HOW LIGHT IS YOUR RIFLE

ickes123 said:

Just wanted to see how light your hunting rifles are. They keep getting lighter.

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Hunting rifle depends on mission. At 75, packing all day, I want as light as possible.......a bizzilion steps, one shot...you'll understand one day if God permits. For that, I've become fond of Barrett Fieldcrafts at 5-5-1/2lbs slick in 06, 308 270, 6.5CM 18, 21, 24in ...looking for 243, 6mm. 22-250...post 'em if you have nice one one for sale. Top with various Leupolds 3Xi, 3HD, 4HD generally 2-20x overall range. Always shoot over pack or one of God's bench rests to stay light. Humpin ready, 2 rounds, Boonie Packer sling, generally scale at 7-1/2ish dirty. With a light rig, one has to practice position building/recoil management so you do your part, rifle can do its part. While others have had different experiences probably due to shooting a featherlite without doing the work, Fieldcrafts are dead nuts accurate first two shots cold bore, third begins to open, fourth ~ 1-1-1/2, but it's not intended to be a defend your position rig.....bazillion steps, one shot mission. Light Boonie Packer sling keeps weight over shoulders with rifle at ready or any position needed for moving through brush, 1 or 2 hands free on slippery/steep topography....light package appreciated big time.

For Jeep/ATV access, stationary hunting, shooting mission determines the rifle, not weight, I generally shoot variety of weights in the 10-16lb, including more traditional rifle designs as well as multi-cal MRADs for ELR work. For *****'n'giggles, I like a 28lb slick, 30-34ish lb dirty, Barrett M107A1.....bizzilion step mission.....NOT!!!...

Rifle weight really depends what you’re doing. If you’re just driving around looking for antelope, rifle weight isn’t a critical item.

If you’re climbing/decending 1000-2000 ft of elevation at a fairly steep incline on a daily basis chasing elk or sheep, then weight becomes a MAJOR consideration.

Lightest is Kimber Montana 6.5 cm at 6lbs 6oz including scope and mounts.
LR gun is a shade under 10lbs, Bergara Ridge 7RM.
both have shot 1/4" groups
I feel like 8-8.5lbs scoped would be a great place to be.

My Nylon 66 Remington .22 4lbs!

My favorite pack rifle is a custom 6.5prc that weighs just under 7# without a scope. Currently it wears a heavy NXS but balances well and weighs just under 9.5# scoped. Personally I feel that the weight:recoil balance is great overall. I have a lightweight 300 Weatherby that carry's well but isn’t fun to shoot.

My long range pack rifle is a 7 Rem mag with a 28" barrel and weighs 7 pounds with scope and sling.

My Bergara Ridgeback with Vortex Viper Gen II scope/rings unloaded is 13+ lbs &
My Aero Precision M5 with Leupold scope, unloaded is in the 10lb range,
the only consolation for me is......if I never carry a light rifle on a hunt, I never know what I'm missing LOL

Ruger Hawkeye in.375 Ruger, with scope, sling and full ammo load = 10 lb. 14 oz.
Older walnut-stocked Kimber 84L in .280 AI, with scope, sling and full ammo load = 8 lb. 9 oz.

Despite the trend toward lighter rifles, I would not want either of my rifles any lighter than they are. From improvised field positions, I can shoot these well, but with lighter rifles I have always struggled.

lachoneus said:

Ruger Hawkeye in.375 Ruger, with scope, sling and full ammo load = 10 lb. 14 oz.
Older walnut-stocked Kimber 84L in .280 AI, with scope, sling and full ammo load = 8 lb. 9 oz.

Despite the trend toward lighter rifles, I would not want either of my rifles any lighter than they are. From improvised field positions, I can shoot these well, but with lighter rifles I have always struggled.

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I, too, struggled with my Kimber .308. A joy to carry but a real stinker to shoot accurately in the field. I don't have any custom anything so relegated to factory guns. I really pay attention to weight of optics and mounts and like to stay in the 9-10 pound range. I shoot a 6.5PRC and a couple of 300 Win. Mags. At 73 y.o., anything heavier would probably not get taken on many walks.

In the past I turkey hunted with a Remington SP 10 , 10 gauge scoped and fully loaded it weighed 14lbs , When I turkey hunt I would cover a lot of ground and it didn’t take long to wear me out at 50 years old , I’m 63 now and hunt turkeys with a Benelli SBE in a 28 gauge , love the light weight and with TSS shot it hammers turkeys !!!!!

I think bow hunting has a comparable example with light weight hunting rifles. Consider brace heights; faster bows have shorter brace heights. They are harder to shoot accurately but if you can shoot them, you get the benefit. When I started bow hunting, I was told to "buy a beginners bow with a longer brace height." I wouldn't recommend an UL rifle to be beginning shooter, at least not it a magnum caliber.
I think another challenge to the UL hunting rifle comes with suppressor use. Skinner barrels with more weight out front with feather weight stocks with no counter balance can make shooting setups take a bit more thought.

I have a titanium remington 700 in 7-08 that is under 6 lbs with a 2 1/2X8 leupold and talley rings. I've taken a couple of bucks with it but it is a challenge for me to shoot accurately in the field. I know it is an accurate rifle as it was worked over by Hill Country and has a Pac nor barrel. The problem is ME. For me, my serious rifles start at 7 Lbs and I have one in 284 Win, and another in 280 AI. One is a Browning A-bolt and the other is a Kimber. I have taken deer and elk with both and they are capable 5/8 to 3/4 " groupers. My 300 WSM is right at 8 Lbs and was built by Brown Precision and will group 1/2" when I do my part. A 338 WM tips the scale at 8 1/4 Lbs and was also built by Brown Precision and is an excellent shooter as well but stays in the safe as it and the 300 are over my hunting rifle weight tolerance!!!! I have 10 other rifles of various calibers weigh between 7 and 7 3/4 lbs scoped and see action occasionally. One of my recent favoites is a very inexpensive Savage Axis in 6.5 Creedmore and shoots as well as my rifles costing 20 times what my customs cost and is very easy to load for...

I have a 29 year old Weatherby Ultralight in 280 rem with a Zeiss 3x9 scope and an OMR custom in 7 PRC with an MDT chassis and a Leica Amplus 3x18 scope. Both weigh 7.35#....both are a dream to carry.

ickes123 said:

Just wanted to see how light your hunting rifles are. They keep getting lighter.

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I’m still the opposite at 53. I get that some want to pack as little as possible and I don’t blame them. My choice is in the 11+ range because I want something that handles welll. Again to each his own and I’ll probably change my mind in another decade or two Lord willing.