Weighed 3 rifles:

1. 8x57js VZ-24 Action, Late WWII M98 Stamped trigger guard, Dayton Traister trigger, Wisner safety, Yugo M48 barrel, McMillan stock(STD FILL), Weaver Classic K4(Leupold mounts)

8 pounds 1.6 ounces No surprise.

2. .300 Win Mag ER Shaw Mk.VII barreled action(26") in Savage 114 DBM stock(barrel floated, stocl full length bedded with Pro Bed), 6x36 Leupold FXII(original style Weaver mounts)

9 pounds 2 ounces Little bit lighter than I expected.

3. .270 Win CZ550 Premium(unmodified factory rifle) 6x42 Leupold FX3(Leupold CZ mounts)

9 POUNDS 12 OUNCES!!!! Never would have believed it was heavier than the .300...think it needs to go on a diet.

You should put a 100# pack on one.

Says a lot for the ultra light rifles. Once you get under 7lbs it costs about $100/oz over the average rifle.

Cost me about $6k to get under 6-1/2lbs and still get 1/2" MOA!

Wow. Sure glad I am content with 5.75 pounds scoped for $1400 and 1-1.5 MOA.

That difference equals a lot of if even fly out hunts here in Alaska that for the animals I hunt don't require the extra precision.

A set of postal scales are like a chronograph. They expose the truth. Like how everyone seems to think 30-30 lever actions are so light and easy to carry.

My Winchester 70 in 300 WSM with Edge stock and 3-9X40 scope vs my Marlin 30-30 with 2-7X32 scope. The Edge stock is 7 oz lighter. With the 300 in the factory stock and with no optics on either the 30-30 is still 1-2 oz heavier.

Interesting,have a CZ 550 American 7x57 with the same scope,but CZ factory mounts and it weighs 9 lbs even.

CZ's are heavy.

And rifles under 7 lbs can be hard to shoot well.

Even as an old, fat man that struggles a bit on the slopes, the important thing is how a rifle handles in the field, not the weight. I carried a standard Model 70 for about 30 years and even though it was a bit heavy, when the time came to shoot, it settled right down and delivered the goods. The weight and excellent trigger get the credit for that.

In his day, Old Jack promoted rifles of about 8 pounds all-up as a good balance between portability and shootability, and he did plenty of hunting in rough country. I suspect he had it about right.

REALLY like the weight of the 8x57, don't think I would want to go much lighter, however, after using it, My CZ feels like it handling a 4x4 post. Maybe I need another McMillan...

+1

I like a little heft to steady the rifle. Your results may vary.

I disagree, so long as the rifle is balanced correctly.

An over 9 pound 270 is flat out stupid. Hell, you couldn't give me one if it went more than 7 1/2 pounds.

Double checked the weight of the CZ, forgot to deduct the weight of the sling, STILL 9 pounds 7 ounces...started weighing parts individually, That 2 pound 13 ounce stock is probably where the extra weight is...ideally would like to get the weight between 8-8.5 pounds. Be a great project after I finish the current ones.

A Bansner High-Tech stock and other 'light' stocks will run around 25 ounces.

Equals about a 20 ounce (1 1/4 pound) loss over your current stock.

Jerry

Doesn't matter, the .30-30 lever still carries alot better. I've got a bolt action .22 that weighs about 4.6 lbs and my Winchester 94 still carries better and is much better balanced for offhand shooting.

Agreed!! I only have 2 rifles now that go over 7.5 pounds all up and both mostly get left behind in favor of the ones that go roughly 6 pounds or less all up. Somehow the animals I kill don't seem to object to being shot by either and heavy or lightweight gun but I sure enjoy hauling the lightweight ones around more.

+2
Been hearing forever how you need weight to steady a rifle for offhand shooting.

So I grabbed a 6.25 lb 270 rifle and shot groups offhand, seemed to work pretty good.

Then grabbed a 9.25lb 270 rifle and didn't do so well, seems muscles wiggle under stress and strain.

It has more to do with "hang" than absolute weight.

For sure. These days, even on easy hunts, I don't like carrying a rifle that weighs more than 8lbs all up...........

Casey

That's what I keep telling her!

A pound of rifle and few inches of drift sure adds coal to the 'fire....

Balances like a champ, points like a wand!

Agreed same with this one. Of course it's my wife's gun.

Just under 5 pounds 10 oz.

Or mine which is 5.25 pounds



Won't have a problem killing critters with either.

Luke who did the stock camo on your rifle and how is it holding up? Looks sweet.

Look up Paul at Alaska Hydrographics. I have the same Typhon dip on both my 338-06 Montana and my .358 win Montana.

I probably haven't tried enough light rifles to have an educated opinion but I've never felt a really light rifle that pointed as well as one with a little more heft. I was so disappointed that my RAR in 30-06 with a VX2 was so light in the barrel that it didn't point right. Even after adding an SVL rubber weight on the barrel it still didn't feel right and I traded it away.

I just picked up a new Howa 25-06 with a Meopta 3.5-10 in Talley's and it is about 8.9 lbs and feels about right to me, it points well and doesn't seem heavy. Most of my hunting is in the mountains so the benefit of lighter weight isn't lost on me. But I can save that 3 lbs somewhere else, preferably off of my fat carcass or extra junk that doesn't need to be in my pack. All of my hunting rifles shoot well under MOA and that doesn't grow much from field positions because they hold steady for me - that is what we drag them around for isn't it?

Once upon a time, that .270 was the only rifle I used...never noticed the weight really. Then I started using an 8lb rifle and after a while the 9 1/2-10 pound rifles started to feel awkward. They just don't point as naturally as they used to for me. To me, 8 pounds seems about perfect, 9 isn't too bad. Anything heavier just feels too slow for lack of a better way to put it.

Not that it matters that much, I'm usually carrying the 8x57 anyway.

Just for grins, jog around a bit to get your chest heaving and try it again. Might change the outcome a bit.

This is all very subjective and depends on all kinds of stuff that's hard to quantify. The old line about losing ten pounds off your azz instead of worrying about a couple pounds off your rifle has some truth to it, but the ten pounds ain't being held in your hands while you walk and climb. I rotate my rifle around from Indian carry to slung muzzle down over my left shoulder to held by the grip over my right shoulder, just to keep my arms from getting tired. Everyone has to figure out what works best for them and nobody can say what's best for someone else, only make suggestions.

I carry my rifle in one hand when moving unless the slope requires two handed gripping to extend life...

Balance is where it is at and good balance improves both light and heavy rifles.

Pick up a Nula, Melvin builds them right. By far the most well balanced rifle I have ever put my hands on. Other guys might make light rifles but Melvin puts just as much emphasis on balance as he does on weight. The first thing you notice when you pick up a Nula is how light it is, the second thing you notice is how well you can hold on target freehand when you shoulder it.

Rifles are carried a lot more than they are shot. If shooting from a bench or a stationary stand is how they are to be used then who cares how much they weigh? But if you're climbing steep mountains with a pack on your back, hiking miles away from camp to chase your game and not riding a four-wheeler then rifle weight matters. For me personally and for the uses I have for a rifle, the lighter the better.

I agree balance in an important, and one thing I suspect factors into Luke's rifles is I believe most of his hunts are backpacking in and/or flying in/out and that pound or two less of rifle means more chow for the trip, important no doubt.
I've had some lightweights in the past but for me I've settled on 7 1/4 to 8 lbs being the sweet spot.
This fall my boys and I, in back to back trips packed their two deer out just shy of 4 miles rt in some steep, ugly Montana country and my 8 lbs M70 still felt relatively light to me.

Many are headed out to take a 1-200 lb deer or 4-800 lb elk and they worry about carrying a 14 ounce scope? Weight has never been a consideration when I'm selecting arms. Strictly performance and accuracy.

Can't wait to get my 14lb Sharps out on buffalo hunt.

More phuqqin 24 HR campfire problems. It a wonder that anyone leaves the house.

I was surprised when I checked my CZ 550 6.5x55 and it was 7 lb 15 oz with nothing on it. I decided to let it go.

For me, I don't want to carry a 9+ lb rifle for deer hunting. I have varmint rifles which have more heft, but I don't carry those too far. Two of my favorite deer rifles are 8.75 lb, but I only carry them in fields and they lay steady off the bipod. I think 7.75 lb is ideal for me to carry around for deer hunting.

Yes, a scale tells you a lot. In a moderate recoiling rifle, I like 7-1/2 lbs. My Model 7 Remington in 7mm-08 is just over 7 lbs., and that's fine. For a rifle in the 30-06 category, I prefer 8 lbs. or even a bit more. When I was younger I could tolerate recoil pretty well. Now, over 70, and on blood thinners after bypass surgery, heavy recoil is not good for me. I am black and blue for weeks. That's why I like my Tikka T-3s in 308, 6.5x55, and my Savage Axis rifles in 250 Savage and 257 Roberts. All weigh between 7 and 7-1/2 lbs. Time to sell my 7mm Weatherby Magnum....

All my Sako's and model 70's with scopes are around 9 pounds. No big deal to carry around.

I can carry a 9 or 10 pound rifle but there's no reason that I have to. My heavier rifles have been staying in the safe since I bought a Montana and a Forbes.

8 pounds field ready is a good weight...for a .375.

To the poster who noted that the "hang" is more important than the weight, I agree. I have a Kimber 84 that I love, but with the original 22" barrel it was harder for me to shoot offhand and even sitting than the Ruger 77 it replaced. Rebarreled to a 23.25" (don't ask why I picked that length..couldn't decide between 23" and 24" and when the smith asked me how long I wanted the barrel, that's what I told him) of the same contour and it makes a noticeable difference in how steady it "hangs" on target.
I understand Lilja now makes a barrel that is factory contour to the end of the forearm but has less taper past the forearm for more muzzle weight..if I were doing this again that is the contour I would use.

My Ruger RSM .375H&H is over 11 lbs with scope and ammo and sling. I have hunted with it a fair bit, took a moose and 2 elk and a bear, and never minded the extra weight to carry on hunts that lasted 3-4 hours per session before a break. I did notice how easy it was to hit with, that log of a rifle will settle right down when you point it at game, it is difficult to make the crosshairs wiggle with so much mass and inertia. And it doesn't kick any more noticeably than a lightweight 30-06.
I was concerned about all the comments I've read about how the Ruger RSM was way too heavy for this cartridge. Then I compared my experience and memories. I think I'll keep the rifle, as-is.

Bought a Rock River AR 10, cause I thought Hillie was gonna win. That thing weighs 15 lbs without magazine and cartridges. Need a wheel barrow to move it.