Scenario:

Buying a 7.5 lb rifle with a #2 contour barrel.

What contour of barrel do I need to upgrade to get a 9.5 lb rifle?

#4 or #5 contour?

22"

Is it important that the barrel be heavier? Weight can be added in the stock and forearm.

This may help,
http://pac-nor.com/cgi-bin/bweight.cgi
When trying to hit a target weight be sure to include scope, bases, rings.....
It can really add up.

Mark

Drop the metal works into a laminate stock and bam!

Heavy

Ted is correct, laminate is a great stable platform however they are heavy.

quote:

Originally posted by Snellstrom:
Ted is correct, laminate is a great stable platform however they are heavy.

Yep. My .375 H&H weighs nearly 10# in a laminate stock...and 8#10oz in a B&C stock.

Lam stocks are pretty inexpensive in the scheme of things.

Using the stock to add weight to a #2 barrel really throws the balance out of wack..A #2 barrel is very light. I would opt for a #3 at 24 inches and that would get you to 8-3/4, nice average for a 270, 30-06 etc. or a #4 at 24 inches to get to 9.5 lbs a good weight for the .375 and up. A #5 is just too heavy for hunting IMO..Depends on the caliber.

In my opinion a rifle should be a tad muzzle heavy, mostly for off hand shooting.

May I suggest getting older and more out of shape?
That makes all my guns heavier...

quote:

Originally posted by ar corey:
Scenario:

Buying a 7.5 lb rifle with a #2 contour barrel.

What contour of barrel do I need to upgrade to get a 9.5 lb rifle?

#4 or #5 contour?

Buy a different rifle that is heavier there are plenty out there.

quote:

Originally posted by Huvius:
May I suggest getting older and more out of shape?
That makes all my guns heavier...

Now THAT'S funny!

My whole life I always said a heavy for caliber rifle was the way to go, it held better for off hand and running shots and I still contend that to be fact..My old favorite was a factory pre 64 mod. 70 in 300 H&H..

Today and 80 moons behind me, I love a 5.5 lb.Kimber complete with scope, ammo, etc. because for some reason I't holds steadier than it used to and I don't shake as much shooting off hand as I did with the 300 H&H...I just don't understand!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
a #4 at 24 inches to get to 9.5 lbs

Thanks.

So basically going from #2 to #4 will gain about 2 pounds?

What caliber is that light barrel, maybe we can do some horse trading or maybe I'll buy your barrel..contact me if interested..

I am with you and Ray both. It depends on how far you carry it.

I too prefer the heavier longer barrels and heavier rifles. One of my favorites is the Model 70 Laredo LRH. It is a heavy beast though. It is much more built for hunting from a stand in S Texas. I carried it across of half Namibia just last month - lol. With its VX- 6 mounted in Talley rings and bases it weighs 11 lbs. I didn't have any trouble carrying it - it was more the crawling with it part.

One day I carried and shot a Kimber 300 WSM. Was that ever nice and I have been looking at new rifles ever since.

So more weight and barrel is good as it settles on target well. But my Laredo is about as heavy as I want to carry all day.

quote:

Originally posted by ar corey:
Scenario:

Buying a 7.5 lb rifle with a #2 contour barrel.

What contour of barrel do I need to upgrade to get a 9.5 lb rifle?

#4 or #5 contour?

I suggest you go wuth a #4 barrel and if needed add a heavy recoil pad and glass bed lead shot into the barrel channel until you get the weight you want.

Adding weight this way allows you to control balance as well.