What rifle is NOT too heavy to hunt ...

[skypilot]

Nice ... loving the replies ...

Otokiak
Rankin Inlet, NU
CANADA

Also Big O, my Browning .375H&H is just shy of 8 lbs. Mighty easy carry for the caliber IMO.

 

[carew]

Depends upon the country. Anything under ten pounds is usally fine for myself, I however know guys that a six pound gun is too heavy.

 

[dead meat]

For me 7.5-8.5 lbs is about right. I had a lot of shoulder injuries and surgeries in the last 2 years, still don`t have full strenght in my right shoulder and likely never will. Used to carry a 11 lb Sako rifle a lot, now it`s my babied safe queen.

 

[TexasGunner]

Steyr Scout 308 with a 2.5 forward scope, very light and accurate,or if you go whitetail my Trapper 44 mag 1.5X4 Leopold very handy in the thick... JP.

+1 for the Steyr Scout in .308 but get the 1.5x4 Leupold Scout Scope.

 

[scott_r]

Pretty much anything without a heavy barrel is "luggable" for me...

Yep, thats how I think too.

 

[Northman999]

I'll hunt with anything I own, and I'm sure some tip the scales at 12 lbs or so, scoped and loaded.

 

[mvarley84]

My stalker is a Rossi Pomba in .308. Short, light, accurate...its all I need out of an ontario bush gun.

 

[Boomer]

I don't really care what the rifle weighs. If I'm in difficult terrain on a hot day, I might ##### and moan about a 10 pound rifle, but the double I carried in African was better than 13 pounds and despite the heat and high altitude (neither of which I do particularly well with) I didn't expire. My 20 pound target rifle is too much, but I often am forced to carry it some distance if I'm going to do any long range shooting on the bay while its ice covered. I often carry a rifle weighing closer to 10 pounds than to 5, but I'm more concerned with the balance and handling characteristics of the rifle than I am to its weight.

A Brno 602 in a McMillan stock isn't a fly weight rifle, but it was lighter than that pack . . .

This John Wilkes .500 NE is probably the heaviest rifle I've ever carried while hunting . . .

A M-70 .458 Winchester is no problem . . .

 

[track]

My guns weigh between 9 to 11 pounds which includes loaded gun, scope, sling and harris bi-pod and I have no problem carring them. I just walk alot slower and take more rests now that I'm approaching 55 and over weight.

 

[cam1936]

Rifle weight is something I think a lot about. My current no nonsense, anywhere and anytime rifle is a Ruger M77 MkII in .280 Rem with a Bell and Carlson aftermarket stock. I love this rifle for a few reasons. Mainly because I can depend on it, it has never let me down and I've been rough with it while trucking up a number of mountains. The gun is accurate, it feeds oh so smoothly (puts my 700 to shame) and the cartridge is pretty much perfect for Alberta. The downside is she is one heavy pig considering the light barrel contour. With scope, sling and ammo she is about 9 lbs (7.5 for rifle alone.)

This has me thinking of getting a different anywhere, anything, anytime rifle. Probably something super light and stainless. Sometimes I think I need such a rifle; but, I think this is just me lusting over the latest and greatest. My arm may get sore carrying the Ruger all day, but it really is no more than a minor discomfort. Am I willing to pay several thousand on a new gun just for two pounds? Will this new gun (been lusting over a Kimber Montana) be every bit as dependable as my Ruger? Some days my mind is made up: I'm going to buy a new one. Other days I tend to think I should be happy with my old standby. Hmmmm decisions decisions.

 

[Aniest]

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.

 

[Otokiak]

HAHA somebody revived this thread???

Otokiak
Rankin Inlet, NU
CANADA

 

[Demonical]

Boomer, what's the barrel length on the M-70 .458 you're packing in that picture?

 

[GunGuy34]

Sako finnlight is pretty light.

 

[regulate34]

if i own it i pack it. i dont really think about weight. im young and pretty strong. i find the first hunt of the year i notice the rifle alot. not so much the weight but just it being their. as long as the sling sits well on my scholder and dont keep slipping off i dont even know its their

 

[Boomer]

Boomer, what's the barrel length on the M-70 .458 you're packing in that picture?

I bought the rifle used with the LOP shortened to 13.5" and the barrel cut to 21", the funny thing is that is exactly what I had intended to get done to a new rifle anyway, so it had my name on it as it were.

 

[Demonical]

^ Is the shorter LOP so you can handle the rifle with heavy clothing on?

 

[Boomer]

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.

 

[S1de8urnz]

No one I know makes as big of deal about weight then I do. I love light weight guns.. It has to be light. Light , light, light. 12lbs, why? My friends tire out before I do and I have a disability. Tikka's are awesome. They get my vote, The Sako's are really nice as well. Weight is always the deciding factor for my purchases. The heavy guns stay at the range and gopher fields.

Just my opnion, to each there own. Lol

 

[Phantom Power]

Interesting to see the responses here, and surprising that the thread has come back up a few times.

I think my heaviest rifle is my No4 Enfield and I certainly have no problem walking with that. However, most of the time for hunting I'll have one of my lever guns which are between 6.5 and 7.5 lbs.