How light is too light...pros n cons??

[Westo5]

Thanks for all the input....I think I'm just gonna go ahead and pull the trigger on this rifle.Im not overly concerned about recoil,I plan to tame it down with a good brake,the NIB scope that currently have waiting for a home is a hefty 23 ounces,loaded mag,sling et al should come in around 8lbs(?),plus intend to use an Atlas bipod with QD mount.
Could be just my OCD getting best of me,but I'm an obsessive compulsive shopper,haha.
Seen it,held it,shouldered it,worked it.....went home and read up on the cartridge for 12 straight hours and 5 more days now....now I'm pretty much obsessed with the idea and must have it.

 

[LongBomber]

I have an edge ti (26 nos), if your shoots like mine the rifle will not hold you back at 700-800 yards. I also have no issue with a 300wsm, even with heavy bullets. All three of the wsm I have had/have must be magical because I don't find them to be far off what my standard mags did with 200-230gr bullets. I found more velocity spread at lighter bullet weights than with the 230 berger.
I think you will enjoy the rifle. I live down in Fernie bc, if you are ever out this way and want to do some shooting let me know.

 

[jaeger19]

Thanks for all the input....I think I'm just gonna go ahead and pull the trigger on this rifle.Im not overly concerned about recoil,I plan to tame it down with a good brake,the NIB scope that currently have waiting for a home is a hefty 23 ounces,loaded mag,sling et al should come in around 8lbs(?),plus intend to use an Atlas bipod with QD mount.
Could be just my OCD getting best of me,but I'm an obsessive compulsive shopper,haha.
Seen it,held it,shouldered it,worked it.....went home and read up on the cartridge for 12 straight hours and 5 more days now....now I'm pretty much obsessed with the idea and must have it.

Let us know how it shoots. I would like to see how the fierce shoots. I am into light rifles as well. Including a 300wsm. Recoil with a good break is manageable. You might have issues with.. 1. Longer bullets like monolithics dont seem to stabilize well . So 168 gr ttsx was great. 180ttsx terrible. 2. You may have to mount the vortex higher. The large windage knob interfered with ejection of the cartridge on his 300wsm. 3. You may find that the barrel heats up fast and changes point of impact for followup shots. The third shot of a quick string on my accurized tikka rises as much as 3 inches at 200 yards.

 

[FEENIX]

One thing I will add that I noticed on my rig which comes in right around 10 pounds and is a 300 win mag is that recoil with the brake is not an issue. I can shoot it all day if I want. If I am solo hunting what is an issue is that even at 10 pounds I barely cant see my hits as there is just a little too much jump in her. Being able to spot ones own hits could come in handy if you are hunting solo.

+1! There are plenty of effective muzzle brakes to choose from nowadays and prices are very reasonable. I didn't start using muzzle brakes until 2003 and I was hooked then; not only did it reduce the felt recoil of my .300 WM to that of a .243's, the muzzle rise was also reduced significantly to spot targets on impact ... PRICELESS.

I understand it is not for everybody and it's an option that is available. It adds more weight and pricey add the moment not to mention the long wait but a suppressor is another option, if legal to use where the OP lives or hunts.

Cheers!

 

[Antonio m]

For me, I don't want to encumbered by extra weight or bulk while hunting our mountains.In fact I won't use any chambering that requires longer than a 22"barrel. Longer barrels,heavier,bulkier rifles are left at home.Even the spotting scope is a compact.The only item that isn't are my German made 10x 43 binoculars.Unless you are 25,in phenomenal shape it isn't even on the table for discussion if you scramble up these steep rocks,imo

 

[Westo5]

I have an edge ti (26 nos), if your shoots like mine the rifle will not hold you back at 700-800 yards. I also have no issue with a 300wsm, even with heavy bullets. All three of the wsm I have had/have must be magical because I don't find them to be far off what my standard mags did with 200-230gr bullets. I found more velocity spread at lighter bullet weights than with the 230 berger.
I think you will enjoy the rifle. I live down in Fernie bc, if you are ever out this way and want to do some shooting let me know.

Thx for the input and offer.Ive been meaning to get down to Fernie for some flyfishing one of these days...maybe this year?

Let us know how it shoots. I would like to see how the fierce shoots. I am into light rifles as well. Including a 300wsm. Recoil with a good break is manageable. You might have issues with.. 1. Longer bullets like monolithics dont seem to stabilize well . So 168 gr ttsx was great. 180ttsx terrible. 2. You may have to mount the vortex higher. The large windage knob interfered with ejection of the cartridge on his 300wsm. 3. You may find that the barrel heats up fast and changes point of impact for followup shots. The third shot of a quick string on my accurized tikka rises as much as 3 inches at 200 yards.

-I do like monolithics and was hoping the new rifle will like GMX,have yet to try any TTSX?looking forward to trying ELDX as well?
-I'm not locked in/totally commited to mounting the PST on it,in fact,considering going with a more simplistic system that will cover most any hunting situation.I've been looking into different BDC offerings from various mfrs.,but it seems none are very precise nor tailored to custom loads....and effectively max out at 5-600yards?That said,I believe I could make a BDC reticle in 2FP work with a lot of experimentation,first to calculate the actual values for my specific load at full power(9x?)....and then perhaps crank down the magnification to change the holdover values for longer shots?
.....but that seems like a lot of work and dope charts,and a bit counterproductive if one has to turn down the mag to shoot farther?
So now I'm thinking maybe a Loopy with CDS/maybe double turn CDS??
Fwiw,can anybody tell me if I can get CDS caps for windage as well?Leupold's website leaves a lot to be desired in terms of info and specs IMHO?
-as for heat/POI shift.....I don't plan to compete nor lay down suppressive fire with it so not too concerned,lol.....and it's a carbon fiber wrapped barrel which I presume aids in cooling with more surface area than a standard lite contour barrel....a first for me,perhaps I'm wrong?

For me, I don't want to encumbered by extra weight or bulk while hunting our mountains.In fact I won't use any chambering that requires longer than a 22"barrel. Longer barrels,heavier,bulkier rifles are left at home.Even the spotting scope is a compact.The only item that isn't are my German made 10x 43 binoculars.Unless you are 25,in phenomenal shape it isn't even on the table for discussion if you scramble up these steep rocks,imo

I'm almost twice that age and don't scramble anywhere unless I'm really scared or really mad,haha.Sheep hunting is on the bucket list...right after quitting smoking.
Elk and deer in east slope Rockies/Alberta foothills is tough enough on these lungs and legs,if I need to get any higher I'll just sit on a stump and twist one up or load up a bowl.

Truth is,I'm a longgg ways at this point from taking any 700 yard shots on live game,which is just about exactly twice as far as I've ever shot any animals in 35+ years of hunting(a few from 300-350y).....in fact,just to have the opportunity to shoot 500+ yards I will likely have to change my hunting style and preferred habitat from bigwoods stillhunting/S&S to more open country/glassing etc.?I could count without taking my socks off the number of animals that I've had to pass up over near 4 decades of hunting because they were too far for my own and/or my rifles capabilities in the habitats that I typically hunt.I mainly just want to build the skills and confidence to do so with capable equipment if I so choose,and have fun banging extended range gongs and rocks.Ive probly already killed more big game with a bow then I ever will at 500+ yards if I hunt for another 40 years,but I'd like to be able to hit a basketball at 1000 yards just for fun.

 

[Antonio m]

I am not a long range hunter myself,I just like this site, I find there is a lot of information here. My go to rifles are chambered in the .270 win and a short 45/70 but I like efficiency coupled with portability. Takedown rifles with detachable scope intrigue me for what I do,the .270 has both and holds its zero. A rifle you can stick in your backpack or horsepack in a storm. I first saw detachable scopes in the early 80's, a German elk hunter client carried the rifle scope in a pouch attaching it when required and it held zero at moderate ranges -it was excellent.

 

[J E Custom]

I have a favorite quote that to me sums it up well.

''The only Advantage A Light rifle Has over a heavy rifle Is Weight"

My recommendation is to go with the heaviest rifle you can comfortably carry/hunt with and don't go for the lightest rifle you can assemble. Light weight rifles are very ammo sensitive and are not shooter friendly. But They are nice to carry if that is the priority.

Just my opinion

J E CUSTOM

 

[MarkMc]

This is my first post as I'm mostly a lurker but a topic that I have thought about alot. A couple years ago I started Elk hunting. For the last 30 yrs or so I have mostly hunted moose and deer. On my first dedicated Elk hunt I carried my moose rig; a pre64 winchester 375 H&H. Walking 8-10 K per day humping my 11#+ old friend up and down 1000 vertical feet 4 times a day got old real fast. I have other rifles but the H&H has gathered a dozen or so moose for me and is a good old friend.
I decided to build a purpose built gun, after many discussions with gunsmiths I bought a bunch of tools and am in the final stages of my first owner built gun. It is a Husqvarna M98, MPI Classic stock. timney trigger, match grade crome moly barrel, aluminum bottom metal from a browning, 3 position dakota safety, jeweled bolt, aluminum night force picatinny rail. I'm just finishing off the oven I built for a olive cerakote finish. It is chambered in 338-06, planning to shoot 225 gr bullets near 2700 fps. It appears to be about 7#s now, I'll need to weigh it. I bought a 2.5-10 PST but have not mounted it as my 1.5-4 Zeiss is probably the scope I'll put on it (might be interested in a trade on your bigger PST).
I have a 308 NM as a deer gun, shoots 178gr Amax just over 3100 fps. Didn't know much about the WSM until last year my hunting partner bought a 325 WSM. It is a fantastic round, first handload was 1/2 MOA. The 300 is near equal the performance of my Norma. It has collected moose, bear and deer for me. Only ever recovered one round out of the spine of a 300# white tail (180 Speer Grandslam).
The long range bug has bitten me as I am planning on a 6.5 Sherman next. I have never owned a gun with a break but 30 yrs ago I barreled a gun in 25-284 for coyotes. 85 gr Nosler at 3740 fps was devastating on hides, but a good killer. I had a 6-24 B&L on it in the beginning and practiced on gophers at 500 yds, point being a spotter was essential. I never saw the poi, unless I was the spotter. My 6.5 will have a break, not because of felt recoil but because of control. I shot 4000 rds through the 25 until it started to spray the bullets. I decided to use it before it was shot out as a deer gun, I took the giant scope off and put a small Schmidt & Bender fixed 4 power. I shot at least 20 deer and one bear. The small fragable bullet only had one poi, the boiler room. All the game were 1 shot kills, not one took another step. I decided that a giant scope had no place on a hunting gun I carried all day long.
As obvious as my OCD is back to weight. Never sacrifice accuracy for weight. My 308 Norma with its pencil thin barrel will only shoot 1/2 MOA if I what 5 minutes between the second and third shots. I'll never do that again. The first really good scope I owned is on the Norma, a 2.5-10X56 Swarovski. I'd rather have a cheap gun with good glass than a good gun with cheap glass.
I am really interested in the proof research CF barrel for my 6.5, but it will more than likely get a cut rifled SS barrel. I agree that light weight guns tend to be ammo sensitive (my Norma is) but there are light weight alternatives, just add money. I'm not a bench rest shooter, but I spend 45+ days in the mountains a year. I'm fat and old, can't sing or dance, but I spend a lot of money on other light weight equipment. So I'm not sure my gun has to be heavy, but it has to be accurate.
My 50 cents.