I have a Howa that I like a lot - it has served me well for whitetail hunting but I'm still fairly new to hunting and don't have a ton of experience with it. I'm hoping for the chance to do some Wyoming elk hunting in 2021 and am curious what you guys think about using a Howa for backcountry hunting. I don't have a scale but I believe it weights about 7.5 lbs on its own and over 9 lbs with my scope on it. Seems like the only way to lighten up a Howa is to replace the stock with a McMillan Edge, which I'm not sure I want to do.
When I see people investing in super lightweight rifles like Barrett Fieldcrafts and Kimber Montanas, I start to wonder if I'm in for a world of hurt if I try to haul my Howa around in the mountains. I dunno - I guess I could go for a hike just carrying the thing and see how I feel about it.
Hunted for decades with standard sporting rifles. I use Tikka's a lot now. I carry them more than I shoot them and the Tikka's are accurate. That being said, a standard sporting weight rifle isnt that bad and surely isnt going to impact your normal hunt much at all. Get a good sling and good boots to hike in and have at it.
