Who hunts with a 14-16lb rifle?

[LRshooter6mm]

Curious to hear who hunts with a 14-16lb rifle?

Getting a new barrel spun and my chassis, bipod, trigger, action, scope and rings weight 9.7lb. Want to use this for NRL hunter as well. I can get a match heavy Palma barrel for $335 shipped so I’m leaning towards that cut to a 24” which would put the build at around 15lb. Would prefer a medium Palma but the heavy Palma is too good a deal. When hunting in Wyoming the rifle will be packed in an Eberlestock with a scabbard so the weight is on my back. Is this a terrible idea?

Also, is a 24” for a 6.5CM going to be detrimental to accuracy with factory ammo? I could go 26” I guess. Talk me into/out of it

Thanks I’m advance

 

[reelserious]

One of my go to rifles is 15lbs. 22 inch straight taper at 1 inch in a foundation stock

 

[LRshooter6mm]

One of my go to rifles is 15lbs. 22 inch straight taper at 1 inch in a foundation stock

For hunting correct? How is it packing around?

 

[NateVA]

My hunting rifle is at 14.5# right now with everything (including bipod) on it. It has a 22" 6.5CM barrel you'll be fine. I just strap it to the side of my Stone Glacier via their quick detach system. I wouldn't go on a sheep hunt with it but for coues/antelope it's good. It's fine for day hunting but if I was backpacking 6+ miles into a place, camping the whole hunt, and coming out with everything I'd try to lighten it up.

 

[KYAggie]

Depends.

Are you talking mountain backpack hunt? Terrible idea.

Driving around in some sort of vehicle until you find something to stalk, terrain not much of an issue, then only taking the gun, knife, and a little water for the stalk? It could work.

24” vs 26” will have zero affect on the accuracy of a rifle or lack there of.

 

[Supersubes]

I think its a terrible idea, but many here claim they do it. I want my pack with rifle to weigh sub 40 lbs(for 4-5 days out), and I wouldn't even come close to that with a 15 lb gun. My rifle weighs 8 and a few ounces suppressed and ready to hunt.

A 16” barrel would not be detrimental to accuracy, pick what you like.

 

[stello1001]

I hunt with rifles that weigh as much. But my hunting is different than yours. How far do you have to travel on foot with it. I don't think I walk more than 1 to 2 miles in flat terrain.

 

[LRshooter6mm]

Game taken would be for cow elk and deer. Deer hunting wouldn’t be much more than a few miles trekking. Elk would be max 6.5 miles and max of 1700 elevation gain/loss. We don’t backpack in, just hunt for the day and go back to camp on the side by side. Packing elk out is always us going back to the side by side, ditching our gear except bear guns and frame packs, then hiking back to haul the game out

 

[LRshooter6mm]

I think its a terrible idea, but many here claim they do it. I want my pack with rifle to weigh sub 40 lbs(for 4-5 days out), and I wouldn't even come close to that with a 15 lb gun. My rifle weighs 8 and a few ounces suppressed and ready to hunt.

A 16” barrel would not be detrimental to accuracy, pick what you like.

My pack including the rifle would weight about 35-40lb

 

[NateVA]

Game taken would be for cow elk and deer. Deer hunting wouldn’t me much more than a few miles trekking. Elk would be about 6 miles with 1700 elevation gain/loss. We don’t back pack in, just hunt for the day and go back to camp on the side by side.

For day hunting I think it'll be fine if you're in alright physical shape. Because that means the rest of your pack won't be horribly heavy.

 

[cas6969]

Sometimes a 16lb rifle, but I thinking of it more as shooting (or waiting,watching,ambushing) rather than "hunting".

 

[Secant]

I've had as heavy as about 13.5 pounds for hunting. I now favor the 10 - 11 pound range including scope, bipod, suppressor, and mag, which means about a 7 pound bare rifle set-up. That's about the best compromise for me between packability and shootability.

If 14+ pounds is your only option, then use it, but it's sorta shitty to intentionally plan for that in my opinion. Also, the eberlestock bags that I've used (pretty limited) were not good. I'd definitely look at other options. Maybe newer ones are better, but you might look at Exo or Stone Glacier or something (lighter and better IMO).

 

[Hunt]

Pounds = pain. As I get older, I want lighter.

 

[LRshooter6mm]

I've had as heavy as about 13.5 pounds for hunting. I now favor the 10 - 11 pound range including scope, bipod, suppressor, and mag, which means about a 7 pound bare rifle set-up. That's about the best compromise for me between packability and shootability.

If 14+ pounds is your only option, then use it, but it's sorta shitty to intentionally plan for that in my opinion. Also, the eberlestock bags that I've used (pretty limited) were not good. I'd definitely look at other options. Maybe newer ones are better, but you might look at Exo or Stone Glacier or something (lighter and better IMO).

I use the gunslinger 2 for packing and (plan on using) the mainframe f1 for packing out. I have no complaints with the gunslinger especially with the scabbard. We do a lot of spot and stalk. I plan on getting some padded hip belt and shoulder straps because that’s currently the only downside

 

[Secant]

I use the gunslinger 2 for packing and (plan on using) the mainframe f1 for packing out. I have no complaints with the gunslinger especially with the scabbard. We do a lot of spot and stalk. I plan on getting some padded hip belt and shoulder straps because that’s currently the only downside

I don't own and I bet I haven't used the Gunslinger 2. If I remember right, I had a LoDrag. My rifle would easily slip from side-to-side as I was walking, and it would push the backpack portion far enough away from my body to be noticeable (compared to other backpacks with the same contents). And a metal grommet was placed right were a muzzle would ride. And the scabbard was low enough (or my legs are short enough) that I would occasionally kick the bottom of the scabbard. A buddy had a Team Elk (I think), and I had similar complaints. I think I looked over the previous gen of Gunslingers and had similar thoughts.

Similar to my thoughts regarding the rifle - if that's what you already have then use it. But, for example, the 2,200ci Exo K4 is 2 pounds lighter, and I can all but guarantee that their frame/suspension will ride nicer compared to that 2,200 ci EB. Lots of preferences with backpacks, but I'd say a high quality/properly fitting backpack is second only to high quality/properly fitting boots when it comes to hunting - at least where and how I hunt.

Regarding factory ammo, the most recent lot of ELD-X that I've bought had a 20-shot muzzle SD of 14 fps, an average MV of ~2,670 fps from a 22" barrel, and a temp sensitivity of just under 1-fps/degree (looked at 10 - 30 shot averages at 20-, 29-, 35-, 39-, 56-, and 86-degrees). That same lot of ammo out of a different 18" barrel had an average MV of 2,523 fps, and a 20-shot MV SD of 9.7 fps. Precision from both barrels was ho-hum, but all things considered that ammo is definitely fine for shooting big game out to about 600-yards (longer depending on your risk tolerance).

If you aren't married to 'traditional' hunting specific marketed ammo, the latest batch of Lapua loaded 136 Scenars that I bought had a 10-shot group of 0.675 MOA, with a 20-shot MV SD of 12.9 fps. Some of the offerings from Berger or Federal loaded Bergers have also shot well and had good SDs & temp sensitivity. Lately, the ELDMs that I've shot have generally been decent in terms of precision (multiple barrels), but have had terrible SDs (over 20-fps for 20+ rounds).

Good luck on the hunt.

 

[Taylorbok]

Depends on the type of hunting you do. Long trek/ backpacking hunts I would do something lighter. Short walks ya go hard. Personally my Hunting rifle is 10 lbs ready to go but it gets used for every type of hunting.

 

[Hecouldgoalltheway]

Pounds = pain. As I get older, I want lighter.

Every time I hunt in the mountains, I come home and buy a lighter piece of gear. When I was in my 20's I didn't even notice the weight, and I carried around boat anchors. Now in my 40's, my mountain rifle is just over 8lbs including ammo, optic, suppressor, everything, all in. If I could figure out how to get it down 2 more pounds, I'd do it..

 

[sloporsche]

browning 300 win mag with scope 8.5 pounds gets heavy at the end of the day for me but i am old

 

[Hecouldgoalltheway]

I'd also like to point out that you don't need to shoot a 22" barrel in a hunting rifle. I started shooting suppressed a handful of years ago, and before that, my rifles were 24" or even 26", since I had a thing for weatherby mark V rifles. My barrels keep getting shorter and shorter, and animals just keep dying. A 6.5cm in a 16" barrel is lethal to all reasonable hunting ranges. Step up to a short mag, and you can stretch it even further.

 

[HerCoStarNTheBeaverPictur]

I’m of the opinion you'll make compromises when trying to build a rifle for 2 different purposes and end up with something that is mediocre at both.

 

[Ledzep]

Did it one time on a walk-in antelope hunt. Ended up taking a fricken 200yd shot anyway. Won't do it again that way. From near a vehicle or a road, sure, but if you gotta hike in it's no problem until you get a pack full of meat and then screw all of that.

 

[Punkur67]

I was told by several hunting buddies that my 15# 300wm would be way too heavy. I did an elk hunt back in November and hiked 16 miles in 2 days with that rifle and a full size RRS tripod. I had no issues with the weight. In fact the second day I carried my dad's 12# gun too because the hike was taking a toll on him. My only complaint was the rifle was balanced in front of the mag like most my rifles in didn't want to hang on the sling like an ass heavy rifle would.

 

[LRshooter6mm]

I was told by several hunting buddies that my 15# 300wm would be way too heavy. I did an elk hunt back in November and hiked 16 miles in 2 days with that rifle and a full size RRS tripod. I had no issues with the weight. In fact the second day I carried my dad's 12# gun too because the hike was taking a toll on him. My only complaint was the rifle was balanced in front of the mag like most my rifles in didn't want to hang on the sling like an ass heavy rifle would.

View attachment 8489240

That will look close to my set up. I have a KRG whisky 3, Curtis Valor, Leupold mark 5, Gunwerks bipod, and now just thinking about the barrel. What contour is that?

 

[sierracharlie338]

Carried my MRAD on a couple hunts and it was weighing north of 17lbs if I remember correctly as pictured here. Drove to a general area then walked .5-.75 of a mile to where I sat. Not terrible, not great. Length of rifle is 50ish inches for reference. Big stinky bastard.

 

[smacha538]

I was told by several hunting buddies that my 15# 300wm would be way too heavy. I did an elk hunt back in November and hiked 16 miles in 2 days with that rifle and a full size RRS tripod. I had no issues with the weight. In fact the second day I carried my dad's 12# gun too because the hike was taking a toll on him. My only complaint was the rifle was balanced in front of the mag like most my rifles in didn't want to hang on the sling like an ass heavy rifle would.

View attachment 8489240

How did you carry your rifle? What sling? What sling attachments?

 

[moosemeat]

I have and will continue to hunt with my 17# rifle. I have walked 10 miles with it in a day, but I go home every night. Most days a mile or two is about it.

 

[Punkur67]

How did you carry your rifle? What sling? What sling attachments?

Over one shoulder, QD swivels on the chassis

 

[hlee]

Shit, my prs rifle only weighs 15lbs and I didn’t want to lug it into the bathroom to weight it.

For hunting, “light is right, and lighter is righter…”

 

[sgtsmmiii]

A couple of my coyote rifles are in the 13-15 pound range. Usually only have to hike 1/2 to 1 mile for setups. I use the 2 shoulder Biathlon sling - makes it easy and pretty comfortable.

 

[sloporsche]

my browning 300 win mag comes in 8 ish but used to get heavy by the end of the day....i wish it weighted 15 pounds when i have to zero it at the range

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Culling hogs from a blind… who cares what it weighs?

Sirhr

 

[sloporsche]

Culling hogs from a blind… who cares what it weighs?

View attachment 8495447

Sirhr

yeah woodchuck hunting the same way very little walking

 

[wvfarrier]

I often use a Winchester 1886 in 45-70 with a 24" octagon barrel. I am not sure of the exact weight but she is a heavy bi!##

 

[Carlos0311B4]

My daughters and wife do. I think it’s at 17lbs with 5 round mag.

About to change the barrel to a 22” LT Palma, so 15lbs?? Next year

 

[hlee]

My daughters and wife do. I think it’s at 17lbs with 5 round mag.

About to change the barrel to a 22” LT Palma, so 15lbs?? Next year


View attachment 8645683

Looks like she has a gun-bearer and a porter. That’s a really nice thing to have when hunting far from the pickup with a heavy rifle.

 

[coldboremiracle]

Used to do it all the time

 

[Fig]

TAB makes a decent, padded biathlon (two strap backpack) sling that will let you carry a very heavy rifle over long distances. Mine is not a TAB, and I can't remember where I got it but I think it was from Norway. It's very comfortable, has a belt to stop lateral movement of the rifle, and it attaches to the flush cups. Keeps the rifle in the middle of your back, and 22lbs is nothing in a backpack...

I have hunted quite a bit with a 22lb GAP Templar II in .300 WM (with a heavy scope) using this biathlon sling mostly to get out to the ambush site. It would be a pain in the ass on a stalk, and there are better choices. That GAP shoots as straight as my competition guns, which is why I want it hunting for long shots, but other than that it's not ideal, and the sling just makes it bearable.

IMHO, carrying a very heavy rifle in a biathlon sling is no big deal for day hunts, but I would never do it backpacking. When I was young I didn't give a shit and would pack cans of Dinty Moore beef stew into the mountains. Now I count the oz, and go as light as I possibly can. The heaviest thing in my pack is the shot kit.

I would almost rather carry a heavy rifle than deal with how awkward a bow is when it's hand-over-hand steep, or through dense rushes.

If you decide to do it get a biathlon sling.

 

[Carlos0311B4]

Looks like she has a gun-bearer and a porter. That’s a really nice thing to have when hunting far from the pickup with a heavy rifle.

Yeah . They don’t really mind how heavy the rifle is.


2 years ago we had 3 tags. I carried 2 rifles, food water and cold weather clothing for all of us. Thankfully we only went in about 1 mile and it was daily flat. Pack was heavy and hell.

 

[One Holer]

To each their own, but I can't imagine covering any significant distances while hunting with a rifle that heavy. If that's all you got I guess, but I would seriously consider obtaining something lighter if possible.

 

[smokinbobf4]

My elk rifle is about 13.5lbs all in. Suppressor, bipod, loaded mag. It’s honestly about as heavy as I would want to take but I just shoot it so much better. All kind of depends on how you have it loaded really. If it was more center of the pack it’s not bad but the longer you leave it on one side it just slowly starts to get more uncomfortable but it is doable.

 

[912173]

I would use a heavier precision rifle if the situation allows or benefits from it. Just like everything else in a pack.

truck hunting= bring the kitchen sink if you want

Backcountry = shave every ounce.

 

[AlleghenyLongGun]

I have a 14lb Rem700 LTR, .308
Factory HS Precision stock
Precision Armament EFAB brake
Nightforce NX8 4-32x50
Bunch of goon tape in places of improvement

All in all it’s a heavy bastard. But love it. The thing is a tack driver. Super confidence. It’s so heavy it just rides perfect especially with that brake

I’ve taken it on a sheep hunt in the unlimited units. Plus a couple elk hunts. It’s definitely quite heavy but I look at it as necessary for the confidence I have in the rig when it’s go time.

 

[45-90]

No heavy hunting rifles for me. 9 lbs 2 oz is complete with scop is heaviest rifle I've ever carried into the field, in 338 Win mag.
I prefer rifles in 7 lbs range. With low power light scopes.

Big game is a huge target no need for a target rifle...many are killed with open sighted heavy caliber handguns, and even bow and arrows

After the kill ya got to make many trips packing out the head and quartered meat, miles and miles on foot, up and down steep mountains, over downed trees in fairly deep snow, crossing small rivers and streams all day long.
A heavy rifle will kill ya....
I leave my light rifle in the truck at the end of road on the first trip out, so as to pack more meat, and only carry a large fixed blade knife for protection back to get the elk meat in bear and lion country.

 

[4O6shootist]

10-11# with bipod and can. I have a few heavier, few lighter, but when kitted up, that's where most of em land. It's decent to carry and heavy enough to shoot well at distance. Heaviest is a 14# all up 338 rum, lightest is 7.5# 6cm.

 

[beetroot]

TAB makes a decent, padded biathlon (two strap backpack) sling that will let you carry a very heavy rifle over long distances. Mine is not a TAB, and I can't remember where I got it but I think it was from Norway. It's very comfortable, has a belt to stop lateral movement of the rifle, and it attaches to the flush cups. Keeps the rifle in the middle of your back, and 22lbs is nothing in a backpack...

I have hunted quite a bit with a 22lb GAP Templar II in .300 WM (with a heavy scope) using this biathlon sling mostly to get out to the ambush site. It would be a pain in the ass on a stalk, and there are better choices. That GAP shoots as straight as my competition guns, which is why I want it hunting for long shots, but other than that it's not ideal, and the sling just makes it bearable.

IMHO, carrying a very heavy rifle in a biathlon sling is no big deal for day hunts, but I would never do it backpacking. When I was young I didn't give a shit and would pack cans of Dinty Moore beef stew into the mountains. Now I count the oz, and go as light as I possibly can. The heaviest thing in my pack is the shot kit.

I would almost rather carry a heavy rifle than deal with how awkward a bow is when it's hand-over-hand steep, or through dense rushes.

If you decide to do it get a biathlon sling.

Does the biathlon sling work ok underneath a pack pack?
I imagine a 100lb pack wouldn’t be great but a day pack shouldn’t be too bad I imagine.

 

[Turkeytider]

No heavy hunting rifles for me. 9 lbs 2 oz is complete with scop is heaviest rifle I've ever carried into the field, in 338 Win mag.
I prefer rifles in 7 lbs range. With low power light scopes.

Big game is a huge target no need for a target rifle...many are killed with open sighted heavy caliber handguns, and even bow and arrows

After the kill ya got to make many trips packing out the head and quartered meat, miles and miles on foot, up and down steep mountains, over downed trees in fairly deep snow, crossing small rivers and streams all day long.
A heavy rifle will kill ya....
I leave my light rifle in the truck at the end of road on the first trip out, so as to pack more meat, and only carry a large fixed blade knife for protection back to get the elk meat in bear and lion country.

Only a knife in bear and lion country? With “ bait” in the form of a dead elk ? You’ve got bigger ones than I’ve ever had, my friend!

 

[Fig]

You could throw a day pack over it If you've got side flush-cups and the rifle sits with the bolt away from your back. I wouldn't fill it full or rocks though. It's honestly made to just carry a heavy rifle over ling distance, but if you want a day pack I'd skip it and just get a Vorn.

https://vorn-equipment.com/

There are a ton of videos and reviews on youtube. I have two.

 

[Qpski]

You can pack 11 lbs. I've traveled sixteen miles with bear after bear. Possible. A few kilometers from the vehicle, I used a 13-pound Rem. Sendero to kill my largest bull. Possible. It was simpler when I was younger and in better physical condition.

 

[diggler1833]

A lot of it depends on how we're built too. Then the obvious 'how far are you carrying it' portion that was mentioned several times above.

I've got a couple ~16lb rifles that I've carried from my back door to my stand (800 yards or less). They're completely doable, but as I get older I certainly notice the weight more. When I was a younger guy, I happened to have been built to handle long hikes with a pack better than most, and a 16lb rifle wasn't anything... It is starting to turn into something now. Call it a lack of conditioning at least.

I like a 10-11lb rig now as it offers the best balance of the features I want (including weight), and shoot ability for shots at distance. I also don't run up and down mountains anymore in pursuit of anything. I bet my mind would change a little if I were getting after it for miles on end in some real elevation.

 

[Hecouldgoalltheway]

My mountain rifles weigh less than 8lb all in. If I could get them any lighter, I would. I'm not shooting an animal beyond 600y in the mountains and neither should most people, so an 18-20" barrel with a can gets me all the velocity I could ever want. If I wasn't carrying a suppressor, I'd still be in that barrel length range. You don't need a bench rifle to shoot a 2 moa target (minimum), and when I'm climbing mountains, the old adage "ounces make pounds, and pounds make pain" has never been more relevant. I carried packs well over 100lbs for thousands of miles, with terrible gear and bad boots in my Army career, but these days, with my heavily overused joints, I'm not carrying one damn once more than I have to up the mountain..