What rifle is NOT too heavy to hunt ...

Personally, my weights are as follows including scope mounts, scope, sling, swivels, scope caps, and fully loaded mag and chamber for centrefire larger than .22 cal:

Ultra-light: 7 lbs and under
Light: 7 - 8 lbs
Normal: 8 - 10 lbs
Heavy: 10 - 12.5 lbs
Over Heavy: Over 12.5lbs

Anything 10lbs and under for up to 10KM a day is fine. I prefer under 8lbs for over that. I have taken an M305 on short 5-6 KM hunts working a couple of sections.

Can't say it any better than this
 
I thought the point was to get exercise?
2010WT002.jpg

What is this too heavy thing you speak of?
LOL; I can lug the weight but you'll notice the wide leather pad added on to that narrow original sling. An 1" wide sling on a 10 lb battle rifle...um...pretty much sucks.
She actually uses a Bubba'd K98 for hunting, she wanted a pic taken though.
 
Savage light weight hunter. Weights only 5.5 lbs and comes in a variety of calibers, including the 6.5 Creedmoor. This in my opinion is the ultimate deer gun. 20" barrel, weights nothing at all. You can carry it all day no problem. The 6.5 Creedmoor is an awesome round, but Expensive. Over 2$ a shot.
 
I belive losing 5 lbs off your paunch is more conducive to a successful hunt than losing 2 lbs off your rifle. Lightweight rifles are a great theory but unless you are doing real mountain hunting an 8.5-10 lb rifle is very carryable. If 8.5 lbs is too heavy for you to lug chances are a 6 lb rifle will be too much, too. The guy who is physically incapable of carrying an 8-10 lb rifle has strength and endurance issues that a 2 lb lighter rifle won't cure.
 
I bought a Remmington Model Seven in .308 for my new mountain gun. I usually have a P1917 30-06 with a longer barrel. The weight was never a huge burden but with a 16-18 hour day of hiking, everything makes a little bit of difference. My favorite place:

The starting point is the far part of the cutblock in the foreground
39676_453518850708_514755708_6729267_6151313_n.jpg


looking for mountain goats :D
270859_10150282299835709_514755708_9609012_2753122_n.jpg

Beautiful country!
 
I prefer weapons on the heavier side... I just find that I shoot better and more consistently "off-shoulder" (free hand) with them (guns and bows)... 10-12 pounds (with accessories) is fine for me to lug around... even 10-12 miles in a day.
 
Too Heavy?

I've just finished spring guiding for grizzly in the Rockies and I used my Sako .375 H&H. It is a heavy gun but I feel confident with the calibre. Hunting on my own, I often like to carry my Remington 700 in .35 Whelen. The Whelen is a much lighter rifle but still packs a whollop.
 
I guess it really depends on how far, and what the terrain is like. A couple of months ago I was hog hunting in Sask. All day I was going through brush, up hills, across fields, etc, etc. I used to carry rifles in the army all day, but, I was carrying a Remington 12 Guage express shotgun on this trip and it got heavy, and got to be a pain in the ass to manouver in the bush after three days. My solution for next year ? Nylon thumbhole stock/ with a fore-end, and a military style tac sling so it hangs at a natural angle in front of the body. I find the pistol grip stock is far easier to manouver in the bush, and its handy to have a sling to take the load off - and be ready for a quick shot - when you're brushing tree limbs out of your face.

I also have a Ruger M77, .308, for deer and larger game. I love it, but, after a few days of tramping around it also gets heavy. But, I just cant bear to ever sling a rifle over my shoulder. I always have to have it in front, I guess its an old habit, but would need to adjust if I ever hunted sheep or goats in the mountains or foothills.
 
The shorter LOP reduces the likelihood of the butt catching on clothing, but more importantly I find it makes heavy recoil a bit more controllable. Over the years I've found that a proper fitting stock combined with a good shooting technique is the surest means of reducing the felt recoil of powerful rifles.


DSC03756.jpg

Boomer what is with the front sling attachment?
 
I prefer to use the sling as a shooting aid rather than just a carry strap, therefore I want the front sling attachment on the forend rather than on the barrel. I've been cut by poorly placed swivel studs on heavy recoiling rifles in the past, so now my habit now is to locate them on the radius of the forend tip.
 
Back
Top Bottom