Thoughts on rifle weight and hunting

[greatwhitehntr]

40+ years ago I started big game hunting with a Winchester 70 in 30-06 guessing total hunting weight was 10lbs. Some might say good weight. Let's you shoot better. bla bla bla. Fast forward those 40 years and my rifle is under 6lbs and pack weight is 7 ish and it hits steel at 1,200y if I do my part. Zero reason to punish your body with all the lite weight equipment now days.

And you can do this in heavy wind and the gun doesn't move?
Cuz that's the opposite of the experience I had with guns in that weight.

 

[dwinmeade]

No disrespect intended, but what a loaded question! Everyone is different...one size (situation) does not fit all. Different rifles/calibers, different ages of hunters, different shooting abilities, different physical capabilities...all these and more come into play...AND...only the person in question can answer for themselves.

The original question deals with weight, which is rather mute...because the Kifaru Gun Bear levels the weight field for all ages.

Perhaps what caliber to use is more important. Shoot the rifle/caliber you're most proficient with...just because you can shoot out the eye if a woodchuck at 500 yards with your 243, that's not the rifle for an elk hunt. What to do?

You start shooting out woodchuck eyes with your deer rifle/caliber that matches up better for elk.

Then practice, practice, practice until a 9" pie plate isn't safe at 1000 yards! (And neither is an elk.)

(There's a fellow on YouTube who shoots woodchucks with a 300 WM out to 5-600 yards. Real messy, but think an elk would be safe at 1000 yards with him?)

Above all, use your God given common sense. Don't let your 20 yr old mind tell your 69 yr old body what to do. Know/respect your own limitations dispite what others are saying.

 

[jpndave]

That's about the average weight for most of my rifles. I use Kifaru (universal) gun bearer.

FEENIX is spot on with this. I use the Gun Bearer with a Kifaru pack. They work amazingly well, no way would I go back. Rifle pretty much dissappears carrying it but ready very quickly.

Weight wise I have custom Kimber 84m in 6.5 with 24" bbl. at ~7-1/2lbs all up and a 300 PRC 26" based on a Montana Rifle Co that should land right about 10lbs when ready. The extra inches are manageable with the gun bearer and I prefer longer barrels when shooting.

 

[BearDog]

I have recently purchased a few rifles a bergara ridge and a terrain and they both are fairly heavy i know that weight is a benefit to shooting but wanted to see what some peoples cut off is for a rifle being to heavy the ridge i own is about 10lbs with scope and the tereain is almost 12.5lbs been looking at possibly replacing these guns for something a bit lighter such as a browning xbolt or tikka wanted peoples thoughts on the subject.

Really depends on your style of hunting. I had bought a Sendero a few years back thinking I'd get into long range comps and still be able to do week long alpine hunts with it. I'll save you the stories but let's say a few years later I bought a Christensen Arms Mesa in 6.5 cm. All up with a Vortex HST 4x16 it came in at 8.4lbs. Regardless of ones capabilities I will still try and close the distance on an animal before taking a shot. You hump a pack in over ten miles for a week, why wouldn't you give yourself every advantage?

However, this year I was lucky enough to draw a moose tag and I wanted to use a bigger round than the 6.5. That brings be back to my .300WM Sendero. I love that gun. So I put a 24" Proof Sendero lite on it. All up with a Vortex Viper PST it comes in at 8.8lbs....4oz heavier than my 6.5. If I put my can on it, it's still under 10lbs. It was close to 12lbs before.

I'd never go into the back country with a gun that's 12lbs again...at least not where I was going in deep with everything on my back. You shouldn't limit yourself with what you will bring just incase you might need to take a 1000yard poke at something.

 

[PNWdude67]

It's all relative. My "light rifle" is set up to be about 10 1/2 lbs with scope. My field comp. rifle is 18 1/2 lbs.

light one on the left.

 

[Ethan2000]

And you can do this in heavy wind and the gun doesn't move?
Cuz that's the opposite of the experience I had with guns in that weight.

Every year right out my back door. Trick is be a hunter and get closer.

 

[sea2summit]

Every year right out my back door. Trick is be a hunter and get closer.

So you can't hit 1,200 then or you can?

 

[sea2summit]

I'm a heavy rifle kind of guy. Started out young when I was squirrel hunting and my favorite rifle was a Winchester 52B with a 26" bull barrel because I could hit anything I could see through the sights. Haven't changed much over the years I still carry really heavy rifles because I love how they shoot. And like others have said, match the round to the distance/target then work backwards from there.

 

[Rich Coyle]

Mine are usually barrel heavy, and in the 10-14# range. Though I admit that I haven't done a ton of way-in backcountry hunting, I don't think I'd change that. I'm still in good enough shape to haul them around.

A wise man once pointed out to me the irony that people will spend an extra couple thousand dollars to shed some ounces off of their rifle, but won't spend an hour a day in the gym to lose 30 pounds off their middle.

How does one who is 5'7" and 160 loose "30 pounds off their middle"? I'm 76 and go to the gym six days a week and still use a 7 lb rifle. When I was younger up to about 60 I used an 11 lb rifle.

 

[Calhntr]

It's all personal, got two buddies that hunted with their BULL BARRELED REM700 .308 PSS'ES, (CA. PIG, CA. AND WY. ANTELOPE, CA. BLACKTAIL, MT. WHITETAIL, UT. HIGH ALTITUDE MULIES) ME PERSONALLY, THE OLDER I GET THE LIGHTER I WANT TO CARRY.

 

[sea2summit]

How does one who is 5'7" and 160 loose "30 pounds off their middle"? I'm 76 and go to the gym six days a week and still use a 7 lb rifle. When I was younger up to about 60 I used an 11 lb rifle.

Well maybe if you didn't do that cheat day every week

Seriously though, the guys out there still hitting the back country in their 70's and beyond are my hero's.

 

[gunaddict]

I had 3 ultra mags built identical, 7mm, 300, and 338 with fluted 29 inch light palmas. All right at 12 lbs with no bipod. I have sold the 300 and 388 ultra. And I have the 7 ultra sold after elk season. I had built a new 338 Ultra with a 27 1/2 inch #5 contour, fluted,10 twist. And a 300 Ultra with a 27 1/2 inch #4.5 contour, fluted, 10 twist . Going to order a 7mm 8 twist, 29 inch fluted #4.5 contour barrel to be finished at 27 1/2 inches. All of the barrels are Brux. And HS sporter stocks. They all have Wyatts 4.0 inch boxes in them.
My 7 ultra light palma weighs 11 lbs 12.06 ozs. Scoped
My new 338 ultra weighs 9 lbs 15.0 ozs. Scoped .
My new 300 ultra weighs 9. 11.04 ozs. Scoped.
My new 7 ultra should weigh about the same as the new 300 ultra.
My Factory 375 Ultra weighs 8 lbs 11.07 ozs for comparison. Scoped
I wish I would have built these lighter ones FIRST.

 

[MontanaOutdoorsman406]

I appreciate everyone's input and I do relieve it is a very personal question and subjective to how in shape that person is but wanted to get a general consensus on rifle weight to long range capability ratio and it seems for most people the sweet spot is around 8-10lbs loaded with scope. Thank you all for the responses.

 

[CTK]

An ultralight rifle does not work well for me. It exposes my flaws at the bench and off sticks. Used to blame the rifles and now know the problem is me. Had a poor experience with a perfectly accurate 5lb NULA. 8lbs rigged seems the starting weight for me to be confident at longer ranges.