HOW LIGHT IS YOUR RIFLE

[Mickp7]

This is one of the many reasons to own multiple rifles... proper tool for the task.
My PA stalking rifle is 7 lb 6 oz, and is often held in front at the ready.
My Ohio (straight wall, so 45/70) is 8 lb 9 oz.
My elk rifles are 7 PRC 9 lb w/ suppressor, 7RM 9 lb 14 oz braked, and 28 NOS just over 10 lb. We typically horseback the heavy mileage so the extra weight for shooting stability is a no brainer. If I were to trek the mountains on foot, I'd opt for the 7 PRC.
Long range steel shooting rifle is 300 PRC just under 20 lb.

 

[TH]

I agree 100%, although I'm not humping them for miles through the mountains

That's why God invented Mules

 

[Raudy707]

I'm still a backpacker and high country elk hunter so every ounce matters to me. My rifles for these hunts are 7 to 7.5 lbs. If it's a driving around walk a half mile to a stand kind of hunt I will take my 9 to 10 lb rifles. My heaviest is a 300 Weatherby at 10.7 lbs. Mark V with a 26" barrel. I am getting older so I'm guessing my rifles will continue to get lighter and more compact. I really like 20" barrels these days and while it means my shots are 400 to 500 yds max that's still plenty far for hunting situations. Even my 338 win mag is a Winchester Model 70 Alaskan is light. 7 lbs 11 oz. With a scope, yes a lightweight Leupy, it's 9 lbs ready to go.

 

[Airedale56]

As I get older, my rifles keep getting lighter! A couple of years ago I harvested a mule deer with my Tikka 270 WSM and the experience taught me I was done hunting and harvesting big game! I was 75 at the time and had trouble hanging the deer up to gut it out and then almost passed out a couple of times while I boned it out on the ground! So – I decided since I didn't want to quit hunting, I'd transition to coyote hunting instead. I have a Remington Varmint rifle in 22-250 that has a heavy barrel and it's a 1/4 inch rifle with the right loads but it's probably around 10 or 12 lbs but I haven't weighed it! I would use that for coyotes but it's too heavy for me to carry anymore! So I bought a Tikka T3 SuperLite in 22-250! With a light scope on it weighs somewhere around 6 ½ to 7 lbs. However, a number of years ago I had a rifle built on a Remington M-7 action in 257 Ackley Improved! I had it barreled with a 22 inch PacNor barrel and turned to the Winchester featherweight contour -- and I choose everything else about the build based on weight! The stock weighs 1 lb, the scope is a Leupold Ultralight 3x9 scope at about 9.5 ozs and the scope mount was the lightest I could find at the time -- S&K bases and rings which comes in at ounces too! Overall the rifle weighs something like 6 lbs loaded!

25 years ago I knew a Federal Trapper in Gillette who used a .257-AI with 75 grain bullets for his primary rifle on coyotes.
He was deadly with it.