Carry rifle weight?

My rifle ended up at 9 lbs (loaded and ready to hunt)....I wish it would have been 8, but it is what it is...new Win M70 in 30-06 with a Vortex scope and McMillan stock.
 
There is about a 2 pound difference between my Model 70 sporter, carry rig and my LR rigs that are set up for 1000 yards. That puts them at 9 pounds and 11 pounds repectively. If in doubt about the distance I will encounter, I will bring the LR rig and carry the extra couple of pounds. Over the past few years I have gotten use to the weight. I am currently putting together a 338 that will come in over 13 pounds. The decision will be much easier as to which one I carry all day.
 
Ok, all you he man tough guys.......

This is my 14 year old daughter with her 14lb 7 oz 338 Lapua. We are standing on a mountain top in the Gila, NM. 7,000 feet elevation and about a 3 mile hike plus the elevation gain to climb the mountain. And yes, she did pack that!

I hunt every year in this terrain and my typical rifle is a 338 Khan that weighs in at a touch over 17lbs. Add to that a Zeiss 85mm spotting scope and a Bogen tripod along with the typical day pack. Yep, it is a lot of gun and a lot of equipment. But, when I get to the top of the mountain......... I can see it, and I can kill it!

Next time you want to complain about how heavy that 9 pound rifle is, just pull up this picture, put your big boy britches on and quit complaining. :D:D
 

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Built myself a lightweight rig on a budget after carrying around my edge last hunting season. It's a 7mag coming in at 6lbs bare rifle. It's not the same as laying behind a 10 or 13 pounder in the fact that's it's not nearly as stable. It takes some practice to shoot a light rig but I feel very comfortable and confident with it.
 
Ok, all you he man tough guys.......

This is my 14 year old daughter with her 14lb 7 oz 338 Lapua. We are standing on a mountain top in the Gila, NM. 7,000 feet elevation and about a 3 mile hike plus the elevation gain to climb the mountain. And yes, she did pack that!

I hunt every year in this terrain and my typical rifle is a 338 Khan that weighs in at a touch over 17lbs. Add to that a Zeiss 85mm spotting scope and a Bogen tripod along with the typical day pack. Yep, it is a lot of gun and a lot of equipment. But, when I get to the top of the mountain......... I can see it, and I can kill it!

Next time you want to complain about how heavy that 9 pound rifle is, just pull up this picture, put your big boy britches on and quit complaining. :D:D
that gun is bigger than she is ;-} its a good thing its that heavy or it would blow her of the mountain lol ;-}

that is some view from up there
 
Built myself a lightweight rig on a budget after carrying around my edge last hunting season. It's a 7mag coming in at 6lbs bare rifle. It's not the same as laying behind a 10 or 13 pounder in the fact that's it's not nearly as stable. It takes some practice to shoot a light rig but I feel very comfortable and confident with it.


yes it does but it doesn't mean that you can be accurate with a light rifle. My 270 at 7.5 lbs no bipod just a military sling requires me to dry fire a lot slung up. But that's ok I'm stable with it period. I'm nearly as good with the 270 as I am with the 13+lb 7mag with bipods.
 
Ok, all you he man tough guys.......

This is my 14 year old daughter with her 14lb 7 oz 338 Lapua. We are standing on a mountain top in the Gila, NM. 7,000 feet elevation and about a 3 mile hike plus the elevation gain to climb the mountain. And yes, she did pack that!

I hunt every year in this terrain and my typical rifle is a 338 Khan that weighs in at a touch over 17lbs. Add to that a Zeiss 85mm spotting scope and a Bogen tripod along with the typical day pack. Yep, it is a lot of gun and a lot of equipment. But, when I get to the top of the mountain......... I can see it, and I can kill it!

Next time you want to complain about how heavy that 9 pound rifle is, just pull up this picture, put your big boy britches on and quit complaining. :D:D

Ok real question is could you still kill it with a 6lb 243? I can ;)
 
Ok, all you he man tough guys.......

This is my 14 year old daughter with her 14lb 7 oz 338 Lapua. We are standing on a mountain top in the Gila, NM. 7,000 feet elevation and about a 3 mile hike plus the elevation gain to climb the mountain. And yes, she did pack that!

I hunt every year in this terrain and my typical rifle is a 338 Khan that weighs in at a touch over 17lbs. Add to that a Zeiss 85mm spotting scope and a Bogen tripod along with the typical day pack. Yep, it is a lot of gun and a lot of equipment. But, when I get to the top of the mountain......... I can see it, and I can kill it!

Next time you want to complain about how heavy that 9 pound rifle is, just pull up this picture, put your big boy britches on and quit complaining. :D:D

Pretty impressive....it would be wonderful to be young again. I don't think the weight would be a big issue traveling to a designated vantage point, even if it was a few miles away. I think it would be much tougher for most people hoofing it all day long in the thick, mountainous areas the likes of Canadian Rockies in BC lugging all the gear and a 13+ pound crowbar. That's when I start seriously thinking about weight.
 
I think it would be much tougher for most people hoofing it all day long in the thick, mountainous areas the likes of Canadian Rockies in BC lugging all the gear and a 13+ pound crowbar. That's when I start seriously thinking about weight.

Exactly. Living off of what you're carrying in a backpack for several days, plus hauling all the hunting gear and packing the rifle everywhere you go all take a toll. Makes me question whether or not I'm having fun when the annoyance of the weight of the rifle cantilevered off my pack harness is commonly on my mind.
 
Ok real question is could you still kill it with a 6lb 243? I can ;)

Not even gonna try! I like my big heavy long range hammers. When I get too old and weak to carry them I will find less difficult terrain....... when I can't handle that, I will hang it up and just listen to the young guys tell stories of their heroic hunting exploits! :)
 
Not even gonna try! I like my big heavy long range hammers. When I get too old and weak to carry them I will find less difficult terrain....... when I can't handle that, I will hang it up and just listen to the young guys tell stories of their heroic hunting exploits! :)

Wait what!?!? your saying that when becomes to much to carry the heavy SOB your just gonna hang it up? That's a major difference between you and I, the day I hang it up will be because I can't carry me no longer. But then again when I head out walking 3mi is a warmup. Probably sorta be like my Dad, he'll drop me and the kids off over here and pick us up way the hell n gone over there, and road hunt his way to the pickup pointsince walking much more than 100yrds is out of the question anymore, but he still gets to go ;)
 
Wait what!?!? your saying that when becomes to much to carry the heavy SOB your just gonna hang it up? That's a major difference between you and I, the day I hang it up will be because I can't carry me no longer. But then again when I head out walking 3mi is a warmup. Probably sorta be like my Dad, he'll drop me and the kids off over here and pick us up way the hell n gone over there, and road hunt his way to the pickup pointsince walking much more than 100yrds is out of the question anymore, but he still gets to go ;)

Well, Joe...... I hope it is a quite a few more years if my health holds out. I am not ready to hang it up just yet, just old enough to feel the reality of what getting old does. The mind is willing, the body.........??

My big heavy magnum guns are just a crutch for my skill level.:D I just am not confident with a 1000 yard shot with a 8 or 9 pound rifle. Not to mention the fact that one that packs the kind of punch I want for that range is probably going to have significant recoil. I have just made the calculation that when I go to the trouble of climbing that mountain, I don't want to have to pass up a shot opportunity because I did not bring enough gun! And if I am not going to bring enough gun, why climb the mountain?:)
 
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