What would be your preferred weight for a rifle chambered for .30-06? This would include scope, rings, sling and four rounds of ammo.

Thanks, RS

9 lbs 7 oz

7.5 lbs for me... that'd pretty much do it all.

8 pounds, 4 ounces to 8 and a half pounds.

I wonder what mine weighs.

If I had to guess I would say close to Theo's weight.

Yep. I've had 2 that weighed around 7.5 and even with full power loads, recoil wasn't bad at all. My 300 WSM weighs 8lbs all up and it isn't bad to shoot either.

I like it to be no more than 8 and not much less. Course how that weight it packaged means a ton to me.

Build for balance.

Dober

8.5 to 9 lbs.

R S - IMO your recoil tolerance will determine how light/heavy YOU want YOUR gun.

I have a Tikka 270, hunt ready (scope,sling,& ammo) is less than 7.5 #. IIRC

I have a Win 70 'Winlite' 300 WM, hunt ready is 4 oz heavier, it also has a 26" bll so that adds a little.

NOT BRAGGING - some people can't handle the recoil of LIGHT rifles. SO you should have some idea of your recoil tolerance.

I like a rifle AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE w/o a custom build. $$$$

Hope this helps.

6 3/4 lb. this means NULA or 700 Titanium clone. Perhaps a G33/40 blind mag in glass stock.

I like everything you said except the $$$ required.

2+

I think thats a realistic goal. I want a decent sized scope and a No 3-4 wt barrel. Another 8 oz or so wouldnt bother me greatly. Of course, thats for a general purpose BG piece, not a sheep rifle or the like.

NB

Oops forgot the most obvious...Forbes Rifle. Buy the very best, get what you want, forget the rest. You only carry one at a time.

7 3/4-8 pounds fo' me...

I'm going to check out the Raquel Welch thread....how much did she weigh? That's more important....

Why only "4 rounds of ammo"??? My pre 64's model 70 30-06 weighs in at 8 pounds with 5 rounds of ammo and my extreme weather weighs in right around 7.5 pounds with its mcmillan hunters edge stock.....:


My 308 also weight in at 8 pounds "all up" with ammo.....


Here's the 7.5 pound Extreme Weather 06:


My classic/synthetic 30-06 weighs in around 8.5 pounds:


.....and so does the std wt pre 64 model 70 06:


Personally I prefer the 7.5 to 8 pound rifles for toting around, balance and soaking up some of the recoil......Shooting a 6 pound 30-06 just doesn't seem like fun to me.....

my ti is around 7 with a 2.5 to 8. my garand with match barrel is much more. mybe 11. i shoot it more though. 2500 rounds one busy year.

Just under 8 lbs. like my 700 MR, .30/06; carries easily even at 10K'.

About 8.5 pounds for me. The Vanguard stock is a bit of a cow I guess.

My Ruger 77 is 8.5lbs ready to work and my 700 Titanium is a some over 6lbs, it's pretty brisk in the recoil department.

My heavier rifles are a little more accurate though, so if I'm going to be taking game at long range they would get the nod.....I was shooting the classic sporter the other day and this is how she shoots and this is the norm for this rifle:


The pre 64 std wt is a lot of the same:

[img]http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x401/chiefbsa/015-5.jpg[/img]

Believe it or not, these 2 rifles are shooting the same load ("pet load")..........

Not over 8#

I have a Tikka T3 Lite in '06 with a Redfield 3-9x40. It is noticeably lighter than my other bolt rifles, and I notice the recoil more when I shoot it. That was probably enhanced when I took it to Montana hunting and was feeding it 180 Core-lokt's. It certainly wasn't unmanageable or anything, I just noticed that it seemed to kick more than usual for '06's.

I have three 30-06's and they are all different in the weight department. My dedicated backpack rifle is a M70 Stainless Classic action with a Lilja barrel in the factory FWT contour. It has a McMillan Hunters EDGE stock with a blind mag, Talley LWT's and a Leupold 3-9 Ultralight. It weighs 6 pounds 12 ounces loaded.

My other two weigh 7.75 and 8 pounds loaded. The rifle above is nice to carry, the two heavier rifles are easier to shoot accurately.

Chet

No more than than 8 and 6 is better for carrying!

By the time you add optics, mounts, 4 rounds of ammo and a simple nylon strap you will add 1.5 lbs to a rifle. And you will have to choose your optics and mounts carefully to do that. To keep it under 8 lbs you'll have to start with a 6.5 lb rifle.

My lightest 30-06 is a Classic Featherweight in an Edge stock with a 13 oz scope set in Talley Lightweight mounts. Add a 4 oz Uncle Mikes sling and 4 rounds of ammo and I'm just barely under 8 lbs. Are all of these weights listed including ammo and the carry strap?

This rifle weighs 7.5 without the ammo and strap which is how I normally weigh them. That is about right for me, but could live with 1/2 lb in either direction and not have a problem.

I also own a Kimber 308 that weighs 6 lbs with scope and mounts. Call it 6.5 after ammo and a strap. I like it, but wouldn't want a 30-06 that light

8 lbs.

Since I like the balance point at the front action ring, not in the middle, almost all of my serious big game rifles run about 8 lbs. with shooting sling, and fully loaded.
This isn't because I don't appreciate less weight in the field, especially when hunting in the mountains. I do. But, over the years, I've found that extra weight and a shooting sling really important when I need to make a shot under "less than ideal" conditions.
So, it's a compromise. A 30'06 is about as much as I can do well with day in and day out. Anything more, and shooting it becomes more work and tolerating less than pleasant recoil than fun and enjoyment.
Call it anything you like, but when I shoot my 7-08 or my .25-284 better from field positions than I do my '06, I know I'm on the edge of getting any more from a more powerful chambering.
Like the well respected master alaskan guide who post here likes to say, "if you can't do it with an '06, you probably can't do it." And, "anybody who says an '06 isn't enough is really commenting on his lack of shooting ability." E

I like my -06 right at 7 to 7.25 pounds all up. Recoil is not pleasant with 180 grainers, but not bad with a good stock.

130-150 grainers are no problem.

Mine is 7 pounds 4 oz.

NO BIG DEAL but... is that hunt ready? ?scope,?ammo,?sling?

Those things CAN add up?

Just curious.

My pre '64 M70FW is 7.25# as pictured.

It would be lighter if it had the original aluminum butt plate on it......

6lbs 4oz

Mine new Kimber Montana weights in at exactly 7lbs with Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40, Talley LW Lows, 1" Montana Sling and 4 rounds of ammo. Probably a little on the light side but should be great to carry.

IIRC, when I ordered my NULA back in late December, Mel mentioned it would probably come in around 6.5 to 6.75 lbs. all up with a belly full of cartridges. I'm looking forward to receiving it pretty soon.

Maybe you're gone or working or sleeping but I'm still asking??

Weight does not include 3 rounds of ammo.

THANKS and that's pretty good in my book.

Thanks Again

Hammerdown - later thots.

My Tikka T 3 lite SS 270 weighs a little over 7 (can't remember exactly) hunt ready with 3 in mag & 1 chambered.

My Win 70 Winlite 300 WM is 4 oz more. Also w/4 rounds.

I can carry and hunt both a long time.

Interesting, as I was talking to JKob about putting my 9.5 lb 30-06 on a diet this week. I'll get the parts, he'll do the smithing.

McMillan classic edge 1.44 lbs-ish

Rem 700 action, trigger, dbm, lug 2.5 lbs-this is an estimate, based off this source: http://brownprecision.com/SelectingComponents.htm

Barrel Rock Creek #3, 1-inch shank length, crowned at 24 inches, a bit less than 3 lbs, but I'll call it 3 lbs

Should come in just under 7 lbs, then likely Talley lightweights and a 6x42. Sling and 4 rounds will likely just push her over 8 lbs.

By the way, don't do the cost estimate per pound saved. Do the cost estimate per step in the mountains. Numbers turn out much better that way.

Actually I prefer having the recoil pad. At 68, I've noticed the loss of muscle mass and more sensitivity to recoil.

Actually, that sounds just about perfect to me. Very easy to carry, probably balances about neutral, and won't be too uppity with the good ergos of the Montana.

Depends: For 50rounds a day at the bench, doing a lot of fooling around shooting or stand hunting, 8 lbs would be fine. For all day on the moving hunting, I'd prefer it trimmed down to Kimber or Nula weight class.

Light done right for a rifle carried a lot can quickly become attractive. Even more so as the years add up.

Rip - is this a mountain rifle ( 6.5 lbs) . a long range / match rifle (12 pounds)?

I picked up a new 30-06 Tikka T3 fluted barrel "superlite", specs claims 5.8 lbs my postal scale shows just under 6.0.

Added Talley steel rings & bases I already had (not the 1-piece super light ones so I could save another once or 2).

Topped it off with a Leupold FX-II 6x36 LR scope

Total 6lb 12 oz empty under 7 loaded, balances nice and shoots great.

Shot it some this morning and it was actually pretty mild. Hope to shoot some more tonight and over the weekend but at this point the gun feels about perfect. Hopefully my 25-06 Montana gets here soon.

I'm an old guy. If I'll be carrying a rifle for extended periods, it will be my Blaser K95, 270 Win., 7 pounds slung with a Conquest 3x9. Otherwise, my 2 '06's are Ruger #1A 8 pounds 1 ounce, scoped and a FN Winchester M70 SS Featherweight, Ziess Conquest 3x9, 7 pounds 15 ounces. And I appreciate their weights, especially when I shoot 180's. And as far as Raquel Welches weight is concerned, what ever, I'd hit it!

My Model 700 is very light but it doesn't kick much. Excellent stock design I guess.

My pre-64 fwt in a Compact edge stock weighs 7# 6oz all up. That's a nylon mountain sling, and a 6X36 on top in Conetrols.

I can't see any good reason for it to be heavier.

Weatherby Vanguard for stand hunting.
Tikka or Rem 700 for mountain hunting.

What ever the heck my Remington M760 with a Leupold Vari X-III 2.5-8 weighs....cause I like it.