As I get older my willingness to carry additional pounds of steel and walnut around on my shoulder whilst out stalking diminishes year on year.

I have now reached the point where I feel as light as possible is the best.

Having a 24+" varmint weight barrel and a stonking great 12-25X50 scope in order to achieve that mystical last decimal place in the MOA quest, just doesn't give me that warm glow of satisfaction it once did. In the mistaken belief that the few extra yards it might allow me to stretch the range out too made a massive difference in my ability to achieve the cull targets. You count always count the sweat you will have worked hump having humped it around the hill all day as a warm glow I suppose.

I've also moved away from the big over bored calibres as well for the same reason.

My main woodland stalking rifle complete with a German 6X42 scope weighs in a fraction over 7lbs and my dual purpose rifle doesn't weigh a hole lot more.

Whats your ideal stalking rifle weight?

Article on light weight hunting rifles
Light weight rifles

Mine is a sauer 202 weight 6 lb smallvariable scope .5 strap 500grm mod = 7.5 pounds and thats heavy enough for me i am only a small chap.

My 260rem on a Sako action, 20" barrel, McMilan stock, Swaro 8x50 and Jet Z goes about 9 pounds.

You have to make significant compromises to get a mod'ed rifle in under 8 pounds.

I am waiting delivery of an Al. mod from Germany just now, reported to weigh around 230gm's, that will take half a pound of and help the balance a lot.

I think balance/handling are more important than pure weight.

Stalking rifle = Blaser K95 w/19.6" barrel, in 7x57R w/Millet 1.5-4.5x24 Red Dot. Weighs in at 5.8 lbs. Classification - Featherweight.

Feels like you're carrying a 22lr and handles smartly.

The Blaser K95 with synthetic stock and a small scope ist the way to go.

http://www.thomasnowak.com/

Think I will buy this stock, and it looks very elegant.

...or take the Blaser K77 (the forerunner of the K96) in the UL AW model, lighter is nearly no more possible!

quote:

Originally posted by SLDG:
Mine is a sauer 202 weight 6 lb smallvariable scope .5 strap 500grm mod = 7.5 pounds and thats heavy enough for me i am only a small chap.

Any truth in the rumour that you are as wide around the middle as you are tall?

I hunted for years with a 9 1/2lb rifle before going light and built one at 7lb but found it didn't hold as steady off hand so have gone to 8 1/4lb with superb balance and like it just fine.

Von Gruff.

quote:

Originally posted by Claret_Dabbler:
My 260rem on a Sako action, 20" barrel, McMilan stock, Swaro 8x50 and Jet Z goes about 9 pounds.

You have to make significant compromises to get a mod'ed rifle in under 8 pounds.

I am waiting delivery of an Al. mod from Germany just now, reported to weigh around 230gm's, that will take half a pound of and help the balance a lot.

I think balance/handling are more important than pure weight.

The question is given that you will never use the maximum potential of the rifle in question would the necessary compromises required to get it under 8lb be that limiting. If as you have stated else where MOA at 100m is perfectly adequate for shooting deer out to 300. I had a Mod7 in 30-06 that could produce that level of performance all day , every day. With a compact Leopold scope it weighed a lot less than 8lb.

Have you ordered the new A-tec mod from Jaaksons or the new Delta from Pete Lincoln at Roedale? I am told that Sportsman are to be the UK distributors of the new Roedale mod.

quote:

Originally posted by Gerry:
Stalking rifle = Blaser K95 w/19.6" barrel, in 7x57R w/Millet 1.5-4.5x24 Red Dot. Weighs in at 5.8 lbs. Classification - Featherweight.

Feels like you're carrying a 22lr and handles smartly.

Gerry

That's a very low weight bit of kit. It must handle like a dream, and 7X57 is not going to knock you around either.Even at that low weight.