HOW LIGHT IS YOUR RIFLE

[ickes123]

My lightest is 9 lbs., but the one I use exclusively is 11.5 lbs. I will go with a heavier barrel next time and will move to a 28", instead of a 26".

You western guy's is soon going to have 2 zip codes for your barrels they keep getting longer. good stuff

 

[Will.284]

I’m presently working on a 7 prc that should be 8 1/2 is scoped and loaded, or my sig cross in 6.5 loaded , scoped, can and bipod 8 ish lbs - love that rifle

 

[Tom264]

You western guy's is soon going to have 2 zip codes barrel they keep getting longer. good stuff

28 ain’t nothing.
I had a 30” 264 for awhile

 

[crazymonkey]

28 ain't nothing.
I had a 30" 264 for awhile

Heck I've got two at 26 inches and cans that take them to 33and 35 inches suppressed. Next build is going to be a tad shorter. Say 20/22 and a quarter bore.

 

[Playtimefun]

I am leaning towards the lightweights but have everything. The lightest is the Browning Ti 325 at 6.3 lbs, then my Wby ultralight in 280 AI at 6.7 lbs, then Savage lightweight in 6.5x284 at 6.77 lbs and then the Browning Ti in 7 WSM at 6.8 lbs. Then the remainder all the way up to my 300 RUM custom built Sako and 9.7 lbs and my 30-378 WBY right at 10 lbs.

It's a question of what your personal preference is when your out hunting. How far are you walking? For me, my heavy guns are more for certain situations... standing behind a round bale waiting for an elk to come out of the bush. A specific coulee where I know that the mule deer love to sit in... the lightweights are for when I gotta walk for a while. Or push bush. Now, none of my hunting involves pack hunting. But even if I was... I don't know if I would want to pack extra weight in my pack?

To illustrate how different a hunting style can be... when I go out for a day, I generally have 3 rifles in the truck. I hunt with 1 for a couple of hours then the next etc etc. But sometimes if I know I'm going into a specific area, I'll take a lightweight for walking, a long range for if I need it and then something in between. But I also went one day with a Win 88, 100 and Savage 99 all in 284 Win for the fun of it.

To me... you think of what you will encounter the most and plan accordingly. I'll throw a catch 22 in this all... why would you carry a 9.5 lb or more rifle unless you need the weight to tame the recoil? Unless your carrying a Ruger No. 1, Blaser K95, with a 26" barrel, you start putting a 26" or 28" barrel on a long action for a 300 RUM and wow... it's a handful to start handling through the bush.

While my wife would advise strongly against this... it's a good reason to have multiple rifles... then your covered for whatever situation your going into. What's that honey... no I'm not on a gun auction site... no... I'm not bidding on another gun... I'm watching porn... no I'm not buying more reloading stuff... honest I'm on a porn site!!!! I think she just walked away muttering bullsh!t...

 

[VinceMule]

Simple Physics dictates rifle weight to some degree. The term "barrel time" is how long the bullet is in the barrel during recoil, prior to the bullet exiting the muzzle. The lighter the rifle, the more movement of the muzzle prior to the bullet exiting the barrel.

You have to balance your need for accuracy vs convenience of carry. My lightweight rifles are short-range affairs due to "barrel time".

 

[TexSavage]

14 lb 300WSM, 26”, can, oryx chassis, NXS 5.5x20x56, Savage 12BVSS.

 

[Tom264]

Heck I've got two at 26 inches and cans that take them to 33and 35 inches suppressed. Next build is going to be a tad shorter. Say 20/22 and a quarter bore.

Yup.
My last build is a .308 at 16.5” for my TBAC 338 ultra can.
Much nicer to handle than the 30” rifle.
It weighs with can at 8lbs 12.1oz.

 

[ickes123]

Yup.
My last build is a .308 at 16.5" for my TBAC 338 ultra can.
Much nicer to handle than the 30" rifle.
It weighs with can at 8lbs 12.1oz.

hard to keep a gun under 8 pound scopped

Yup.
My last build is a .308 at 16.5" for my TBAC 338 ultra can.
Much nicer to handle than the 30" rifle.
It weighs with can at 8lbs 12.1o

 

[Lymey]

I have a Brown Precision in 6mm Remington that I had made in the mid 80's that weighs just under 6 pounds scoped and loaded. Shoots under 1/2 moa and stings my cheek when shot.

 

[ZG47]

Got a 30-06 bolt @ 6.8 pounds got a 5.8pound 308AR, but my most accurate are 8.5-9.5 pounders 7rm and 300rum

Funny that … ! No such thing as a free lunch. My ZG 47 in .30-06 will shoot five rounds prone, just as well as my 7.62x51 target rifle which has a Spanish Air Force M98 action, Kongsberg barrel and a Goodwin trigger. The ZG 47 is hunting accurate, scope returns to zero with Warne QD rings and the—opposing-screw, windage-adjustable—barrel-mounted open backsight is superb.
I had a CZ 527 chambered in .223 Remington. Easy to carry but fitted with a ridiculous trigger. Okay for snap shots in the bush at very short range but otherwise … pretty much useless.

 

[ickes123]

I have a Brown Precision in 6mm Remington that I had made in the mid 80's that weighs just under 6 pounds scoped and loaded. Shoots under 1/2 moa and stings my cheek when shot.

that's light

 

[dogz]

I have a Brown Precision in 6mm Remington that I had made in the mid 80's that weighs just under 6 pounds scoped and loaded. Shoots under 1/2 moa and stings my cheek when shot.

Those were/are great rigs!

 

[petbug]

.280 AI 26” custom built with scope, ammo and sling 9 lbs