Shooting them accurately takes a little getting used to. Factor in the fact that altitude can cause heavy breathing and the ever present wind and it can make holding even a heavy rifle on target difficult.
My first "guided hunt"('93) was a Combination Mule Deer/Antelope hunt out near Laramie, WY. We hunted the MD up in the hills early/late, and the pronghorn during the day. I had a Mod 700 Mountain Rifle in .280 (reamed to the A.I.) shooting the Nosler 150 BT at 2950fps. The wind down on those "short grass" prairies blew me/rifle and all making hitting extremely difficult. I finally shot my Pronghorn by wrapping myself up in a snow drift fence to get steady! Up in the mountains, (like I hunt over here) I was just fine.
I have also tried one of the first Ruger 77 Ultralites (.308) in the 80s. shooting deer in the woods (under 60yds) was fine. At 200yds, even leaning against the side of my jeep, I could not hit a 2 liter pop bottle, not even close!
A Custom MGA in a braked 340wby (6.5 pounds give or take) kicked the guts out of two Premium scopes, at the worst possible times. Upon return to America, I had it rebarreled to 338WM a bit heavier and Mag Na Ported., using only Barnes 185 XLC. It was manageable then, but only in the mountains, the prairie wind thingy.
So yeah...decide what/where you want to hunt and figure in as many variables as you can. I find the Sporter Weight better as an "all around" myself. i.e C.A. Mesa in 300WM/2.5x8 scope= perfection "for me". (although I love the Bergara B14 Hunter in 300WM also) Mod 70 FWTs/Mod 700 Mountain rifles about as light as I want anymore, especially for the occasional antelope. A "Sendero" style rifle is very good for, well, "Sendero's and Prairies"
Have a ball though!
