Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting What is the heaviest weight rifle you would want to hunt with?

Heck I took my 15 pound rifle sheep hunting this year.



For true backpack style hunts a lightweight rifle is nice and I have more than a couple of those. But for day hunts where you don't have the entire camp on your back a heavier really isn't that big of a deal in my experience. Just another tool in the box.

Looks like O2 country

This one is 8.5lbs. Too heavy for some, just right for me. It has good balance and feel, and I have confidence in it...

Other essentials I don't leave home without...

I like a rifle that balances nicely. For me, my 8x57 in the McMillan stock is 8 lbs even empty, and just about perfect. I have a .300 Win Mag that comes in at just over 9 and certainly is not bad to carry either.

Of course 20+ years of throwing concrete forms around can probably skew your definition of heavy.

Scenarshooter: just awesome firearms you regularly display...Wife, asked me a couple nights ago if I would want a Schmidt & Bender scope....Now, what’s a guy supposed to say to that invitation...No? Got me thinking though about S&B scopes. Here’s my question...I just bought a SWFA SS 10x42 as a training wheel scope to learn how to twist turrets. Not sure if I will like the experience. I’m a Leupold CDS user who happens to have 100% satisfaction thus far...So, what S&B scope would you suggest with both a twist turret set up and a non-twist scope with side focus in the 4.5 to 6 power range. Thanks for any help. Mark

I am old and feeble but still like to move in the mountains. My Tikka T3 lite 308 weighs 7.6 lbs scoped and loaded and that is enough for me. I don't know at what distance you will shoot game or how steady you are and that is always the limiter for me. Last week shooting seated w/ a back rest off sticks I shot 10 for 10 on an 8" plate at 400 yards and 5 for 10 at 500 yards in variable winds. This tells me that w/ this set up I am a 400 yard shooter from field positions. I rarely shoot prone where I hunt.

If I didn't need it as a truck gun I would invest in a lighter rifle and better glass and see what I could do. If I could shoot as well as Pat I would be pretty happy no matter what I was carrying.


mike r

At 12 1/2 pounds, I don't make it a habit of packing this one around too much, but do on occasion.

I’ve experimented with heavier hunting rifles (for stability at longer range) and found the real limit was not carry weight, but whether I could lift the rifle with one hand up onto sticks or a rest - silently.
It’s partly about balance, but my limit is around 10lbs.

9 lbs for me. I have found that I shoot this one very well, I like it better than a 6 lb lightweight.

I might have to get one of those....;)

You might have to change your screen name to “Enabler”... grin

I would like to stay under 9.0 lbs.......scoped, loaded, and with sling. Mine comes in a few ounces over!

I have found that, as I age.....my rifle seems to be putting on a little weight! memtb

Details?

LSU, it’s a GA Precision 6.5 SAUM - the scenarshooter model...

That blueprint works pretty well on the Tempest action, 2” more barrel, 2 port side discharge brake chambered in 6.5 wsm as well. 😁

How long is the snout? 22"?

LSU Fan, I’ll be back in Zachary (home for my first 34 years), in early April. Family, friend, and baseball! memtb

Pretty sure Scenar and Kimber7 spec’d 25” barrels