Caliber and Weight

[2L8]

As we all know weight is a multifaceted issue.

Lighter = Easier to Carry
Heavier = Steadier and Less Recoil

We all have different recoil tolerance and tolerance for carry weight. What is your ideal for a hunting rifle in various calibers?

All weights are with all accessories and loaded. As they would be carried and fired.

.22 LR - 7 lb
.223 - 7.5 lb
6.5x55 - 8.0 lb
.270 Win - 8.5 lb
.30/06 - 9.0 lb
.338 Win Mag - 9.5 lb
.375 H&H - 10 lb
.404 Jeffery - 10.5 lb
(Anything above that has to weigh more than I'm willing to carry)

 

[sheephunterab]

Up to 7mm I'm happy around 6.5-7 pounds.
30-338 I'll take 7.5-8 pounds
375 8-9 pounds

 

[Ridgewalker]

I live and have hunted in the mountains of Colorado for over 40 years. I carried heavier as in 9-10 rifles when younger, but now days in my early 70s I vastly prefer lighter. My 300WM is 7 1/4 lbs. My walking varmint rifle in 243 Win is under 6 3/4 lbs. my 375 H&H is the same as yours loaded and with sling, 10 lbs.
Admittedly I am considering carrying a lighter 375 H&H on my next Africa trip for lion because I’m told I need to be ready to walk as much as 10 miles. Walk a lot, shoot little. Keeping my energy up and being alert could be critical.

 

[Red Leg]

Within reason - I prefer lighter. My R8 with .375 barrel weighs less than nine pounds all dolled up.

 

[2L8]

Of the rifles I use most

My .22 LR is 7.5 lb (+ 0.5 lb)
My last .223 was 7.5 lb
My 6.5's are 8.5 & 9.0 lb (+ 0.5 to 1.0 lb)
My last .270 was 7.75 lb (- 0.75 lb)
My last 30/06 was 8.75 lb (- 0.25 lb)
My .338 WM is 9.25 lb (- 0.25 lb)
My .375's range from 9.5 lb to 10.75 lb (- 0.5 lb to + 0.75 lb)

 

[2L8]

I live and have hunted in the mountains of Colorado for over 40 years. I carried heavier as in 9-10 rifles when younger, but now days in my early 70s I vastly prefer lighter. My 300WM is 7 1/4 lbs. My walking varmint rifle in 243 Win is under 6 3/4 lbs. my 375 H&H is the same as yours loaded and with sling, 10 lbs.
Admittedly I am considering carrying a lighter 375 H&H on my next Africa trip for lion because I’m told I need to be ready to walk as much as 10 miles. Walk a lot, shoot little. Keeping my energy up and being alert could be critical.

Wow! 7.25 lb .300 with scope, mounts, sling and ammo? I don't think I've ever owned a centerfire under 7.5 lb and that was a 6.25 lb .223 + LW Scope, LW Mounts and Ammo with no sling. I used it for 'yotes mostly.

Better you than me. I'm not a .300 Mag Fan especially in LW Rifle. I just don't like the way the recoil impulse feels.

 

[sheephunterab]

I had a 7.25 pound 338WM that I used while guiding as a backup. It was a dream to shoot! A quality stock that fits really tames felt recoil!

 

[curtism1234]

The cartridges I use the most are 308 and 7mm rem mag.

The 308 is no more than 7 1/4 pounds. Recoil wise, it is perfectly fine for a grown adult male. It has a thin short barrel with a 5 1/2 pounds trigger so it isn't the most steady rifle to shoot offhand.

My Savage 7mag is 7 3/4 pounds. It points beautiful and shoots good offhand despite the 4 1/2 pounds trigger. Recoil, it's fine for me to shoot 20 rounds but others don't care for it

 

[Nyati]

.338 Sako is 9.7 lbs

.243 Remington is 8.8 lbs

 

[BeeMaa]

I believe the weight of a rifle is directly related to how it comes up and balances in the hands.
How it meets your cheek, how your eye aligns the sights with no effort and your finger presses the trigger.
BANG...it rings like a tuning fork and you know it's right.

For each rifle and caliber it's different and I strive to achieve this balance.

 

[sheephunterab]

The cartridges I use the most are 308 and 7mm rem mag.

The 308 is no more than 7 1/4 pounds. Recoil wise, it is perfectly fine for a grown adult male. It has a thin short barrel with a 5 1/2 pounds trigger so it isn't the most steady rifle to shoot offhand.

My Savage 7mag is 7 3/4 pounds. It points beautiful and shoots good offhand despite the 4 1/2 pounds trigger. Recoil, it's fine for me to shoot 20 rounds but others don't care for it

Just curious as to why such heavy triggers?

 

[curtism1234]

Just curious as to why such heavy triggers?

My 308 is a Browning BLR lever gun. It was supposed to range from 3.5 to 5 pounds but was over 8 pounds from the factory. They reworked it to 5.5 and said it was within specs....

The other rifle is a Savage, pre accutrigger.

 

[sheephunterab]

As long as they work for you....I don't have a gun with a trigger over 3 pounds and most are around 2.5 but it all comes down to personal preference for sure.

 

[BeeMaa]

My 308 is a Browning BLR lever gun. It was supposed to range from 3.5 to 5 pounds but was over 8 pounds from the factory. They reworked it to 5.5 and said it was within specs....

That's crap service from Browning.
I would have expected better.

 

[Newboomer]

Both my "shooters" are Win model 70s. The 7mm Rem mag weighs in at an even 10 lbs fully loaded with scope and sling. The 375HH comes in at an even 11 lbs. Neither are lightweights but the weight mitigates a lot of recoil and they hold steadier. I have my triggers set at about 3 lbs, no slack, no take up. They break like a glass rod.

 

[Hunting Hitman]

300 win mag custom mountain rifle 7 pounds
375 H&H custom 9 1/2 pounds
470 NE Double 10 1/2 pounds
505 Gibbs 11 1/4 pounds

 

[curtism1234]

That's crap service from Browning.
I would have expected better.

Yes, I was not happy. They said they were a repair shop not a custom shop. If I was running the show and a customer came in with a horrific trigger like that, I'm doing what I can to get it in the lowest range because I've unconvinced my customer and I want to make it right. Not "the moment it falls within our specs we are stopping"

I could send it off to someone in Pennsylvania and get that 3.5 pounds trigger for $200. I may do that someday

 

[BeeMaa]

I could send it off to someone in Pennsylvania and get that 3.5 pounds trigger for $200. I may do that someday

You should not be paying for a trigger job that should have been done right by Browning in the first place.
5.5# is half a pound over specifications and about 1.5-2# heavier than what it should be.
I would be calling and emailing to beat the band to make it right.
Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Put it this way, if a rifle cost $500 but you had to pay $550...how happy would you be?
This is exactly what they are telling you to accept.

 

[Eric Anderson]

I have always gone heavier than normal for rifle weight. M1 Garland weighs in just over 10 lbs, but I love woods walking with it.

 

[Shootist43]

Eric, did you mean to say M1 Garand? In the past I've gone into the woods with one of my "National Match" M1 Garand(s) but I generally just sat in a blind with it.