Shootability vs. Packability. What is the optimal rifle weight?

[dok7mm]

You're right, it sounds crazy. Wouldn't have worked for me, this year anyway, as I drew a tag in a wilderness area. No wheeled or motorized vehicles and that includes bikes and carts. You kill and pack it out on your back, in our case a minimum of 7 miles. The one good thing is you are sure not gonna shoot anything but a bigun, with that packout facing you.

 

[WildRose]

You're right, it sounds crazy. Wouldn't have worked for me, this year anyway, as I drew a tag in a wilderness area. No wheeled or motorized vehicles and that includes bikes and carts. You kill and pack it out on your back, in our case a minimum of 7 miles. The one good thing is you are sure not gonna shoot anything but a bigun, with that packout facing you.

Double check, they might allow the manual golf caddy for personal gear, no motor, should be no problem.

 

[russell barngrover]

I do a lot of mountain hunting and nothing on the market suited what I was after so I had it made. It's my Nosler 26 weighing in at 8.5 pounds. It's a beast and surely one of a kind and most of all packable!! Pic to follow

 

[Bigaldepr]

If you plan on packing out hundreds pounds of meat, then it would seem the weight of the rifle should not be of concern. Second is where are you going to hunt. If you are in heavily wooded steep mountain terrain where you are lucky to see more than 50 yards then light is the way to go. Otherwise an accurate shot is what you need and that means mass.

 

[russell barngrover]

My new mountain rifle will be 100% carbon fiber. I applied the same concept of packability that folds for a very compact set up.

 

[russell barngrover]

Sorry everyone but I needed three posts to be able to post pic of my ultimate pack gun. Hopefully after this one I can post a pic.

 

[russell barngrover]

 

[russell barngrover]

There are two of my previous attempts to build the perfect packable mountain rifle. On the right is a 300 RSAUM with the extendable butt. Didn't like it when I got my first every scope scare from forgetting to extent the stock out far enough in the heat of the moment. On the left is the 26 Nosler with folding stock. Love it!

 

[Ltbullken]

I try to keep it under 9lbs. Typically running about 7 3/4 to 8 1/4 lbs. I'm not a fan of really light rifles because of recoil and stability. I just recently got a Howa 1500 (it was on sale and I like the actions to build on!). Scoped, it touches 9lbs. But my handloads in it are so darn accurate that it is worth it for sheep hunting and open country mule deer. I wouldn't want to go much heavier than that. I fact I'm considering ways to lighten the Howa up a bit. The stock is a real anchor IMO and that might the easiest way to drop a pound +/- without altering all the steel which is what makes it so accurate.

 

[HOT TUNA]

I carry around a 15.5 pound rifle out west. That's a finished weight with rifle, scope, rings, full magazine of ammo, and a bipod. I spent a lot of years in the Army packing 24-36 pound machine guns plus 800 rounds of belted ammo around on extended field exercises, so to me 15.5 pounds feels like a nerf gun. This is going to be a very opinionated subject and at the end of the day it's what you are comfortable with (or physically capable of carrying). That 15.5 pound rifle is a freaking laser beam for me and when I pull the trigger on a target I have a great amount of confidence my bullet is going exactly where I want it to. For that reason alone it gets to come along. I would rather train to be physically fit enough to bring a heavy precision rifle on a hunt with me than settle on bringing a lighter rifle that I'm not as accurate with because that's all I can hump around.

 

[Rich Coyle]

I carry around a 15.5 pound rifle out west. That's a finished weight with rifle, scope, rings, full magazine of ammo, and a bipod. I spent a lot of years in the Army packing 24-36 pound machine guns plus 800 rounds of belted ammo around on extended field exercises, so to me 15.5 pounds feels like a nerf gun. This is going to be a very opinionated subject and at the end of the day it's what you are comfortable with (or physically capable of carrying). That 15.5 pound rifle is a freaking laser beam for me and when I pull the trigger on a target I have a great amount of confidence my bullet is going exactly where I want it to. For that reason alone it gets to come along. I would rather train to be physically fit enough to bring a heavy precision rifle on a hunt with me than settle on bringing a lighter rifle that I'm not as accurate with because that's all I can hump around.

Youth certainly has its advantages.

 

[Raudy707]

For high altitude 10 to 12 mile per day hunts I like a 7 to 8 lb rifle. If I'm hunting the rolling hills of Craig, CO or antelope in Wyoming I carry my 10 lb rifle. Both my rifles are completely custom and shoot farther than I am willing to at game animals so even my light Tikka t3 270 WSM at 7.9 lbs fully loaded will ring an 8 inch steel plate at 1000 yds with amazing consistency. My HEAVY rifle is my 280 AI Rem 700 at 9.9 lbs and shooting 168 grain Accubond LR out to 1500 yds so far just under MOA. Very fun at the range but not at 10k feet on a backpack hunt.

 

[Hogbreath55]

For me, I have found all of my favorite go to hunters fall between 8.9 and 12.8# fully dressed (mag, ammo, suppressor, bipod, sling and 2# scope, I too abhor funky glass). That being said, I have found my hunting range determines rifle weight..oddly enough, the worst/most rugged terrain I end up with my heaviest units, the more challenging the possible shot, the more I prefer a heavier more stable platform

 

[Raudy707]

Sorry everyone but I needed three posts to be able to post pic of my ultimate pack gun. Hopefully after this one I can post a pic.

I'm in the same boat...