Premium Lightweight Hunting Build - Field Report

Ladies and Gentlemen: I've strayed into unchartered territory with this one. 99% of my bolt-action experience up until this has been in "sniper" style rifles and competition builds. Over the last year or so, I decided it was time to get in the hunting game, considering I was the only one in my group of friends who had never been hunting. I started with waterfowl, and the following season was deer. Initially, I was gifted a post-'64 Winchester Model 70 .308 Winchester by my father, but I wanted something I could customize for my body type. I decided to carry the ESS Sniper Build up into the tree stand. But at the end of the day, carrying a 15+ pound rifle around the woods was not ideal. That's where the concept for this project came about.

THE PREMIUM LIGHTWEIGHT HUNTING BUILD

Needless to say, the philosophy on this one was to get the lightest components possible without making ANY sacrifices in quality. The build was going to be based around the MDT HNT26 with an Arca rail. The next thing to hash out is the barreled action. The choice of the barrel was easy. Proof Research carbon-wrapped barrels are the golden standard for lightweight barrels. The action is where I was a little lost. This is my first go-around with lightweight actions, so I contacted my mentor, Bill Marr, at 782 Custom Gunworks to see what he had in his inventory. We ended up with a Lone Peak Arms Fuzion Ti action and a 20" .30 caliber 1:10" twist Proof barrel. Would you look at that, another .308; I love it.

308 RESOURCES FROM MDT

• Building a 308 Tikka Rifle
• Is the 308 Winchester Still Relevant?
• Building a Custom Remington 700 in .308 - PART 1 and PART 2
• Custom Remington 700 .308 Build - Load Development
• Texas Plinking - Oryx Chassis Howa 1500 Budget Build

LIGHTWEIGHT RIFLE HUNTING GLASS

The glass is where I ran into some indecisiveness. If you look at the optics I'm accustomed to, they are always 3-18x or 5-25x and heavy with a Christmas tree reticle. That's not going to work here. After weeks of research and deliberation, I decided on the Leupold VX-5HD 3-15x, which weighs less than 20 ounces and has a duplex reticle and side focus. The only issue is that I haven't shot MOA adjustments in about four years. That said, it's fine as long as the drop data is accurate. The scope is sitting in Leupold Mark 4 rings. They were not the lightest rings, but I had them on hand, so they got put to work. The other accessories used to round off the rifle are a Trigger Tech Primary set to 2 pounds, an MDT Elite Muzzle Brake, a Ckye-Pod lightweight bipod, and an MDT Poly/Metal Magazine.

THE BUILD

The build process was a familiar one. Every .308 I've chambered was a Remington 700 pattern. The only difference with this tenon is that there isn't a removable recoil lug. The other major difference is that it isn't a stainless barrel. While chucking it up and getting the bore concentric, you have to be careful not to damage the carbon wrap. Once the smithing was done, it was time to assemble and get it weighed for the moment of truth. Full Rifle with an unloaded magazine: just over 7.5 lbs. With bipod: just under 9 lbs.

PERFORMANCE

Now can it shoot? I came in with tempered expectations being that it's a hunting rifle. I decided most groups that are being shot are going to be in the 3-round variety. It's a hunting rifle; I hope I will never be put in a situation where I must take more than three shots. Since hunting is new to me, I will have to dive further into the rabbit hole before I am comfortable hand-loading and publishing results for this application.

All shooting done so far has been with factory ammo. I've tried a few different target loads, Winchester 168 grain BTHP and GGG 175 grain Sierra MatchKings, with solid results. I eventually landed on Berger 185 grain Classic Hunter ammunition with good 3-round group results, a precise factory offering that delivers a heavy punch.

NEXT STEPS

The next test I'd like to perform down the road is taking several cold bore shots to see how they group. After all, in this application, the cold bore shot is the only one that matters. I will also be taking this rifle on a wild boar hunt in two weeks as of the time of writing. Considering all the testing of this rifle has been on a controlled 100-yard range, I will be doing a follow-up "field report," so keep your eyes open for that. Thanks for reading; get out there and harvest some protein for the family.

COMPETITION AND HUNTING RESOURCES FROM MDT

• Mastering The Mental Game Of PRS: An Easy Way To Achieve A Higher Score
• Modern Hunting Rifles With Scott Satterlee
• A Shooter's Checklist - Delivering The Perfect Shot
• Beginners Gear Guide for Precision Rifle Competition
• Expert Gear Guide for Precision Rifle Competition
• How Professional Shooter Allison Zane Sets Up Her Rifle
• Dry Fire Drills With Pro Shooter Allison Zane
• Tips For A Successful Antelope Hunt
• Analysis: Long-Range Hunting
• MDT Field Report - Why The Triple Pull CKYE-POD is a Guides Best Friend
• Hunting In Inclement Weather
• Hunting With The MDT XRS Chassis System
• Maximize Performance with Mental Imagery
• The Rifle Keith Built

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

William Maxwell served in the United States Army. After returning from his first deployment in 2015, he started building firearms and focused heavily on pistol and carbine training. In 2018 he fell into the rabbit hole of precision rifle shooting. He spends his free time competing, reloading, editing digital content, and writing. He can be reached via Instagram @maddmaxxguns.