Heavy barrels for hunting?

cbabes

cbabes

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I just purchased a .270 of the EE for hunting. It has a heavy barrel. I consider myself very fit so carrying it shouldn't be problem. But what do I know I am an amateur. :p Do any of you hunt deer/moose with a heavy barrel or am I being an "oddball"?
 
The only deterent of a heavy barrelled rifle for hunting, is the extra weight to carry. Also, sometimes they are longer, like 26 inches, making them a bit awkward in heavier bush. 22 inches is about an ideal length barrel for average hunting.
 
I use Remington Sendero with a 26" heavy barrel, that size of barrel is not needed but managable for were I hunt(Sask). For the thick bush I usually have my Marlin guide gun in 45/70 as back up.
 
cbabes said:
I just purchased a .270 of the EE for hunting. It has a heavy barrel. I consider myself very fit so carrying it shouldn't be problem. But what do I know I am an amateur. :p Do any of you hunt deer/moose with a heavy barrel or am I being an "oddball"?
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I used to have the same thoughts as you, I purchased a HB rem 700 in .308 24" barrel. At the end of the day you will be tired, think about dragging a deer out while also carrying the rifle.
 
If you stationary hunt, and have an area scoped out, go for it. Not my first choice for busting bush, or frequent walks.
 
The correct choice of rifle is determined by the conditions under which you hunt. If you restrict yourself to shots under 300 yards, the use of a heavy barrel rifle, and I assume high powered optics, may leave something to be desired as it offers no advantages and several disadvantages over the lowly sporter equipped with a with low powered glass or even iron sights. If, on the other hand you intend to snipe game at ranges between a quarter and a half mile, a heavy barreled target rifle comes into its own. The question then is, are you among the one in ten thousand marksmen who can shoot up to his rifle under field conditions?

I think you may have to take that rifle hunting and discover the problems for yourself. None of us wants to believe we made a poor choice when we had our heart set on this rifle or that. The biggest problems you'll encounter with that rifle are fatigue, and missed opportunities. Fatigue because the rifle will seem heavier after 6 hours in the field than you could have imagined, and missed opportunities because the moose you spot at 50 yards you won't be able to find in the small field of view of that 12X scope. Not that it will matter anyway, because the willows that hang up that heavy 26" pipe, won't let you get on target anyway, never allowing you to put that half minute accuracy to use.

That .270 will make a fine long range varmint rifle, but as a big game rifle under normal hunting conditions, I'm afraid it will be disappointing. Keep it for experimenting, for varminting, and for long range target shooting, but save up a bit of money so you can get a good .270 sporter.
 
cbabes said:
I just purchased a .270 of the EE for hunting. It has a heavy barrel. I consider myself very fit so carrying it shouldn't be problem. But what do I know I am an amateur. :p Do any of you hunt deer/moose with a heavy barrel or am I being an "oddball"?
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Big C keep you azz in the gym and just be a little lighter come hunting season and you'll be fine. I'm sure if guys think your an "oddball" they'll keep their comments to themselves:D. Your not at all an oddball many people use heavy barrel guns to hunt with. You may just find it will become a little heavy if you get doing some serious walking with it.
 
Like Boomer said...and further to that..pick the rifle for the conditions, area and that particular target..I have a 20" sako 308, carbine for stalking and sneak and peaking, an 18" 760 30-06 for hound driven, cedar swamp whitetails..A 24 " 7mm mag bolt rifle for open ground and timber and big critters, and if sitting all day on a wood line, or off high ground over a swamp, a 26" 338Lapua...
 
I prefer an 8.5 pound rifle, but I have packed heavier.
I don't like 11 pound rifles...They make my forearm ache, but in the right circumstances I will bring that rifle along...Keep in mind I have more rifles than some gun stores.

Everything is a trade off. Light is easy to pack, but unless it has good balance you sacrifice shootability. Same with short barrels...Everything on the rifle must contribute to the function as a whole.
For a new shooter/hunter you might be best to stick to what is proven and then venture off and experiment.

Read Boomers post a few times...There is a lot of good information for you to absorb.

It amazes me how different our hunting styles are. :)
The only time I ever find a 26" barrel awkward is when I have to bulldog through an impenetrable willow/cedar thicket, but no rifle is fun to drag through that crap.
I guess the other would be when the rifle is tied to a backpack and the barrel sticks up and frustratingly grabs overhead branches, though once again most barrels are too long for this situation.
All that said it seems that I am the exception to the rule. So you should proceed cautiously.

Heavy barrels are not required to attain long range hunting accuracy....Unless (as Boomer suggested) you are shooting at extreme range.
Even then the average weight rifle is usually more than capable.

It always comes down to the nut behind the trigger.
 
I only have 1 hunting gun right now. My trusty cz 550 full stock in 308 with a 20" barrel. Before I got the CZ I had a very very beautiful and extremely accurate Rem700 LSS in 308 before, still pains me to think about how I had to sell it on some days.

The rem700 LSS (not mtn LSS) was not an excessively heavy gun, but when you are walking, stalking, tracking, climbing for 8 hours a day. You would really wish you had a lighter gun. Half the time I don't even put the scope on my CZ when I go hunting anymore.
 
I have hunted and continue to hunt with rifles that weigh up to 10 pounds. The heavy barrel stabilizes your aim for offhand shots. I don't notice any inconvenience hunting in heavy brush. In my opinion, unless a fellow has a disability of some sort, anyone who can't carry a 10 pound rifle around all day needs the exercise and muscle toning that carrying a 10 pound rifle around all day provides. Carrying a 6 pound rifle around all day is a durn sight more convenient, but it doesn't do a fellow near as much good as if it weighs 10 pounds. When you see how heavy some of those Sharps rifles were that they used in the 1870's, a 10 pound rifle seems doggoned light. It's all in the mind.
 
Win 38-55 said:
I have hunted and continue to hunt with rifles that weigh up to 10 pounds. The heavy barrel stabilizes your aim for offhand shots. I don't notice any inconvenience hunting in heavy brush. In my opinion, unless a fellow has a disability of some sort, anyone who can't carry a 10 pound rifle around all day needs the exercise and muscle toning that carrying a 10 pound rifle around all day provides. Carrying a 6 pound rifle around all day is a durn sight more convenient, but it doesn't do a fellow near as much good as if it weighs 10 pounds. When you see how heavy some of those Sharps rifles were that they used in the 1870's, a 10 pound rifle seems doggoned light. It's all in the mind.
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This was my mindset while making the purchase. I guess I will find out first hand soon enough! I downloaded the Winchester ammunition catalogue and even without having to reload they now make .270 ammo that is a #3 which is stated as being good for large heavy game elk, moose, brown bear, caribou, etc.

The 30-06 which I was thinking of buying doesn't have any Winchester ammunition that goes past a three. Regardless of what many people on the forum say about the .270 I have spoken to countless hunters that have been taking moose for years with it.

Thanks for all the input everyone. Hopefully I can still bag a deer or moose without my arms and shoulders getting all pumped up. LOL I'll make sure to double up on the creatine before the hunt! :p
 
Regardless of your physical conditioning, a large heavy rifle is much slower to get "into action" if you "happen into" something. Even if you plan to sit on the prairie all day waiting for a long shot, you never know when your game will show up 10 yds behind you when you are prone and you have to rassle with your varmint gun.
 
I did not see the exact weight of your rifle. The heavier the rifle, the less felt recoil.
The .270 will make a got starting point. I had a .338 WM that was 7 3/8's pounds bare. Scope, bases, rings, sling and a Harris bipod probably had it close to 10 pounds.
 
cbabes said:
This was my mindset while making the purchase. I guess I will find out first hand soon enough! I downloaded the Winchester ammunition catalogue and even without having to reload they now make .270 ammo that is a #3 which is stated as being good for large heavy game elk, moose, brown bear, caribou, etc.

The 30-06 which I was thinking of buying doesn't have any Winchester ammunition that goes past a three. Regardless of what many people on the forum say about the .270 I have spoken to countless hunters that have been taking moose for years with it.
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Oh dear. If thats your attitude, you have a lot to learn, and im hoping you wont learn it the hard way.

3006 will kill everything a 270 will, and more. Also, the 270 is on the light side for moose and elk (still doable, just not as good as others) and on the very light side for brown bears.

You're also neglecting other manufactures which do make different grades of ammunition then Winchester.
 
blasted_saber said:
Oh dear. If thats your attitude, you have a lot to learn, and im hoping you wont learn it the hard way.

3006 will kill everything a 270 will, and more. Also, the 270 is on the light side for moose and elk (still doable, just not as good as others) and on the very light side for brown bears.

You're also neglecting other manufactures which do make different grades of ammunition then Winchester.
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That's why I am here. To learn.

the 270 is on the light side for moose and elk (still doable, just not as good as others)
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You would give a lot of excellent hunters rage with that statement. I'll leave it at that. :p
 
I used two 300RUM rifles with medium varmint contour barrels(.750" at the muzzle) for elk and moose hunting and had no issues at all.I did most of my bighorn sheep hunting with a 7mmstw that had a 26" #4 barrel,again with no issues.When the extra pound or two becomes that critical,I will lose five pounds of body weight,and be a few pounds ahead.
 
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