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

There is a LOT of emphasis on lowering rifle weights as much as possible for mountain hunting, but I seldom read anything on an equal emphasis on lowering body weight for the same benefits. Lets say you are not overweight: your bmi is right where it should be. And you can either reduce your rifle weight by even 1-2 lbs, or you can work on your body weight and lose say 4-5 lbs. Is the loss of body weight going to have the same benefits on your your ability to walk at a good pace in rough conditions as that 1-2 lbs. of less rifle weight to carry. I've never seen anything on this question.

A few pounds ain’t nothing, packed my Sako’s all over west Texas, up and down hills, but I was early 20’s.
I would probably like a lighter rifle now.

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...

The reason I like a light rifle is the pack out. I'm 69 in good condition. When I put meat on my back it's not like it used to be.
I use a 6.5# Kimber MT 308 for the last few years. So many good light rifles that will kill.
Goal is to hunt elk and pack meat til I am 75. We shall see

If you are fit and pretty lean you will profit more from losing 2 lbs of rifle weight than 4-5 lbs of body weight. My #1 rifle weighs 8 lbs and I would gladly shed 2 if I were not such a cheapskate. I would like to shed 20 years even more


mike r

All of this^^^

I can't find much to disagree with here concerning extra weight on the waist vs extra weight in equipment being carried. The center of gravity argument has merit but it isn't the whole story. I think it is also important to mention that more body weight (specifically muscle, not necessarily fat I guess) requires more oxygen to maintain and more so to actually use. Oxygen gets thinner as you climb elevation.

Just one more piece to the puzzle.

Here’s my take, I’m no physical specimen, didn’t even give it much thought until a few years ago. Now I’m 47, 5’8” and 180. I work out or hike/bike 4 days a week for 40 minutes. I can hike all over for as long/far as I want, without a pack or rifle. But throw a 40# pack and 8# rifle on my back and I’m sucking wind. So ya taking 2# off my rifle or pack would make a difference.

I could loose 5-10# off my ass, but I’d have to alienate my wife and her great cooking, which she also cooks for my 10th grade starting offensive football player and 19yo son. I could also give up good beer, but I’d rather spend several $100 on a new rifle and have the best of all worlds.

I'd rather lose it from the body and it's the cheapest place to lose it from, not to mention being healthy. It is still weight you are carrying up a mountain. It is way more comfortable to carry extra pounds in your gut than to carry it in a pack strapped to your shoulders but you are still carrying it.

Plus, if you lose 2 pounds off your body, it won't make you shoot worse. If you lose two pounds off your rifle, especially if it's a hard-kicker, it will probably make you shoot worse.

Good post.
I am nearly 64 and have always taken fitness seriously, even in my 20's I stayed in shape year around so I could Sheep hunt.
Sheep hunters are fanatical about shaving ounces off all things, everything was was weighed and reweighed.
Including myself, I would run, skate, play hockey etc in the off season to keep the flab off.
The rifle is a different matter, I have gone ultra light at one time but found the weight wasn't as important as the portability of it.
I now carry a Browning BLR takedown, It can be split in two to carry in my pack or saddlebags, I have s Burris 2x7 scout scope on it, the scope is also quick detachable.
This rifle is beaten but holds poi well.
I have grown to prefer take downs and single shot rifles, providing they are under 40" long

A thought about balance and motivation… Lots of folks can’t effectively shoot a featherweight rifle but just as many won’t go the distance up the next hill to check for blood if they didn’t see a “solid hit” or a DRT. Chalking it up to a miss that was obviously the fault of some other influence that all to often results in scavenger bait.

Shoot a rifle that you can carry/fits you and have the stamina/balance to get yourself up the hill then over the next hill to verify your shot…

I personally am far more effective past 250 yards with my 7lb.30-06 than I am with my 5.5lb .308

Like others said a few pounds of body weight doesn't compensate for rifle weight. I admit a lighter rifle is "Nicer" to carry and I have a couple. I'm 64, still go up the mountains, a bit slower though, and don't worry about rifle weight too much. Never really weighed any of mine, I pick the one I want to take. It might be a weatherby that I'm guessing weighs 9+ lbs (maybe more) or one of lighter ones that might go around 7 or so. I may change my mind about that in 10 years or so.

thank you all for your input. Here is why I ask this question. I am soon to be 74. 6'2" and I've always weighed between 170-175, although I'm probably a small bit heavier at the moment. I eat VERY healthy: almost all plant based food, no beer,no pop, no fast food and no processed food. Work physically hard: still work part time in a potato packing business, cut and split all our firewood, etc.

My son is a guide in alaska and he and I have tags for spring brown bear on Kodiak. We've hunted Kodiak before: it is hours of spotting, but when a decision is made to go, you have to go. And it can be a VERY hard climb up and thru alder patches. It is very difficult to find any place around where I live that duplicates those conditions. I have rifle options, but obviously for brown bear small calibers are out. I want to take my .375 which is kind of "the" brown bear caliber for browns, but it weighs 9 1/2# plus. I have smaller calibers that range from 8 up to 9 lbs, but each of them have their down sides as well. However, its only a difference of 1-2 lbs and so if its the same amount of carry on my shoulder vs. as part of my body, it won't be that difficult to lose another 5 lbs. or so.

I’d consider a Kimber Talkeetna at 7lbs. 12oz. w/o scope.

It’s not just eating healthy but if you are eating a lot, you will weigh what your caloric intake sustains (eat more, weigh more). Most people eat way too much and snack constantly, even if they think they are eating healthy. Anyways, I’d probably take what I shot well and was comfortable for the terrain regardless of the caliber. You have a lighter 270 or 308? Take that. 9.5 lbs plus is heavy even for a 375.
S

So not really a mountain-backpack hunt. More dayhiking out of a base camp. Really, a pretty different scenario. This is, after all, the "Backpack Hunting" forum. I wouldn't sweat rifle weight in the scenario you describe.

I decided not to mention shootability in order to keep the conversation centered on the original post, but you make some good points. For me a 6.75lb "all up" (scoped w/ sling and rounds) rifle with a weight forward balance is ideal. I'd call that a "lightweight," not an "Ultra-lightweight." My Kimber 84M MT's are both going to get rebarelled with the modified Lilja 84M contour that finishes at .620" at the muzzle. For me that's the right compromise between packability and shootability. That's the sort of thing only time and experience can teach you, and others will find a different answer undoubtedly.

Yeah, lose the 3-4 lbs body weight too if you can (or more). I don’t know what the equation is but, for example, and 9 lb rifle all-up as we like yo say, is not at the center of gravity (COG) like your body weight is in an upright walking position.

Your rifle then is on a lever with the COG, the fulcrum. And the further it is from the body (how you carry it, etc) ,”the more it weighs”.. we all know that on a teeter-totter, a light weight way out on the end of one side balances a heavier weight closer to the fulcrum on the other side.

Arbitrary chosen numbers for an example: a carried rifle 2 pounds heavier than an ideal (say 7.0 lbs) may exert the equivalent of an extra 6 or 7 lbs of body weight at COG . So there is no equivalence between body weight and rifle weight as to what you feel.

Of course as COG moves as you bend, move around, twist, things change for better or worse. So within reason — your call — light is right.

Apologize for being redundant. I missed Brad’s post above saying essentially the same thing.

As you probably know a kodiak bear hunt requires that you carry enough clothing to deal w/ a harsh environment and good optics as well as the rifle. The ground underfoot can be as challenging as the terrain and vegetation. Moving quickly to attain a good position for a shot w/ your gear will be a whole body event w/ an emphasis on cardio and muscular endurance. You may end up making several stalks in a single day. Every ounce that you carry should be the most efficient that you can afford, boots, layers, rain gear etc.

At your age being able to maintain a heart rate of 120-130 bpm for an hour non stop would be a good goal to maximize your ability to maximize your chances of a successful hunt. Doing this 2-3 times in the course of a day while wearing your gear will get you ready for anything and is attainable in the time available barring medical problems.

Your guide son is probably a physical beast who will be glad to carry dad's optics etc have a great hunt.


mike r

Not surprisingly, I agree with Brad on physical stature and conditioning. I'm 58, 5 ft 8, 155 lbs and 11-12% body fat. I spend all year staying in elk condition. Pounds on the body means something different. 2-5 lbs of muscle is not the same as 2-5 of body fat which is simply dead weight. I've weighed as much as 182 lbs back when I was into being as big and strong as I could. Elk hunting at that weight plain sucked because I had little aerobic conditioning. Mitochondria and ATP is where it's at for mountain hunting. Deadlifting 400 lbs or squatting 300 lbs wont help you at all if you dont have the aerobic base/conditioning to capitalize on that strength. Suffice to say, I'll take 2-5 lbs on my frame over 1-1.5 lbs of rifle weight.

I'm taking my Kimber Montana 308 next week (CO 1st season). Weighs 6.7 lbs with a NF SHV on board. It will likely be rebarreled after season to the Lilja 84M modifed contour. I did my 338 Fed with that contour 2 years ago. It points better and is easier to shoot offhand that the standard Kimber 84m contour.

Another factoid in the same vein is boot weight. I forgot the exact equivalent but think its 1 lb on your feet equals 10 lbs on your back. I switched to shoes for hiking this summer (Brad may have told me that several years back....). Have done a bunch of 15-17 mile days with 22 lbs pack this summer. Did several over 20. Weight on your feet is a real thing. Salomon makes their X-Ultra with 200 gr Thinsulate and waterproof plus it has a better tread pattern than the Quest 4d. I'll know how they work after next week. I literally saved 2lbs by switching from my Crispi Guide to the Salomons. Still taking the Crispis in the event it doesnt work so well.....