Should I get a lighter rifle?

[MTBackroads]

Carry a Kimber Montana on a hunt and you will want one. Or 5, no judgement.

My 280AI all up is 7lbs 10oz with SWFA 3-9, sling and 9 rounds.

You don't want to put 30 rounds downrange from the bench, but that isn't its purpose.

The .223 at 7lb 5oz with a rail and athlon 2-12 does that in spades, shoot it all day.

 

[Ross]

If your hunts include 2-3k elevation gain on most days you will enjoy a much lighter rifle. If not, and just miles maybe not so much. I went from 9.5 down to 7.6 in 2003 and never looked back on a 7mm. I will never pack anything over mid 7lbs again.

 

[Thegman]

I'd suggest taking the rifle you have since you're already happy with it and how it performs.

If you start doing lots of hunts where you decide it would a good idea to have lighter gear, including rifle, then start looking into a lighter rifle.

IOW, make any changes based on personal experience, I wouldn't change anything just because some others do.

OTOH, like @Ross and @MTBackroads said, once you start carrying a lighter rifle around the mountains, it's not too likely you'll go back to a heavier rifle.

 

[Huntnpack 2]

@Djahnsen your 9# rifle is fine for a backcountry trip. Like others mentioned a lighter rifle is nice to carry, although even tho I’m capable of decent accuracy, I’m more accurate with a bit of weight to the rifle especially in less than ideal conditions & longer shots. I’ve went up & down in build weight for my backcountry uses. Now I approach it from a different perspective. My priorities for my rifle nowadays has changed from the approach of lightweight first to now performance first followed by durability, reliability, consistency, pack ability,
Length, stable balanced weight. My current backcountry rifle is close to my perfect one. Thru experience I’ve found components I prefer to have that meet my performance requirements & expectations.
The last item I’m working on addressing on my build, is to get the length dialed in by adding a reflex suppressor shortening the pack length by a couple inches. I haven’t had a target weight in mind for recent builds. I couldn’t tell you what my rifle all up ready to hunt is now for weight.
All I know is my confidence level is extremely high in my rifle & my capabilities with it.

 

[Djahnsen]

@Djahnsen your 9# rifle is fine for a backcountry trip. Like others mentioned a lighter rifle is nice to carry, although even tho I’m capable of decent accuracy, I’m more accurate with a bit of weight to the rifle especially in less than ideal conditions & longer shots. I’ve went up & down in build weight for my backcountry uses. Now I approach it from a different perspective. My priorities for my rifle nowadays has changed from the approach of lightweight first to now performance first followed by durability, reliability, consistency, pack ability,
Length, stable weight. My current backcountry rifle is close to my perfect one. Thru experience I’ve found components I prefer to have that meet my performance requirements & expectations.
The last item I’m working on addressing on my build, is to get the length dialed in by adding a reflex suppressor shortening the pack length by a couple inches. I haven’t had a target weight in mind for recent builds. I couldn’t tell you what my rifle all up ready to hunt is now for weight.
All I know is my confidence level is extremely high in my rifle & my capabilities with it.

Right on man! All great things to consider I appreciate your input! I was happy with the rifle before hand and now I just feel that much better about not hating it miles in!

 

[2buffalo]

Hey guys wanted to get your alls opinions on my rifle and wether or not I need to be looking into a different one for a mountain hunt I plan on going on. I currently have a 7mm BC in a Weatherby 307 with grayboe eagle stock. With a full mag, suppressor, and optic I’m sitting at 9lbs 3.7oz. I’ll probably leave the suppressor cover at home so it might drop me to right at 9lbs.

I know this isn’t the worlds heaviest rifle or anything like that but I see others on here talking about their 6-7 pound rifles and taking them in the backcountry and still complaining. Am I going to hate lugging this thing around on multi mile hikes? I’m in shape and have been hiking a ton in preparation of this. Any and all input is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

7.5-8 is where I land in your situation.

 

[TradLife406]

As far as a suppressor cover Form told me about this stuff. I haven't tested it out personally yet. Dang head cold kept me from live firing. But Form is usually right.

You could build a lighter gun but you'd need to drop in caliber to make it shootable.

 

[Pilsner]

Make sure that you shoot a few magazines through a true UL rifle in a hunting caliber from various non-prone positions before you make your choice!
Easier to carry usually equals harder to shoot well.
Moving from a fast 7mm to something like a 6mm or a 5.56 will make up a lot of that difference in shoot ability.

 

[43.6N]

As far as a suppressor cover Form told me about this stuff. I haven't tested it out personally yet. Dang head cold kept me from live firing. But Form is usually right.

You could build a lighter gun but you'd need to drop in caliber to make it shootable.

Directly in the can? Or on top of some carbon welding blanket?

 

[Northern Outback]

I personally like keeping at least one super light rifle around. Bot every rifle needs to be a 5.5lb mountain specific rifle but they are nice to have. Most of my rifles are in the 8lb +\- range but I have a few kimbers that are under 6lb if I’m going to hike or climb a lot.

Honestly though, and I don’t mean this to talk trash but I never really understand how guys get their guns in that 9lb + range. I have tikkas with silencers and heavy scopes that weight like 8lb 2oz and I havnt taken any measures at all to make them lighter, in fact on those guns I recently moved to heavier scope rings. Both also have aftermarket bottom metal which weighs more than the factory plastic bottom metal.

It’s pretty easy, but some of us can carry 9lbs no issues. 9.3 lbs.

Rifle as follows

Christensen MPR 16†.308	~6.9 lb (110 oz)
Leupold VX-6HD 4-24×52	23.7 oz (1.48 lb) Â
Vortex Precision Matched Rings (Medium, 34mm)	~7.8 oz (0.49 lb)
5-round AICS magazine (empty)	~3.5 oz
Five .308 Win cartridges	~4.2 oz (about 0.84 oz each)

 

[UnckleBob]

I had a similar build using a Grayboe Terrain stock. I swapped out the Grayboe stock for a Stocky's CF stock. It will never be a lightweight build, but I did save a little weight. With a suppressor on it, it feels better balanced.

 

[Djahnsen]

I’m happy with the way the grayboe fits me but I do wish it had more texture on the forend and around the grip

 

[Njadams13]

I personally like keeping at least one super light rifle around. Bot every rifle needs to be a 5.5lb mountain specific rifle but they are nice to have. Most of my rifles are in the 8lb +\- range but I have a few kimbers that are under 6lb if I’m going to hike or climb a lot.

Honestly though, and I don’t mean this to talk trash but I never really understand how guys get their guns in that 9lb + range. I have tikkas with silencers and heavy scopes that weight like 8lb 2oz and I havnt taken any measures at all to make them lighter, in fact on those guns I recently moved to heavier scope rings. Both also have aftermarket bottom metal which weighs more than the factory plastic bottom metal.

I imagine most of the extra weight to bump into the 10+ is bipods. I’d be curious how you’re getting 8.2 pounds with heavier scopes and cans hiwever.

 

[Njadams13]

Haha that’s what I was thinking but I see guys on here with unbelievably lightweight rigs and I just can’t help but wonder if that’s the way I should maybe stride towards

I currently shoot a 20” kimber Montana that weights 5 pounds 12 ounces bare (with Warne split bases bedded on anyway). Maven rs1.2, Warne hyper lite rings, diligent defense enticer STi with SRS brake endcap and loaded it’s still under 8.5 pounds. Light rifles are harder to shoot, especially in large calibers. I have an nx8 and Hawkins rings on it just to get a little more weight on it and will be running a 20 ounce dauntless M bipod in the field this year mostly for the capability, but partially for the weight lol. 9-10 pound rifles aren’t real fun to carry, but they’re easier to shoot and I’ll argue that’s the end goal

 

[43.6N]

8lbs 14.2oz
@Djahnsen your rifle is in good company.

18” tikka. Not sure what I would want to give up to get it lighter.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

Training is the solution.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I imagine most of the extra weight to bump into the 10+ is bipods. I’d be curious how you’re getting 8.2 pounds with heavier scopes and cans hiwever.

I didn’t do anything to get my guns to those weights, just put them together. You can see the pics a few posts back.

 

[noKnees]

I would get the lighter rifle, shoot it a lot and see how you do with it and how you like it. If it suits some of your hunts add it to your quiver. If not screw on a heavier tube to add some weight or sell it.

 

[Procision Arms]

Ultralight rifles are fun to carry, and if the ranges are reasonable, work pretty well. I think they have some limitations though. Pretty much echoing what everyone here has posted.

My western hunting rifle weights have yoyo’d a lot over the the years- started out with a 15+lb .260 target rifle, got tired of carrying that around and swapped to an ultralight .308. Felt like I needed more range and built an even lighter .338 Norma. Didn’t like the recoil of that one, so went with a heavy 6.5 wby.

Have thrown in a couple other guns along the way and hunted with friends with a lot of different rifles.

For the most part, they all work and the guy pulling the trigger has a lot more to do with filling tags than the gun- but I have come to the conclusion that a “golf bag” approach is going to be optimal if you do a lot of different types of hunting.

My “go to” is a 20” suppressed 6UM that’s 9-10lbs. Light enough to carry everywhere, shoot as far as you reasonably need and maintains a good blend of performance and shootability.

I also have an ultralight sub 7lb 18” 6XC that’s my backpack mountain hunting rifle. It’s not as easy to shoot as the 6UM, but it’s a dream to carry and out to 300-400 yards, I don’t give up too much.

I also have an 18lb 33XC that’s my “truck gun”. Big wind cheating gun that I take on hunts where we do a lot of glassing from the road or from a stand where long shots are the norm. It’s tolerable to shoot and the performance can’t be beat, but she’s a big girl I don’t like to take on hikes.

 

[cole96]

I like about the 9-10# mark. But I’m not doing 10-15 mile days. I am also shooting larger magnums though. For me it is a happy medium

28 nosldr&300 rum
26” proof on both
5-25 NF atacr on both
Ag alpine hunter and manners eh1