full length rail covering a slim profile 16 inch barrel tipped with a 1-6 scope and a sling. Will I use a 30 round may? Maybe, I e learned to use them as a bipod and as a barrier stop. I think if you opened up your mind to the possibilities of different rifles and learned the intricities of each, then you will change your opinion on what gun to carry and when. If I'm stand hunting I'm going to have my bolt gun, although my dad primarily hunts with an AR no matter what.

For what the OP is looking for, I can't think of a better platform.

Lots of good info and opinions here, I had an ar15 for while and never really warmed up to it for some reason. Nothing bad to say about it, but just like my bolt and lever actions more I guess. Depending on the price point of the new howa mini bolts I may have to try one out. Short, light, 10rd capacity all draw my attention. May even have the barrel cut and recrowned at 18in....

Clearly you are fabricating you own version of reality. I shoot from a bench for three days a year shooting prairie dogs. After that I NEVER shoot from a bench. My experience and my business is based on a guy that started predator hunting, wanted to be able to hit a coyote farther, educated myself, shot matches to learn more, rotate all that learning back into hunting. I do not need a bench to grt things done. And I was happy to kill a mule deer buck at 50 yards in December, even though I was prepared for much farther. And I had a good time testing my concealment, as a hunter, in January getting whitetail does within 20 yards of me without them bustig me, even though I haf no intention of harvesting them. And that was the day after I head shot two does in ten minutes the day before.

You seem to think I am only a shooter and not a hunter. Again, you have blinders on and only see what you want to see. I am a hunter that shoots more than you, and am more prepared, and apparently that rubs you wrong. Many times a month you seem to want to call me out for reasons I can't figure out.

Can't argue with that setup.....nice.

JG your background in shooting and hunting is pretty known to all-because you are not shy about informing us.

Your focus on shooting and the equipment you favor is also apparent based on your responses-which overwhelmingly incorporate assumptions from a shooting at range point of view. (stated ranges most often in excess of 500 yards on way past 1000, focus on long-range rifles/optics, BC of bullets being a primary concern, toting a heavy long range rig on an elk hunt, watching a meadow 750 yards away for a possible shot opportunity, etc.,etc., etc.)

So I don't have to assume much.

Back to the topic: Forget me. Observe professionals and hunters all over the globe in situations where "walking around" is part and parcel of the hunt (the west, Alaska, Africa, etc.) Those folks either 1)depend on their rifles for a living or 2)depend on them to give them the best opportunity possible to put the game they seek on the ground. They can and will use the best equipment possible to accomplish their tasks.

They don't use ARs.

NP, are you saying people can't knock deer flat at 500 yards-oh that was another post.

mine is a Remington 700 .30-06 w/ 4.5 x 14 Burris, never thought about how much it weighs. IMHO the lighter the gun, the more felt recoil. have an H & R handy rifle "youth model" in .243. that thing will jump out of your hands.

when I was a kid, dads marlin .30-30 was the shizzel!! probably still a good choice for your application, good round capacity, quick handling and cycles faster than a bolt gun.

Have no experience with an AR, don't own one, never shot one.

I stumbled across 3 does this past season driving to and from my blind. After the third time, I seriously started thinking about something like this. I like the idea of the 357 with a low powered, fixed or even a red dot scope for the situations where I run into a deer or hog as I'm walking around. The downside is that the 1894 in 357 is next to impossible to find. I know I could pick up one in a 44 pretty easily; but I like the low recoil aspect of the 357/38 setup. I think my kids would also love shooting it at the range. It's bigger than a 22, but with 38's, the recoil should be negligible for them.

Here again you have not paid attention. It is a rare occasion to kill anything at long range. Train at long range to improve skills so medium and short range are not as difficult.

In case you havn't noticed guys post questions everyday. And again some of us can answer them better than others. If it bothers you that you don't have the knowledge needed and some of us do, well that's your own internal deamon.

How many PMs do you get a week with rifle, optic, ammo, loading, parts, shooting questions? My bet is not many to zero. And my bet the reason why I get them daily is because guys are avoiding the BS banter from guys like you that don't know what the F they are talking about yet want to throw in and pass judgement on why the questions was even asked as well as chastize some of the answers. That's also the reason I am always happy to help anyone that comes to me and its not for any personal gain of my own.

So back to the original reason you got all wound up. If a guy provides a proven weight of an AR that could be defined as light weight, let him be. If he wants to use it this is America and he can do as he pleases. And there are some hunting situations that thw AR is exactly the most appropriate tool for the job. I almost never shoot mine, but there is a situation brewing half a mile north of my land with a sounder of hogs where the AR is goung to be perfect to hunt them down in the woods they are living in.

There are also hunters all over the globe that cant own an AR, and there are hunters all over this country that use it as their primary rifle. I am not one of them, but they have their reasons and I respect that.

I had mine built by the late Harold Broughton. I don't know what it weighs but it is one handy walk around calling gun. Remington 700 action, Timney trigger, McMillan stock and 22" Broughton barrel .223 and topped with Burris 3.5-10x50.

Recoil is about like a 223 with 357 loads and very little with the 38s. They are kinda hard to find and have gotten expensive but they do show up here and other places for sale from time. I have owned 3 over the years and finally found one I really like. Limited production run of 250 of this one. It has a 2X7 Leupold scope on it. Inside 125 yards I am as comfortable with it as any gun I have ever hunted deer and hogs with and it sure is handy

Pic of the pig is a bit bloody but a 180gr partition quartering away shot, the exit through the off side shoulder was even worse.

One of the days you boys are gunna have to meet at a boat ramp at dawn and settle things.

My walking rifle, kimber montana .243 cut to 18.5". Zeiss conquest 4.5-14x50 in talley mounts, sling, yhm titanium suppressor and four rounds weighing in at a nice 7.8 lbs! She shoots federal fusion into nice little groups.

I prefer an iron sighted levergun for a walking around gun. If I think I will be shooting out of my effective range for the levergun, I pack my short barrel sporterized mauser with a 4x12 leupold.

Back in WV, I use to do a lot of walking/hunting. I wanted my rifle to have a short barrel and not have a big scope to catch on all the branches, briars, and vines that cover the thick woods of West Virginia. When you got in the real thick country, I hunted deer like rabbits, basically flushing them from the thickets. Being able to throw up that lever gun and get a quick bead on the deer was beneficial. I never took pop shots at deer, but if they do stop or sneak up on them around the bend, they seldom give you more than a second or two before they bolt off again.

That is actually why I went to traditional bow hunting. I remember the side mounted quivers, fiber optic sights, cams, peep sight rubber tube catching on absolutely everything stalking through those thickets. When I was 16, i bought a 100$ fancy bow sight, and before season was over, I had broken all the fiber optics except one. I began stripping off everything from compound, stuffed my arrows in my belt, and eventually the got rid of the sight. Once I was bare bow, I wanted to get rid of that release as well, and swapped over to recurve and just wore a 3 finger glove.

I originally bought my M4 to use as a hunting rifle, but I have relegated it to a range gun.

A Browning BLR with a holographic optical sight makes a good light stalking gun. - Maybe in .308 or .358 Winchester.

I know a guy who swears by his BLR in .450 Marlin. Dunno what kind of scope he uses.

Quieter than a 22-250 with a 16" barrel. Walking around in the woods all day with earplugs or spending a day in August with hearing muffs on my head is not my idea of a walking around rifle. JMO but the OP asked about a walking around rifle. And a 45acp is quieter than a 357 mag.