Whether you’re heading into the mountains on a grueling ascent or counting ounces for a backpacking expedition, ultralight rifles continually improve with stunning weight savings and rich features. 

Not all rifles with words like “lightweight” in the model’s name are created equal, but our top 10 picks are sub-6-pounders with the serious performance backcountry hunters desire. Here they are in no particular order.
 

Top 10 Backcountry Rifles in 2025

Christensen Ridgeline FFT
Proof Research Glacier Ti
Howa 1500 Superlite
Savage 110 Ultralite Elite
Wilson Combat NULA Model 20 
Kimber Mountain Ascent
Bergara MgLite Premier
Weatherby Backcountry 2.0 Ti
Browning X-Bolt 2 Mountain Pro SPR
Final Thoughts

Christensen Ridgeline FFT

The Utah-based rifle builder has been turning out some impressive hunting and precision rifles, and Christensen’s most recent weight-saving build is turning heads. The Ridgeline FFT is so named for use of the company’s proprietary Flash Forged Technology, an advancement in carbon fiber construction that they say, “eliminates up to 1 pound of weight vs other carbon fiber composite rifle stocks.”  

The rifles are attractive, impressive in the hand, and already building a track record of success in the field. In a southpaw-friendly move, many chamberings – and it’s an impressive list – are also available in left-hand models. 

• Chamberings: .22 Creed, .22-250 Rem, .243 Win, 6mm Creed, 6.5 Creed, 6.5-284 Norma, 6.5 PRC, .270 Win, .270 WSM, 6.8 Western, 7mm-08 Rem, .280 Ackley Imp, 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm PRC, 7mm BC, .28 Nosler, .308 Win, .30-06 Sprg, .300 WSM, .300 Win Mag, .300 RUM, .300 PRC
• Weight: From 5.4 pounds
• Barrel lengths: 16.25, 18, 20, 22, or 24 inches
• MSRP: $2,049.99 to $2,399.99
• Top Features: Sub-MOA accuracy guarantee, FFT carbon fiber stock, Aerograde carbon fiber barrel, precision machined action, carbon fiber bedding pillars, threaded muzzle with side-baffle brake, match chamber, TriggerTech trigger, multiple color patterns, spiral fluted bolt, enlarged aluminum bolt knob 

Proof Research Glacier Ti

Mention the name Proof Research, and the first things that come to mind are “lightweight” and “quality.” Proof’s rifles find their way onto pretty much every mountain rifle list, and nearly every Proof rifle model could qualify. The most difficult job is selecting just one. It’s the Glacier Ti, though, that first caught our attention at the launch of Federal Premium’s 7mm Backcountry chambering. 

This ultralight, shorter-barreled mountain rifle is ideal for a suppressor. Proof calls it their “lightest precision hunting platform” and “a trophy harvesting machine that couples reduced weight with durability and long-range accuracy.” Since then, the rifle has become impossible to ignore. Though its price is shockingly high compared to others on this roll, its features and performance are astonishingly impressive. Proof’s Elevation series is another excellent choice and far more accessible to the masses than this Glacier Ti, but hey, we can dream.     

• Chamberings: 6.5 Creed, 308 Win, 6.5 PRC, 7PRC, 7 BC, 300 Win Mag, 300 WSM, 300 PRC
• Weight: 5 pounds, 5 ounces to 6 pounds, 4 ounces
• Barrel Lengths: 20 to 26 inches
• MSRP: $7,499
• Top Features: Test fired for sub-1/2 MOA accuracy guarantee, right- or left-handed titanium action, BDL-style hinged floorplate magazine, PROOF carbon fiber wrapped match-grade barrel, threaded muzzle, PROOF carbon fiber Lightweight Mountain Hunter stock, Extreme-Accuracy bedding, TriggerTech trigger, single-piece pinned scope rail. 

Howa 1500 Super Lite

Howa crafts some of the most underrated hunting rifles on the market. For some reason, its lightweight specialty rifle is not only one of the lightest out there, but also one of the most reasonably priced. Some of the custom adjustability and other finish frills are absent, yet scale numbers and real-world performance don’t lie. The Superlite bolt action is now in its second generation, but from our experience, you really can’t go wrong with any of the Japanese-built Howa 1500 Superlite variants. 

• Chamberings: 6.5 Creed, .308 Win, .243 Win, 7mm-08 Rem
• Weight: From 4 pounds, 7 ounces
• Barrel lengths: 16.25 or 20 inches
• MSRP: From $1,400
• Top Features: Sub-MOA accuracy guarantee, suppressor-ready threaded cold hammer forged barrel, carbon fiber stock, flush-fit detachable magazine, M-16 style extractor/ejector, three position safety, two-stage match trigger, tool-less firing pin removal, one-piece Picatinny rail, lifetime warranty.

Savage 110 Ultralite Elite

Over the years, Savage has been guilty of calling fairly hefty guns a lightweight name, but with the 110 Ultralite Elite, the company launches itself to the top of relevancy for true backcountry hunters. A feature list that checks the boxes on paper is backed up with impressive accuracy. The 110 Ultralite Elite looks like one of the most expensive Savage production rifles to date, but it stands side by side with the semi-custom and custom specialty rifles in this mountain rifle space. 

• Chamberings: 6.5 Creed, .308 Win, 6.5 PRC, 7mm PRC, .300 Win Mag, .300 WSM, 7mm BC
• Weight: 5.8 to 6 pounds
• Barrel Lengths: 18, 20, or 22 inches
• MSRP: $3,299
• Top Features: Proof Research carbon-wrapped stainless barrel, threaded barrel with Omniport muzzle brake, MDT chassis with magnesium center section and carbon fiber components, adjustable LOP and comb height with four included 1/4-inch LOP spacers, foam-filled MDT carbon buttstock, integrated ARCA rail, diamond-fluted bolt, carbon fiber bolt knob, low-profile AICS box magazine, adjustable AccuTrigger, one-piece 20 MOA Picatinny rail. 

Wilson Combat NULA Model 20

The Wilson Combat NULA Model 20 is one of the least mainstream but highest quality rifles we’ve handled. Those who know the names Wilson Combat and New Ultralight Arms – now merged into one powerhouse – are in on a well-kept secret of performance and weight savings. Though pricier than many, the NULA Model 20 is worth a good, long look for serious hunters. 

Those who can make do with a mini action simply must get a feel of the Model 20S, a 4-pound-10-ounce gem in only four chamberings: .223 Wylde, .300 Ham’r, .300 Blackout, and .350 Legend. Though not practical for the game size and shot distances often required of mountain and backcountry types, we simply can’t ignore the metrics of that 20S, either. Here’s what you need to know about the “standard” Model 20, the favored choice on many backcountry pursuits:

• Chamberings: .243 Win, 6.5 Creed, 7mm-08 Rem, .308 Win, .358 Win
• Weight: 4 pounds, 15 ounces to 5 pounds, 4 ounces (depending on caliber and barrel length)
• Barrel lengths: 16, 20, and 22 inches
• MSRP: From $2,995
• Top Features: Sub-MOA accuracy guarantee, button-rifled Wilson Combat stainless barrel, oversized magazine box, Timney Elite Hunter trigger, AG Composites carbon fiber stock with reinforced receiver walls. 
   

Kimber Mountain Ascent

Kimber has long been associated with quality builds, so it’s no surprise to find the brand among the top picks in lightweight hunting rifles. Though its alpha dog Mountain Ascent makes surprisingly minimal use of carbon fiber, it still manages to feel feathery in the hand and on the scale. To be fair, the Mountain Ascent shows svelter weights in the smaller chamberings, but those scale numbers jump quickly on the magnums, as longer barrels come standard. 

• Chamberings: .243 Win, 6.5 Creed, .270 Win, .280 Ackley Imp, 7mm-08 Rem, .30-06 Sprg, 7mm Rem Mag, .308 Win, .300 Win Mag
• Weight: From 5 pounds, 6 ounces
• Barrel Lengths: 22, 24, or 26 inches 
• MSRP: $1,680 to $2,199
• Top Features: Sub-MOA accuracy guarantee; H-S Precision stock using fiberglass, carbon fiber, and Kevlar; factory-adjustable trigger; stainless-steel action and barrel with KimPro III finish; match-grade chamber; threaded barrel; Mauser-claw extractor; three-position Model 70-style safety; rear bag cutout (excluded on magnums); fluted bolt body; hollow bolt knob. 

Bergara Premier MgLite

While many companies represented here offer one or two dedicated lightweight models, Bergara makes it more difficult to choose just one. Hunters could grab the Premier Canyon, B-14 Squared Cima CF (Carbon Fiber), or the Crest CF for a rifle purpose-built for hunters on the move. 

For the sake of this list, we’re eyeing the MgLite Premier Series. With a chassis-style stock and minimalist stature, it’s not your typical bolt-action hunter in outward appearance, but the MgLite is easy to pack when miles rack up under boot. 

• Chamberings: .308 Win, 6.5 Creed, 6.5 PRC
• Weight: From 5.8 pounds
• Barrel Length: 18 inches
• MSRP: From $3,099
• Top Features: AICS detachable magazine, threaded Cure carbon fiber barrel, TriggerTech trigger, carbon fiber buttstock and pistol grip with adjustable cheek rest, Magnesium modular chassis with built-in bubble level and ARCA-Swiss dovetail. 

Weatherby Backcountry 2.0 Ti

Weatherby’s Backcountry Ti series marks one of the first true ultralight rifles we ever handled and fired. The original was impressive in the hand and deadly on the range, and the 2.0 Ti is even finer. Where many others on this list limit their chamberings to short actions for the ultimate in weight savings, Weatherby packs the 2.0 Ti with all the magnums and potent long actions that many longer-range hunters demand. In addition, left-handed variants are available for the majority of those, so southpaws aren’t left in the cold on the mountain. 

• Chamberings: .240 Wby Mag, .243 Win, 6.5 Creed, .25 Creed, 6.5 Wby RPM, .257 Wby Mag, 6.5-.300 Wby Mag, .270 Wby Mag, .280 Ackley Improved, .308 Win, 7mm PRC, .300 Wby Mag, and .338 Wby RPM
• Weight: 4.7 to 5.6 pounds
• Barrel Lengths: 22, 24, or 26 inches
• MSRP: $3,499
• Top Features: Sub-MOA Guarantee, Peak 44 Blacktooth carbon fiber stock, threaded barrel with Accubrake ST, titanium action, TriggerTech trigger, 3D Hex recoil pad, deeply fluted bolt, removable bolt knob. 

Browning X-Bolt 2 Mountain Pro SPR

Like Bergara, Browning is one of those companies offering hunters a laundry list of options in lighter hunting rifles. Mountain pursuit buyers wouldn’t go wrong with many of the models, both legacy types and the youngest X-Bolt 2 series. However, the more serious sheep hunters will be eyeballing the X-Bolt 2 Mountain Pro variant when ounces count. If we’re grabbing one do-all featherweight within the Mountain Pro lineup, it’s the SPR, or suppressor-ready, shorter-barreled designation.  

• Chamberings: 6.5 Creed, .308 Win, 6.5 PRC, 6.8 Western, 7mm PRC, .300 Win Mag, .300 PRC
• Weight: 5 pounds, 12 ounces to 6 pounds, 3 ounces
• Barrel Lengths: 18, 20, or 22 inches
• MSRP: $3,139.99 to $3,169.99
• Top Features: Carbon fiber stock with adjustable comb, stainless steel receiver, spiral fluted bolt with aluminum bolt handle, carbon fiber-wrapped stainless barrel, threaded muzzle with included Recoil Hawg brake, Cerakote finish, integrated Picatinny rail at forend tip, flush-fit QD sling swivel cups, DLX trigger, Inflex recoil pad. 

Tikka T3x Superlite

Tikka builds some impressive rifles, yet the brand is teetering on the edge of making this list. The T3x Superlite is by far the most scale-friendly rifle in the company’s repertoire, but it’s still the heaviest on this list. In another strike, T3x Superlite muzzles are not threaded, though southpaws will find multiple options. 

On the upside, the Superlite packs a wide range of chamberings, with some of the thumpy short mags included. Though it’s the heftiest of the bunch and doesn’t earn its true Superlite moniker, Tikka’s T3x is one of the most affordable listed here, bridging the gap between expensive featherlight and all-around hunting rifle. 

• Chamberings: .223 Rem, .22-250 Rem, 6.5 Creed, 6.5 PRC, .308 Win, .270 Win, 7mm-08 Rem, .270 WSM, .30-06 Sprg, 7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag, .300 WSM. 
• Weight: 6.1 to 6.6 pounds
• Barrel Lengths: 22.4 or 24.3 inches
• MSRP: From $1,049.99
• Top Features: Picatinny rail, stainless-steel barrel and receiver, black synthetic stock, single-stage adjustable trigger, fluted barrel, 75-degree bolt throw, enlarged ejection port, single-stack polymer magazine.

Final Thoughts

In compiling this list of ultralight rifles, it’s clear that impressive weight savings on quality builds don’t come cheap. It’s not just about picking the most lightweight rifle, but rather, ones that have matched low weight with big features and reliable performance. Of course, savvy buyers keeping an eye on the Guns.com Certified Used section will find many of these brands and models at serious savings.