By: Johnny Mack
Instagram: @soulseekersnation & X: @soulseekershunt
If you enjoy shooting and can appreciate the finer things in life, chances are you are either in the market for a custom rifle or you already shoot one as you respect the precision and craftsmanship that they deliver. If you are a hunter looking for that same precision and craftsmanship but in a lightweight rifle tailored specifically for the backcountry, then turn your attention towards the new Kelbly Lite Rifle that was released in 2025.
About Kelbly
Kelbly’s is a three generation family owned and operated custom rifle manufacturer located in the state of Ohio. Kelbly’s traces its origins to the world of benchrest shooting. The company began as a partnership in 1981 between George Kelbly Sr., a dedicated shooter and range owner, and his friend Ralph Stolle, a machinist who had started crafting custom rifle actions in the 1960s.
The business took root in North Lawrence, Ohio, where George Kelbly Sr. had established a private shooting range in 1969. This facility quickly became a hub for competitive benchrest events, including the renowned Super Shoot, which moved to the site in 1976 and helped build the Kelbly name in shooting circles. Initially focused on producing high-quality aluminum and steel rifle actions—such as the popular Grizzly and Panda designs (based on the popular Remington 700 action)—Kelbly’s emphasized precision machining for competition use.
Over the decades, Kelbly’s evolved from a niche benchrest action maker to a global supplier of custom rifles, tactical actions (like the Atlas series), and precision components, with a lifetime warranty backing their products. Today, it remains a family-owned legacy business, blending tradition with innovation in the precision rifle market with an emphasis on customer service.
About the Lite Rifle
Like most things in life, you get what you pay for and rifles are no exception. The first thing that I noticed when I picked up the Kelbly LITE rifle was just how lightweight it was. I have had and used other lightweight mountain rifles before but they all seemed to have some weakness to them that was glaringly obvious. Some were not comfortable with 50mm objective lenses on scopes, while others had stocks that felt cheap and sounded hollow when tapped on or up against objects, but not the LITE Rifle.
The foundation of the Kelbly’s Lite rifle is their Atlas Lite action. An action that is smooth to run with precision grade tolerances featuring a teardrop bolt handle, 75 degree bolt throw, a skeletonized action and fluted bolt body to reduce weight. The Atlas Lite action does not come with a picatinny rail as part of the weight reduction of the rifle and allows users to adjust their gun to their liking. I opted to add a 20 MOA picatinny rail to mine as I like the versatility of dialing for long range as seen in the video below.
For triggers, Kelbly’s chose to go with a Bix N Andy Dakota trigger that is user adjustable between 1 to 4.5 lbs and also weatherproof for those that are concerned about trigger issues arising from the elements. Along with a PTG M5 bottom metal with a Magpul magazine for more weight savings.
The stock is a Stocky’s NextGen carbon fiber UltraLite VG1. It has a weight of 28 oz and a 13.75″ length of pull and what I love is the 3/8″ comb drop that works well with different scope mounted heights. The barrel is a 20″ Preferred carbon fiber barrel that is wet lapped with a heavy palma contour and 5/8-24 threaded. Add a Kelbly Klaw muzzle brake for extra recoil management or opt for a suppressor.
Pros
- Accurate with lifetime warranty (My first day at the range I walked it out to 1200 yards with first round impacts and a Leupold VX5 3-15×44)
- Light enough to carry all day in hand
- The vertical grip of the stock is not bulky for smaller hands
- 75 degree bolt throw won’t interfere with larger optics
- Perfect weight for short action offerings
- Great looking rifle that shoots just as good as it looks
cons
- No built in arca rail on stock
- Lightweight gun with magnum cartridges could be hard to manage recoil without a brake or suppressor
details
- MSRP – $3800
- Chamberings – 6mm Creedmoor 1:7.5 Twist, 6.5 Creedmoor 1:8 Twist, .25 Creedmoor 1:7 Twist, 6.5 PRC 1:8 Twist, .308 Win 1:10 Twist, 7mm PRC 1:8 Twist, .300 PRC 1:10 Twist, and 7mm Backcountry 1:8 Twist
- Action – Atlas Lite w/ 75 degree bolt throw (Right or Left Handed)
- Barrel – 20″ Preferred Barrels with 5/28×24 threaded wet lapped carbon fiber wrapped
- Weight – Short Actions 6.2 lbs & Long Actions 6.6 lbs
- Trigger – Bix N Andy Single Stage Dakota (user adjustable from 1 to 4.5lbs)
- Stock – Stocky’s NextGen Carbon Fiber UltraLite VG1 (any two or three tone sponge paint)
- Sling Options – Front and Read sling studs
- 5 round Magpul magazine included
- Lifetime Guarantee
your next Rifle
When shopping for your next rifle, keep the Kelbly Lite Rifle at the top of the list. The combination of a custom action, gunsmithing, style and top notch features combined with the lifetime warranty are hard to pass up.
Thanks for reading this gear review. If you want to know more about the LITE Rifle and my experience with it, feel free to ask by clicking here. In the meantime make sure to check out our PODCAST and show SOUL SEEKERS on CarbonTV as well as follow us on Instagram @soulseekersnation and on X @soulseekershunt. Knowledge is power and MENTORSHIP IS CONSERVATION. Stay soulful!