What do you regard as the upper limit for a Deer Hunting/General Purpose rifle?

We're not talking backpacking the Rockies, nor taking residence in a stand for the season just your average hunting rifle for the morning and evening walking say 3-5 miles, sitting for the odd hour in a deer calibre?

About eight pounds. This is with the scope but not a sling or ammo. If the barrel is light maybe a little more.

I have carried much heavier rifles when I get all worked up over one.

The lightest ones I have are eight pounds also.

I do a lot of still hunting. My muzzle loaders weigh from 6� to 9 lbs. The average for my "normal" rifles is about 7� to 8 lbs but my Contender carbines with Rynite stocks weigh 5� to 6� lbs (depending on the barrel installed, 16� to 24 inches), scoped. Even the .45-70 with 24" barrel weighs just a hair over 6 lbs, scoped.

The heaviest is the Brown Bess "carbine" at about 9 lbs. It does get a bit tiring to carry all day when moving through the woods. I've used it mostly as a shotgun and have taken several squirrels, a woodchuck, and a single mourning dove (on the wing, now THAT was exciting). We have to use muzzleloading "shotguns" during our regular gun season here in Virginia so I normally go out with something else.

I know I've digressed, but I think that 9 lbs is the absolute upper limit.

most factory rifles seem to be coming (fullsize) at 7.5 to 7.75 without scope, sling, or rounds. Which means you are at 9# with just a 3x9, leather sling, and 4 rounds. I like ~10 for a 375 and higher.. little less for less, little more for more. I carry them for hours, and keep going...
but, I am not carrying a "deer" rifle, as that seems to really be 30 cal and down in general parliance. For a 7mm, or 30 cal... I have a very light 300 win, it's 8#, and my 358 on a mex mauser is less than 8 fully loaded.

jeffe

Depends on the use. Would like to limit the weight of a rifle to be packed in a long way to 8+ pounds including scope, sling, and magazine ammo. Can get to this with a .338.

For less rigorous exercise 9 1/2+ pounds works out well. This allows a .375 pretty nicely.

I feel very comfortable carrying my Howa, which weights in at 8 3/4 lbs. It is a .30-06, with a Sightron 3-9X40 scope and a Bell & Carlson composite stock. The stock has an aluminum bedding block, which may explain the weight.

My .300 WM Sako 75 feels about 1/2 lb heavier than that.

.270 Win., .30-06, etc., 8 lbs. with a 22" bbl.

.300 Win., .338 Win., 8.5-9 lbs. with a 24" bbl.

.375 H&H, .416 Rem., 9.5-10 lbs. with a 24" bbl.

These weights are complete with scope, sling, and a magazine full of ammo. In general, I dislike extremely light rifles.

AD

[ 01-28-2003, 18:53: Message edited by: allen day ]

Allen's weight seem about right to me. I do more walking than shooting but the current crop of "mountain rifles" seem too light for me.

Interesting. Mine start to require some shoulder swapping after 2 hours or so. To my surprise a mauser actioned sporter with a 24" light sporter barrel, steel 6x42 and sporter walnut stock comes in at 9lbs 4ozs without sling or rounds.

It shoots well enough that I'll not change a thing.

If I'm walking a '94 Winchester is about the right heft. If I'm on a stand, I don't really care about weight, and I have taken a rifle that comes in at 12lbs.

I think the balance is more important than the actual wieght. A rifle becomes unbalanced with to large a scope and by-pod and bullet holder on the stock. I have a 24 inch #5 barrel on a sporter stock that is not bad to carry, because it balances correctly. The wrong size scope throws the balance off quicker than the actual wieght of the rifle.

Seems the older I get the heavier the rifles get and the steeper the hills are. Since moving to WV, I find a model 7 in 7-08 with a 2x5 compact scope is plenty of medicine for the local deer and is still not too heavy at the end of a day of hill climbing. One thing I haven't figured out since I came here, how can it be uphill as you leave in the morning and up hill coming back at night?

For me, under 9# scoped & ready to go.

No more than eight pounds. My Ruger goes over eleven, it is great to shoot but it is a bitch to carry all day. I have a Model 7 that goes under seven pounds. Nice to carry but it is to light to shoot off hand, need more weight in the barrel.

I like my rifles up to 338 WM in the 7.5 to 8lb range "all-up" weight (i.e., scope, sling and rounds in the magazine). A 375 H&H at 8.5 lbs all-up would be just fine. The 416 RM should be 9 lbs or a bit more.

I don't like heavy rifles... I also don't like overly light rifles. Moderation in all things.

BA

The rifles I've been most comfortable with to carry all day usually start out bare nekkid at about 61/2 to not more than 7 lb's in non magnums. I prefer the old style SAKO's in a 579 action in 243, 308 or 7/08 because of the slightly heavier barrel contour but I have been happy with a M70 Featherweight 257 Rbts, 2.5X8 Leo in steel rings for over 20years for Texas whitetails as an all day carry gun. I have had some problems with piggys over 100lbs walking off from well placed body shots since the gun won't shoot anything but 100 grainers with any degree of accuracy. Day & day out though the old style SAKO Classic Grade 270 and now a Tikka wood stocked 270 are the first things I pick up at a little over 8 lb's total. I don't care at all for the current rage of whippy barrels and would rather save weight somewhere else since I don't get many good shots stillhunting on these old legs and need to make them all count the first time.
Anything 30/06 and up I like the rifle to start at about 7 1/2+, and the only DG gun I've shot more than a sample of kicked my butt with 300 gr'ers in a rigged & loaded 7/12 lb 375 H&H in a 'glass stocked SAKO carbine - pushed me off the benchrest's seat the first time I shot it sandbagged and left me sitting on the ground looking up at the roof of the range! But I loved it offhand... what a gas to shoot.
Ron

[ 01-29-2003, 19:45: Message edited by: verhoositz ]

A 7 pound 7RM, scoped and loaded, perfect for stalking. My .375HH is 8,5 pounds scoped and loaded, I seem to be comfortable packing that one all day long too, but I do prefer the light 7RM for carrying, the .375 seems to hang from the shoulder a lot more and thats not good if theres a chance of flushing out game. If you can�t shoot a 7 pound rifle straight I suggest restraining the coffein intake.

I have carried long a 10+ pound rifle for a couple of seasons and got really tired of it, did not shoot it particularly well either.
Tron

Most "Featherweights" go about 8 lbs with a scope. Sometimes an ounce less. This is pretty much the standard and what I own. To get less weight the rifle has to be special in some way as far as I know. It's true there are Ruger 77 Ultra Lights but they only have 20" barrels and the ones that I have seen don't group all that well either.

So far I have no problem using 8 lb rifles. A friend likes to show off his Ruger Ultra Light and say how easy it is to keep it in your hands and to bring it up. I have all of these really nice old rifles here. Many have sentimental value to me and they are all 8 lbs. If I got a really light one I might get lazy and favor it.

On top of that the last rifle I got is a M70 SS Classic and it goes 8.25 lbs!

I do favor light barrels on rifles that I carry for balance reasons. I can shoot all of them well. Heavy or light. If the game is moving then light is the best.