Weight into consideration?

[Vince]

I take weight in to consideration, along with other things.

One of the first things I look at is the caliber. The bigger the caliber the heavier I want the rifle to be. My 25/06 is light, at least for me. My .300 Win Mag weighs over ten pounds with the scope on it. I'll leave my toothbrush out of my pack to save weight before I shave weight from a rifle that recoils more than the 25/06.

I want to be able to shoot any rifle I own without dreading the recoil, or having it hurt me. That generally means I add weight. It's only through a lot of practice, shooting that rifle, that I get to know it's properties, handling characteristics, and become accurate with it. I very well can't do that if I'm flinching and dreading the recoil sensation.

I recently got my .300 Win Mag back from the Gunsmith. I bought the rifle due to it's reported characteristics, paperwork, ballistics charts, and such. In the time my Gunsmith had the rifle I heard much about the reputed recoil. To say I was a little aprehensive about shooting it would be an understatement. I had carefully researched my recoiling reducing options sans a muzzle brake. When I fired the first round out of the rifle, factory ammunition, I was pleasantly suprised at the lack of recoil. While I wouldn't want to fire fifty rounds through the rifle in a day it's not an issue to shoot a box of twenty out of it in that same day, off the bench or prone.

I'm an advocate of one shooting often and knowing their rifle. Knowing that about myself I opt to look elsewhere for weight savings if the rifle recoils much more than a .223 Remington. To my .300 Win Mag I had the Gunsmith put on a Limbsaver Recoil Pad and install a Graco Recoil Reducer in the stock. It changed the handling characteristics for the better, in my opinion, and added weight. Even my Gunsmith was pleasantly suprised at how it handled when he got done working on it.

Vince

 

[Songdog]

Losing weight helps get me up the hill better but the rifle is still hanging on one shoulder and the muscles that hold against that uneven load get tired and my shoulder sore.

I've had a bit of an epiphany concerning rifle weight lately.... and ended right back where I started... about 10lbs. When I'm in shape to be hunting.... it doesn't really matter if my rifle weighs 8lbs... or 12lbs... at least it hasn't yet. I like shooting more than most I guess.... and a 7.5lb 7RM don't get shot near as much as one that weighs 10lbs.... even if accuracy is equal. The more I shoot it.... the more confident I am in it..... the more the rifle goes afield... the more stuff gets dirt napped. Also, I don't notice the weight of a rifle NEAR as much when it's in the Eberlestock.... and I don't notice the Eberlestock near as much when I stay out of McDonald's.

The only time light guns are nice... is when they're in the pack on the way in/out... or in your hand... which, admittedly, is 90% of the time. But, when it comes time to shoot.... after you've side-hilled it over a mile and a half of ankle hurters, and you're heart is pounding... I sure like that extra heft and system accuracy when the chips are all-in.

 

[BeeTee]

This is the way to carry guys. I have used this on my lightweight to my 11 lbs 458 Lott.


http://www.cabelas.com/gun-slings-safar ... ng-1.shtml

I may have to try one....

I learned a long time ago that unless the rifle (or shotgun) is in your hands and ready to go instantly, you'll eventually miss an opportunity (or several) that you'll really regret. Being tired and having my rifle slung over my shoulder cost me a nice bull elk once. He was bedded about 40 yards away when I stumbled into him. I couldn't get into action in time before he bounded away through the timber. I had hunted hard for 5 days on a wilderness hunt and was worn down, and the singular opportunity came and went without a shot.

Since then, I always have the rifle in my hands. The sling is there for those times when I don't need to shoot. So yes, rifle weight is a consideration. BT

 

[SJB358]

This is the way to carry guys. I have used this on my lightweight to my 11 lbs 458 Lott.


http://www.cabelas.com/gun-slings-safar ... ng-1.shtml

I may have to try one....

I learned a long time ago that unless the rifle (or shotgun) is in your hands and ready to go instantly, you'll eventually miss an opportunity (or several) that you'll really regret. Being tired and having my rifle slung over my shoulder cost me a nice bull elk once. He was bedded about 40 yards away when I stumbled into him. I couldn't get into action in time before he bounded away through the timber. I had hunted hard for 5 days on a wilderness hunt and was worn down, and the singular opportunity came and went without a shot.

Since then, I always have the rifle in my hands. The sling is there for those times when I don't need to shoot. So yes, rifle weight is a consideration. BT

I am with you BeeTee.. Rifles belong in our paws, not on slings. I missed an opportunity as a younger man, and since then, I have realized slings our there to add shooting ability or while carrying on a quad, not to be used while actually hunting.

 

[meatmachineman]

Oddly, I am especially concerned about weight for my upland shotguns, but not so much for my rifles. It could be that many of my rifles are thumpers. My go-to's are a 300Roy and 338WM (and a recent addition of a 375Ruger). I hadn't really paid attention to or noticed any of them being especially heavy or light... except for after a mile or two of hiking. Now I might be breaking out the scale to start weighing em.

 

[FOTIS]

Rifles belong in our paws, not on slings.

That is why I like this setup. It is almost as fast and the weight is unnoticeable :mrgreen:

 

[SJB358]

Rifles belong in our paws, not on slings.

That is why I like this setup. It is almost as fast and the weight is unnoticeable :mrgreen:

I just got a scale. My 338WM M70 tips the scale at 9lbs' on the nose, with a sling and 3 rounds in it. That is pretty bearable and easy to carry, for me..

I will have to check one of them out. Be nice for the heavier rifles.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Most of my rifles run about the same Scotty, 8-1/2 to 9 pounds with sling and ammo.

 

[SJB358]

Most of my rifles run about the same Scotty, 8-1/2 to 9 pounds with sling and ammo.

Same here Charlie, the Featherweights are about 8.2 or so with the Sporters being 9Lbs.. I guess 9lb's feel reasonable...

I actually thought they were lighter. Scales don't lie..

 

[Jager1]

I definitly consider weight when ever I'm purchasing a new rifle.
My thoughts are that I carry it more than I shoot it at game and my farthest shot was 300 yards to date
and every rifle I have ever owned has been capable of making that shot.

 

[SJB358]

Here are some of my more common rifles and what they weigh...

M70 338 Win Mag (including the Montana sling) 9lbs 2ozs

M70 7mm Mauser 8lbs 2ozs

M70 270WSM Laminated 8lbs 11ozs

Marlin 1895 Guide Rifle 7lbs

M70 300WSM unscoped 7lbs 3ozs

M700 35 Whelen 7lbs 11ozs

M70 264WM Sporter 9lbs

M70 7mm Rem Mag 8lbs 10ozs

Browning BLR 358 Win 7lbs 4ozs

Pretty close to what I was guessing at for the most part. The CDL 35 Whelen was probably the only surprise.. It is pretty light, but I guess that is why it is one of my favorite mountain rifles..

 

[Guest]

Don't know about weight, but that's a pretty sweet bunch of rifles.
Guess you don't care much for Winchesters, huh? :lol:
Dewey

 

[SJB358]

Don't know about weight, but that's a pretty sweet bunch of rifles.
Guess you don't care much for Winchesters, huh? :lol:
Dewey

Dewey, yeah, those Winchester's are really sneaky... They reproduce on you.. Mike warned me, but I am young and didn't listen to my elders... :lol:

Thank you though..

 

[DrMike]

Man, Scotty, you're going to make me dig out my rifles and weigh them. Actually, they are all about the same weight as yours. I can guess about that as they are mostly Featherweights. :grin:

 

[Oldtrader3]

I was guessing that the Model 70 Sporter with, steel mounts, rings and a decent scope on it would weigh close to 9 pounds. I was in the ballpark and that is the weight that I have been carrying all these years with no complaints.

 

[SJB358]

Man, Scotty, you're going to make me dig out my rifles and weigh them. Actually, they are all about the same weight as yours. I can guess about that as they are mostly Featherweights. :grin:

I would think so Mike. I think the M70 Featherweight 300WSM would go about 8.5 or so with rings and a scope. Not lightweights but it feels light?

I was guessing that the Model 70 Sporter with, steel mounts, rings and a decent scope on it would weigh close to 9 pounds. I was in the ballpark and that is the weight that I have been carrying all these years with no complaints.

Yeah, your about spot on Charlie. I wished I had Brian's M70 Sporter 300 RUM with the B&C stock on it. That rifle feels lighter than my 35 Whelen and man, the recoil certainly bears that out as well. That is the single rifle that I have ever fired that kicks my butt. Too much too fast for me.

 

[DrMike]

The Featherweights feel right. I seldom use a sling, except when climbing; they generally are in my hand ready for use. I don't find them excessively heavy.

 

[Guest]

Hunting here in the southeast, where most of my time is spent sitting - either against a tree along overlooking a creekbottom, in the tall grass uphill from a water hole or food plot, or in an elevated stand of some configuration - I don't worry as much about weight and let the chambering drive what weight I'm willing to bear. I have long carried my 270Wby (~9.5lbs, estimated, loaded, scoped, and slung) all over my lease, without much complaint. I generally carry it in one or the other hand, except walking out after dark, when it's slung for ease of carry, since I won't need it. I carried my Colt Light Rifle (~7.5lbs loaded, scoped, and slung) a bunch last year, and didn't notice the weight difference much. We're talking about packing in off the bluffs and setting up a small weekend spike camp to give us access to hunt down the mountain a bit later this month, and I'll likely take the Colt for that work. Or perhaps the new 673 in 350RemMag. I think it's about 8lbs (l,s, &s), so the nod might go to the Colt in this case, since I'll be toting a pack full of gear - tent, sleeping bag, clothes, rations, etc. - and a pound here and there might be the difference between hiking off the mountain top with 35lbs of pack, versus 45lbs of pack. It's not so much the hike off I'm worried about, but rather the 400-500' nearly straight back up with all that gear after hunting hard for a few days. I'm sure I can make it (after carrying 40+ in 1000' and climbing back out the same with the scouts) but I'd rather go lighter to mitigate as much risk as possible.

I think if I hunted the mountain west much at all, I'd be more concerned about rifle weight. In my area, it's just not as big a deal.