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Rifles
Lightweight vs Heavy Hunting Rifles
Uploaded on June 27, 2009I hear the controversy all the time that its harder to aim and shoot accurately with lightweight hunting rifles versus regular or heavy rifles. My opinion is the lighter the better when it comes to hunting because of the less weight you need to carry around with you all day...you spend a lot more time carrying the rifle then shooting...what are your thoughts?
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I'm like Goldilocks---I want one that's juuuust right. If I'm still- hunting, I obviously want one that won't wear me out and that I csn handle quickly, and when I'm stand hunting I like the steadiness of a heavier rifle. A rifle with a little heft to it also reduces recoil, whioh is something my shoulder likes less of as I get older. If I had to choose one rifle, I'd pick a medium weight rather than going to either end of the scale. I don't think I go for a heavyweight except for long range varmit shooting.
I like the heavier ones. Less kick eaier to hold steady. I also like how solid they feel, the lighter ones in my opinion feel somewhat cheap and fragile. Not saying they are necassarily. They do get heavy, but just still hunt a bit slower which probably helps anyway. At the moment of truth I doubt any of us will feel tired.
I'm getting pretty old so the light weight rifles do seem to be a bit easier on the arms and shoulders at the end of a long day. I don't see much difference in the shooting either, so I guess that I'll go with the lighter rifles.
When I plan to wander around on foot, I reach for a bolt action or lever action carbine and prefer it for the standing offhand position. When shooting from a position of rest, whether prone, or with my rifle's forearm resting on a boulder, fallen tree or fencepost, a heavy barrel is fine with me.
I don't notice a difference. I used to carry so much gear, that now a rifle and small pack seem like pillows.
i go along with what Ed said. stalking i like a litlle lighter rifle. Stand hunting is about the only time i use a heavy rifle.
I generally use a .30-30 since where i hunt doesn't call for many shots over 100 yards, so i guess i would choose based on how much movement i will be doing, and how long my shots are going to be.
I'm "old school" when it came to shooting; I used what was handed down to me! My fist shotgun was a 12gauge, which kicked the bejesus out of me and could have stopped my interest with guns abruptly. It did not. Now, recoil does not bother me, at least for now. I guess what I am saying is shooters can adapt to the weapon at hand.Most gun shoot straighter then we can, so get GOOD solid shooting instruction and practice!
I use a heavy barrel on my hot shooting magnums to reduce recoil. I practice with these and as a result trust them above all else in the field. Therefore I will use them in the field and will carry a 12 pound rifle up to about 15 miles per day. If the going is tough or much further than that, I will switch to a lighter rifle (especially if doing a lot of high climbing). Lugging a heavy rifle has always been part of hunting for me so I don't mind.
i have a win 94 carbine that i will carry occassionally on deer drives and/or hunts in heavy cover or rough terrain where shots will be close. My bolt action is a couple pounds heavier, but i prefer it in most hunting situations. I will admit, after many miles afoot, i sometimes wish i was carrying a lighter rifle, but i rarely do.
I like a light wt gun myself. It seems easier to carry all day and the recoil does not bother me so far. If I were doing a lot of shooting, say varmit or target I might go with a heavier one, but for hunting I will stick with a light gun.
I hunt out of a stand, more like a hut. So i do prefer a heavier rifle. I shoot a Marlin 30-30 so I guess you could say my rifle doesn't need to be too heavy to eliminate all felt recoil. If you're hiking in the mountains, i would definetely go with a lighter rifle. I guess it all depends on personal preference.
I hunt out of a stand, more like a hut. So i do prefer a heavier rifle. I shoot a Marlin 30-30 so I guess you could say my rifle doesn't need to be too heavy to eliminate all felt recoil. If you're hiking in the mountains, i would definetely go with a lighter rifle. I guess it all depends on personal preference.
6 one way, half a dozen the other!
Remington 700 today and mayber a Ultra Match M1A tomarrow!
WIMPS!
I usually hunt with my Springfield 1903 30-06, topped with a Bushnell 4-12x40 that is deadly at 100 yards. Now is time for change! I recently bought a Remington 700 SPS .308 Heavy 26" Varmint, topped with a Nikon Monarch 5-20x44 BDC.
It's your preference as to lighter or heavier. Stalking, sitting in a stand, or walking around. It depends on your situation. I am going Heavy because it is easier to hold in the Off-Hand position! Prone with a bi-pod is a different story :) !
Depends on what I'm doing. Lots of walking, deer drives, I usually reach for a Ruger Ultralight in .257 Roberts, 6 1/4#. If lurking around the hay fields at dusk, usually an Interarms Mk X 7mm Remington Magnum, 9 3/4#.
A heavy rifle is going to be a pain in the ass to lug around all day but when it comes to your one opportunity at a trophy animal id rather have a gun that is steady, having said that my rifle is only 7 1/2 pounds which i think is average so it is fairly steady to shoot "off-hand" if i have to...but i put a bipod on it so now its really heavy. I live in saskatchewan where long shots at deer are common and having a bipod makes 400yrd+ shots a cinch if u choose to risk it. In most hunting situations it doesnt really matter because u have enough timer to look for a tree to lean against or your going to sit or lay down. The choice is yours, you will never ever feel recoil when hunting...unless you are stupid enough to smash your eye! so Use what you have and be happy with it.
Depends on sitiation. I like a light gun for hunting whitetails. But if I was hunting prarie dogs I would want a heavy bench gun.
I prefer a heavier rifle, I am used to it actually. All of my hunting rifles weigh at least 12lbs and the heaviest one, a .300 win. mag. canyon shooter weighs about 15 lbs. They are tougher tocarry, but a lot of it is dependant on your style of hunting and the shots you encounter. In deep thick woods a light rifle is great, in the canyons or praries where shots are longer a good rifle with a bipod is invaluable in my opinion
i say it all depends on the situation and style of hunting your doing . you wont catch me dead still hunting a fir swamp with a 24 inch barreled 270 short mag . but the same can be said for my 16 inch 742 carbine. ( yes 16 inch i had it bob'ed even shorter )siting in a tree stand over looking a swale with a 350 yard shot
personally i dont like them really heavy but i dont like them really light either so pretty mush jsut right in the middle
i think it depends on what you are hunting for if you plan on hunting elk or other big game that requires you to do a lot of walking then you want a lighter gun but if it is a sit and wait it out kind of hunt like predators then the heavier gun is a better option
If your still hunting or hunting from a fixed position at long ranges, go for the heavier firearm. It will give you more accuracy and will be easier to hold still. For a walking rifle, I generally try to stay under 7lbs. Personally, i do a lot of varmint hunting and hunting a long range so my rifle tops out at a beefy 11lbs.
Light is nice to haul around but going to an extreme why not just become proficient with a powerful handgun? I prefer medium to heavy weight rifles because I can shoot them better. If you don't hit your animal the light rifle is useless. I tend not to take a backpack or haul all sorts of junk in my pockets. It sort of equals out. A considerable amount of my hunting time is spent riding horses and they never complain about another pound or two. That said I have seen some extremely accurate lightweight rifles shot from the bench. I'm not so sure the results would have been the same if you were out of breath with cold hands, a rapid heartbeat, and wind induced watery eyes.
go heavy my favorite gun to shoot is my single shot .223 h&r handy rifle in bull barrel. and ill carry it around all day if i have to chasing predators. i love it because it is rock steady and i can put three shots in a pattern the size of a grpefruit out to 300 yards.
Have both heavy and lighter rifles and match your rifle to your hunt.
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I'm like Goldilocks---I want one that's juuuust right. If I'm still- hunting, I obviously want one that won't wear me out and that I csn handle quickly, and when I'm stand hunting I like the steadiness of a heavier rifle. A rifle with a little heft to it also reduces recoil, whioh is something my shoulder likes less of as I get older. If I had to choose one rifle, I'd pick a medium weight rather than going to either end of the scale. I don't think I go for a heavyweight except for long range varmit shooting.
I'm "old school" when it came to shooting; I used what was handed down to me! My fist shotgun was a 12gauge, which kicked the bejesus out of me and could have stopped my interest with guns abruptly. It did not. Now, recoil does not bother me, at least for now. I guess what I am saying is shooters can adapt to the weapon at hand.Most gun shoot straighter then we can, so get GOOD solid shooting instruction and practice!
I hunt out of a stand, more like a hut. So i do prefer a heavier rifle. I shoot a Marlin 30-30 so I guess you could say my rifle doesn't need to be too heavy to eliminate all felt recoil. If you're hiking in the mountains, i would definetely go with a lighter rifle. I guess it all depends on personal preference.
6 one way, half a dozen the other!
Remington 700 today and mayber a Ultra Match M1A tomarrow!
WIMPS!
I like the heavier ones. Less kick eaier to hold steady. I also like how solid they feel, the lighter ones in my opinion feel somewhat cheap and fragile. Not saying they are necassarily. They do get heavy, but just still hunt a bit slower which probably helps anyway. At the moment of truth I doubt any of us will feel tired.
When I plan to wander around on foot, I reach for a bolt action or lever action carbine and prefer it for the standing offhand position. When shooting from a position of rest, whether prone, or with my rifle's forearm resting on a boulder, fallen tree or fencepost, a heavy barrel is fine with me.
i go along with what Ed said. stalking i like a litlle lighter rifle. Stand hunting is about the only time i use a heavy rifle.
I use a heavy barrel on my hot shooting magnums to reduce recoil. I practice with these and as a result trust them above all else in the field. Therefore I will use them in the field and will carry a 12 pound rifle up to about 15 miles per day. If the going is tough or much further than that, I will switch to a lighter rifle (especially if doing a lot of high climbing). Lugging a heavy rifle has always been part of hunting for me so I don't mind.
I like a light wt gun myself. It seems easier to carry all day and the recoil does not bother me so far. If I were doing a lot of shooting, say varmit or target I might go with a heavier one, but for hunting I will stick with a light gun.
I usually hunt with my Springfield 1903 30-06, topped with a Bushnell 4-12x40 that is deadly at 100 yards. Now is time for change! I recently bought a Remington 700 SPS .308 Heavy 26" Varmint, topped with a Nikon Monarch 5-20x44 BDC.
It's your preference as to lighter or heavier. Stalking, sitting in a stand, or walking around. It depends on your situation. I am going Heavy because it is easier to hold in the Off-Hand position! Prone with a bi-pod is a different story :) !
Depends on what I'm doing. Lots of walking, deer drives, I usually reach for a Ruger Ultralight in .257 Roberts, 6 1/4#. If lurking around the hay fields at dusk, usually an Interarms Mk X 7mm Remington Magnum, 9 3/4#.
A heavy rifle is going to be a pain in the ass to lug around all day but when it comes to your one opportunity at a trophy animal id rather have a gun that is steady, having said that my rifle is only 7 1/2 pounds which i think is average so it is fairly steady to shoot "off-hand" if i have to...but i put a bipod on it so now its really heavy. I live in saskatchewan where long shots at deer are common and having a bipod makes 400yrd+ shots a cinch if u choose to risk it. In most hunting situations it doesnt really matter because u have enough timer to look for a tree to lean against or your going to sit or lay down. The choice is yours, you will never ever feel recoil when hunting...unless you are stupid enough to smash your eye! so Use what you have and be happy with it.
I prefer a heavier rifle, I am used to it actually. All of my hunting rifles weigh at least 12lbs and the heaviest one, a .300 win. mag. canyon shooter weighs about 15 lbs. They are tougher tocarry, but a lot of it is dependant on your style of hunting and the shots you encounter. In deep thick woods a light rifle is great, in the canyons or praries where shots are longer a good rifle with a bipod is invaluable in my opinion
If your still hunting or hunting from a fixed position at long ranges, go for the heavier firearm. It will give you more accuracy and will be easier to hold still. For a walking rifle, I generally try to stay under 7lbs. Personally, i do a lot of varmint hunting and hunting a long range so my rifle tops out at a beefy 11lbs.
I'm getting pretty old so the light weight rifles do seem to be a bit easier on the arms and shoulders at the end of a long day. I don't see much difference in the shooting either, so I guess that I'll go with the lighter rifles.
I don't notice a difference. I used to carry so much gear, that now a rifle and small pack seem like pillows.
I generally use a .30-30 since where i hunt doesn't call for many shots over 100 yards, so i guess i would choose based on how much movement i will be doing, and how long my shots are going to be.
i have a win 94 carbine that i will carry occassionally on deer drives and/or hunts in heavy cover or rough terrain where shots will be close. My bolt action is a couple pounds heavier, but i prefer it in most hunting situations. I will admit, after many miles afoot, i sometimes wish i was carrying a lighter rifle, but i rarely do.
I hunt out of a stand, more like a hut. So i do prefer a heavier rifle. I shoot a Marlin 30-30 so I guess you could say my rifle doesn't need to be too heavy to eliminate all felt recoil. If you're hiking in the mountains, i would definetely go with a lighter rifle. I guess it all depends on personal preference.
Depends on sitiation. I like a light gun for hunting whitetails. But if I was hunting prarie dogs I would want a heavy bench gun.
i say it all depends on the situation and style of hunting your doing . you wont catch me dead still hunting a fir swamp with a 24 inch barreled 270 short mag . but the same can be said for my 16 inch 742 carbine. ( yes 16 inch i had it bob'ed even shorter )siting in a tree stand over looking a swale with a 350 yard shot
personally i dont like them really heavy but i dont like them really light either so pretty mush jsut right in the middle
i think it depends on what you are hunting for if you plan on hunting elk or other big game that requires you to do a lot of walking then you want a lighter gun but if it is a sit and wait it out kind of hunt like predators then the heavier gun is a better option
Light is nice to haul around but going to an extreme why not just become proficient with a powerful handgun? I prefer medium to heavy weight rifles because I can shoot them better. If you don't hit your animal the light rifle is useless. I tend not to take a backpack or haul all sorts of junk in my pockets. It sort of equals out. A considerable amount of my hunting time is spent riding horses and they never complain about another pound or two. That said I have seen some extremely accurate lightweight rifles shot from the bench. I'm not so sure the results would have been the same if you were out of breath with cold hands, a rapid heartbeat, and wind induced watery eyes.
go heavy my favorite gun to shoot is my single shot .223 h&r handy rifle in bull barrel. and ill carry it around all day if i have to chasing predators. i love it because it is rock steady and i can put three shots in a pattern the size of a grpefruit out to 300 yards.
Have both heavy and lighter rifles and match your rifle to your hunt.
Post a Reply