Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting rifle weight and body weight

A rifle's weight is NOT the same as your body's weight, and there is not much correlation between lowering one vs the other.

A rifle is a static thing that you carry. It's typically in your hands or on your shoulder, away from your center of gravity. Those pounds are, in the real world on a mountain, heavier pounds than what extra you may be packing on your body.

It stands the test of good sense to have a lean body mass, but as anyone that has spent a lifetime climbing and backpacking will tell you oz's make pounds quickly. And extra pounds on your back or in your hands conspire to deplete energy.

I'm a 60 yo, 5'10", 148 lbs man that eats a whole food, plant-based, low inflammation diet and works out hard. Last weekend I did a 20.3 mile day (actual miles - not fitbit bullchit) here in the Montana Rockies. I felt great, and can promise you there aren't a lot of guys that could have kept pace. But I will pare away ounces mercilessly to preserve energy. OUNCES MAKE POUNDS, POUNDS DEPLETE ENERGY. A rifle is just one place to lose weight, but it's an important one because it's away from your center of gravity through much of a hunting day.

Another important place to lose weight is your footwear...