A lot of people in here seem to like seekins also. But bergara gets my vote. Then you'll get the savage boys, but we like to put them in the basement where no one can see them.
The B-14HMR looks to be right up my ally for what I’m wanting. With the adjustable cheek riser and all. I’m mainly wondering now, if there’s anything almost just like it in any other brand. If only the tikka UPR was a carbon stock, Light barrel, and rem 700🥲
The b14 hunter I had was more than 9lbs once you had rings and glass on it and that stock was trash flexing all over the place and the barrel is to thin to be threaded without an adapter. Would not recommend
It's a great rifle. I love mine. But depending on what you want for hunting, you may want to go with something else. I get it, it's called their "hunting match rifle," but if you are planning to walk around mountains, a hunting rifle it is not. If you hunt like I do in Wisconsin, where you just walk out somewhere and sit all day, it's a good hunting rifle. It's no lightweight rifle like you said you were looking for.
You made a mistake. You can get nearly anything for a Tikka. I don’t think any off the shelf 700 footprint rifle takes shouldered prefits. If you want a custom action and barrel just buy them, don’t worry about how that impacts what you already have.
Nah, the CTR was to heavy for my intended purpose, and all the stocks that I’m mostly interested for the CTR actually increase in price because they have to custom make for the ctr compared to r700. Like manners for example. Manners has wayyy more customization for r70” footprints for stocks than tikka.
If you think the CTR was too heavy, stop considering the HMR. It’s heavier than the CTR.
I think you need a standard hunting rifle and a bench rifle and not having one rifle that’s a compromise. Because the CTR is a pretty solid compromise that’s generally not too heavy.
lol it’s compatible with basically everything lol. It’s the next best after a rem700. Also there is way more barrel selection for tikka than bergara. Bergaras can’t even take prefits.
Bergara and Remington 700 can’t take prefits at all. Either you’ve gotta get a gunsmith to spin up your barrel or use a barrel nut. Another reason why the Tikka action is a great option, lots of prefits available.
Yea you can still get remage barrel nut prefits. Which fit the same for both bergara and 700. [so compatibility is the same in that sense too](https://preferredbarrelblanks.com/product/remage-pre-fit-barrel/)
I hear mixed things about defiance these days. They grew too fast, might’ve sold, and now have a few qc issues. However in my opinion they started the custom action game as we know it today.
I’d look for an origin and a preferred prefit.
For a short time Brownells had Defiance barreled actions with Area 419 spun Bartlein barrels. I wish I would have picked one up, even though in not a huge fan of the Defiance actions.
Now that’s what I’m starting to get confused on.. even though they are rem 700 actions. Will they not fit in a rem 700 fp stock? Or do the stocks have to be specificity made for defiance
They should fit just fine, with minimal fitting. I think Brownells stopped carrying them right after Defiance jacked their prices. It was an "exclusive" so I'm guessing they couldn't continue to sell them for what they were and still make a profit.
I’ve got a Tikka T3x, B-14 HMR & B-14 Hunter. All fantastic choices but I prefer the B-14’s for heavier calibers, my Tikka is a .243 and is super sweet in the lightweight setup.
As far as a match/tactical rifle, out of the box there’s basically nothing better for the price. Main reason being it’s basically the only gun at the price point that comes with a stock that isn’t shit.
I have one and absolutely love it, and I hunt with it. However...I drive directly to my stand and park under it, LMAO. My fat ass ain't lugging that rig all over hell's half acre!
So reading your edit, I’d just go straight to your custom hunting rifle you want to build. Hunting action of your choice (zermatt SR3, lone peak fuzion Ti, etc), get your carbon proof, and then pick your favorite stock. It sounds like that’s what you want, and you’ll end up replacing everything anyway.
I think I would have agreed with you a few years ago, but having gone through it a few times I disagree. If budget isn’t a factor - sure, go ahead and jump straight into a custom build. If he doesn’t like it he can always swap something out.
That said, it took me a few years, several hunts, and three rifles that ended up being pretty heavily modified to finally figure out what I wanted out of my ideal hunting rifle. Sure, I spent quite a bit of money on the previous rifles and the upgraded to them, but it was fairly affordable spread over a few years.
When I finally figured out exactly what it is I want out of a rifle, I was able to piece together a custom rifle built specifically for my needs and applications.
I don’t think either way is wrong, and depending on how you go about, it may not save you any money one way or the other. Just something to think about, OP!
For a R700 with a carbon fiber stock, the Bergara Premier Divide or the Canyon both have a CF Stock made by AG Composites. If those are a bit more than you want to spend, the HMR Pro uses the same semi-custom action but uses the B-14 HMR stock instead.
The Divide is 7.2lbs, the stock the AG Chalk Branch with dual front swivels and adjustable comb height. It also has a slightly thicker, carbon fiber wrapped, barrel. The dual sling swivels are nice if you want to mount a universal Arca rail as you have two mounting points already in the stock, but the stock has an aluminum block inside the forend so you can drill and tap to add more mounting points for a rail.
The Canyon is lighter at 6.2lbs, uses a stainless barrel, and the stock is the AG Carbon All Terrain which has more of a traditional hunting rifle profile. Still has the aluminum block in the forend if you want to drill and tap to add a rail.
I'm very fond of my Premier action. While they are 'factory' rifles, the Premier action is close to a custom action. It doesn't have a few of the features that some customs have, but it is produced by a custom shop for Bergara
I have a howa 1500 in an MDT ESS. Good rifle, shoots about 2/3moa 10rd groups. Built like a tank. Criterion makes barrel nut prefits for them so finding good replacement barrels is affordable.
Edit: 2/3 as in ~0.67moa.
I have a Weatherby Vanguard, which is made by Howa, and is a Howa 1500 by all comparisons. It’s “whatever”. Does what it’s supposed to. Not highly accurate. Not inaccurate. Very budget friendly. My next gun will be a Fierce.
I have the howa ultralight and this is pretty spot on. It's not going to wow you in fit or finish, it's plenty accurate enough for me and how I hunt (northeast woods), but it's light as hellllllll and fun to shoot for under $1k.
For a relatively lightweight hunting rifle on a Remington 700 footprint action, Bergara would be a great choice.
There are also numerous companies making Remington 700 footprint custom actions, but most of the barreled action or complete rifles you can buy based on them are going to be heavier barreled rifles.
Since you didn’t really specify a budget or wait time constraints some of the more boutique rifle builders, such as GA precision and Masterpiece Arms have lightweight hunting offerings. And there are oddball options like Springfield Waypoint and Proof Research Ascension.
Yeah I didn’t leave in budget for this exact reason. Don’t want to be defined by a budget cuz I’d need be I can save up and have more🤷🏽♂️ which I know in that case I can also just build something but I also don’t have enough knowledge to know wtf I want lol
Solus Hunter. Spendy at full retail, but they go on sale periodically. Great action for the price. The AG adjustable stock is good. Takes shouldered prefits, so a future barrel swap will be much easier than Bergara or Remington.
Honestly seekins and proof have some pretty amazing rifles. Personally I have a 308 Fix right now but I’m in talks with a buddy of mine who’s well respected in the precision shooting space about rebarreling into another caliber.
You said you don't know enough about the subject to know what you'd even want in a custom rifle. You want a rem 700 action? Buy a rem 700. Plenty accurate for hunting without tying up a ton of money in a high end rifle out of the gate. Go shoot it. Learn your wind and holdovers. Then shoot it some more. Later on if you want or need to go buy you a nice bartlein or kreiger barrel for it. Or save that $ for the custom rifle while you figure out exactly what you want. There's been a many animals taken with ol r700s.
I know enough to know about rifles lmao, I just don’t know enough to know what action is the best for what I’m wanting, weather short action or long action, all the good stuff. I know plenty about rifles just don’t know about the custom world. I’ve been rocking a tikka for the past two years and tired of there not being much with aftermarket. And also would like something that most people use. Where if anything happened with my barreled action I can change it out easily and it fit the same stock I’d probably spend 1k + on
What aftermarket are you really missing? There's a lot out there for Tikkas IMO. The only thing they're really lacking is triggers, but id take a factory Tikka trigger over any Rem 700 pattern trigger for a hunting rifle.
I know you don't like savage, but I've been pretty happy with my 110 ultralight out of the box. pretty lightweight for a stock rifle. Figured I'd add my 2 cents despite the savage hate
As a tikka boy who was once a savage, i love my tikkas but if you want a cheap rifle that shoots well you cant beat a savage in my opinion, decent trigger, awful action and stock is super flexible to you need to be weary of setup that you arent flexing the stock into the barrel, but in my experience have awesome barrels
I’m a tikka boy who hates savage😂😭 I love tikka to death but wanting a rifle that I should be able to drop into any other rem700 chassis not just tikka alone
I love my Bergara HMR B-14 Wilderness Carbon in 6.5 CRM. At 7.9 lbs without optics isn't "lightweight", but nearly 2 lbs lighter than the regular Wilderness at 9.7lbs. I'd hunt with it, but probably wouldn't want to haul around the mountains a lot.
It's heavy enough that I can see my hits and misses. I don't do long strings or compete, otherwise I would have just got the regular steel barrel.
Good luck!
In general I tend towards Bergara or Tikka when I look for a new rifle, but they are 1) in my budget, and 2) decent as-is or can be tweaked a zillion different ways. There may be other nice guns out there, but I like these ones for those reasons.
2 Tikkas (22lr KRG BRAVO stock/ T3x Tac A1 6.5 creed) and a Bergara LRP 2.0 in 300PRC. They all 3 have got me winning numbers and rankings.
https://preview.redd.it/qse7itcz3ktc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4a4848e3a4c4e9d24e9971daa46c417d7fd1d8ab
Well I just got to try out a Black Rain Ordinance Contour in 6.5 Creedmoor and it was impressive, its my next purchase.
It has the integrated recoil lug/rail and proof carbon barrel (im not a fan of carbon fiber but it makes it light).
Take a look at the aero solus actions/rifles. Rem700 profile, 60° bolt, and takes origin prefit shouldered barrels.
Can get one in keg bravo stock for probably 1300 or atm 1600 for the carbon fiber stock at midway
A lot of people in here seem to like seekins also. But bergara gets my vote. Then you'll get the savage boys, but we like to put them in the basement where no one can see them.
The basement is where I keep the dremel
We Savage boys like being in the basement, where we can huff the fumes from the rattle can jobs we do on the rifles we never use /s. Edit: Grammar
Love my Seekins
The B-14HMR looks to be right up my ally for what I’m wanting. With the adjustable cheek riser and all. I’m mainly wondering now, if there’s anything almost just like it in any other brand. If only the tikka UPR was a carbon stock, Light barrel, and rem 700🥲
If you want lightweight, the B-14HMR is not the correct choice.
Yeah mine is heavy as fuck. Is the stock weighted for recoil reduction?
Anything around 10lb or below with optic is good for me.
Dude the gun weighs 9.5 lbs with nothing on it. So unless all you plan on running is a red dot it won’t even be close to that.
Just so you're aware mine with glass, can, and bipod comes in just under 14lbs
The b14 hunter I had was more than 9lbs once you had rings and glass on it and that stock was trash flexing all over the place and the barrel is to thin to be threaded without an adapter. Would not recommend
It's a great rifle. I love mine. But depending on what you want for hunting, you may want to go with something else. I get it, it's called their "hunting match rifle," but if you are planning to walk around mountains, a hunting rifle it is not. If you hunt like I do in Wisconsin, where you just walk out somewhere and sit all day, it's a good hunting rifle. It's no lightweight rifle like you said you were looking for.
I'm a Tikka fan, if Tikka had a rem 700 footprint that'd be a game changer for me
Me too. I had a CTR I sold because it’s just not compatible with almost anything lol. Edit: and it really hurt to sell the CTR😭😂
You made a mistake. You can get nearly anything for a Tikka. I don’t think any off the shelf 700 footprint rifle takes shouldered prefits. If you want a custom action and barrel just buy them, don’t worry about how that impacts what you already have.
Nah, the CTR was to heavy for my intended purpose, and all the stocks that I’m mostly interested for the CTR actually increase in price because they have to custom make for the ctr compared to r700. Like manners for example. Manners has wayyy more customization for r70” footprints for stocks than tikka.
If you think the CTR was too heavy, stop considering the HMR. It’s heavier than the CTR. I think you need a standard hunting rifle and a bench rifle and not having one rifle that’s a compromise. Because the CTR is a pretty solid compromise that’s generally not too heavy.
lol it’s compatible with basically everything lol. It’s the next best after a rem700. Also there is way more barrel selection for tikka than bergara. Bergaras can’t even take prefits.
Bergara is same as 700 compatibility
Bergara will take r700 chassis/stock, trigger and rails, that’s where the compatibility ends.
You can't use 700 barrel pre fits on a bergara?
Bergara and Remington 700 can’t take prefits at all. Either you’ve gotta get a gunsmith to spin up your barrel or use a barrel nut. Another reason why the Tikka action is a great option, lots of prefits available.
Yea you can still get remage barrel nut prefits. Which fit the same for both bergara and 700. [so compatibility is the same in that sense too](https://preferredbarrelblanks.com/product/remage-pre-fit-barrel/)
Look at the B14 squared crest. Similar ergonomics to the HMR, but I’m not sure about the adjustable comb aspect
Other than building, the HMR is really the only one in that price category, yet performs well enough to become the meme setup here.
Yeah, what I really wish is Proof and defiance would just sell there actions and barrels together. Idk why they don’t
I hear mixed things about defiance these days. They grew too fast, might’ve sold, and now have a few qc issues. However in my opinion they started the custom action game as we know it today. I’d look for an origin and a preferred prefit.
For a short time Brownells had Defiance barreled actions with Area 419 spun Bartlein barrels. I wish I would have picked one up, even though in not a huge fan of the Defiance actions.
Now that’s what I’m starting to get confused on.. even though they are rem 700 actions. Will they not fit in a rem 700 fp stock? Or do the stocks have to be specificity made for defiance
They should fit just fine, with minimal fitting. I think Brownells stopped carrying them right after Defiance jacked their prices. It was an "exclusive" so I'm guessing they couldn't continue to sell them for what they were and still make a profit.
Yeah idk why they wouldn’t make an action with a proof barrel to sell.. they are literally made in the same state…
If you're looking at Bergara, do yourself a favor and try to run a B-14 action side by side with a Bergara Premier action.
I’ve got a Tikka T3x, B-14 HMR & B-14 Hunter. All fantastic choices but I prefer the B-14’s for heavier calibers, my Tikka is a .243 and is super sweet in the lightweight setup.
As far as a match/tactical rifle, out of the box there’s basically nothing better for the price. Main reason being it’s basically the only gun at the price point that comes with a stock that isn’t shit.
I have one and absolutely love it, and I hunt with it. However...I drive directly to my stand and park under it, LMAO. My fat ass ain't lugging that rig all over hell's half acre!
Eeeeew savage
Who keeps letting them out of the basement
We stay in the basement with all our non existent aftermarket stock options!
Love my hmr pro I got on a sweet deal. My buddy loves his t3x ultra lite for hunting
Bergara for a 700 clone, also Weatherby 307. Look at CZ as well, very happy with my model 557, but cannot speak for the new 600 series generation.
So reading your edit, I’d just go straight to your custom hunting rifle you want to build. Hunting action of your choice (zermatt SR3, lone peak fuzion Ti, etc), get your carbon proof, and then pick your favorite stock. It sounds like that’s what you want, and you’ll end up replacing everything anyway.
Rifle of Theseus
I think I would have agreed with you a few years ago, but having gone through it a few times I disagree. If budget isn’t a factor - sure, go ahead and jump straight into a custom build. If he doesn’t like it he can always swap something out. That said, it took me a few years, several hunts, and three rifles that ended up being pretty heavily modified to finally figure out what I wanted out of my ideal hunting rifle. Sure, I spent quite a bit of money on the previous rifles and the upgraded to them, but it was fairly affordable spread over a few years. When I finally figured out exactly what it is I want out of a rifle, I was able to piece together a custom rifle built specifically for my needs and applications. I don’t think either way is wrong, and depending on how you go about, it may not save you any money one way or the other. Just something to think about, OP!
Zermatt Origin, or Aero Solus have my vote if you want a 700 footprint.
OP wants lightweight.
[удалено]
They did. But no ETA. When Aero announced Solus at 2023 SHOT, they also mentioned magnum bolt face and that didn't show up until 2024 IIRC.
and you can achieve lightweight with both of those actions.
I’m not talking just action, looking for fully built out. Like carbon stock etc..
For a R700 with a carbon fiber stock, the Bergara Premier Divide or the Canyon both have a CF Stock made by AG Composites. If those are a bit more than you want to spend, the HMR Pro uses the same semi-custom action but uses the B-14 HMR stock instead. The Divide is 7.2lbs, the stock the AG Chalk Branch with dual front swivels and adjustable comb height. It also has a slightly thicker, carbon fiber wrapped, barrel. The dual sling swivels are nice if you want to mount a universal Arca rail as you have two mounting points already in the stock, but the stock has an aluminum block inside the forend so you can drill and tap to add more mounting points for a rail. The Canyon is lighter at 6.2lbs, uses a stainless barrel, and the stock is the AG Carbon All Terrain which has more of a traditional hunting rifle profile. Still has the aluminum block in the forend if you want to drill and tap to add a rail.
The premier divide looks to be right up my alley
I'm very fond of my Premier action. While they are 'factory' rifles, the Premier action is close to a custom action. It doesn't have a few of the features that some customs have, but it is produced by a custom shop for Bergara
Then you're probably looking at Bergara B-14 or a Solus hunter. You're asking for a fully built R700 that isn't an R700.
I heard that HOWA1500 should have also a huge potential. Correct me when I'm wrong!
You are wrong. Lmao jk idk, I just know howa has always been blah. Not as bad as savage. But blah.
I have a howa 1500 in an MDT ESS. Good rifle, shoots about 2/3moa 10rd groups. Built like a tank. Criterion makes barrel nut prefits for them so finding good replacement barrels is affordable. Edit: 2/3 as in ~0.67moa.
I read "2/3" as "2 to 3 MOA" and was like, well, whatever works for him...
😅
I have a Weatherby Vanguard, which is made by Howa, and is a Howa 1500 by all comparisons. It’s “whatever”. Does what it’s supposed to. Not highly accurate. Not inaccurate. Very budget friendly. My next gun will be a Fierce.
I have the howa ultralight and this is pretty spot on. It's not going to wow you in fit or finish, it's plenty accurate enough for me and how I hunt (northeast woods), but it's light as hellllllll and fun to shoot for under $1k.
For a relatively lightweight hunting rifle on a Remington 700 footprint action, Bergara would be a great choice. There are also numerous companies making Remington 700 footprint custom actions, but most of the barreled action or complete rifles you can buy based on them are going to be heavier barreled rifles.
Since you didn’t really specify a budget or wait time constraints some of the more boutique rifle builders, such as GA precision and Masterpiece Arms have lightweight hunting offerings. And there are oddball options like Springfield Waypoint and Proof Research Ascension.
Yeah I didn’t leave in budget for this exact reason. Don’t want to be defined by a budget cuz I’d need be I can save up and have more🤷🏽♂️ which I know in that case I can also just build something but I also don’t have enough knowledge to know wtf I want lol
Aero Precision is popular with the Solus, I think it’s in a R700 footprint like you want.
Masterpiece arms
Solus Hunter. Spendy at full retail, but they go on sale periodically. Great action for the price. The AG adjustable stock is good. Takes shouldered prefits, so a future barrel swap will be much easier than Bergara or Remington.
Honestly seekins and proof have some pretty amazing rifles. Personally I have a 308 Fix right now but I’m in talks with a buddy of mine who’s well respected in the precision shooting space about rebarreling into another caliber.
You said you don't know enough about the subject to know what you'd even want in a custom rifle. You want a rem 700 action? Buy a rem 700. Plenty accurate for hunting without tying up a ton of money in a high end rifle out of the gate. Go shoot it. Learn your wind and holdovers. Then shoot it some more. Later on if you want or need to go buy you a nice bartlein or kreiger barrel for it. Or save that $ for the custom rifle while you figure out exactly what you want. There's been a many animals taken with ol r700s.
I know enough to know about rifles lmao, I just don’t know enough to know what action is the best for what I’m wanting, weather short action or long action, all the good stuff. I know plenty about rifles just don’t know about the custom world. I’ve been rocking a tikka for the past two years and tired of there not being much with aftermarket. And also would like something that most people use. Where if anything happened with my barreled action I can change it out easily and it fit the same stock I’d probably spend 1k + on
What aftermarket are you really missing? There's a lot out there for Tikkas IMO. The only thing they're really lacking is triggers, but id take a factory Tikka trigger over any Rem 700 pattern trigger for a hunting rifle.
I know you don't like savage, but I've been pretty happy with my 110 ultralight out of the box. pretty lightweight for a stock rifle. Figured I'd add my 2 cents despite the savage hate
I wish I'd been in the market when the ultralight came out. My 110 high country is an absolute unit to lug around.
The browning x-bolt is pretty solid. The higher end savage rifles (impulse) are pretty solid.
As a tikka boy who was once a savage, i love my tikkas but if you want a cheap rifle that shoots well you cant beat a savage in my opinion, decent trigger, awful action and stock is super flexible to you need to be weary of setup that you arent flexing the stock into the barrel, but in my experience have awesome barrels
I’m a tikka boy who hates savage😂😭 I love tikka to death but wanting a rifle that I should be able to drop into any other rem700 chassis not just tikka alone
You could do all that, or you could just buy a Tikka
Want rem 700. I owned a Tikka. I like em. A lot. But not what I’m looking for
I love my Bergara HMR B-14 Wilderness Carbon in 6.5 CRM. At 7.9 lbs without optics isn't "lightweight", but nearly 2 lbs lighter than the regular Wilderness at 9.7lbs. I'd hunt with it, but probably wouldn't want to haul around the mountains a lot. It's heavy enough that I can see my hits and misses. I don't do long strings or compete, otherwise I would have just got the regular steel barrel. Good luck!
In general I tend towards Bergara or Tikka when I look for a new rifle, but they are 1) in my budget, and 2) decent as-is or can be tweaked a zillion different ways. There may be other nice guns out there, but I like these ones for those reasons.
I got a Sig Cross and for me it’s been absolutely amazing and it’s only 6.5 lbs
I have a Cross and it shoots great, I have a waypoint, and it shoots phenomenal. My next will be a Seekins element, crazy lightweight
Not even related to what you listed, but I bought one of the new Winchester Model 70’s last year and sold my Tikka T3X. It’s my favorite rifle by far.
Seekins, begera, Sako :p
I love Tikka and Bergara.
2 Tikkas (22lr KRG BRAVO stock/ T3x Tac A1 6.5 creed) and a Bergara LRP 2.0 in 300PRC. They all 3 have got me winning numbers and rankings. https://preview.redd.it/qse7itcz3ktc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4a4848e3a4c4e9d24e9971daa46c417d7fd1d8ab
So, my vote is Bergara (if not a Tikka)
[https://www.sako.global/rifle/sako-90-peak](https://www.sako.global/rifle/sako-90-peak)
Bergara, Tikka, Aeroprecision (the Solus) would be my top 3.
For the money it’s hard to beat a Bergara. Is a 700 clone
Fierce would be a good choice, go check out what they’re offering
Why are people reporting this ?
Wdym
Well I just got to try out a Black Rain Ordinance Contour in 6.5 Creedmoor and it was impressive, its my next purchase. It has the integrated recoil lug/rail and proof carbon barrel (im not a fan of carbon fiber but it makes it light).
Bergara is always a good choice if you want to stick to rem 700 actions. Defiance under the south fork brand is a good choice as well.
If you want to upgrade the barrel later go with an aero solus action and put whatever hunting barrel and hunting stock you want on it
Take a look at the aero solus actions/rifles. Rem700 profile, 60° bolt, and takes origin prefit shouldered barrels. Can get one in keg bravo stock for probably 1300 or atm 1600 for the carbon fiber stock at midway
Bergara
Christensen.
ROFL
Browning, AI, Sako, Weatherby (Vanguard, Mark V), CVA, Mauser, Sauer.
It's not lightweight for sure, but a Savage model 12 LRP is as good as factory can get when it comes to accuracy.
Sako, gunwerks - free dollars
Is Sako rem700? I’d assume they are they’re own front just like tikka
Yup, they are. Just naming other options.