How heavy a gun is too heavy for hauling?

[115vld]

I took my 22 lb tactical rifle to Alaska on my sheep hunt 3 yrs ago and was glad I did. I ended up taking my Doll at 864 yards. Granted I'm a bodybuilder and 22 lbs s pretty light in comparison from the weight I'm used to throwing around but none the less I am glad I took it. I took my same rifle to Africa last year and am REALLY glad I did then because I had my longest kill yet over there taking a baboon at 1456 yards. I say get on the stairmaster at your local gym with a backpack full of whatever and get about 4-5 days a week for 3-4 weeks before the trip and it will make life easier. I am a personal trainer and if anyone needs some advice on prepping for a trip as in diet and workouts, feel free to ask.

Chase

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

God I hope this dosent **** anyone off.

VLD havent seen you post in awhile how are the hogs?

Just remember alot of the guys here are a bit older that us and not all have time for the gym or the drive to go there! Im with you on the workout thing but most are not.

This thread is a bit older and I know I posted to it before and most likely have just contradicted myself but the idea of a lighter rifle has got me thinking alot latley is all.

 

[115vld]

ICANHITHIM hogs are thicker than ever. I moved to Washington, tx(1st capital of tx FYI) and we don't have Internet out here so I finally got an email from someone and took a look at the sight on my iPhone and didn't realize I could post on here from my phone. Well here I am. I moved out of the rat race of Houston and am running my family's deer ranch and a long range shooting school. I have 2200 acres of corn and cotton fields that vie declared war on hogs with and these are HUGE hogs of the 500+ lb kind that look like they disk a field. Anyways good to be back on the sight. Missed you guys. I need to go to the local coffee shop with my laptop and post my Alaska and africa stories. Did some LOOOOONG range shooting up in alaska in the high altitude after my hunt was over!

Chase

 

[Arty]

A heavier rifle isn't much of a problem if it's strapped on in a balanced way - just like any other weight. The biggest problem is, my style of hunting involves carrying the rifle in my hands most of the time.

In the last decade most of my hunting has been in the mountains off of a forestry trunk road in moderate to heavy snow. So, a day hunt in and out from the truck is about 12-20 miles, pushing heavy snow, with big elevation changes. Add to that the fact you have to pack out anything (dressed) that you shoot, and it is a very long day guaranteed - or a couple of days for anything bigger that a whitetail. If things get really tough, I'll ditch the pack, axe, gambrel rope, extra knife & food someplace strategic for a couple hours while I'm stalking or sitting.

Although the weights of my rifles are twice what they used to be, they're still a small fraction of the total of all my gear going in or coming out. So I don't think too much about what a few pounds less might be.

Probably in a few more years my hunting style will change to sitting around in the treetops and drinking coffee at the edges of farmer's fields. But the rifle weight won't go down any.

 

[1000yard]

13.25 lbs is the weight of my favorite. I'll pack it anywhere.

 

[Chas1]

greggus, nice looking camel and nice looking rig.

 

[brianwy77]

I think I would quit shooting at a elk after the second shot, i wouldn't want to take the elk in town with 9 bullet holes in it. Better hit the range more, or just stay in Ohio.

 

[Buano]

"It depends." It depends on your age, physical fitness, and mostly upon the nature of the hunt. When long-range shots are likely there is a reason for a heavy rifle, the heaviest you are comfortable carrying on THAT HUNT. Then again, if shots will top out at 300 yards, an ultra-light whatever will likely do the trick. If the land is flat & hiking is easy a heavy rifle isn't much of a problem, but if you are going to climb a 660' cliff at 11,000' of elevation just to look down on the box canyon on the other side (as I did on my last muley hunt) every extra ounce is TWO ounces too much!

In short, I don't think there is a right answer, even just for me. I will err on the side of shootability over portability in most cases but I'm a 53 year old who just split 8 cords of oak & pear by hand to get my shoulders ready for bow season. I'm willing to work harder than most. My loaded rifle & scope on my last high mountain hunt weighed 10 pounds. As we were climbing from dawn to dark a lighter rifle would have been welcome — if I had the budget for a Christenson rifle I would have carried one. That said, another 2-3 pounds in my rifle wouldn't have much difference in my hunt. Beyond that a rifle would have been too heavy FOR ME, on THAT HUNT.

 

[alex.sevilla.98]

I think if you're doing a lot of walking, say 8 miles or more a day, then I would suggest staying under 10 pounds scope and all. If you are setting up somewhere and staying there all day, then as heavy as you can carry would be fine. Keep in mind though that you plan on packing more out than in, so take that into consideration as well. Good luck!

 

[Goofycat]

I use a match-grade single-shot rifle weighing 13 1/2 lbs including the scope. For me, the rifle is far too heavy for long treks, but fine for walking a few hundred yards. It all depends on where you are planning to hunt, how far you wish to walk, the type of terrain, and your body strength and history of physical condition, physical health, etc.

 

[Goofycat]

Well said, Sourdough. I take along a .270 that weighs about 7 1/2 lbs out-the-door for times when I have to go over rough ground, heavy brush, canyon-type territory, etc. I don't like to make hunting an aerobics exercise, and that is exactly what my bad-backed 73-year-old body experiences when I drag along the heavy-barreled rifles.

 

[Broz]

Weight = Accuracy. The question is where will it be a noticable effect and how far are you possibly going to engage your quary?

I have been packing an 18lb rifle for over 3 years. But as I get older I do alot more planning and setting waiting for game to present a shot. This rifle is used for shots that may be 1000 yards plus. With the heavy 18lb rifle I try to limit the walk in to 3 miles or less.

I have recently finished my newest rifle and feel it is a good representation of a light Long Range rifle. It is a 300 Win in a McMillan thumb hole stock with a sendero coutour fluted barrel 28 inches plus brake. With a Nightforce NXS, fully equiped with bipod it weighs 12.6 lbs. This is as light of a rifle I will hunt with if the shots are to exceed 500 yards but I will also limit this rifle to 1000 yards on game.

Those are my thoughts and methods.

Jeff gun)gun)

 

[Chas1]

Broz, nice rig, nice setup.

 

[Buano]

Broz,

Who built your "lightweight"? How accurate is it? (I would love one in .300 rum so long as it was in the .25 moa range.) I am with you in that I will sacrifice lightweight to get accuracy. I know many who feel otherwise, but it seems they never hunt as far & as hard with their ultra-light rifles as I do with my heavier weapons.