Rifle Weight Vs. Distance capability...

[Methow Packer]

I'm 65 now. Do a lot of my hunting on my horses so weight isn't quite as important. However my .300 WM had a #2-3 sporter 26" barrel that weighed 7.5 lb with scope. The recoil was heavy and the barrel was too whippy and after three shots at the range accuracy was a problem. Went to a #4 fluted stainless 26" w/a Vais brake. I might have increased the weight 12 oz or so but the trade off has been worth it. Most people can handle carrying a 8 1/2 pound rifle if its not an all day 15 mile hike.

 

[tony m]

Age is a factor...fitness...injuries.Getting older is not for wimps.There is not an ideal solution really.Good for the arms/munition industry, we keep trying new things.I half to wonder about the premium single shots, for myself- easy to pack and maneuver in the rocks.It is great to here about other peoples solutions to this.You don't find a 26" barrel to long?

 

[Trever]

My build is still ongoing but my stock and barrel are at 10 lbs. already. I may have to quit smoking for this one.

 

[tony m]

Hey, it's all good-some of us are just fools.Going n/s a good goal anyway.take care

 

[Timber338]

I don't mind carrying a little extra weight. I feel like a rifle + scope weighing in around 10-12 pounds as a good compromise. After several days of hunting I never feel like it is too heavy, while longer shots are still manageable.

 

[tony m]

Hey-thank God we can choose.It seems most everybody will have a little different approach to this-otherwise there is not much reason to chat.I like most long guns anyway.The key is to be familar with it,and enjoy

 

[Danehunter]

As I said in my earlier post:
"WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY"


With titanium actions, carbon fiber wrapped barrels and polymer stocks a .300 Win mag or .300 Norma mag can be in the 8 lb. range with a scope and aluminum rings.

BUT, mon Dieu! the heavy recoil from that light rifle must be managed with a good muzle brake, good recoil pad and, as stated, a shoulder pad would help as well.

So there you have your LR mountain rifle in a managable weight with managable recoil.

It ain't rocket surgery.

 

[Barrelnut]

As I said in my earlier post:
"WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY" It ain't rocket surgery.

No, it is more about being able to hit long range with a lightweight rifle. The extra weight of a regular LR rifle provides stability during the shot. This is one reason lRH rifles tend to be heavier. I for one cannot hit anything LR with a light rifle and buck fever.

 

[tony m]

Y'know , when you factor in the earth's rotation, gyroscopic bullet drift, wind calculations, bullet performance.It is rocket medicine.

 

[Danehunter]

But if you have a Horus/Kestrel 4200 weather meter with Horus' ballistic tables you just enter your rifle and ammo data once and the distance each time and it will calculate ALL of that data you mentioned plus wind, altitude/density and angle correction for a firing solution that is very accurate.

So:
a Bushnell's 1 Mile ARC laser rangefinder or equivalent
a Horus/Kestrel weather station/ballistic calculator (there is no substitute)
a good mil/mil scope

And you should be in business IF you have a good rifle and lots of practice.

 

[tony m]

What's hunting the wild places without data?Just empty cyberspaces, I guess.

 

[COBrad]

Does that Horus/Kestrel unit have the ability to measure incline, or do you have to enter that measurement?

 

[tony m]

What kind of landscape do you folks hunt?Myself, it looks alot like what you see on this site,getting up to mountain game is arduous - then you climb,which a lot of times requires two hands.We go light believing that if we connect,our packs will be loaded coming out.The truck might be 5 miles off-or more.Curious about your experiences and what type of hunting is done.

 

[Timber338]

What kind of landscape do you folks hunt?Myself, it looks alot like what you see on this site,getting up to mountain game is arduous - then you climb,which a lot of times requires two hands.We go light believing that if we connect,our packs will be loaded coming out.The truck might be 5 miles off-or more.Curious about your experiences and what type of hunting is done.

My favorite elk landscape has a little of everything and overall it's darn rugged. Big open canyons that you can see for miles, dark timber that gets so thick you can't make it through all of it, rolling aspen forests, lots of gamble oaks. water everywhere sometimes too much and the trails get awful muddy. oh, and elk everywhere, that's the important part. lots of bears too. not the best deer hunting until snow pushes them down from higher up later in the fall.

Elevation wise the best hunting is between about 8,000 ft and 10,000 feet, but you can find em anywhere between 7500 and 11500. Gotta backpack in some miles to setup camp so there's always the trade off to be light but still have some creature comforts. I'm still relatively young and in good shape so I tend to bring more gear to be comfortable and then hit it hard on the pack out with gear and elk. Depending on the size of the critter it takes 4 to 6 trips to the car with quarters and gear to pack out, sometimes that adds up to nearly 50 total miles to pack out over 6 round-trips if you get lucky and shoot a big one.