Rifle Weight Vs. Distance capability...

[captacademy]

I would have to agree with JE Custom and several others here. The Sendero weight is just about perfect in my humble opinion for just about all the conditions. I have had light rifles to heavy ones, long shots and close shots. The Sendero fits the bill for me. Every rifle I have built will come in that configuration.

 

[Pdvdh]

I've been backpack hunting in Alaska since 1976. Mostly in the mountains. Nine to 10 1/2 lbs is about it for me. I read people talking about extra weight in the rifle equaling weight in a back pack. The two do not equate, for me. I can much more tolerate an extra 2 lbs centered in my backpack than I can an extra 2 lbs in a rifle in my arms, on my shoulder, slung off the side of my backpack, or even latched in my Kifiru gun bearer harness which is fastened to my backpack harness. I'm 57 now, but even when I was 37, I found it difficult to tolerate a 12 lb rifle package. Spent as much time loathing the rifle weight as I did enjoying the 6 mile hike in, up and down the mountain twice, and then back out those 6 miles with the added weight of a billy goat. 10 1/2 pounds is now about the very maximum for me. And 9 1/2 lbs is quite a bit nicer than 10 1/2.

 

[sp6x6]

Im jealous that you have been hunting AK since 1976.I have only done a couple black bear archery on POW.Youra lucky dog

 

[IChaseCoues]

I think it really comes down to what you want as your "effective range". If it is 600 and under a 6.5lb rig with scope will do it as long as it is a quality setup and you practice. Now, if that required range is 1000 yds a heavier rifle will be offer more stability and therefore more accurate first round hits.
You just have to establish your goals and try to find a rifle that will help you meet them.

I have a goal of "sheep accuracy" at 600 yds. I have several rifles that will do it and built one specifically for it. Its a Rem Model 7 in 7 WSM with a scoped weight of 6.5lb. it will shoot sub MOA to 600 yds and thats all I expect it to do. The best part is it is really handy to carry around and has become my most carried rifle due to the weight and accuracy. This leads to more practice with it, which in turn makes me more proficient with it.

The other heavy rifles get carried still, but after 3 days carrying a 11 to 14 lb rifle, the lightweight sure gives a little relief when the body is sore and tired.

Now to the backpacking portion of the post. It seems if you get the lightest and best gear you can possibly afford (including the rifle) and GET IN SHAPE, you'l have nothing to cuss yourself about on the way down the mountain with a ram in your pack. I am in the process of gathering light, quality gear for a multi day backpack hunt in another part of the world and have found a few ounces here and there are important. Technology improves gear daily and weights continue to drop.

Here's a piece i came up with but haven't been able to test it yet. Maybe this year on a deer or elk hunt it will get some use?abuse to see if it will hold up. I think it will.

Three 270 WSM rounds.

A look at the rifle mentioned above and another I'm building for a friend in 264 Raptor that will be 6lb scoped when finished.

Now if someone would just figure out a way to dehydrate water we could all carry less weight!

 

[ChrisAtl]

Dehydrating water is the easy part. The challenge is just getting it rehydrated when you need it.

 

[RockChucker30]

This is an interesting question. I'm on a lot of BP hunting forums, and most folks like lighter rifles, but lighter rifles aren't as nice at long ranges. There is a fine balance there.

I have a Kimber Montana 270 WSM with a 3-10 Swaro that I'd feel comfortable with to 500-600, and pac-nor has another montana right now being rebarreled to 260 Rem that will weigh around 6lbs with a 2.5-8 Leupy. I'd like to think I can get confident to 400 with that rig.

One interesting thought I had is this......some guys use ultralight tripods for their spotters, but hang a stuffsack filled with rocks off of it to add weight and help steady it. Why not do the same with a rifle?

Mike, build me a rifle that weighs 6 lbs that I can add 6 lbs of weight to while out in the field and make a 1000 yard shot reliably with?

 

[ChrisAtl]

A heavy stock is nice but a heavy barrel is likely to have a more positive effect on long range accuracy. One issue with ultralight rigs is relatively long, pencil thin barrels that whip about with the shot and are more finicky.

 

[Methow Packer]

I use a Kimber 8400 in .300 WM with a Leupold VX6 3x18 scope. All total is 8 1/2 lb. I know the 26" barrel is pretty small but I don't expect to shoot it more tha I need to score a hit. I'm comfortable @ 600-700 yards, which is as far as I've shot game. I'm 64 and horse pack a lot. Even though my horse carries my rifle, I still tie up and walk a lot. I can't imagine packing a 12 lb rifle over some of the country I hunt. I guess a guy needs to make a choice or have more than one long range rifle for different purposes.

Ted

 

[Litehiker]

JE is correct. Worry about pack weight more than anything. Go to the website "Backpacking Light" to really learn how to do that.

People who typically don't backpack in other seasons just don't know where to find lightweight gear. They think Bass Pro Shops or Cabela's r Gander Mt'n. have what they need. In most cases they don't.

My rifle is a .300 Win. mag Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker W/BOSS muzzle brake/harmonics adjustor and has a Browning "plastic" stock that has been pillar bedded. I have a Burris Black Diamond 3.5X -12X scope. At 10 lbs it is a "medium" weight rifle but gets it done to 800 meters.

But my sleeping system is a Western Mountaineering (made in USA) Megalite down bag and a Thermarest ProLite mattress. The bag is large enough to permit me to wear my mid layer insulated Down and Thermolite jacket and pants for temps down to 10 F.

My tent is a 30 oz. Tarptent Moment DW solo tent. Best solo tent design I've ever found.

I don't cook when hunting. All meals are "cold". (Emergency stove is a Caldera Cone Sidewinder TI wood burner & fits inside a 3 cup pot)

Electronics carried -> Garmin Colorado GPS. Olympus TG 1 camera, Bushnell 10X42 1 Mile ARC LRF binos.

 

[spdrman]

After packing a 12 pound rifle last year I'll never do it again, I picked up a Tikka T3 Superlite this spring and with a nightforce on it its just over 8lbs, I can make first round hits out to 1000 on 10" plates cold bore every time, barrel heats up quick and I can only get 3-4 shots before I have to let it cool down but while hunting I dont plan on shooting more than 1 or 2.

Personally every oz I can shave counts, I have some of the best back packing gear money can buy to save weight, most my trips are 7-10 days, food alone for that long is alot of weight, if I was only doing 2-3 day trips a 10-12 pound rifle wouldn't be a big deal.

 

[idaho elk hunter]

WOW this is a old thread that is still going. I can tell you I shot a prototype ultralight Weatherby before they came out with the final design of the off the shelf lightweight. Small titanium action, 22.5 in pencil barrel. and carbon fiber stock that weighed 13 oz including the trigger guard that was also carbon fiber. This rifle weighed 4 lbs 2 oz. When we pulled the trigger the recoil was so different due to the balance of the rifle that non of us liked it. This is the only rifle ever built by Weatherby that has a ported. barrel and this construction. It would be a marketing gem but a shooters nightmare. Our end conclusion is rifles that weigh much less than 5.25 lbs probably do more harm than good. They definitely do not have the multi shot accuracy due to the barrel heat and the shooter not being able to control the movement of the rifle. Notice I did not say recoil but movement. A heavier rifle, to a extent, will have less movement before, during and after the shot is placed. Ever try to pull a 5 lb trigger on a 4 lb rifle?

 

[Litehiker]

"We have the technologyLighest Weight rifle components:

1. ACTION-> titanium
2. BARREL-> carbon fiber wrapped stainless steel barrel
3. STOCK-> good fiberglass filled polymer stock, pillar bedded
4. SCOPE & RINGS-> Your choice of scope for your distances and conditions but leep it light if possible. Aluminum rings (one-piece best. No ring lapping required.)

Recoil Mitigation

1. MUZZLE BRAKE
2. SPECIAL RECOIL REDUCING PAD-> your choice/preference
3. SHOULDER PAD (gel filled seem to work best but are heavier)

 

[1blacktail]

I also am packing a very heavy rifle 13.5 lbs sendaro but I love the ability to reach out there with a purpose I hunt hells canyon country a lot I'm packing in 13 miles on foot with another 50 plus lbs of our gear (for two) in addition to my gun so I'm getting a different barreled gun but in the ultra version

 

[tony m]

Age , landscape ,expectations, level of fitness.I'm 56 now, I like the 6.5 idea.I am on a similar journey.I've done lots of solo myself, even horseback I find it an issue . Curious what you decide