Ideal weight for Dangerous Game rifle

[bigborelover]

What is the ideal weight for a rifle when hunting DG ? Though i do not own a rifle ( or any firearm for that matter ) ,
carrying around about 11 lbs while walking for 10 kms. Your opinions would be valued.

 

[UpNorthMI]

I think it's hard to define "ideal", weight can be both good and bad, good to absorb recoil and bad from having to carry it.

My recently new Blaser R8 in .416 Rem weighs just under 11 lbs with a scope fitted, it also shoots with less recoil than my standard Blaser R8 in .375 H&H mag due to the extra weight. I am happy to be carrying my .416 at that 11 lbs weight as it provides reasonable performance on DG and I feel confident and comfortable shooting it as the recoil level is very manageable for me.

Ideal is very much a personal choice but in my opinion any reasonable caliber rifle suitable for dangerous game is going to weigh the best part of 10 lbs when fitted with a scope as a minimum.

 

[RLD]

What is the ideal weight for a rifle when hunting DG ? Though i do not own a rifle ( or any firearm for that matter ) ,
carrying around about 11 lbs while walking for 10 kms. Your opinions would be valued.

I think that really varies on what kind of terrain you are hunting on.

I am a big boned guy and don't mind humping around 11 or 12 pounds all day, but others may feel differently.

 

[BeeMaa]

My R8 375H&H with scope, sling and four cartridges is just over 10 lbs. I recently returned from a hunt for Cape buffalo where I walked 13 miles one day and over 15 the following...all while carrying the rifle. I'm not a big guy at 70" and 160 lbs and not in the best of shape either. Still I found it quite easy to manage. Around 11.5 lbs is what I'd consider the upper limit while also taking into consideration my level of recoil tolerance and cartridge choice.

I'd also say that balance is just as important as weight. Having a rifle that can be carried at the magazine area (where my right hand is on the rifle) with one hand without having to compensate for the forward or rearward bias makes things easier.

 

[deewayne2003]

My .470ne weigh 10lbs 13oz and it's one of my favorite guns to shoot and my .375H&H with scope weighs 10lbs 10oz and likewise is comfortable to shoot.

I'd rather have a heavier weapon that's comfortable to shoot than an uncontrollable beast that beats me up.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Depends upon the caliber/cartridge you select. 11 lb+ is pretty ideal. (Had a 375 w/ a heavy bbl loaded, spare rotary mag in the butt, scope, mounts, sling + loaded weighed 13+ lbs and was a pleasure to shoot! Son's MT 1999 375 was 11 and fine to shoot.) A <8 lb open sight (handloaded) 458 was NOT. A 9.5 lb 416 (handloaded) was not until 2 Hg recoil reducers were added (11.5 lb). As I find the gun most important, IF it's a heavier model, I'll shed weight in other departments (no pack or other unnecessary gear, compact binos, a practical amount of ammo, and/or myself!) Get a 14 lb'er and put the Gunbearer you paid for to good use! (You'll only have to lift it at the moment of truth!!)

 

[Wildwillalaska]

For me, and not my notion, gun makers for years and years have built dangerous game rifles to proper weights for the cartridges they were designed for, the heavier the recoil the heavier the gun. Then it comes down to what you are comfortable shooting accurately (without fear of recoil) and can carry where needed as long as needed.

You’ll find 375’s lighter than 416’s and 458’s and lighter than 500’s and 505’s. Same for doubles, if not more so as I am presently learning, where there are almost holy weight boundaries where “proper” or “ideal” are used. Too light of any rifle for chambering will provide noticeably more recoil and will also prove less accurate for most folks to shoot, regardless of recoil. Shooting ultralight sheep/mountain rifles accurately is a whole additional skill set to learn. Any movement or lack of regiment in firing sequence simply imparts more movement into the gun and thereby much less repeated accuracy. But you can carry them more easily, higher and further.

 

[grand veneur]

An ideal weight in terms of recoil reduction is unfortunately often not an ideal weight in terms of handling the rifle in the field. Often you have to make compromises to find a weight that meets all requirements. I own four big bore DG rifles, but none of them which have in my opinion the ideal weight. Two of them, a bolt action rifle caliber 460 Weatherby Magnum and a DR caliber 577 Nitro Express are heavy, especially top heavy so that the balance is not perfect, but the recoil tolerable. Two other, a bolt action rifle caliber 12,7x70 Schüler and a DR caliber 600 Nitro Express have a good balance, are not too heavy, easier to carry in the field and to put quickly on the shoulder, but recoil of both is not for everyone. Therefore I don't know if such an ideal weight really exists.

 

[MacJenkins]

I like lighter guns. Here is where mine come in roughly.

375 flanged 9lb
400 guns, 10lb
450 & 470 10-10.5lb
500's 11.5lb
& my 577 is right at 13lb

 

[grand veneur]

I like lighter rifles too and had my rifle caliber 500 Schüler built in the nineties according to my specifications. Unfortunately with a weight of about 10 lbs, it is a little bit too light for the caliber.

 

[MacJenkins]

I like lighter rifles too and had my rifle caliber 500 Schüler built in the nineties according to my specifications. Unfortunately with a weight of about 10 lbs, it is a little bit too light for the caliber.

I forgot I have a 500 Jeffery I have not hunted with in about 15 years. I'll weigh it next time I'm in the gun room.

 

[Skshyk]

I am pretty lazy and when my gun gets uncomfortable I just hand off to one of the trackers to hold for a while.

 

[MacJenkins]

So my 500 Jeff is a Duane Weibe build. Without scope it is 10lb 3oz. With scope it it 11lb 4oz. It is a takedown so a little more metal than normal. Recoil is a bit stout. Not horrible. I can easily shoot 20 rounds at the range. Im shooting a 535 grain at 2305fps. So I think that’s a bit slower than most if I remember right.

 

[SaintPanzer]

I understand the desire for "ideal for carry." But if memory serves, an M1 Garand, loaded, with sling and bayonet weighs in at 11.2 pounds. I figure if those guys could have carried that for much longer humps, who am I to complain?

I mean, I didn't like carrying my 19.9 pound M60E3 either, so I guess an M1 would have been a feather.

 

[Fatback]

My 416 Rem weighs in just under 13 lbs, fully kitted out. It is heavy for sure but with some proper preparation I was able to carry it up to 20 miles a day last month in Namibia. Total was almost 80 miles in 6 days. I carried the rifle quite a bit in prep for the hunt and also got a 20 lb excercise bar and carried it a lot as well. The weight of the rifle certainly mitigates felt recoil and for me at least, I tend to be a bit more accurate in my shooting with a little heavier rifle.

 

[Rare Breed]

What is the ideal weight for a rifle when hunting DG ? Though i do not own a rifle ( or any firearm for that matter ) ,
carrying around about 11 lbs while walking for 10 kms. Your opinions would be valued.

As with everything it depends…my 470 weighs 11 pounds, 500 11.5, 450 10.8 all DRs all NE

 

[grand veneur]

You are always better off with lighter and shorter rifles in the field. Therefore, for practical reasons, it might be better to compromise on the caliber of the rifle. I am too old to change anything about my concept, but if I were to start over, I would have a light rifle caliber 416 Rigby built and that would have been sufficient for everything. Big bore rifles are heavy, or if they are not, they have a strong recoil. You rarely need something like this as a customer. Backup can also be done with a rifle caliber 416 Rigby, some older, well-known PHs have proven this, and for the few elephants you will shoot in your lifetime, such a rifle is also sufficient. Unfortunately, you only know that after a few decades. Unfortunately, one problem always remains; the desire to have, and it is not always easy to fight against it. In the end you still end up carrying a long and heavy rifle through the African bush.

 

[BeeMaa]

I need to qualify my earlier statement, as I don't "carry" my rifle in my hands all day.

I normally use a Dick Murray sling for most of the walking and then remove it for the final stalk. While slung, I carry it barrel up on my left shoulder with the rifle in front of me and my left hand on the forend of the stock controlling where the barrel points. I have done the "Africa carry" over the shoulder on occasion but I don't find this particularly comfortable, stealthy or safe.

 

[Nhoro]

My 458 lott is about 9.75 lbs and I don't have a scope on it. Most people who have shot it say it is not a big kicker. I added some lead weight in the butt to bring it to that weight, probably a pound. I also believe balance and stock design have a big impact on recoil.

 

[Nhoro]

I have started using a sling in the last couple of years. I carried it in hand for years but a sling keeps it pointing in a safe direction at all times.