HOW LIGHT IS YOUR RIFLE

My favorite light gun is my 1975 rem 700 30-06 with a 22 inch barrel and hogue stock. 6lb 13oz. Not the best for shooting over 400 yards but I can pack it all day and get it off my shoulder as fast as most can draw a pistol.
 
Last edited:
Just wanted to see how light your hunting rifles are. They keep getting lighter.
I have multiple rifles, but my mountain rifle is a Weatherby Mark 5 carbon with a factory fluted barrel in 338 RPM. I have a Vortex Razor HD LHT 4.5-22X50 FFP. The whole package with ammo weighs in at 6.5 pounds. I have taken plenty of game with it out to 400 yards and have used it on a 1000 yard range with good accuracy.
 
This made me chuckle…
Savage 10T 26" barrel with the MDT field stock weighs somewhere between a boat anchor and a 12 year old. But it was purpose built as a BR gun.

I have been thinking about getting a tikka for actual woods walking.

Come to think of it, it might be a little closer to a '68 Buick.
 
Shooters physical shape, age, style of hunting, and purpose all have a to be taken into account when choosing a rifle weight. For many years I didn't even think about it. I understand the physics of heavier rifles making steady platforms for shooting. Although I have never wished for a heavier rifle while hunting. I don't shoot prairie dogs, but could see the advantage of a heavy rifle if I did. I had a 12+ lb rifle recently that was not any easier to stay on target than my 8 lb rifle. I no longer have the heavy rifle.
 
I had a custom rifle built by Prairie Gun Works back in the 1990's as my sheep rifle. It was originally chambered in 6.5 STW but now has been rebarreled in 6.5-300 Wby. It is a Remington 700 clone made of titanium M18Ti, with a 26" #2 contour barrel and a McMillan ultralight Edge Hunter stock. The rifle weighs 5.5 lbs with its single stack blind magazine loaded and integral scope base and rings but no scope. With the current scope it weighs 7 lbs on the nose and is very shootable. I killed my grand slam of sheep with one shot each. None moved more than 10 feet.
This rifle is now on its third barrel and will shoot 1/2 MOA from a bench and 1 MOA from field positions.
I know lighter rifles can be difficult to shoot well but this one will outshoot many of my 9-12 lb rifles.
 
Just wanted to see how light your hunting rifles are. They keep getting lighter.
I have a 7mm-08 and 308 that go 7 lbs with scope. for magnums, I have a 7mm Rem Mag and a 300 WSM that go 7 lbs 4 oz and 7 lbs 5 oz respectively. On the heavy side both my 300 & 340 Weatherby's are over 9 1/2 lbs with scope. Definitely heavier than I like. I prefer my rifles light
 
For a hunting rifle, my lightest is right around 8.25# scoped and suppressed.

Most of my hunting rifles are in the 8.5-10.5# range. I have a couple that are in the 11# scoped and suppressed.

I have one rifle in the 15# range, but I don't consider it a "hunting" rifle. I built it for banging steel, but it would make a fantastic hunting rifle too.
 
My lightest is a Weatherby Backcountry 2 Titanium in .308. Coupled with a Leupold 3-9x33 Ultralight scope. It weighs 5 lbs 6 ounces scoped without the ammo. Easy to carry but not very good for range days with the super slim barrel.
 
Top