Beautiful rifles... steel bottom metal... sporter barrel contour... the 26” rifles are 8.5 lb. !!!

Wow, in this day and age of ltwt rifles with synthetic carbon fiber stocks and 22” fluted barrels with threaded muzzles... who is buying such an old classic?

I am sorely tempted... but one would approach 10 lb scoped and loaded... who can lift such a beast??

Almost 10 lb... about that of the iron sight M1 Garand our fathers humped up the hills...

It's funny that you should mention that rifle. I was looking at it and a Win LWT in 30-06. With a Leupold 4x33 or similar weight scope, this rifle is less than 8 lb. The barrel is 22 in.



- SATIN FINISH WALNUT STOCK WITH CLASSIC FEATHERWEIGHT CUT CHECKERING AND SCHNABEL FOREARM create the iconic Featherweight look
- POLISHED METAL SURFACES add style and elegance
- ALLOY ONE-PIECE BOTTOM METAL adds rigidity for better accuracy
- FORGED STEEL RECEIVER WITH INTEGRAL RECOIL LUG IS BEDDED FRONT AND REAR to eliminate shifts in zero for exceptional long-range accuracy
- PRE-’64 STYLE CONTROLLED ROUND FEED WITH CLAW EXTRACTOR fully controls cartridge from magazine, to chamber, to ejection

Three-Position Safety shows safety status at a glance

- COLD HAMMER-FORGED FREE-FLOATING FEATHERWEIGHT PROFILE BARREL for years of pinpoint accuracy
- RECESSED TARGET CROWN enhances accuracy and protects the rifling
- M.O.A. Trigger SYSTEM with zero take-up, zero creep and zero overtravel gives you outstanding accuracy
- Blade-Type Ejector for full control of ejection force
- PACHMAYR® DECELERATOR® RECOIL PAD for optimal protection against felt recoil

I’ve been thinking about one.

A ten pound rifle just don't fit my likes these days.. I have several of the featherweights in 7mm-08 and .308 They are superb rifles.

I hefted (an appropriate word in this case) one way back when they started making them again in New Haven. It was a beauty, but about the right size and weight for a .375 IMO.

The one that interests me now is the SS Featherweight Dark Maple. Would like it better with steel bottom metal.

Oddly enough I was wondering what my short action M70 Fwt 243 weighed yesterday, so I pulled the scope and weighed it - 6 lb -13 oz with a set of Weaver bases. I haven't put the scope back on and weighed it but with a Leupold 3-9x40 and lightweight rings I suspect it will set right at 8#, just about perfect IMO.

I like the looks of the Supergrade but I am not ready to deal with a 10 lb rifle.

drover









3

I'm curious. When does a rifle get too heavy for you? By you, I mean everyone who has posted in this thread.

I understand not wanting to carry a heavy rifle around, but "heavy" must be different for different people.

Further, can you tell the difference between a 7 lb and an 8 lb rifle?

I have an 8lb M700 and a 9 lb Browning Medallion and can't tell the difference.

I have always preferred my hunting rifles to be around 7-1/2 to 8 lbs, for me it is a good compromise between an easy to carry weight and yet heavy enough to mitigate recoil.

drover

And still do, 5 miles a day, 6 days a week and with a 30lb slab of iron in the backpack.

Makes the lightweight hunting rifle feel like I'm packing a pencil come Elk camp....

The 8ob gun will kick less and be easier to shoot accurately...

Always interesting to hear opinions about an "ideal" rifle weight.

I have hunted a lot of different country over the decades, not just here in Montana but around 15 different countries., at elevations from near sea level to well over 10,00 feet above sea level. While in general I like a big game rifle of about eight pounds, have also found plenty of use for rifles under 7 and over 10 for various applications.

Have also found my rifle-weight preference changed for even the same kind of hunting over the past 40-some years--especially as rifle balance changed. Years ago a typical lightweight had a short, very thin barrel and walnut stock. Today a much lighter rifle can have a "full contour" barrel of 24+ inches and light synthetic stock--and weigh even less. The modern rifle will balance far better.

I never worried about weight when I looked for any rifle. I figured that if they made it for someone to carry, that's why they optioned them with slings and balanced stocks. That was likely the young guy in me talking back then.

As a former armourer, depending on my duties, the rifles I carried were generally over 10 lb. I humped them a lot of miles. Perhaps that was why I never thought about civilian rifle weights. They were all lighter than what I had at work.

I could never tell the difference between 7 and 9 lb. I could really notice balance differences though, especially with bipods. All my single shots have heavy barrels. I have a 30-303 barrel on the way that is 26 inches long and 1 inch in diameter along its length. I am expecting it to weigh 11 lb. I have no plans for a bipod, but have a Boyds stock. That is definitely heavier than the Flextech that came from the factory. This is a 6.5 Grendel. I haven't weighed it yet, but it has to be ten lb.

Yep, it's the difference between a M70 Fwt or a Kimber Montana with ~15oz scopes both in 270Win.

Buddy and I were just talking about this the other day. He wanted a NIB 280ai. He was looking at Christensen and Savage. I said "If you were a real man, you'd buy a Super Grade in 280 Rem and Ackleysize it." He calls the next day--it's on its way! He's having a lot of fun shooting it. Excellent accuracy on 160/162 bullets over Re-23. Not going to push it with longer bullets largely due to 1:9 twist.

He's happy: A beautiful rifle in the chambering he wanted. He always coveted a Super Grade, too. Two-fer IMHO

I can identify with your buddy, lol

The “mild sociopaths” Mule Deer has written about like to make cracks about how those who prefer light rifles should take some weight off their fat azzes instead of worrying about a pound or two on their rifles. Well, I carry a rifle in my hands, or slung on my shoulder, and a lighter one means I can go farther and react more quickly. While still-hunting, a rifle belongs in your hands, not slung, and a light one makes it easy to hold in one hand while you glass, or part brush on the trail. On the trek back to where I usually hunt, a heavy gun gets shifted back and forth several times, but one of my light ones stays put, slung muzzle down on my left with my hand holding the forend, or carried in the crook of my arm with my thumb over the bolt knob. Even while sitting in a treestand or on a log, stump, or stool, a heavy rifle gets uncomfortable resting across my legs, with or without my hand underneath it. A small thing maybe, but over time it all adds to my fatigue level, which affects my concentration and how long I can sit still.

I think a lot of it depends on how you hunt. If you hold the rifle in your hands all day and walk a lot, the difference between a 7 lb rifle and an 8 lb rifle will be very apparent. I don't think anyone who does any amount of bird hunting would suggest that an 8 lb or heavier shotgun is ideal.

My rifles sling is rarely employed unless walking back to the car after dark or climbing something that I need both hands free for, but our style of deer hunting feels a lot like grouse hunting minus the dog.

There are a few of the Lightweight Supergrades still around (S.C. BACO guns made about 2015). Featherweight barrel contour, steel bottom metal, Supergrade walnut and stock contour with black foreend tip sans cheekpiece. Mine, a 7mm Mauser, weighs 8 1/4# with scope and steel mounts and rings. I love it.

If you can find one, snap it up. Best of both worlds, IMO.

I had a collection of five of them when they first came out, they were really the nicest M70s I've ever seen but the were heavy and I didn't hunt with them much. Eventually sold them all off. If I were a collector, I'd love to have them back but most of my rifles were fiberglass stocks with stainless or carbon barrels these days.

I have a SuperGrade on 7-08 that will be my daughter's. It's heavy but we'll balanced and is superbly accurate

I really want one of the French walnut SuperGrades

For me the limit is 7 1/2 pounds.....with scope, ammo, sling.

It's why I build my Mausers with Talley one piece mounts, a Leupold 3-9 ultralite, PAWS (aluminim) hinged bottom metal, Douglas or shilen #1 contour barrels, and very thin rubber butt pads.

.Yes, occasionally I vary from this but not too far.

I have two of the Featherweights (308 & 6.5x55) and really like and use them. I also have a Super Grade in 300 Win Mag that belonged to a deceased buddy of mine and it has a heavy Bushnell Elite 3X-9X50 in Leupold mounts and rings and it weighs a ton. I've never taken it hunting. It's a beauty and a reminder of the Newfoundland Moose hunt that we went on together, but it will ride the gun safe until the day they plant me.

I am 64 and I have a fused ankle full of steel plates and screws from my USMC days, have broken bones 33 times and lost at least 50% of my strength from the days I was a young man. But I carry 10 -11 pound rifles all the time and never felt they were all that heavy. And I am not a real big man either.

I do shrink back from 13+ pound guns and I smirk when someone buys a 50 BMG rifle for "hunting" so I do have an upper limit, but 10 pounds is not bad.

Looking at my notes here, I see 14 rifles I own that are 9-1/4 to 12 pounds and none of them burden me much when going uphills after elk or deer.

Remington M81 300 Savage. 9 lb 4 oz
Mauser M98 full-stock 9.3X57 9 lb 6 oz
Winchester M95 270 9 lb 8 oz.
Mossberg MVP 308. 9 lb 7 oz
Mosin Nagant 9lb 10 oz
AR10 308 10 pounds
Mauser 9.3X62 10 pounds
375H&H Mauser 10 pounds
270 Mauser with thumb-hole stock 10 lb 1 oz
270 Mauser with classic stock 10 lb 2 oz
300 H&H Mauser 11 pounds
404 Jeffery 11 pounds.
M1 Garand 11 lb 7 oz
6.8 SPC with Free Float Sleeve 12 lbs.

When I was a Marine I served with an Old Corps Marine who was then a WO4. He was a WW2 vet, Korean War Vet and Vietnam War vet. He was in his late 50s then and was faced with mandatory retirement not much later due to his age. At that age he could still score a 1st class USMC Physical Fitness Test. He was 61 when he was "kicked out" and that was after at least 2 extensions. He told me something I have always held as pure truth when he spoke to me about staying in good shape. He said [color:#009900]"Zihn, remember, it's easier to keep it then to get it back"[/color]

I am no longer in "RECON Condition" but I am not doing all that bad either for an old geezer. It's because I always remembers what he said to me.

I have noticed my rifles have "gained weight" but not so much I fret about taking them out. I just killed my buck antelope with my old M1 a few weeks ago. The thought it was heavy never crossed my mind.

Monday (Day after tomorrow) I and my wife are going up the mountain to see if we can kill our elk. We'll start at 6200 feet and may go up to 8,800 feet. My rifle is 10 pounds, loaded and with sling and her rifle is 10 pounds, 3 Oz with sling, fully loaded.

So not to kick any shins here, but I believe staying in good shape and working out is WAY more important then trying to cut 1-2 pounds off your rifle. If you start to work out 10 minutes EVERY day you will find by the 2021 seasons your rifles will loose a lot of weight.

Try it and see.

Balance is far more important to me than weight.

One of my most favorite hunting rifles is a 700 BDL in 7 mag that wears a 4.5-14 Leupold. I think it balances just fine

Not to discount balance, but really, it only matters when shooting off-hand; if shooting off-hand, then shots are not long, if shooting long, you will be using some form of support/rest, so in the end, balance as it relates to hitting what you aim at, is greatly over-rated, IMHO.

I've carried a lot of heavy rifles, in a lot of difficult terrain, but for the last 20 years or so, given the equipment available, there's just no real need to carry a heavy rifle, unless you just want to do it for some particular reason.

I'm happy with rifles that weigh anywhere from 6.5 to around 7.5 lb, scoped...............all my magnums are gone except for 338 or bigger so no heavy tweeners anymore for me.

JMHO, YMMV

MM

I have dislocated my left shoulder twice and separated it once.I have tendons that are to far separated too be reattached.I do lift weights but am limited to much I can lift.I am trying to make up for lost tendons with stronger muscles.That being said this limits me as too how heavy a rifle I can shoot well off hand.7 to 8 pounds seems to be comfortable but I have even lighter rifles all up.In Wisconsin I hunt in thick swamp and use a Marlin 1894 44Mag with a 16"barrel topped with a Leupold VX-2 1 1/2 -4.All up weight is 6 1/2 pounds loaded ready to hunt.When I was a young man just out of the Military I humped a Browning FN in 375 H&H for my western hunts no problem,but that was 55 years ago.So as I have aged I have gravitated to lighter setups.I guess each guy or gal needs to use what is comfortable for them and it is hard to say what you like applies to anyone else.Just having the ability to still get out there is what counts for me,Huntz

Depends if its a good day or a bad day. Formerly working physically and not knowing I have scoliosis (every guy on the job complained about a bad back never thought I was different) means the bad days make a lighter rifle nice. Depends if its a long walk with a lot of hills or a 10 minute walk to a blind to sit all day. Not complaining about a Featherweight right now.

And if I've slept in a tent with a thin foam mat under the bag

On a good day, a Win 70 Safari Express in 375 was no prob. And a 30-06 class rifle with the heft of a Super Grade must shoot dang smoothly.

I don't know about you folks but I really don't like the new slimmed down profile of the LA Winchester 70 Sporters these days. They list them at 7 lbs 4 oz. The old Classic Sporter and Sporter III were great fitting and handling rifles, to me. Now they feel almost like they have a Featherweight forend. No like.

One carries them for hours and shoot them for seconds. I'd rather have a lighter weight rifle - but to a point. The M70 Featherweight is about perfect for me in that regard. Same for shotguns. A field gun of about 7-7.5 lbs is good for me.

I bought a Model 70 Custom Deluxe n .270 Win. brand new in 1966 just after they screwed 'em up in '64. Damn push feed. I was a young dumb kid and didn't have a clue. Then as I slowly figured out what I had I had killed game with it and it was accurate. The push feed action made it lighter and the bean counters had included aluminum bottom metal and the stock blank was pretty light so the rifle with scope is less than 8 pounds and it's a pure joy to carry. I'm no wimp about weight but it does feel nice. It has worn at least four scopes through the years starting out brand new with a Redfield 4x.It wore a Weaver K-6, a Redfield Revoluton 4-12x40, and now wears a nice Leupold VX-2 4-12x40 with AO. I have at least 12 other rifles in various cartridges and most weigh at least 9 to 10 pounds if not more(Most have 24"-26" barrels and half are and CRF Mausers). I try to hunt them all, but that old light .270 Model 70 gets taken twice as much as any other because it's nice and light and handles like a dream.

However I do want to buy some form of control round feed Model 70 in .270 Winchester some day.

Wasn't trying to convince others to ditch their preference, just stating my own. I shoot offhand a fair bit, particularly when hunting, and as a result spend some time shooting targets offhand as well.

50 yards with a flintlock:


100 yards with a Highwall, .38-55




Not a long shot, 2 shots/target at 50'




Closest I get to a rest position while hunting here in the swamps is leaning against a tree, and 100 yards is a fairly long shot. Not the longest I've made, but it is the norm. I still hunt, period. Weight does not bother me if it's properly balanced.

Nice shooting there Dan. If I practiced more offhand, and was able to shoot like that, I have a lot less excuses come hunting season.

As far as rifle balance goes, I’ve noticed I shoot a lot better groups from the sit position with a rifle which has a slightly forward balance to it, than one butt heavy. The margin of improvement is greater when shooting offhand.

I have a Winchester Super Grade in 338 WM and I like it!

TomM1, forward balance is your friend for offhand work, any position.

Aye!

..........Ah hell. Go the gym....LOL.....My 338-378 Accumark (da beast) weighs nearly 10 lbs with scope. #3 barrel though!

One Super Grade Winchester in the safe, a 270 WSM with outrageous grade III crotch feather that belongs on a bespoke shotgun.

IIRC from 2004 before Winchester closed up shop. Barrel address Super Grade, bottom metal un-marked.

Went out right-a-way and bought a green and black spiderweb B&C Medalist stock and put the factory walnut in the safe. Shoots around .300 for a rifleman, definitely under a half with a competent operator.

Yep.

MM

My go anywhere rifle, aTikkaT3 lite w/ an SS 3-9hd scope all up w/ 5 round mag loaded weighs 8 lbs and I like it. I would like it more if it weighed 6 lbs and cost the same $.


mike r

Plenty of fit guys carry light rifles. With that said many that agonize over rifle weight would indeed be better served by losing weight off their gut.

Well my fat &$$ certainly needs to “drop 50” to get back to 6’3” and 197 lb.

I went thru my rifles, matching them to game, and I invented a gap - I “need” a dedicated LR antelope/coyote rifle and a 26” Super Grade is just the ticket!!! 8.5 lb + 23 oz SS 10X + 8 oz for rings, ammo, sling = 10.5 lb

Shooting well consistently offhand is an important skill for a hunter. If you need a heavier rifle to do so it is worth the extra effort. If not, light is right.


mike r

A little bit of weight in the right area sure. Makes field shooting easier.

It still boils down to how far you are trying to shoot off-hand & how big the target is........................

MM

[img]https://hosting.photobucket.co...8E_8499_D48530F09DB7_IMG_5602.HEIC[/img]





I like mine a lot but man, it’s heavy. Over 9lbs with a 6x36 on top. Easy to shoot though.

Put it into perspective:

If hunters would take a good shlt and clean their boots they'd lose 15 lbs.

Most hunters happily carry around an extra 30 to 200lbs of weight on their asses daily.

It's all good, buy the rifle and enjoy it, I have a couple SG's, also gladly hunt with a couple 16 pound Sharps bull barrel rifles, just packed a 14 pound 577 Nitro for an average of 11 miles a day in Tanzania.

Damn nice stick Big B.

I do like a lighter rifle when I am going up and down in elevation in rough country myself. I don’t really ever sling a rifle till I need both hands so that has some impact. I guess as long as it feels good in my paw and balances right I’m good with it.

The little P64 Featherweight in the Hunters Edge felt pretty light to me and that’s not even in the atmosphere as a lot of light rifles these days. But it settled down pretty quick and seems to hit where I point it.

Agreed, I wouldn't take a 16lb Sharps up a sheep mountain either, but, certainly wouldn't let 3lbs all up be a deciding factor on whether I'd buy and enjoy a certain rifle.

Nope. Me either. McMillan makes stocks everyday that’ll lighten them up when you need to as well.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^Yessir^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I can really appreciate truth examples.

I agree with what many have said regarding the balance / feel.
Personally, I really like the older stainless M70 Classics. I am still able to hump a 10# rifle for my hunting.
My theoretical mountain rifles are in the 7.5 to 8.5 pound range with scopes. These certainly are not lightweights by today's standard.
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It's often not the size of the target and distance that matters so much as how small the opening in the trees//limbs/brush you have to put your bullet through..

My Super Grade with 4.5-14 LRHS weighs 10lb 15oz and is my most used hunting rifle. The Shilen barrel chambered in 6.5 WSM is a little heavier than the factory contour. A Kifaru Gun Bearer is a great help in carrying.

Guilty - To be fair it was built in 1952 (IIRC) - .300 H&H

I'm in this camp. I don't see any reason for a sporter that weighs as much as a heavy varmint rifle unless it generates a bunch of recoil. That 8.5 pound weight for a Win 70 sporter is the same weight as a Remington 700 Sendero. Model 70 actions are heavy. Walnut stocks are heavy. I want the weight where it does me some good .. a lot of it in the barrel.

Tom

My model 70 Super grade 7mm Mag has several problems so it spends lots of time in my safe, while I shoot

my 7mm Mag Vanguard S2. First the model 70 struggles to shoot 1.5" groups at a 100 yard. while the Vanguard

shoots under a inch all the time. Another thing is the Model 70 has a slow barrel or it is shot out. If I test a load in the Vanguard at 3050FPS

with 160gr Accubonds, it will be 2875FPS in the Model 70. It takes about 3 extra grains to equal the Vanguard. Now a couple years ago I tryed

5 different loads in both rifles on the same day. The good news was one load using MagPro the difference was only 80 FPS less in the Model 70

some of the others were well over 200 FPS difference. Guess I,ll get both of them out and work on that MagPro load some more. What I was worried

is I might get the bullets mixed up and put a load for the model 70 in the Vanguard. I,m sure I would have to pound the bolt open on the Vanguard.

Thats why I have only been loading for the Vanguard.