AussieGunWriter: I used similar reasoning when I sold the Guide Gun and thankfully your comment affirms the decision. I bought a Winchester 70 Safari in .458 WM. It would be a superb camp rifle, where the bears are most likely to show up looking for food.
For field work, I'm concerned about the weight if I have to lug it around all day on off chance that I might run into an irate bear I'm not looking for. Guiding for grizzlies would mandate a heavier gun since clients are always looking to pick a fight with one. For me it's a balance between picking something adequate and picking something much better that will wear me down a bit faster. Seven pounds was OK. Nine might be a bit of a slog. An eight pound .375 might be a nice balance.
I will put the .458 in a McMillan Supergrade with aluminum floorplate and see where the weight goes. What would an eight pound .458 be like to shoot?
Last edited by philthygeezer; 07/28/15.
