Hunting Rifle Weight

[357Maximum]

My go to big game rifle for many years was a .280 Remington Ruger MKII stainless in a semi-custom Fajen laminated lite-weight stock. Leupold 2.5x8. 4 rounds ammo, nylon carrying strap. 8lbs 6oz.

Well balanced it felt lighter then it was.

Personally find Rifles over 9lbs scoped more then I want to carry any distance. While lite-weight rifles in the 6.5 lb range are a joy to carry, they are much harder for me to shot accurately in the field.

357

[Athabasca1]

Remington Model 700 ss action, 7mm RM caliber, 24" ss Douglas barrel, Brown Precision Kevlar Pound'r stock with blind magazine, Conetrol bases and rings, Leupold Vari-X 3-9 Compact scope. Total weight for complete rifle, including 3 cartridges and sling is 7lbs 12 oz. Not super light but serves my needs.

[catnthehat]

Just put 50 rounds through a new 260 barrel on a Highwall.
26" barrel in a medium contour , scope is heavy with heavy steel rings but I will leave it on for now .
The rifles weighs in a 10.2 scoped but feels lighter .
Cat

[Kurt505]

Batteries died on my digital scale, so here’s the fish scale.

One is about 8lb 4oz with a 30oz scope, a sling and ammo



The other is about 7lb 12oz with a 16oz scope, a sling and ammo




I can shoot more accurately freehand with the lighter rifle, which may surprise some guys who believe a heavier rifle translates to a better shooting platform. That’s a myth, proper fit and balance is what translates to a better shooting platform.

[Roamer]

Kurt

I couldn’t agree more about fit and balance being the key to accurate shooting in the field!

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

Love light

My.Sako A7 with a 3x9 Leupold and one round in the chamber weighs 6lbs 14 oz

If I could make it lighter, I would....

Interesting. I got mine with a heavy Leica at over 9:



Not using a rail ended up not being an option with this scope. That’s without a sling and I cannot remember if i put any ammo in (would probably say no if I had to pick one).

[cowmanbob]

H+S precision at 6lbs, 1oz with scope and a Barrett at 6lb, 6oz work well for me.

[JTRED]

I live and hunt in the Kootenay Rockies of southern BC, so every hunt is a mountain hunt almost exclusively hunt on foot. I like to keep things as light as I can. I have three rifles(Tikka t3 featherlite, Marlin, Savage) that see the most use and all weigh 6.5lbs or less plus scope. So scoped they come in around 7.5lbs slightly less. All are mild recoiling a 270win, a 25-06rem, and a 7mm-08rem so even being on the lighter side not terrible at the range.

[jednastka]

light rifle = easy to carry = heavy recoil = flinch
heavy rifle = hard work to carry = light recoil = meat

[marky_mark]

I wonder if the guys who go ultra light
Target smaller critters
Because ya know....
They are lighter and easier to carry?

[Kurt505]

Originally Posted by jednastka

light rifle = easy to carry = heavy recoil = flinch
heavy rifle = hard work to carry = light recoil = meat

Shooting practice will help you with your flinch, a well balanced rifle will help with your field accuracy.

[Nyksta]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

I wonder if the guys who go ultra light
Target smaller critters
Because ya know....
They are lighter and easier to carry?

Or they shoot bigger because they can carry more meat beside a lighter rifle.

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by Nyksta

Or they shoot bigger because they can carry more meat beside a lighter rifle.

Or don’t have a guide to carry their lunch.

[Anomaly85]

My Macabee Defense SLR in 6.5 Grendel with Proof Research barrel and 3-15x Razor LH is about 7lb 8oz.

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by Nyksta

Or they shoot bigger because they can carry more meat beside a lighter rifle.

Basically your rifles weight doesn’t matter once you have an animal on the ground
Don’t lose any sleep over it being 8-9lbs
Buy a lighter tent or sleeping bag
A lighter weight rifle is awesome but don’t shave lbs and compromise it’s shootability

[southernman]

For a std caliber, say 308, 7x57, 260, 270 class, I like a rifle to be about 7-7.5lbs all up, for me, in the type of hunting I do, this is the best balance between weight and shootablity/ handling,
I've got a very light .260, 5lbs 2 oz scoped, lovely to carry, ***** to shoot consistently, especially at 300m, the ultralight scope, not being all that great, in low light, doesn't help.
I've also got a cooper back country in 300 win, its 7.4 lbs and is also difficult to be consistent with, My 300H&H with the same bullet and powder charge at 8 3/4lbs is easy,
I say the average weight of hunting rifles has gone up, as so many are over scoped, with big heavy optics, difficult to find a 1x4 or 2x7 scope at times.

[WinefredCommander]

T3x SS .260 w/Z5 3.5-18x44/talley rings/loaded clip = 7.4lbs.

[Nyksta]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Basically your rifles weight doesn’t matter once you have an animal on the ground
Don’t lose any sleep over it being 8-9lbs
Buy a lighter tent or sleeping bag
A lighter weight rifle is awesome but don’t shave lbs and compromise it’s shootability

It was a joke. I agree, the rifle weight is irrelevant, and an animal successfully hunted is a great trophy.

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by Nyksta

It was a joke. I agree, the rifle weight is irrelevant, and an animal successfully hunted is a great trophy.

I know man, my post you were replying too was a joke as well
I know we are on the same page

[Nyksta]

The important thing is it's only 174 days until September

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by Nyksta

The important thing is it's only 174 days until September

I’m already hitting the gym for my Tur hunt
Looking forward to the journey and adventure

[Kurt505]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

I’m already hitting the gym for my Tur hunt
Looking forward to the journey and adventure

Hitting the gym is a good start, next step will be walking in the doors, that’s where the real gains start!

[CNP]

Sako A7, 7mm08, McMillan Edge stock, Leupold VXIII 2.5-8X36mm, three rounds in the mag, don't use a sling....use a Kifaru gun bearer on my pack

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by Kurt505

Hitting the gym is a good start, next step will be walking in the doors, that’s where the real gains start!

Lol 😉

[brewster29]

Originally Posted by WinefredCommander

T3x SS .260 w/Z5 3.5-18x44/talley rings/loaded clip = 7.4lbs.

Is this estimated or scaled?

My T3 lite in 7-08, c/w VX3i 4.5-14x40, Talleys, Limbsaver, sling and loaded mag is 8.06 lbs on my Starfrit digital scale...really not so light. A 260 is going to be a fraction heavier than a 7-08, all else being equal.

[catnthehat]

This rifle has a brand new RKS gain twist on it in .260 rem
barrel is a 26" medium sporter ( same taper as on Ron's favorite big game Highwall)
The scope is monsterous but is only on there for load development, a more practical unit will go on after.
Scope and rings are 2.4 pounds, total weight scoped up is 10.2 pounds, but because it is a single shot it balances very well - and yes it shoots 1/2" or better.
Cat

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by brewster29

Is this estimated or scaled?

My T3 lite in 7-08, c/w VX3i 4.5-14x40, Talleys, Limbsaver, sling and loaded mag is 8.06 lbs on my Starfrit digital scale...really not so light. A 260 is going to be a fraction heavier than a 7-08, all else being equal.

Difference between u two is 9 ounces. Limbsaver will cost u 3 and the sling could easily add 8 or 9 ounces on it's own. Doesn't take much to add a pound to overall rifle weight.

[brewster29]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Difference between u two is 9 ounces. Limbsaver will cost u 3 and the sling could easily add 8 or 9 ounces on it's own. Doesn't take much to add a pound to overall rifle weight.

But it sure costs a pile to take a pound off!

FWIW, sling was 5.1 oz...mag loaded with 3 NAB 140gr.
Ti bolt handle and carbon fiber knob was worth .4 oz!
Guess we’re pretty close.

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by Kurt505

Hitting the gym is a good start, next step will be walking in the doors, that’s where the real gains start!

Cheapest and easiest way to shave weight is on your waistline
Titanium is way more expensive

[brewster29]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Cheapest and easiest way to shave weight is on your waistline
Titanium is way more expensive

Who you calling fat??

To answer the OP's question: I prefer lighter rifles, but I do find anything with a pencil barrel doesn't point for s**t. My lightest is a 280 Rem scaling 6 lbs 8 oz ready to go, heaviest is a Rem 700 LSS in 300 WM with a big optic at 10-1. Both point and shoot very well, but the 300 is a load to carry. In between are a half dozen others in elk to elephant calibers. Guess which one gets hunted the most (hint- the lightest). The older I get the more I appreciate light weight. In my part of the world we just don't have flat hunting country.