Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles So what does your Deer/Field rifle weigh?

Built one rifle that finished out at 11lbs even. It eventually went down the road. All of my current centerfire rifles run 7.0 to 9.0lbs. Most in the 7.5 to 8.5 lb range. As mentioned above, fit is at least as important as weight...

Of the rifles I use for deer--all loaded with 3 rounds (even the No.1).....

Tikka T3 .308 with 155 Scenars and Leupy 6x36 with caps....6 lbs 14 oz

Tikka T3 .223 with 75 gr Amax and Bushnell Elite 10x with caps...7 lbs 4 oz

Ruger No.1 RSI with 175 Hornady RN and Skinner peep sight....7 lbs 6 oz

Ruger 77/44 with 300 gr CP and NECG peep...5 lbs 12 oz

I took the 77/44 for a combo Muley/elk hunt last year...what a joy that thing was to haul around the steeps! Awesome.

I can't hunt deer with rifle this year because I drew for bow (dumb Idaho rule) so I'm taking the .223 for antelope and haven't decided between the RSI and a No.1S in 9.3 for elk...

8.6#

Most of mine are between 7.5 and 8.25 lbs. which is about perfect for me striking a nice balance of carry weight/shootability.

For hunting the big fields and pastures, I'll be using my freshly built SS 700 in 280 Rem. It weighs 11.5 lbs, all up. Any other hunting will be with my first gen Ti in 7-08. Not sure of its weight, but it's light!

The 2 deer rifles that I use the most are 6.5lbs scoped (belly empty, no sling). Have a few that are a hair below or above 6lbs, and several that are in the mid-7's. Have a .375 that is a couple oz's over 8lbs.

6.5lbs seems to be the sweet spot for me. Most of my hunting is wooded mountain sides with an occasional field edge in the valleys.

My Model 70 Extreme Weather .300 WSM with Leupold 3.5-10x40 unloaded no sling,no bipod, weighs in under 8 lbs. This is with the factory Bell and Carlson stock (that I re painted)




My el cheapo Remington 700 .308 ADL style with 3-9x40 Redfield weighs in at just over 7lbs. unloaded no sling and no bipod with a 21 inch barrel.




Bob.

Thanks a lot BSA for the info. I changed how I was weighing the darn thing and found my results to be off. The rifle was really at 9.6lbs with the ammo sock on it. I took it off and got down to 8.4lbs.

I am going to go with the ammo wallet described earlier and going to be very happy with the set up again. I cannot help it I just love Winchesters. I have had to work on some to get them to shoot but from what I have seen from here that is not that strange. I am also expecting these rifles to shoot better than most will accept.

I need my rifles to be forgiving because I am just not that expert Marine Corp Sniper.

30 naught 6

I have found that a scoped weight of 7 - 7.75lbs to be a great all around weight.

To the OP: You could get an Edge, but if your EW stock fits you alright, just drop all the accessories and order some PT&G aluminum bottom metal and trade your scope for a lighter Leupold and you will be way ahead as far as dollars per ounce and wait time.

My Gen 1 Ti is right at 6lbs unloaded my heaviest is probably my Win 70 7wsm @ 8.5lbs unloaded.

My 260 is at 8.75 lbs all up with 5 rounds, mag and Montana sling.

Subject to the fact that my deer rifle has changed each year for the past 5...I'll just go with my go-to carry rifle.


Remington AWR in 7mm SAUM, FX3 6x42 scope, Talley lightweights. 7# empty. (*Goat configuration)

With an VX6 2-12 it's tipping 7.5# empty.

The rifle I took to Africa is my Merkel K1 in 7mm RMag. FX3 scope. 6.5# with a round in the chamber.

Both are fantastic and both are superbly accurate.

In the Heavy-hitter category is my Merkel Helix in 9.3x62 with a Leica 2.5-10, weighs 8# empty.


Having said that I somehow have the Sako Carbonlight in 6.5x55 stuck in my head. I think I can get that down to 6# even with a Loopy Ultralight.

All of which is kinda silly because that extra half pound just means so much.

The one I pack around is an FN Mauser 93 7x57, Skel. wood stock, 19.5" bbl, 1.75-6 Leupold, Angle loc rings/Weaver bases, 9 rounds (160 gr. NPT) in buttstock carrier and leather strap is 7.612#. I have owned it since 1970 and would hunt most anything on the planet with it. However my 340 weighs about 10# full up!- Muddy

My rifles, with scopes and mounts:


30-06 Browning X-Bolt, 2.5-8x Leupold VX3 scope, Talley LW mounts: 7lb. 8 oz.
280 Rem. pre'64 M70, Bansner High Tech stock, 2.5-8x Leupold VX3 scope, 7lb. 8 oz.
270 WSM Weatherby Vanguard, Edge stock, 3.5-10 Leupold VX3 scope, Talley LW mounts, 7lb. 14 oz.
257 Weatherby MkV, with Edge stock, 3.5-10 Leupold VX3 scope, Talley LW mounts, 8 lb. 14 oz.
257 Roberts Ruger #1-A, Burris 3x9 scope, factory rings, 8 lb.
280 RCBS, Ruger #1 Custom, 6x Leupold M8 scope, factory rings, 8 lb. 8 oz.

The one that still gets carried the most, and shot the most, is my old 257 Weatherby. It's the heaviest 'deer rifle' that I own, but it's steady as a rock when it comes time to shoot, and a rifle I have utmost confidence in.
None of my rifles are what anyone would consider 'lightweights', and none of them require special hold techniques to be shot accurately at game.

My SC built (FN) Winchester M70 FW .308, with B&C stock,Leupy VX3 2.5-8x36 in Talley's w/ 5rds weighs 7lb 11.6oz.

BiggerStick, Did you krylon it OD green? And did you coat it with a clear coat?

Most of our rifles weigh about the same because we all shoot pretty much the same rifles.Ever notice that?

Of course now and then there's someone with a NULA or a Montana.

Those guys ruin it for the rest of us....

I just sprayed it with Rustoleom OD (what I had at the time, although I prefer Krylon). I don't use clear myself, I just respray if needed.