Backpack rifle weight

My dedicated elk carries are about 7.5 dressed and fed..it's that damn 20 pound lead sled that wears me out...you know, in case I actually have to shoot it.;)

You www.alpha hulks will change your mind about carrying lighter rifles some day. Trust me.
 
wllm1313 said:
My grandfather lugged his 11lb M1 all over the pacific and my wife's did the same in Europe.
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All due respect to these gentlemen, but this is kind of odd rationalization for carrying a heavy rifle, and proclaiming that if you don't carry a Garand you are a wimp. If there is one species I know all about, it is an infantryman, they won't carry an extra ounce that doesn't contribute to their ability to accomplish the mission. I promise you that they weren't carrying a heavy rifle by choice, had they a better option, they would have jumped on it.

I don't carry a light rifle because I can't carry a heavy one. I carry a light rifle because I don't need a heavy one to get the job done.

Also, it is ok for us to not share the same opinion. Carry whatever rifle you want, and I will carry mine plus a spotting scope. ;)
 
MinnesotaHunter said:
Also, it is ok for us to not share the same opinion. Carry whatever rifle you want, and I will carry mine plus a spotting scope. ;)
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True enough! Also everyone has their own weight tolerance for hunting, I did maybe 50 days in the field last year and average around 35lbs for camping and 20lbs for day hikes. There are things I just like to have on hand... like a full water bladder.

My buddy and I have this debate constantly his rifle is 3lbs lighter than mine but he carries 5lbs more clothes into the field because he doesn't like to wear the same shirt everyday. We all have areas in our kit that could be lighter but we just feel like we want to carry x,y,z item. Food is another example I'm all about bars and mt house meals but some people would rather have 10lbs more in their pack if it means they can eat well.

I think we can pretty much universally agree if you are looking at $ per lb, your rifle is the worst place to start trying to cut weight.
 
elkduds said:
Chronic right shoulder injury got me looking to downsize from my 9# Interarms Mauser, for backcountry hunting in CO. I carry my light rifle over hill and dale all day for multiple days w no ill effect. Still use the Mauser when closer to the truck. As the big 6-0 approaches, I save my discomfort for packing game.
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Have you tried using a backpack mounted sling, I use the same one as BigFin and it puts the weight of my rifle on my pack frame instead of my shoulder... I swear I with that set up 7lbs or 15lbs it all feels basically the same.
 
wllm1313 said:
Not sure when hunters became such wimps that they were worried about an extra 3lbs of rifle. My grandfather lugged his 11lb M1 all over the pacific and my wife's did the same in Europe. I think I can tough out a 9.8lb rifle for a few days in the wood each year.

The deciding factor of picking any rifle should be your ability to shoot it well.
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Oh geez, here we are with wimps and last century's wars. Always a valid argument..
 
I doubt any of us are as tough as the 17-year-old kids that lied about their age so they could enlist early and go fight through a German winter in wool pants while dying in hand-to-hand combat in muddy trenches. I have too much respect for them to mention my hunting in the same breath.

But to the topic on-hand... I love the idea of a full - size rifle with top shelf scope that doesn't break my back 20170531_171307.jpg
 
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As have been said here," if you're gonna be dumb ya better be tough".
I have to go along with that one.
But I am a cheap skate. So sometimes if you're gonna be cheap ya better be or get tough.
I love my old rifle, but if money were no problem for me I would be silly to not upgrade.
I have to use what I have and I will. But 3-4 lbs. of weight seems to cost an awfully lot more than I'm willing to spend to save.
Good luck this fall and I guess I might have to slip some rocks into a few guys packs so I can keep up.
Ha,ha,ha, see ya out there this fall.
 
Seems we're talking about "backpacking" rifles. All I know is when I'm prepping for a long hump, I think in terms of ounces not pounds, and shed as many as practicable. All that weight adds up as you put more miles under your boots. A heavy rifle is not a big deal on an average day trip, but when backpacking it matters. Can matter a lot.
 
I seldom weight my rifle's but have in the past. Just weighted my mod 70 ftr wt, right at 7#. I suspect all the rest go at or over 8#. I remember my 30-06 and 6.5x06 both run close to 9#. I don't think 9# is to much to hunt with. I like the heavier rifles to 8 or 9# because the help with recoil. My 308 I'm guessing at 8#. 788 with a wood stock and 18" barrel. Thing that makes it feel lighter is it's length and how it balance's. I have no idea how people with 6# rifles in magnum chambering's can stand to shoot them! Oh, all my rifles are also wood stocked. Two came with plastic and were quite a bit lighter.
 
4259.jpg I'm sure light rifles are nice. I don't have a pic of my rifle on a scale, but it's nice when you can bag it up and do this. mtmuley
 
wllm1313 said:
Not sure when hunters became such wimps that they were worried about an extra 3lbs of rifle. My grandfather lugged his 11lb M1 all over the pacific and my wife's did the same in Europe. I think I can tough out a 9.8lb rifle for a few days in the wood each year.

The deciding factor of picking any rifle should be your ability to shoot it well.
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone here is claiming they would quit hunting if they had to carry a heavy rifle. I bet everyone would with the risk of court martial hanging over their heads. And of course, defeating the Axis powers had some influence.

Seriously, stop with the stupid attempts at drawing parallels between hunting and combat.
 
I'll play too. Off-the-rack Winchester Model 70 in 7mm shooting Berger Classic Hunter in 168gr with a Vortex scope. Trust me, it's the gun, not the shooter.

This is 300 yards
20150814_180021.jpg

This is 1 mile
20141108_170826.jpg
 
Good shooting guys.
Always love seeing the pictures. Would love to have a spot to shoot more than 5-600yrds. near home. Not likely going out to the mile marker anywhere around here ever.
I will never shoot at an animal more than 5-600 but that would be rare where I hunt whitetail.
I do love to target shoot every chance I get.
 
Nice grizzly. Mine is a factory 700. Even the barrel. 8.5 pounds all up. What's that Winchester weigh? mtmuley
 
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