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Long Range Hunting & Shooting
Ultralight hunting rifle, help needed
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<blockquote data-quote="ofbandg" data-source="post: 1432242" data-attributes="member: 91402"><p>I have done a fair bit of backpack hunting over the last thirty-five or forty years. Mostly for sheep but also for goats, elk and even once for caribou. The rifles I used were the lightest I could get at the time with a Husquvarna .270 featherweight being about the lightest but not necessarily the best. As far as caliber goes my first question always is, are you in grizzly country? That influences me if not everyone. Once past that I make sure I have enough gun for the particular creature I'm hunting - and for Elk that means at least 160 grains and preferably 175 if a big bull is in your plans. I took a 6x7 bull once that went a thousand pounds on the hoof. It took four horses to pack him out. I hit him with a 180 gr, Nosler Partition from a 300 Wby at 350 yards and I was sure I needed all of it. </p><p>My advice on backpack rifles goes something like this: 1. Muzzle heavy is better than either butt heavy or balanced. (Your heart rate is usually up with a pack on your back in mountain country and muzzle heavy steadies quicker.) 2. Carry it in you hands because you may need to balance yourself with it. 3. Don't put a big scope on it because it will snag on everything, and plan on losing your scope covers. 4. Install a big tough soft butt pad on the rifle because it will be used a shock absorber way more than you can imagine. 5. Carry a pull-through with a bronze brush on it the size of you caliber to clear any loose impediments that may get in your barrel. And finally, 6. I have learned to avoid calibers with straight walled cases when on backpack hunts. It's a personal thing I have gained from seeing friends deal with sticky bolts and cases. That is a particularly hard one at present as all cases seem to be straight walled but I stay with it. </p><p>One last piece of advice, use a pack with an internal "A" frame. You can drop it, sit down, and use it for a comfortable, solid, padded rest in a very short period of time.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ofbandg, post: 1432242, member: 91402"] I have done a fair bit of backpack hunting over the last thirty-five or forty years. Mostly for sheep but also for goats, elk and even once for caribou. The rifles I used were the lightest I could get at the time with a Husquvarna .270 featherweight being about the lightest but not necessarily the best. As far as caliber goes my first question always is, are you in grizzly country? That influences me if not everyone. Once past that I make sure I have enough gun for the particular creature I'm hunting - and for Elk that means at least 160 grains and preferably 175 if a big bull is in your plans. I took a 6x7 bull once that went a thousand pounds on the hoof. It took four horses to pack him out. I hit him with a 180 gr, Nosler Partition from a 300 Wby at 350 yards and I was sure I needed all of it. My advice on backpack rifles goes something like this: 1. Muzzle heavy is better than either butt heavy or balanced. (Your heart rate is usually up with a pack on your back in mountain country and muzzle heavy steadies quicker.) 2. Carry it in you hands because you may need to balance yourself with it. 3. Don't put a big scope on it because it will snag on everything, and plan on losing your scope covers. 4. Install a big tough soft butt pad on the rifle because it will be used a shock absorber way more than you can imagine. 5. Carry a pull-through with a bronze brush on it the size of you caliber to clear any loose impediments that may get in your barrel. And finally, 6. I have learned to avoid calibers with straight walled cases when on backpack hunts. It's a personal thing I have gained from seeing friends deal with sticky bolts and cases. That is a particularly hard one at present as all cases seem to be straight walled but I stay with it. One last piece of advice, use a pack with an internal "A" frame. You can drop it, sit down, and use it for a comfortable, solid, padded rest in a very short period of time. [/QUOTE]
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Ultralight hunting rifle, help needed
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