How heavy is too heavy?

[awildswanger]

Happened upon a slightly modded/upgraded Rem 700 Long Range .300 WM. Good price, downside is it’s 13lbs. Too heavy for backcountry?

 

[manitou1]

IMO yes, too heavy for back country. I had a 13 lb rifle just for stand hunting, walking no more than 1-1.5 miles in, mostly 1/2 mile hikes each way. I did NOT enjoy that rifle, and I am a pretty big guy... 6'3", 210 lbs. It was a tack driver, but unnecessarily burdensome. Sold it. For myself, I find the happy spot in the 8-9 lb range, loaded and with optics. Not too heavy but not so light accuracy becomes a challenge.

 

[Ryan Avery]

Its a moving number, the older I get the lower the number gets.

If you are going to put on the miles every day it's too heavy. If you are going into a place to set up and glass for a few days, it's fine.

 

[justinspicher]

Nope, nope, nope. At least I wouldn’t use it. Doesnt matter if its a tack driver if youre too tired to shoot it from carrying it.

 

[JohnJohnson]

I'd say that's too heavy for backcountry. I've hunted with rifles ranging between 7lbs and 20lbs (AIAT I used for treestand hunting was a behemoth). I personally wouldn't want to haul around anything over 10lbs.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

IMO 9lbs is too heavy unless it’s a 338. Even my 375HH is under 8lbs.

 

[awildswanger]

Good to know, thank you gents

 

[HuntnPack]

A rifle over 9# is too heavy for me.
For Backcountry I prefer 7.5-8.5# Rifle all up.
Recently moving to Shorter Barrel & mid weight optics keeping weight in the middle.
Makes for a pretty Manageable stable setup,

 

[CApighunter]

My 280ai is 10.5 scoped and loaded with a bipod. That’s about where I would draw the line. After I shot my buck at a whopping 90 yards this year I wished I had brought my sub 6 lb Kimber instead...

 

[wyosam]

I would leave the backup rifle in the truck. That is the weight of two, right?


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[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Only you can decide if the rifle is too heavy. What is light to one person may be heavy to another.

I personally will not take a heavy (to me) rifle on any hunt that I will ever do. 8 pounds all in (minus the bipod) is my sweet spot no matter the terrain.

 

[Jpterry]

If you will be hiking hard and expect offhand or shots without a solid rest...a super lightweight rig can really bounce around on you when your huffing hard. I have rifles that are sub 7lb scoped and hard to hold steady freehand. Agree on 8.5lb all up is about perfect.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

The only back country experience I have is in Kodiak. My heaviest rig was just shy of 9 pounds all-up. I was in the prime of my life then, and that's all I wanted to deal with. Going from that to a rig just over 7.5 seemed to make a big difference in my comfort.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

Unless it's a 375 CheyTac, no thanks.

 

[elkguide]

For hiking and hike in hunting, my magic number is 8 pounds all set up.
When hunting from a stand/fixed blind I'm not very concerned with weight.

 

[woods89]

I packed an almost 10 lb rifle quite a few miles in northern CO last November. I plan to do it again this year.

13 might be a little heavier than I would choose, though.

 

[4ester]

I’ve packed a 13# rifle around as my primary weapon for a couple years. Killed plenty of animals with it.

Have since put together something lighter.


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