Hunting rifle weight

[Deleted member 188725]

I’m having a hybrid hunting/long range .308 bolt action Remington 709 clone rifle being built. I was adding up the weight on this rifle to be around 158.04 ounces which is around 9.9 pounds? Here is an itemized list of parts and about what each weighs according to the manufacturers specs:

Triggertech 2.24 oz
Manners stock 31.2 oz (1.95 pounds)
Kauger action 28 oz
Proof barrel 47oz (3 pounds)
Hunter Dbm 2.8 oz
Hawkins mag 2.6 oz
Brake 4.8 oz
Spuhr one piece rings 9.4 oz
Mark 5,5-25x56 scope 30 oz

Does 9.9 pounds sound okay, or too much, for a hunting rifle? I am also having the rifle glass bedded. How much more weight will that add? Is there any way to save anymore weight on this that I’m not thinking of? I had thought about getting a lighter ring set but I would only be saving 4 ounces for the Hawkins rings or seekins rings, and I thought about getting a mark 5hd in the 3-18x44 magnification but that would only save me about 4 ounces.

Just thinking all this through. This is still lighter than the rifle I had which was 12.5 pounds. I’d appreciate any thoughts you had on this.

 

[Rex_Allen]

Depends on your fitness and style of hunting

 

[b6graham]

i've hunted with 18 pound PRS rifles

my new build for mountain hunting is around that 10-11 pound mark...but thats with a Zeiss S5 and a Magnus hanging on the front.

TS Customs Ghost brake...1oz
Hawkins lightweight rings...4oz or less
Razor LHT...22oz (or similar zeiss/swaro scopes)
XLR Element/MDT HNT26 save about 6-8oz

other than that. no there's no real weight savings.

 

[kthomas]

"Too much weight" is completely subjective to an individuals hunting style, geographical area/topography, fitness levels, etc.

No one but you can define what that is for your specific situation.

I'm just getting into hunting, and I built a rifle that weighs around ~12 lbs to provide some reference. I'm young(ish), in moderately good shape, and using it on relatively flat topography walking around about ~6-8 miles per day. For this purpose it has worked quite well, I have no qualms with the weight.

Would my rifle work or be optimal for someone that's going to be doing high elevation hunting that covers a lot of elevation gain over a series of days? Probably not unless they are very physically fit and don't mind the extra few lbs.

 

[b6graham]

remember. you can just as easily drop 5 pounds between a sleeping bag and tent setup depending what you have currently.

if a sleep system isn't in the equation and it's just day hunting that's very different than a 5 day hunt at 10k feet

 

[ColinW]

Forgive me in advanced if this too harsh. But......Dude, if you're counting ounces on a hunting rifle and if ounces are too much weight to bear, you should really consider getting stronger before going on a hunt. The heavier the barbell is loaded in your hands or across your back before the hunt, the less weight your rifle will feel. I can promise you that. *edit* For reference, I've hauled an AllTerra/Axial Precision MTU contoured barrel across my back through the mountains in Alaska when I lived there in 18'-21'. The weight of my rifle never crossed my mind.

 

[monkeypunch]

10lbs isn't heavy IMO. But, you could lose 10oz on the scope by going to the Vortex Razor LHT FFP and another 4oz by going to regular rings which are 2-3oz each, instead of that heavy 1 piece mount.

 

[Just Macca]

Just to be difficult…

I disagree somewhat with the philosophy of, “just get stronger”. A rifle that is sized and weighted appropriately offers advantages elsewhere.

My current hunting rifle is 9.5lb-10lb, and I feel it is maybe a bit on the heavier side for a standard rifle calibre. Although, when configured as a magnum it is appropriate (Blaser R8 Pro Success, Razor LHT 4.5-22).

Aiming for the 8lb range would be ideal to me, but to qualify that my hunting is often in hilly terrain - a lighter rifle equates to having the flexibility of taking my tripod more often.

I’m youngish, fit and strong, and have carried plenty of packs and rifles in the hills - an approx 8lb rifle is more versatile to me. Closer to 10lb is good for hunting magnums is my opinion.

 

[SCHunter93]

I think if you are building a “hybrid” rifle and plan to shoot LR and hunt with it then you will inherently have to make a compromise in the weight department. You don’t want a heavy beast of a rifle for hunting, but also don’t want a super lightweight “whippy” rifle for LR. It will have to be somewhere in between and 10 lbs sounds pretty reasonable.

 

[b6graham]

I think if you are building a “hybrid” rifle and plan to shoot LR and hunt with it then you will inherently have to make a compromise in the weight department. You don’t want a heavy beast of a rifle for hunting, but also don’t want a super lightweight “whippy” rifle for LR. It will have to be somewhere in between and 10 lbs sounds pretty reasonable.

the nice thing with an xlr element magnesium is i can go from 9 pounds scoped up to 20+ pounds with barrel change and weights

 

[SCHunter93]

Well there you go. That’s one option. I would just prefer to have two rifles. One for LR, one for Hunting. Now that I think about it I’d like to have rifle for hunting flat ground and another for mountain hunting, one for hunting in fixed positions…….it’s a long list.

 

[cas6969]

I would just prefer to have two rifles.

Two.. twenty seven, you know.

I hunt with rifles from under 6 pounds, to over 15 pounds. Nope, don't carry the heavier ones too far.

 

[Obi-WanKannoli]

Your gun should be heavy enough that it is shootable. Whatever that number is for you, I don't know. Most people seem to believe this is somewhere between 8 and 11 pounds ready to hunt, cartridge dependent of course.

If you think you can handle a fly weight lapua magnum or something by all means have fun and ride the lightening...but don't kid yourself it will suck. My take is that there are plenty of other places in your over all gear setup including your pack, clothing, etc. where you can shed weight. Some people don't like to hear this either, but if you are a serious mountain hunter where this type of weight matters you should also be exercising for it.

 

[Pat McGroin]

I wouldn’t consider that heavy, but I would also switch to lighter rings and lose the brake. I wouldn’t personally want a hybrid hunting and range gun in one of
the folding chassis but that’s just me.

 

[HayStax]

My old Sako 85 Finnlight 300WSM + Swaro 30mm SFP scope or right around 8lbs. It fun to carry and a bitch to shoot. Pick your poison.

 

[JS/]

Some are missing it. When deciding on a practical weight, you set that as the goal, and 9 pounds is a nice limit. Then you choose parts that will most likely achieve that goal, whether it be a lighter barrel or optic. Exercise is a good thing and everybody needs more of it...but it is not the focus of this discussion.

As an example, I achieved the approximate 9 pound limit by using a base Seekins Havak Pro Hunter 2 in .308 chambering. To stay as light as possible, I used Seekins aluminum rings and a Nightforce NXS compact 2.5-10x42 with a Mil-R reticle. The mags are Magpul AICS 5 round capacity, and with five 150 gr. .308s in the mag, the rifle is close to the 9 pound mark. With a simple nylon strap sling, it may be a couple ounces over 9 pounds. Keep in mind that Seekins uses a somewhat heavier barrel profile, but they also do that kinky spiral fluting. I have a light weight Winchester Model 70 that I bedded into a McMillan carbon fiber stock that with optic weighs less than 8 pounds, but it has the slender featherweight factory barrel. That means it doesn't shoot as tight as the Seekins. But for a deer sized target? It doesn't matter.

 

[SCHunter93]

the nice thing with an xlr element magnesium is i can go from 9 pounds scoped up to 20+ pounds with barrel change and weights

How tough are the XLR element MG? Just for my own curiosity. I can’t imagine that they are more durable than a traditional composite stock.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Just depends on the type of hunting. I’ve hunted with 18+ lbs rifles when I wasn’t covering more than a few miles in a full day and wouldn’t need to pack out an animal. After owning a few lighter rifles that are easy to get behind and shoot I don’t think I’d ever want to carry that again even over short distances. I find a 9-10lb rifle to be a good compromise between something shootable and packable. I still wouldn’t want to shoot it all day though unless it was 223.

I’ve been trying to do a dual purpose bolt gun for a while now, so far every attempt has been too much of a sacrifice one way or another. I just got an MDT HNT26 that I’m pretty impressed by its functionality as a target rifle stock so I'm hopeful this might result in what I'm after. I’m putting a switch barrel impact in it with different weight and profile 223, 6.5, and 308 barrels so I can go from a 12lb+ target rifle to a 9lb hunting setup with the swap of a barrel. If it sucks I'll already have the barrels so I'll add another action, a target style chassis, and another optic and just run two rifles.

 

[Baron23]

instead of that heavy 1 piece mount.

This ^^ was my first thought also.

And, I agree....lose the brake for hunting. Get a self-timing brake and put it on for range work and take it off (and yes, re-zero) for hunting.

 

[Rex_Allen]

Don’t ditch the brake. Get a light one

SRS “The Chub” – Salmon River Solutions

 

[b6graham]

This ^^ was my first thought also.

And, I agree....lose the brake for hunting. Get a self-timing brake and put it on for range work and take it off (and yes, re-zero) for hunting.

TS Customs Ghost is self timing, 1oz. and .890" or .980"

 

[calling4life]

Don’t ditch the brake. Get a light one

SRS “The Chub” – Salmon River Solutions

Used to be known as TI Pro
My 4" barrel 500 S&W wears one of those, it's nice, and they are insanely light. I also have the TI Pro II for it, went to the chub to keep it a shorter package. Fits in my stock 4" holsters well, sticks out just a touch, with the TI Pro II a guy would really want holsters for the 6" model or so, I digress.

 

[Deleted member 188725]

Some are missing it. When deciding on a practical weight, you set that as the goal, and 9 pounds is a nice limit. Then you choose parts that will most likely achieve that goal, whether it be a lighter barrel or optic. Exercise is a good thing and everybody needs more of it...but it is not the focus of this discussion.

As an example, I achieved the approximate 9 pound limit by using a base Seekins Havak Pro Hunter 2 in .308 chambering. To stay as light as possible, I used Seekins aluminum rings and a Nightforce NXS compact 2.5-10x42 with a Mil-R reticle. The mags are Magpul AICS 5 round capacity, and with five 150 gr. .308s in the mag, the rifle is close to the 9 pound mark. With a simple nylon strap sling, it may be a couple ounces over 9 pounds. Keep in mind that Seekins uses a somewhat heavier barrel profile, but they also do that kinky spiral fluting. I have a light weight Winchester Model 70 that I bedded into a McMillan carbon fiber stock that with optic weighs less than 8 pounds, but it has the slender featherweight factory barrel. That means it doesn't shoot as tight as the Seekins. But for a deer sized target? It l

Used to be known as TI Pro
My 4" barrel 500 S&W wears one of those, it's nice, and they are insanely light. I also have the TI Pro II for it, went to the chub to keep it a shorter package. Fits in my stock 4" holsters well, sticks out just a touch, with the TI Pro II a guy would really want holsters for the 6" model or so, I digress.

What brand is this brake? I can’t find a TI pro 2

 

[b6graham]

What brand is this brake? I can’t find a TI pro 2

Salmon River Solutions / Unknown Munitions

they have a bunch of options for length and diameter. self timing or not

the smallest gets close to a TS Ghost in weight

 

[Deleted member 188725]

Salmon River Solutions / Unknown Munitions

they have a bunch of options for length and diameter. self timing or not

the smallest gets close to a TS Ghost in weight

So which is better, ti pro 2 or the Ts ghost?

 

[b6graham]

So which is better, ti pro 2 or the Ts ghost?

might need to go to LRH to get that answer.

i'll have a TS Ghost soon to test versus A419/Heathen/Hawkins

 

[parshal]

How tough are the XLR element MG? Just for my own curiosity. I can’t imagine that they are more durable than a traditional composite stock.

Just as tough as aluminum. I've beat the snot out of mine and it wears just the same. By wear, I mean cerakote. The metal doesn't scratch our gouge unless, maybe, you drop it on a rock from 10 feet. Four foot falls do nothing (ask me how I know?).

I used to be about lightweight hunting guns. Now, I add weight to keep them in the 12-14 pound range. I no longer backpack hunt but I'd still carry it if I did. Much easier to spot hits/misses if you don't have a spotter.

 

[diggler1833]

I *personally* compromise on a "do-all" rifle at about 10-11lbs. I definitely like grabbing my old 700 BDL in .30-06 as it feels like a feather compared to some of my other rigs...but I don't enjoy a good old lengthy range session with it either.

Since most of my hunting involves an 800 yard walk or less, weight isn't a concern. However, I still don't want to be lugging a boat anchor around. Conversely, seeing the bullet hit game has a good bit of enjoyment to it.

I'm also not a huge fan of brakes on hunting rifles as I force myself to take ear pro along. In the 6-7 times Ive got behind that rifle to take a shot, there's at least one occurrence where the deer didn't stop long enough for me to fiddle with my muffs. FwIW, I do have electronic muffs...I just can't stand wearing them for hours at a time.

 

[Modoc]

My two primary hunting rifles weigh in at 7 lbs 9 oz and 8 lbs + respectively. They are both standard sporter barrels in fiberglass stocks and made to be carried a lot. I have shot them out to 500, but they are NOT what I’d consider long range rifles even if they are custom. They do the job well, but I’m either in some very steep country or dealing with high desert and lava beds for hunting ground so weight can really make a difference.

 

[Modoc]

I forgot to mention that they are. Purpose built rifles meant for long Walks. I have a second Custom Mauser in 22-250 with a heavy barrel meant for Pdog/ground squirrel shooting that weighs in at 15 pounds. It’s my 25 yard gun, most times it isn’t packed more than 25 yards

Remington 660 in 7mm08

Mauser ‘98 in 22-250

 

[4O6shootist]

Lots of variables, in the timber mountain rifle with 400y longest range, I'd say you can run lightweight rifle/glass in the 7.5# range. Want to shoot consistently to 500y and further? I prefer a 9-10# rifle all up. Then my very long range rifle is an 11.5# 338 rum. That's the heaviest I hunt with. My 20" carbon 6.5cm ti action is 5# 11oz no glass. So large variation, but hunting rifles are like golf clubs, they all have a different job. Good do-all well but best at nothing weight, 9# all up. The lighter you get, especially with larger capacity chanberings, the more challenging they get to shoot consistently at distance, just takes a lot more fundamental and discipline to drive the rifle as you go down in weight.

 

[jbuck88]

There are a infinite number of dots on the shoot ability vs pack ability scale. Everyone is going to end up different on where they prioritize each.

For me around 7 pounds bare is where my dot on the graph lands for standard cartridges.

 

[bmicek]

I’m a bit of an extremist. My ultralight is a 5lb 6oz scoped Kimber Adirondack in 7mm-08. I practice out to 550yds but my realistic comfortable range is 400yds when hunting. For the hunting I do, I expect most of my shots to be under 300yds so I can tolerate a lighter/less forgiving rifle.

There’s a reason precision rifle shoots have heavy-ish rifles. They’re better balanced and more forgiving. You just have to find the point of diminishing returns for the distance you’re shooting.

I also don’t buy the “just lose 5oz off your belly” or “just get stronger”. Why not do that AND have a light rifle (assuming you aren’t making long shots). It doesn’t have to be an either/or kind of deal.

 

[Rex_Allen]

I’m a bit of an extremist. My ultralight is a 5lb 6oz scoped Kimber Adirondack in 7mm-08. I practice out to 550yds but my realistic comfortable range is 400yds when hunting. For the hunting I do, I expect most of my shots to be under 300yds so I can tolerate a lighter/less forgiving rifle.

There’s a reason precision rifle shoots have heavy-ish rifles. They’re better balanced and more forgiving. You just have to find the point of diminishing returns for the distance you’re shooting.

I also don’t buy the “just lose 5oz off your belly” or “just get stronger”. Why not do that AND have a light rifle (assuming you aren’t making long shots). It doesn’t have to be an either/or kind of deal.

View attachment 8106211

It’s 5 lb 6 oz with scope?

 

[bmicek]

It’s 5 lb 6 oz with scope?

Correct

 

[Deleted member 188725]

might need to go to LRH to get that answer.

i'll have a TS Ghost soon to test versus A419/Heathen/Hawkins

What’s LRH ?

 

[4O6shootist]

What’s LRH ?

Long Range Hunting......a forum. Used to be good, but not so much anymore.

 

[rootacres]

I think 9.9 lb is creeping up to the heavy side for a 308 personally but this such a subjective concept. My current go to hunting rig is a 7 SAUM that's pretty much 9lbs on the money. I have the Hawkins Rings and the 3.6-18 mark 5. The 9 lb is a good middle ground for me. It's a very comfortable rifle to shoot, spotting shots at distance is no issue.

Not sure your situation. Many people have a hard time being honest with what the intended purpose will end up being with a rifle. If you're more often than not doing a truck camp type setup for your hunts, or just doing day rips the 9.9 lbs probably won't be an issue. If you are doing extended backcountry hunts the extra weight might to sting over time.

All that said, a 308 in a 9.9 lb rifle will probably shoot like a dream.

 

[MULEDEER264]

I just built a custom 26 nosler with a 26 inch barrel it weights 5.4 pounds

 

[4O6shootist]

I just built a custom 26 nosler with a 26 inch barrel it weights 5.4 pounds

Let's see it! On a scale lol.......not that I don't believe you, but I'd like to see your component selection. I've done a handful of ti, carbon, edge fill stocks, lightest I've gotten was 5.8# with a 22" pipe. Hell my Forbes weighs 5.5# and it's a 24" pencil barrel with a skeletonized action, Uberlight adl stock.

 

[bmicek]

Let's see it! On a scale lol.......not that I don't believe you, but I'd like to see your component selection. I've done a handful of ti, carbon, edge fill stocks, lightest I've gotten was 5.8# with a 22" pipe. Hell my Forbes weighs 5.5# and it's a 24" pencil barrel with a skeletonized action, Uberlight adl stock.

It depends how desperate you are to go lightweight but I just swapped the stock on a factory rifle and hit 4.4# and under $900.

 

[Genin]

I find anywhere from 9.5-11lbs to be my sweet spot for ease of maneuver and shootability. I’m not a huge fan of ultralight rifles unless I’m brush hunting and plan on super quick shouldering and off hand shots.

 

[Pat McGroin]

9 - 10lbs is a pretty common custom-gun hunting rifle weight. It seems to be what accumulates with the usual suspects of components. You generally have to start going to titanium actions, pencil barrels, foregoing suppressors, niche scopes, etc to get an all in 6 or 7lb hunting rifle that has any chops at longer range shots. My preferred hunting rifle is 9.5lbs and it feels pretty handy, points very naturally, doesn't feel nose heavy or unsteady in an offhand position. 22oz scope, 8oz suppressor, Hawkins Hybrid LR rings, 20" proof sendero light barrel, flush DBM, Origin action, blah, blah

I find anywhere from 9.5-11lbs to be my sweet spot for ease of maneuver and shootability. I’m not a huge fan of ultralight rifles unless I’m brush hunting and plan on super quick shouldering and off hand shots.

Agreed on all this. 9.9 pounds is not too heavy. Even with light components that’s a very common weight range, and you’ll lose shootability going much lighter especially if you’re hunting with a magnum cartridge. If you’re developing a load you still need to be able to shoot it well and should be practicing with your hunting rifle.

 

[4O6shootist]

Agreed on all this. 9.9 pounds is not too heavy. Even with light components that’s a very common weight range, and you’ll lose shootability going much lighter especially if you’re hunting with a magnum cartridge. If you’re developing a load you still need to be able to shoot it well and should be practicing with your hunting rifle.

Agreed, a 3b 4, or rem varm contour, light stock, light action, quality optic(usually* over 30oz) and you're at 10#, very shootable at distance, and manageable recoil with brake/suppressor. Want to cut weight on ur rig? Cut weight on your body, weights/cardio and diet 2 months before season, cheapest thing you could do, and it's fn good for you! And it could change your life for the better if you keep with it.

 

[tobylazur]

I forgot to mention that they are. Purpose built rifles meant for long Walks. I have a second Custom Mauser in 22-250 with a heavy barrel meant for Pdog/ground squirrel shooting that weighs in at 15 pounds. It’s my 25 yard gun, most times it isn’t packed more than 25 yards

Remington 660 in 7mm08

View attachment 8103304
Mauser ‘98 in 22-250
View attachment 8103305

Got anymore details on the 660? I have one I'm not quite sure what to do with.

 

[DangerRanger]

9.9 ready to rock is a good weight for a hunting rifle. If it was a mountain rifle for super high backcountry I’d say cut a pound off but I hunt commonly with 9.5 pound rifles and have no issues. Balance is more important than total weight in this range imo

 

[PhilOX11]

Being old and falling apart, a few years ago I decided to reduce the weight of all my kit. I sold my .223 for one that is 3lbs lighter at 7.2lbs (14.5" barrel), and also bought a lightweight 6.5CM which is under 7lbs (18" barrel). Both have made a difference to what I can achieve as has the reduction in weight of all my other kit. As a bonus it has shortened my recovery time between stands and I can also carry a bigger flask of tea.
When I was younger weight was a challenge, now its just a pain in the arse!

 

[xsn10s]

While 9.9 lbs isn't excessive I wouldn't consider a 308 Win a long range rifle. If you can handle it then that's fine. My 30-06 M70 Featherweight with McMillan stock and Leupold VariXIII 2.5-8x32 is under 8lbs and a joy to carry and shoot. But with it's 22" barrel I wouldn't consider it a long range rifle either. My current hunting grounds we might not be able to stalk elk closer than 600 yards. I'd want a 7mm Rem Mag or 300 Win Mag for that. Or a min of 30-06 with a 28" barrel able to push a 215 Berger 2800 fps. When I was younger carrying a 70 lbs pack and carrying a 12-15lbs rifle was doable. Now I want lighter rifles and pack.

 

[FuhQ]

I need to weigh my 20” Ridgeline FFT 7mm-08 with the Nomad-LT, now that I’ve put the new scope setup on it. It’s still extremely light. Might do that this evening.

 

[PhilOX11]

While 9.9 lbs isn't excessive I wouldn't consider a 308 Win a long range rifle. If you can handle it then that's fine. My 30-06 M70 Featherweight with McMillan stock and Leupold VariXIII 2.5-8x32 is under 8lbs and a joy to carry and shoot. But with it's 22" barrel I wouldn't consider it a long range rifle either. My current hunting grounds we might not be able to stalk elk closer than 600 yards. I'd want a 7mm Rem Mag or 300 Win Mag for that. Or a min of 30-06 with a 28" barrel able to push a 215 Berger 2800 fps. When I was younger carrying a 70 lbs pack and carrying a 12-15lbs rifle was doable. Now I want lighter rifles and pack.

Most blokes in Britain do not hunt the distances you can in America, that is why there will be a few differences to the kit we use.
We can only look on with envy at the amount of kit and variations you have over there.