Who hunts with a 12+lb rifle?

[WeiserBucks]

My Desert Tech is 14.75 now , will be 15.75 once my suppressor shows up. I carry it strapped to the center outside of my KUIU pack . I don't care for the KUIU side rifle carrier, but strapping the rifle to the center of the pack works great.

 

[Chromeslayer]

Two over 14lbs.. usually carried with a standard sling

 

[howlemup]

Thanks for all the replies guys! Mine weighs in at 17.5lbs with suppressor.

 

[Elfego Baca]

In Idaho the weight limit with all attached accessories is 16 pounds!

 

[BrianID]

My 338 Lapua is about 15lbs. I packed it on an elk hunt in AZ last year that I didn't see a road for 7 days. I had it in an eberlystock pack most of the time. I ended up shooting my elk at about 160 yards and could have killed it just as easy with my 6.5 Creedmoore that only weighs about 6lbs with scope and ammo. If I draw that same elk hunt next year I'll be packing my 338 Lapua and I'll be packing the Lapua for my orxy hunt in NM in 40 days. I've been shooting mule deer with a 300 win mag for over 15 years. Even though these guns are overkill for most things I hunt it is nice to have some "authority" when I do take the shot. I went by the logic that it makes more sense for me to loose 5lbs of weight than to try to take the weight off the rifle. Don't forget the weight limit in Idaho.

 

[Lone Hunter]

Can I ask why there is a weight limit? That doesn't make sense to me but pretty much anything they do now days does not make sense.

 

[COmtnman1]

i've hunted the Maroon Bells/Snowmass wilderness area of W. Colo. since 1981, using horses until 1995 i think. After that, all backpack hunting. Carried a custom 7MM Rem. mag. that weighed in at 11 lbs. unloaded. Horse carried it in a scabbard or i carried it in my hands while hunting in those days. After the horse days, i always carried it in my hands, never on my pack. Camp was normally 10 plus miles from vehicle & not counting rifle, my pack weighed 80 lbs. plus or minus. Duration of trip was 1-2 wks.

 

[2Rope]

If a hunter can't carry an extra 2 to 5 pounds for an accurate rifle, leave something else behind... I carry a 12+ lb rifle in my hands or with a regular 2 point sling. I hunt mostly in NW New Mexico or SW Colo. I'm 62 and all of this is just my opinion...

 

[ofbandg]

Over many years I carried a custom P-17 Enfield in 300 Wby. for my backpack elk hunts. I never weighed it but with the dense Fajen stock and all that heavy metal it had to be at least twelve pounds. In those days the weight wasn't really a factor when you had confidence in the rifle. The work I did kept me physically fit and I live in the mountains, and I hiked almost daily at that time, so endurance wasn't an issue. That said, packing a big animal out of the hills will never be easy no matter how light your rig is going in. Too often I find that backpack hunters, or even long hike hunters, max out their ability for the trip in and are overwhelmed when they are successful. All that effort to shave ounces off your load pales when confronted with eight or nine hundred pounds of dead elk laid out on a mountainside. If you don't want to hurt yourself you need to plan for success, and design you outfit and fitness regime for the trip out as well as the trip in.

 

[BrianID]

Idaho has had the weight limit on rifles for years. It is just speculation but I believe it was created to prevent people from hunting with guns like a 50 BMG

 

[azsugarbear]

I have a couple of LR magnums for hunting. One is 14 lbs, the other is 15.5 lbs. I utilize an Eberlestock. It centers and balances the rifle, plus also has enough pack room inside for my optics, tripods and a little water and food for the day.

 

[seidersjoden]

I pack a rifle that is about 15 lbs without optics. I put a Nightforce NXS on it and pushing 18 by the time I load the magazine. I've hauled it all over the Rockies chasing deer, elk and buffalo. It's heavy and not a joy to pack. But well worth it when I've needed to make a shot. It all depends on your own tolerance. I put it on the double shoulder sling sold in the online store on this website and it works very well. It helps to keep the rifle from sliding off my shoulder and distributes the weight pretty well when adjusted right. I also have an Eberlestock pack with a scabbed if I need more supplies for a longer hike that works well.

I have a 6.5 PRC with close specs to yours. Do you have any issues fitting that gun in the scabbard? I'm looking for a week long pack to live out of with a good scabbard or carrying system. Haven't heard good things about the side systems like Kuiu, want to carry in line with the pack either outside or inside somehow, thoughts?

 

[BJH]

seidersjoden:

The only issue that i have with it is that my Eberlestock is the small GunRunner, i believe. The rifle has a 26" barrel with a muzzle brake and it pretty long for the scabbard. It sticks out pretty far and sits really high on my back when inside the scabbard. It has not caused any problems as far as packing goes. Just feels a little weird to me sitting so high. I am not sure if all of the Eberlestock packs have the same scabbard length or not. If they make one with a longer one it might fit a little better. But it is the most secure way, of any I am aware of, to carry a rifle in a pack that way. I do not trust my Badlands "rifle holder" with that much weight hanging off the back of the pack. The Eberlestock holds it very securely and i have never had any issues with it shifting or sliding around. I can also get it stuffed in the scabbard with my bipod attached, which holds it in even tighter. They even offer a scabbard top to put down over the stock to keep it protected. Try on a few of their packs with the built in scabbard to see what fits you best and i think it will work out very well for you. I am sure its not an "off the shelf" rifle and you want to protect it as much as possible. I believe the Eberlestock is a great way to do that.

 

[PowellSixO]

7mm Saum that weighs in at 13lbs with bipod, sling, scope, and ammo. 7mm Rem Mag that weighs in at 14lbs with bipod, slling, scope, and ammo. Carry them by hand or with the sling. I'd rather lump a few extra pounds up a mountain, and make the shot, than cut weight and miss the opportunity of a lifetime.