How heavy should your small caliber rifle be?

[T_the_Tinkerer]

Greetings, gents. I wanted to throw this question out there to see what everyone thinks.

For a strictly bench rifle, I'm sure weight isn't a huge concern. But for those if us who are tailoring our rifles for hunting, what is a good weight for a general purpose hunting and predator rifle that will be used from the stand and from other stationary positions, as well as for stalking? My current setup w/ scope weighs 7.8lbs and is an all weather, B&C composite stock. Is 3-15x too much for this? Small calibers need precision, but I do plan to keep hunting under 200yds maximum, preferably inside about 150yds.

[SmokinJoe]

T, I think you are talking about two different rifles here. A rifle for stationary shooting will ideally have some weight to it for both stability and slower barrel heating, so maybe a 10-12# rig would be fine. For anything involving a significant amount of walking, a lighter more compact rifle would be more desirable but I don't have a number in mind because I don't do any of that type hunting. As far as scopes, you would be fine with a 3-9X or 4-12X or something similar. Leupold makes some nice lightweight scopes in that range.

[JSH]

I have chased lite rifles for a few years. Taking weight off, is way more expensive than going heavy, lol.

Building a carry rifle light weight, meant to be shot little and carried a lot is more than chopping a barrel short and drilling holes in everything.

I have a couple of rifles that I can pack to a stand easily, say a mile round trip. However they are no means what I would call a light rifle, at 8.7 pounds loaded with glass.

First shot, cold bore is my major interest in such rigs. Not giving up barrel length/ velocity to save weight is the other.

Some will holler about lite weight and recoil on some calibers. As I mentioned my thoughts wrap around carried a lot and shot little.
My lite gun gets shot at least twice a year. Two times pre season, once if I have opportunity for the critter. When it goes bang, things are DRT.

[T_the_Tinkerer]

SJ, JSH, thanks for the replies. I was intending on a rifle that I could walk around with, not necessarily something I'd need to hike in the mountains with or anything. It would see some stationary use, but it can't be so heavy as to be a burden if you have to walk with it. A multirole rifle, if you will.

Can't have too many shooters around, you know? The Mrs gets to looking at me with a jaundiced eye if I mention buying a bunch of rifles for different purposes!

[foxhunter]

you really need 2 different rifles, one for the bench and one for a walk around varminter. that said chances are you will have to compromise on neither. for the stationary one of the varmint rifles (about 9-10#built by Remington, sako, cooper or savage.
for the walk around i picked the Montaña 84 223 at 5.5# plus the scope of your choice. when walking you hardly know its on your shoulder.

the big factor is age, if you are a young buck the heavy varminter weight won't faze you. if you are an old fart even the montana will feel like a cannon a over your shoulder.

a good compromise would a remington 700 classic, light enough to carry but very accurate from the bench with a weight in the high 7's low 8's. lite enough to carry and usually very accurate.
i have noticed the remingtons of old are getting very expensive since remington went under.

[B23]

Originally Posted by T_the_Tinkerer

Can't have too many shooters around, you know? The Mrs gets to looking at me with a jaundiced eye if I mention buying a bunch of rifles for different purposes!

Ha! And when she says that you remind her she has many different pairs of shoes, all for different purposes and occasions. Of course she'll rebut with something to the affect of yeah but her shoes cost a lot less and that's when you respond with, ok that may be true but my rifles/guns will always have nearly the same value as what I paid for them where as your shoes have zero value once you put them on your feet. My wife used to say that same stuff but after a few years she just gave up knowing it was a losing battle.

As for what is the best size and weight, well, that probably has more to do with the perspective of the individual than anything else. I don't really have anything that I'd consider really light. I think the lightest centerfire rifle I have is my CZ 527 Varmint 17 Hornet that I had the barrel chopped back to around 22 inches and I think it weighs right at 8lbs scoped. For a factory gun that shoots well, won't break the bank, and is a nimble feeling gun I'd suggest one of the CZ 527's in 204 or 223. This is just a personal choice but I prefer the Varmint model, I don't really care for how skinny barrels look, then have 2-3 inches chopped off.

[Bill K]

I am blessed, with a wife that does not mind me, at all, working up and buying firearms. She hunted and fished with me until she came down with Parkinson's, and had her own firearms and fish rods, so I have not issues with getting what I want, even when it may not really be needed.

[drover]

Originally Posted by T_the_Tinkerer

Greetings, gents. I wanted to throw this question out there to see what everyone thinks.

For a strictly bench rifle, I'm sure weight isn't a huge concern. But for those if us who are tailoring our rifles for hunting, what is a good weight for a general purpose hunting and predator rifle that will be used from the stand and from other stationary positions, as well as for stalking? My current setup w/ scope weighs 7.8lbs and is an all weather, B&C composite stock. Is 3-15x too much for this? Small calibers need precision, but I do plan to keep hunting under 200yds maximum, preferably inside about 150yds.

From my viewpoint you are at a ideal weight, not too heavy to carry but with enough weight to hold fairly steady.
You didn't mention caliber but if it is a 22/250 or larger you may have a bit of trouble seeing your hits/misses with a rifle in that weight range. If it is more in the 223 recoil range then you are in good shape.

drover

[Johnly]

Originally Posted by JSH

I have chased lite rifles for a few years. Taking weight off, is way more expensive than going heavy, lol.

Building a carry rifle light weight, meant to be shot little and carried a lot is more than chopping a barrel short and drilling holes in everything.

I have a couple of rifles that I can pack to a stand easily, say a mile round trip. However they are no means what I would call a light rifle, at 8.7 pounds loaded with glass.

First shot, cold bore is my major interest in such rigs. Not giving up barrel length/ velocity to save weight is the other.

Some will holler about lite weight and recoil on some calibers. As I mentioned my thoughts wrap around carried a lot and shot little.
My lite gun gets shot at least twice a year. Two times pre season, once if I have opportunity for the critter. When it goes bang, things are DRT.

I totally agree, especially with the more expensive part of making a rifle light.
My light weight rifle is a 7mm-08 that is built on a M700 action and wears a Brown Precision Pound'r Kevlar stock. Loaded and ready to hunt it weight 6.7 pounds. It's a picky shooter as many lightweight rifles are due to their thin barrel profile. My accuracy test is three shots out a cold, clean barrel with the first shot being the most important. But it all worked out with 140 gr. bullets pushed my 41.5 of H4895 delivering MOA accuracy.

The best general production lightweight varmint rifle in my opinion is the CZ527 American. Kimber and Cooper rifles can be configured to be in the same weight range, but at a price.

[Bayou City Boy]

In my current stable, FOR ME, the right weight for a walk around rife would be one of my Kimber Montana rifles. Why? Simply because they are the lightest that I have. But I have others that would work too.

It all boils down to what an individual is comfortable with carrying. "One man's trash is another man's treasure" comes to mind when saying x.y pounds is just right for a specific application.

-BCB