Good Weight for a Hunting Rifle

[Aoudad shooter1975]

I prefer light...while not flyweight...my 7 SAUM is very nice at tic under 8lb loaded with Optics....I also don't mind a rifle up to 10lbs...i pack in a lot also hunt a lot out of a gator/ranger. I find barrel length or overall length of a rifle more important Han total weight for me. Long barrels while I like what they do--hate the way they handle.

Long answer to a short question..but I'd say if I had to build to a weight--I'd say 8.5lbs would be perfect.

 

[Rich Coyle]

Under seven pounds ready to go

 

[Muddyboots]

I'm 6'4" so I try to get down to about 250 or so.....

And the rifle? I like rifles more on having enough weight to be stable for non fixtured shots. Like leaning against tree etc. so I like rifles to be in the 8.5 range. The rifle I use the most is G1 Sendero so that comment goes out the window for me. I like lighter rifle but can't seem to put down the Sendero when it shoots so well. I am building a 300WSM on Magpul stock will be a "little" lighter so will see how that goes. The light rifle thing makes me wonder sometimes if over reaction is at play. How heavy is your pack? Or in my case, how heavy is my lunch?

 

[Snowboy]

The question is somewhat a personal thing & the answers cannot be an answered other than anyone else but you!!

I find these sort of questions pointless imo for this reason!!!!


What you can carry, bring up to your eye freehand & shoot is different to me.

What you can carry for miles & still be effective with it is different from me.

What 1 person can do has little relevance to what you can do.

Hence a pointless question imo.

Sorry just reality!!

I agree due to the type of hunting and what type of terrain you will be navigating.
For instance I moose hunt in an area where there are very few big hills and almost no roads. I use a model 700 in 300WSM in an HS Precision stock topped with a 2.5 to 10.5. power 40mm scope that weighs about 8.5lbs. Typically still hunt covering 6 to 8 miles per day on average.
Deer hunting I hunt in a very hilly area and typically put on 12 miles per day with the average vertical ascent about 3000 ft.. Here I use a Model 7 Rem. in 308 Win. With synthetic HS Precision stock topped with 1.5 to 5.5 power 38mm scope which weighs in at 6.7 lbs. After hunting all day I do appreciate the lighter weight. A long shot in either hunt is inside 400 yards.
So as you can see it totally depends on you. I will say that the lighter rifle is always quicker to get on target after a long climb.

 

[memtb]

What's your all's ideal weight for a hunting rifle? Whether it's a 100 yard walk to sit in a stand or to walk all over for hours at a time? Thanks guys let me know!!

While age is starting to play into my equation....I'll still advocate 9.0 pounds, scoped, loaded and slung using no brake. My wife and I have walked many miles in the mountains while deer, elk, or moose hunting. Obviously the rifles recoil plays heavily ( no pun intended) into carry weight. We both use fairly high recoil rifles, a lighter rifle makes recoil more unpleasant, while a heavy rifle makes carry more difficult.

If we were shooting the "infamous" 6.5 Creed @ 3.5 pounds (scoped, loaded, slung....no brake) it would put the recoil a few pounds less than my wife's rifle. This was calculated using a 140 grain bullet, 45.0 grains powder weight, @ 2800 fps.....I think my numbers are fairly representative!

Now that's a "carry rifle" weight! But.....probably "not" enough weight for stability! memtb

 

[Triple BB]

For me it depends on recoil. I have a 7lb Edge that just needs a scope. My Smith said if recoil affects yer accuracy because it's so light, we'll need to put a mercury recoil reducer in the butt stock. I'm thinking a 2lb Nightforce will get it where it needs to be...

 

[BrentM]

I have 2 rifles I use now strictly for chasing wolves all winter. I say that because there are 2 things that suck about winter hunting....snow shoeing and riding my snowbike with a pack. One rifle is a creedmoor and weighs 8.5 lbs with suppressor. My other rifle is a 6.5 prc with folding chassis and suppressor and weighs 10 lbs. I prefer the PRC folder for packing on the bike or sled as I run the barrel up with the chassis folded in my eberlestock. I am packing barrel down I run the folder so I have less sticking up catching on stuff. The lighter creed I will use if I know the day is going to be a real buttkicker hike/snow shoe day and ounces count.

so for me 8 to 10 lbs with suppressor seems pretty comfy. All of my past long range rifles were 11.5-13.

 

[Samesaw]

What's your all's ideal weight for a hunting rifle? Whether it's a 100 yard walk to sit in a stand or to walk all over for hours at a time? Thanks guys let me know!!

What's your all's ideal weight for a hunting rifle? Whether it's a 100 yard walk to sit in a stand or to walk all over for hours at a time? Thanks guys let me know!!

—-///—-

I love my Rem 700 mountain rifle in 30.06 at only 6.5 lbs before adding scope, bullets and other goodies.

Your rifle is like your wife, you fall in love and slave to keep her happy just for occasional exquisite raptured joy.
SE <><

 

[ANDREW RICKETTS]

The question is somewhat a personal thing & the answers cannot be an answered other than anyone else but you!!

I find these sort of questions pointless imo for this reason!!!!


What you can carry, bring up to your eye freehand & shoot is different to me.

What you can carry for miles & still be effective with it is different from me.

What 1 person can do has little relevance to what you can do.

Hence a pointless question imo.

Sorry just reality!!

Pretty sure the original post states, "What is your all's ideal carry weight for a rifle in each situation."

Not, "Whats the best carry weight for your rifle"

So therefor not a useless question. Its an opinion based question. Thanks

 

[Deleted member 107796]

My personal preference is go light or go home, only due to the performance of new recoil pad materials/designs and the fact that we do a lot of hunt hiking at +10000 ft. My Tikkas from 270win to 338wm, are slightly less than 6.4lb stock, before optics. That 338 is a freight train.

 

[Jeffrey Van Zandt]

What's your all's ideal weight for a hunting rifle? Whether it's a 100 yard walk to sit in a stand or to walk all over for hours at a time? Thanks guys let me know!!

I packed my AI all over the mts up here from 2007 till 2 years ago then built a lighter long range rifle a 9/14 lb rig with out scope it is like a feather carrying it. before the AI I packed a Remington heavy police 300 win mag for many many years it cam in at 14 lbs

 

[73driver]

7.25/7.5 with scope. Comfortable enough to carry all day over rugged terrain and hefty enough that you can hold on target with standard calibers.

 

[BigSky112]

What's your all's ideal weight for a hunting rifle? Whether it's a 100 yard walk to sit in a stand or to walk all over for hours at a time? Thanks guys let me know!! 6 LBS before optics for and all day Western Mountains hunt !

 

[Rich Coyle]

I'm 6'4" so I try to get down to about 250 or so.....

And the rifle? I like rifles more on having enough weight to be stable for non fixtured shots. Like leaning against tree etc. so I like rifles to be in the 8.5 range. The rifle I use the most is G1 Sendero so that comment goes out the window for me. I like lighter rifle but can't seem to put down the Sendero when it shoots so well. I am building a 300WSM on Magpul stock will be a "little" lighter so will see how that goes. The light rifle thing makes me wonder sometimes if over reaction is at play. How heavy is your pack? Or in my case, how heavy is my lunch?

The pack is carried by the whole body. The rifle is carried in one hand. That's quite a difference.