1-2 Pounds more on a hunting rifle allot?

[CanadianBaconPancakes]

Looking for a .308 hunting rifle, Thing is my funds are limited right now and I am also looking for a precision .308. Its bassicaly come down to a Savage 10 or weatherby vangaurd. The weight differnce is under 2 pounds depending on that varient it could be only 1 pound.. I cant afford to buy both precision and hunting in .308 and scope them both with something good right now, esspecialy if I spend 1500-2000$ on a scope.

The biggest think I would consider hunting this year is deer but that may or may not change next season, I do have a win .270 to fall back to aswell.

 

[Gatehouse]

Buy the hunting rifle and learn to shoot it with precision.

 

[grelmar]

Buy the hunting rifle and learn to shoot it with precision.

This.

And yes, a pound or two makes a difference. Every extra ounce tires you out - especially if it's something you're keeping "in hand" for extended period. Try and get a steady shot off after 8-10 hours of wandering around in dense bush (hot, humid, or cold and sh!tty and raining or snowing - always seems to be one or the other), with a rifle in hand, and muscle fatigue starting to set in. A pound, one way or the other, can make a big difference.

The upside to a heavier rifle is comes down to prone target shooting (tactical-ing). The weight is inertia, and will dampen your muscle movements to an extent. The weight and corresponding inertia helps to dampen felt recoil. From a stand/sit/kneel position, that isn't as much of a big deal, you can roll with it. From prone, it matters - you're in a locked in position and you're body doesn't move with the recoil, and it also hits you on the top of the collarbone where you have less natural padding.

The heavier barrel of a "tactical" barrel will be no more accurate on a cold bore shot. The advantage comes during continuous, repeated firing. A heavier barrel will take longer to heat up, and be less affected by it, than will be a lighter barrel. But that's not even in play for the first three or four shots.

So the question is, what do you really want to do with it? Which activity is more important?

Get out in the bush and look for that trophy buck?

Or sit at a bench or lie on the ground and put tiny holes in paper as close together as possible?

I like doing both, but I don't expect one rifle to excel at both.

 

[RememberTheSomme]

Gatehouse and Grelmar have nailed the answer to your question.

What will you be doing most of the time with this one rifle?

If it will get lots of range use with occasional hunting, and use at distance, not 100yard sling shot distance, then maybe the heavy barrel for accuracy,recoil reduction and heat transfer and big glass may be your ticket and then suck up the weight and clumsiness on the occasional hunting day.

If it will get light range use throughout the year, as most rifles do even though people may think they will do more,.. and will be a dedicated hunting rifle, as Gatehouse said, get a decent sporter, lightweight is better if carrying a lot, with a decent scope and become a good practical field shot with it during your range visits.
Every time you load up a lightweight bolt gun and walk away from your truck, very shortly you'll be thankful it ain't that urban sniping rig you used 3 times last summer.

 

[Magellann]

Gatehouse is correct on his choice, It also depends on how you hunt. If you drive your truck or atv to your post and sit weight doesn't matter so much.
If your a still hunter and walk through the bush all day every ounce matters after a few hours, and the lighter rifle will be much appreciated.

 

[RobertMcC]

Like anything you get used to carrying the extra weight, if you cannot afford to buy both then well lift some weights so that 2LB difference you wont notice.

But you already got a 270 why not just use that and can figure out what your answer will be.

 

[saskcop]

Weight is a big deal if for me as I do the majority of my hunting in still hunting mode. I cover large amounts of ground carrying a pack too, so it all adds up - especially the older you get.

 

[track]

Looking for a .308 hunting rifle, Thing is my funds are limited right now and I am also looking for a precision .308. Its bassicaly come down to a Savage 10 or weatherby vangaurd. The weight differnce is under 2 pounds depending on that varient it could be only 1 pound.. I cant afford to buy both precision and hunting in .308 and scope them both with something good right now, esspecialy if I spend 1500-2000$ on a scope.

The biggest think I would consider hunting this year is deer but that may or may not change next season, I do have a win .270 to fall back to aswell.

I do a lot of still hunting and carry heavy Weatherby's, Cooper and Sauer.......it is what you are comfortable and confident with. Heavy firearms don't slow me down because I concentrate more on the act of hunting than the firearm I'm cradling.

 

[SuperCub]

Looking for a .308 hunting rifle, Thing is my funds are limited right now and I am also looking for a precision .308. Its bassicaly come down to a Savage 10 or weatherby vangaurd. The weight differnce is under 2 pounds depending on that varient it could be only 1 pound.. I cant afford to buy both precision and hunting in .308 and scope them both with something good right now, esspecialy if I spend 1500-2000$ on a scope.

The biggest think I would consider hunting this year is deer but that may or may not change next season, I do have a win .270 to fall back to aswell.

There's nothing a 308 will do that your 270 won't already do for hunting purposes. Why not buy a fast twist 223 with a good scope for "precision" shooting?

 

[John Y Cannuck]

Lots of great advice here. I have light rifles for walking, and heavier ones for sitting. Sometimes they get crossed up. The light rifles to Ok at sitting, but the heavy rifles get to be a bear after hours of walking. Gets worse as you get older too.
Like SuperCub said, the 308 isn't doing anything beyond what your 270 will do. But there is one thing it can do, and that is come in a tad lighter rifle.

You hint that you might expand beyond deer, but you didn't say what too.

 

[galamb]

The most I have to walk with most of my hunting rifles is about 100 yard from my truck to the stand.

Whether it weighs 6.5 pounds or 9 pounds makes little difference over that short distance.

Where it does make more a difference for "me" is when I have it on the bench and I'm "just shooting", in which case I am more than glad that my three Vanguard II's, rigged up, tip the scales at 9'ish pounds.

I can shoot all day and my shoulder doesn't really know it's been shooting.

If I was humping up and down in the Rockies or the foothills many miles from camp weight "would" be a factor, but for me it isn't and I, like many people I shoot with just plain shoot a heavier rifle a little more accurately than a lighter one and they don't start "flinching" even before they have started squeezing the trigger..

 

[Jim870]

There's nothing a 308 will do that your 270 won't already do for hunting purposes. Why not buy a fast twist 223 with a good scope for "precision" shooting?

I have to agree with SuperCub, if your goals are fun, plinking, perhaps varmints and shooting itty bitty groups the .223 is much more cost effective than .308. Which allows you to shoot more and get better at precision shooting. After you shoot out the barrel on your .223 you will know enough to have a much better idea of what you want next.

 

[Chucker243]

Having been down this path (precision and hunting), albeit for a walking coyote rifle, I started out with a model 70 sporter. Quite nice wood, sub-moa, good purchase upon the rifle, but just tad too heavy (for me) for the off hand shot. Traded it for a model 7SS, same calibre. Not happy and never the same control (heavier trigger, light pointing...). Another; (Tikka 595) little bit lighter than the M70, but again, little bit heavy (for me). Settled upon a T3 SS.
Point being; no matter all the advice, how well it feels in your hands, and, how well it responds, is an absolute personal interaction.
Experience by shooting friends rifles, cycling actions, spend time carrying, vary shooting conditions, etc... is the only way you will satisfy your pursuit.
Or trade, trade, trade...
Best of luck; C.243

 

[hawk-i]

There is no doubt a lighter hunting rifle is nice to carry, however a few extra pounds won't kill you either.
The M1 Garand was around 10 pounds and was successfully carried by men over long distances in many countries....buy what ever tickles for fancy and see how it works out!

 

[John Y Cannuck]

There is no doubt a lighter hunting rifle is nice to carry, however a few extra pounds won't kill you either.
The M1 Garand was around 10 pounds and was successfully carried by men over long distances in many countries....buy what ever tickles for fancy and see how it works out!

Those men were 18 to 20 years old, and in excellent condition, not typical of even teenagers today.

Us old fat guys like lighter stuff. It's true though that if you want to shoot at extended ranges, a heavy rifle will do better, but how much better? Most light weight sporting rifles will shoot better than most of us can manage, especially under field conditions.

Now I'm not advising you to run out and but the lightest rifle you can buy. You can do that of course, but why not pick a moderate weight? Get some advantages of both the heavy and light weight rifles.

 

[Boomer]

The amount of weight you can tolerate in a hunting rifle is dependent upon a number of factors. It depends on your fitness level and strength. It depends on whether or not you hunt on foot. It depends on the difficulty of the terrain. I don't want to carry more gun weight than I need to, but I prefer a well balanced rifle to one that is not, and I would happily gain or shed a bit of weight to achieve that balance. I walked across miles of Tanzanian real estate while carrying a 12 pound double rifle, and I don't recall it being a matter of hardship, but in the Yukon, when my wife and I hiked up a rather steep hill, the 6 pound rifle felt like it weighed 20. Choose your rifle based on the game you hunt, where you hunt, how you hunt, and on a realistic determination of your physical limitations. There is a reason the 94 Winchester carbine is a timeless hunting rifle, and its not because of the .30/30 cartridge is ballistically superior to all others, its because the rifle is light, easy to carry, and quick to get into action.

Using a precision rifle for hunting is not impossible, but it might be inconvenient, and it might negatively effect your chances of success. Precision rifle scopes tend to be big and cumbersome, in some cases delicate, with small fields of view, due to their high magnification. This presents a significant disadvantage for typical big game hunting, so it might be worth considering QD rings and have both a high powered target scope and a low powered big game hunting scope.

 

[Garaldtao]

Til two days ago, I was in the same situation the OP was in. I was looking for a above average backup rifle that is light weight, in a common calibre and inexpensive. I wanted something that could shoot accurately up to 300 metres, could take down a bear and a calibre I could find in any store that sold ammo. My main rifle uses reloads with an uncommon calibre so if I am in the bush and had to run into the nearest town I figured that .308 is the way to go. The only other calibre you could count on to be on the shelves is the .223 but that round will have a lot of difficulties taking down a bear.

So 2 days ago, I walked into a local store where there was/is a sale on Savages. There were several other customers there who purchased an Axis II blued barrelled rifle and scope combo for $499 while I was there. One guy picked up one in 7mm-08 and another picked one up in .270, both very good hunting rounds but I told the person behind the counter that I wanted a .308 and I didnt care much for the cheap scope that came with the package... I figure after a few rounds with a .308 the scope would be toast anyways. He went to the back and came out with an unopened box and opened it on the counter. It was a Savage Axis II with a stainless steel barrel and synthetic stock in .308. No scope but it had the bases and rings. He scanned it in and with taxes the grand total was $249... Oh baby!

The rifle is perfect the way it is. I am just going to throw on a scope and away I go. The only complains that I have read about the Axis 2 is that it has a flimsy plastic stock and many people are replacing it with a Boyds laminate stock but those are the people who are missing the point. Laminate stock equals a couple of extra pounds which make a huge difference when hiking in the bush. Anyways, I am very happy with my new backup which shoots and feels alot like my Sako. Weight and fit and finish is only slightly better but if you paying 10X more for just slightly... well, you get the picture. Happy with my Sako but over the moon about my new Axis 2. Hope the OP has the same luck finding a rifle and glote about it on cgn like I have. lol. First time Savage owner.

 

[Brian46]

1-2lbs is huge, go lighter weight.

 

[AP]

You "can" get used to a 10++ lb rifle and eventually it will feel lighter and reasonably quick handling.....but in my experience it takes a week to 10 days or so of daily routine carrying it in your hands. Most of us dont get (or really want) the opportunity to acclimatize to that sort of weight and we are better off with a lighter rifle if we can find it. Big strong guys & small wiry guys can all handle a heavy firearm (I have seen it) ... its just that most of us dont do it regularly enough to get comfortable with carrying a large heavy stick cradled in our arms

 

[Eagleye]

All my life I have been carrying rifles that weighed 8-9 lbs with optics.

But as I accumulate years, I find myself leaning toward lighter rifles to carry during a day's hunt.

By the end of the day, those 2 lbs feel more like 10, and it does wear you down. I'm with Gatehouse on recommendation.

Regards, Dave