What is your opinion on the ideal backcountry / hunting rifle weight? Comfortable to carry but heavy enough to shoot good. Traditional stock, no chassis. Looking to build a 7 prc.
Ideal Backcountry Rifle weight?
- Thread starter wolf34
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6ish pound rifle + 3ish pound scope and rings for 9ish pounds. I use a Kimber Montana 280AI for a lot of walking in Wyoming.
I go right about 8 lbs.
i do run a 19 oz SFP scope to keep it there
A good mix for me between ease of packing and ease of shooting.
Off pack, bipod, or tripod, easy hits to 600 on steel.
All that and last year’s elk at 200 kneeling off hand.
300 wsm with a 200 gr bullet at 2816 fps
i do run a 19 oz SFP scope to keep it there
A good mix for me between ease of packing and ease of shooting.
Off pack, bipod, or tripod, easy hits to 600 on steel.
All that and last year’s elk at 200 kneeling off hand.
300 wsm with a 200 gr bullet at 2816 fps
For me, anywhere between 7.5-8.5 pounds. I definitely don’t want it over 8.5#.
I've said it a few times, but every time I go out west on a mountain hunt, I come home and start buying lighter gear.
I realize there are people on here who carry their 25lb prs rifles into the mountains, and they will be along shortly to tell us about it.
I think there is a simple way to look at it: like the poster above, I limit myself to 600y shots on big game in the mountains. With the wind and terrain, it's all you can hope for under great conditions anyways. I might stretch that to 800y if the conditions and rest are just perfect. To do that, it doesn't require all that much rifle. A 20" barrel is plenty. I settled on an xlr magnesium chasis and I can shoot a very lightweight rifle with a full ar style pistol grip better than in a traditional stock, and i suspect most other people could too. Like the fella above, I also use a VX-6 scope for maximum utility/ weight. The answer to your question is: lightweight quality is very expensive. The difference between a 5.5lb 800y capable rifle and a 7.5lb 800y capable rifle is probably $3,000. Do you want to spend the extra cash on the lightest components available, or keep the cash and work a little harder on your cardio in the off season? Just up to you.
I realize there are people on here who carry their 25lb prs rifles into the mountains, and they will be along shortly to tell us about it.
I think there is a simple way to look at it: like the poster above, I limit myself to 600y shots on big game in the mountains. With the wind and terrain, it's all you can hope for under great conditions anyways. I might stretch that to 800y if the conditions and rest are just perfect. To do that, it doesn't require all that much rifle. A 20" barrel is plenty. I settled on an xlr magnesium chasis and I can shoot a very lightweight rifle with a full ar style pistol grip better than in a traditional stock, and i suspect most other people could too. Like the fella above, I also use a VX-6 scope for maximum utility/ weight. The answer to your question is: lightweight quality is very expensive. The difference between a 5.5lb 800y capable rifle and a 7.5lb 800y capable rifle is probably $3,000. Do you want to spend the extra cash on the lightest components available, or keep the cash and work a little harder on your cardio in the off season? Just up to you.
7 lbs 6.5 oz Weatherby Backcountry Guide 6.5 Creedmoor w/ Vortex Razor LHT 4.5-22x50 and Vortex PMR Rings.
It's hard to draw the line between "shoots good" and "comfortable to carry". Ounce equal pounds, pounds equal pain. It's all relative. How far, how fast and mission dictate.
View attachment IMG_6183.jpeg
It's hard to draw the line between "shoots good" and "comfortable to carry". Ounce equal pounds, pounds equal pain. It's all relative. How far, how fast and mission dictate.
View attachment IMG_6183.jpeg
3 pound scope?! Not sure why anyone would hunt with a Razor G3. You could easily shave off a pound and lose no capability.
Depends on what you are going for. In Florida, with 100+ small deer a 6-pound 6mm rifle will do just fine. For bigger critters, 7.5 pounds with 308 or higher ammo. All with light scopes. In my experience over 40 years, you don't shoot the later .308 range or higher 7.5 pound rifles for fun. They will kick your as after 5-shots. For hunting 1-shot kills though, zero issues.
Grandpa, I thought we buried you. How did you get here?
When it comes to shooting, I know more than you whippersnappers will ever know.
You have some variables in this question. The main three that come to mind:
- Personal build/fitness
- How much distance you are covering
- How much elevation change within that distance
Im not hiking the Big Horns so im pretty chill at 9lbs being ideal for me.
- Personal build/fitness
- How much distance you are covering
- How much elevation change within that distance
Im not hiking the Big Horns so im pretty chill at 9lbs being ideal for me.
I spent many many years hunting in steep terrain. For about 20 of those years, I also packed in deep. For safety, I tried to have a good hunting buddy come along but ran out of friends, usually after only a couple of miles or after the first night.
Most of those years were with a Browning Safari in 30-06.
I learned to shave weight on everything...everything....else. Goretex bivvy. Poncho liner instead of a bag. No change of clothes, just socks. Freeze dried food, all the same flavor, several packages dumped into one plastic ziploc. Another ziploc to eat from. If it was allowed, fire instead of a stove. I tried a water filter but iodine and later on the chlorine dioxide weighs much less.
My gear changed according to weather expectations and I spent lots of sleepless nights shivvering my ass off. Once in a while, I'd bitch out and go back to the vehicle (base camp).
So, I agree with the other old man above. It depends on just how far you want to carry that rifle and what else you are going to be carrying. However, lighter is gooder when you gotta carry it.
Most of those years were with a Browning Safari in 30-06.
I learned to shave weight on everything...everything....else. Goretex bivvy. Poncho liner instead of a bag. No change of clothes, just socks. Freeze dried food, all the same flavor, several packages dumped into one plastic ziploc. Another ziploc to eat from. If it was allowed, fire instead of a stove. I tried a water filter but iodine and later on the chlorine dioxide weighs much less.
My gear changed according to weather expectations and I spent lots of sleepless nights shivvering my ass off. Once in a while, I'd bitch out and go back to the vehicle (base camp).
So, I agree with the other old man above. It depends on just how far you want to carry that rifle and what else you are going to be carrying. However, lighter is gooder when you gotta carry it.
For more background. I hunt Alaska more than anywhere else. Mostly moose, caribou and black bear but planning a Kodiak black tail trip. I have a Kyrgyzstan ibex trip on my radar for the future. I really do not plan to shoot over 600 yds. My current setup is a 8 lb 10 oz 300 win mag. I feel like it is about right but I wouldn't mind shaving a little off it to run a suppressor and end up about the same overall weight. I'm looking at building a 7 PRC. I do not want to get too light and not be able to shoot it good. Thanks for all of the replies.
If you are after a 7 prc suppressed, I would start with a Mac Bro’s action. Very light and well made, I hear; I don’t actually have one. Go 20” on the barrel and look at the shorter titanium suppressors like a Dead Air Nomad Ti XC; I do have one of those, haven’t shot it yet. You could go carbon on the barrel, but you can get lighter with a 20” fluted stainless with a .75” straight contour and it should still be a good suppressor host, especially at 20”. Josh at PVA will spin one up for you. Put it in a light carbon stock and weigh it with loaded rounds and sling. Then add enough scope and rings to get it to 7.75-8#.
Some may balk at a 20” barrel, but it will still toss bullets fast enough to perform reliably at 600 yards. I find it interesting that others have mentioned that being their max to shoot at game as it’s long been mine as well.
I’m currently doing load development, when life allows, on a 300 WSM, Origin short action, 20” PVA Osprey with above mentioned contour, Peak 44 Bastion stock, and above mentioned suppressor. I plan to top it with my NF 2.5-10x42. Right now, it’s sitting in my weighted down KRG-B with a Cronus on top for load development. Should be a touch over 8# all in. Tossing 200’s and 210’s right now, faster than it should with R26 with no “pressure signs”, but haven’t found that sweet spot yet. 2800 fps with a 210 ABLR out of a 20” barrel is probably a bit much. I’m going to back off and look for a lower node and hope the two close and one an inch away groups tighten up. The 200 AB’s are doing a little better group wise, although 2900 fps might be a bit much for them as well. R26 is either magical pixie dust or I’m over loaded despite no normal indications. Lapua brass and F215 primers.
Go short and light, you’ll love it in the mountains. My go to mountain gun since 2001 is a 8.25# Blaser R93 with a 270 or 300 win mag barrel. Still a great shooter and dream to carry in the field, but it would cost me $1900 to have a 20” 300 WSM threaded barrel built for it so I decided to go this route on an action I already have.
Good luck with your choice!
Some may balk at a 20” barrel, but it will still toss bullets fast enough to perform reliably at 600 yards. I find it interesting that others have mentioned that being their max to shoot at game as it’s long been mine as well.
I’m currently doing load development, when life allows, on a 300 WSM, Origin short action, 20” PVA Osprey with above mentioned contour, Peak 44 Bastion stock, and above mentioned suppressor. I plan to top it with my NF 2.5-10x42. Right now, it’s sitting in my weighted down KRG-B with a Cronus on top for load development. Should be a touch over 8# all in. Tossing 200’s and 210’s right now, faster than it should with R26 with no “pressure signs”, but haven’t found that sweet spot yet. 2800 fps with a 210 ABLR out of a 20” barrel is probably a bit much. I’m going to back off and look for a lower node and hope the two close and one an inch away groups tighten up. The 200 AB’s are doing a little better group wise, although 2900 fps might be a bit much for them as well. R26 is either magical pixie dust or I’m over loaded despite no normal indications. Lapua brass and F215 primers.
Go short and light, you’ll love it in the mountains. My go to mountain gun since 2001 is a 8.25# Blaser R93 with a 270 or 300 win mag barrel. Still a great shooter and dream to carry in the field, but it would cost me $1900 to have a 20” 300 WSM threaded barrel built for it so I decided to go this route on an action I already have.
Good luck with your choice!
Triji tenmile 3-18x44 ffp is bomb proof and hits the 24oz weight mark. I've abused my two and they've held zero and track. Reticle is good enough for hunting. FOV isn't the best, but equals a Mk5hd 3.6-18, glass isn't spectacular but does the job. Plus they can usually be found for around $1k 2nd hand market.
I just built a light weight rifle for western hunting and it came in at 9.03lbs. It’s tough and expensive but it shoots. Here’s what I ended up going with:
Impact 707r
CFW Benchmark 18” 6cm
XLR element 4.0Mg w/ carbon stock & bag rider, thumb rest, ergo vert grip
Triggertech 2 stage special
Trijicon Tenmile 3-18x44
Area 419 Hunt rings
FlatlineOps Halo-X
Elevate 2.0 bipod on Area 419 arca clamp
Abel Theorem-S w/brake
Impact 707r
CFW Benchmark 18” 6cm
XLR element 4.0Mg w/ carbon stock & bag rider, thumb rest, ergo vert grip
Triggertech 2 stage special
Trijicon Tenmile 3-18x44
Area 419 Hunt rings
FlatlineOps Halo-X
Elevate 2.0 bipod on Area 419 arca clamp
Abel Theorem-S w/brake
I still don’t understand the big heavy high magnification scope on a light gun deal. I have a Leupold VX2 2-7 with a Stoney Ponit target knob on my Blaser 270 barrel for deer hunting; practiced with it out to 500 yards, never thought I needed more. Very lightweight too. I have a VXIII 4.5-14 on my Blaser 300 Win mag barrel and it’s light and never let me down either. The only reason I’m going with what to me is a heavy NF on my new light package, is I’m reluctant to drive out west to hunt with my old, but so far reliable, Leupolds. It’s 21 oz. No one makes the scope I want for this rifle. What I want would be a scope 1” or 30mm, SFP, some sort of a mil reticle in case my LRF goes down, side focus, mil turrets on top, around 16 oz. 2-3x on the low end, 10-15x on the top end. No one makes this. Some of the Leupold CDX scopes come close, but they either lack a ranging reticle or side focus or both unless you jump to 20+ oz in weight. Such is life.
I do like to shoot suppressed but when shaving ounces, I opt out. Hunting is a 1-3 shot session and without any sort of walls or gravel or such to rebound the sound back at you...it's not so bad. Out to 600 with a 300WM? No issues with a shorter and thin barrel, either. I'd think about 22". Kevlar stocked, ADL or BDL...fuck that magazine rattling around and the extra weight, light weight nylon sling, scoped at around 3-15. No bipod...use your back pack or figure out how to use your walking sticks (modified ski poles...worth their extra weight) I'd go ahead and pussy out with a nice brake and recoil pad. I have a Kimber Mountain Ascent in 280 Ackley. It's super light and hard to shoot but it's otherwise a piece of shit that barely holds the 1 MOA guarantee. I say that because it IS a 1 MOA rifle and to 600, plenty good enough for minute of caribou or black bear. I shot LOTS of caribou in the Ambler, Shungnak, Kobuk, area with that old Browning 30-06 and am positive the 280 Ackley would have performed quite well. Maybe better. Check that 280 Ackley. Maybe not a Kimber. NOT A FAN. I have a 280 Ackley built by Charley Robertson that is a real pleasure to shoot and I have repeatedly put 5 rounds in a quarter minute of angle. He also built me 2 different 300WM and the guy is a damned good smith, both very , very repeatable on target. A 300WM as light as that Mountain Ascent will take some practice to not become a recoil pussy. No matter what rifle, I'd carry a good bear sized revolver. I like my 454 casual. I figure I am preaching to a choir about a good handgun for Brown Bear country if you've been anywhere near them.
A lightweight 7prc will push you off target for spotting shots without a brake. Consider a 65prc possibly.
Get a stock the tracks and is shaped to help mitigate recoil, I have serval of the McMillan Mtn Tracker LR now, and they track and stay flat in recoil better than anything else but maybe my Rokstok. Plus the McMillan only weigh 30oz, which isn't super light but still light enough.
Run a lightweight all steel action, titanium is cool, but I def prefer steel, especially with a magnum case.
A hawkins oberndorf m5 with a centerfeed box with still allow 3 rds down, and save you 3oz over the lightest dbm option.
The above recommendations of the 750 taperless contour is solid, I personally like the light palma, shortened to a 2.5" shank with 1.20 diameter. Barrels have had taper for forever, there has to be a reason for that. The two straight taper barrels I have, one a 750 taperless and a Tikka lite hybrid, don't shoot quite as good as my trimmed up lt palmas, yes there is a 5oz penalty there.
My lightest build is a lone peak fuzion ti, 20in benchmark carbon, 6cm, peak44 bastion, hawkins hunter dbm. It's 5.7# no glass or can. With the Dilligent wolf hunter, Triji 3-18, and gunwerks 12oz bipod, I'm right at 8.7#, the rifles very accurate, nice to carry, but you really have to be on your game to shoot consistently small groups that the systems capable of. That's why I prefer my 10#+ rifles if I know there may be opportunity of shooting longer distances, they're just more forgiving.
I have a 10# 7lrm, 5-6gr larger than a 7prc, and a 65saum of same weight. The 65 is so much easier to drive. These are both suppressed with 22in barrels. 180s at 3000, 156s at 2900. Both bullets will kill farther than my abilities are proficient at.
I live in the mountains, shoot in them a lot. There are times I take a shot which I miss a 2moa target at long range because of broken terrain, wind flows, thermals, you name it. If you're not used to this terrain, you should def consider decreasing your target envelope. There are variables that exist here that def aren't the norm in open terrain.
Take this advice with your own grain of salt, I've built a lot of rifles, grew up hunting Eastern Montana, now live and hunt the mtns of Western Montana. It's a much different shooting environment VS open country.
Get a stock the tracks and is shaped to help mitigate recoil, I have serval of the McMillan Mtn Tracker LR now, and they track and stay flat in recoil better than anything else but maybe my Rokstok. Plus the McMillan only weigh 30oz, which isn't super light but still light enough.
Run a lightweight all steel action, titanium is cool, but I def prefer steel, especially with a magnum case.
A hawkins oberndorf m5 with a centerfeed box with still allow 3 rds down, and save you 3oz over the lightest dbm option.
The above recommendations of the 750 taperless contour is solid, I personally like the light palma, shortened to a 2.5" shank with 1.20 diameter. Barrels have had taper for forever, there has to be a reason for that. The two straight taper barrels I have, one a 750 taperless and a Tikka lite hybrid, don't shoot quite as good as my trimmed up lt palmas, yes there is a 5oz penalty there.
My lightest build is a lone peak fuzion ti, 20in benchmark carbon, 6cm, peak44 bastion, hawkins hunter dbm. It's 5.7# no glass or can. With the Dilligent wolf hunter, Triji 3-18, and gunwerks 12oz bipod, I'm right at 8.7#, the rifles very accurate, nice to carry, but you really have to be on your game to shoot consistently small groups that the systems capable of. That's why I prefer my 10#+ rifles if I know there may be opportunity of shooting longer distances, they're just more forgiving.
I have a 10# 7lrm, 5-6gr larger than a 7prc, and a 65saum of same weight. The 65 is so much easier to drive. These are both suppressed with 22in barrels. 180s at 3000, 156s at 2900. Both bullets will kill farther than my abilities are proficient at.
I live in the mountains, shoot in them a lot. There are times I take a shot which I miss a 2moa target at long range because of broken terrain, wind flows, thermals, you name it. If you're not used to this terrain, you should def consider decreasing your target envelope. There are variables that exist here that def aren't the norm in open terrain.
Take this advice with your own grain of salt, I've built a lot of rifles, grew up hunting Eastern Montana, now live and hunt the mtns of Western Montana. It's a much different shooting environment VS open country.
I know you said no chassis, but this one’s hard to beat when trimming weight and you want the option to fit it into a pack. Used to have this one with a 21” 300WSM barrel for an elk hunt that never materialized, but re-barreled it to a 16” chambered in .308 last year for deer and piggies. Super easy to throw into a gunslinger backpack and just go.
I always shoot suppressed though, so add another pound for can, muzzle device, and wrap:
Thinking about adding a Q kickstand…Love the MDT and other more stable bipod options, but that Q is much more in keeping with the lightweight nature of this gun.
Edit: That polymer-cased .308 from True Velocity shoots pretty well out of this gun too, so I can knock off another couple ounces when packing that ammo vs. my usual fare.
I always shoot suppressed though, so add another pound for can, muzzle device, and wrap:
Thinking about adding a Q kickstand…Love the MDT and other more stable bipod options, but that Q is much more in keeping with the lightweight nature of this gun.
Edit: That polymer-cased .308 from True Velocity shoots pretty well out of this gun too, so I can knock off another couple ounces when packing that ammo vs. my usual fare.
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Oh man, are you stomping on those hybrid case loads? Don't want to sidetrack the conversation, but tell us about your experience with the hybrid cases please.I know you said no chassis, but this one’s hard to beat when trimming weight and you want the option to fit it into a pack. Used to have this one with a 21” 300WSM barrel for an elk hunt that never materialized, but re-barreled it to a 16” chambered in .308 last year for deer and piggies. Super easy to throw into a gunslinger backpack and just go.
I always shoot suppressed though, so add another pound for can, muzzle device, and wrap:
Thinking about adding a Q kickstand…Love the MDT and other more stable bipod options, but that Q is much more in keeping with the lightweight nature of this gun.
Edit: That polymer-cased .308 from True Velocity shoots pretty well out of this gun too, so I can knock off another couple ounces when packing that ammo vs. my usual fare.
Nightforce NXS 2.5-10x42 checks all of those boxes, but misses the weight by 4.5 oz. That's what I have on the Ruger Gunsite Scout that I deer hunt with, and I've been plenty happy with it.
Not much experience actually, have shot a couple deer and several pigs with ‘em… Nothing too remarkable as far as accuracy or terminal effects, but they seem to be on par with Federal Gold Match for accuracy (at least out of my guns), as they should be for their price. Here’s the target where I walked them in for zero on a pretty windy day:
And the 5-shot group for my 100-yd zero; obviously still hadn’t figured out the wind yet…but the ammo was gtg after I got my shit together:
Ironically, shot better at 200 yards… sorry for the crappy cell phone pic through the spotting scope, but it was a nice 1.5” group, maybe a little less, just above and right of dead center in the bulls eye:
And I’m no ballistics expert, but think they’re comparable to decent 150(ish) grain soft points as far as wound channels, etc. go.
Overall I’m pretty happy with ‘em, but they’re $pendy.
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I have that scope and that’s what I’m using. It’s the closest thing right now.
My favorite mountain rifle is the Barrett fieldcraft with an 18" 6.5 Creed.
Talley ultralight rings, VX-3 3.5-10, Tbac ultra 5. Comes in right under 7 lbs with a sling.
Now, where I'm at we have wide open and timber. That's the timber rifle that won't ever need to go 400 yards.
Last year I used a 25 Creed in a KRG Bravo with a 5-25 Mark 5 to fill my deer tags. It weighs about 18 lbs, and I probably carried it less than a mile. It's not a good hunting gun, but it collected a fox at over 600 yards, and a deer at 500. The other deer were really dumb and walked within 75 yards of the truck. Only had to get out and set a bag on the bedrail.
Mostly just the place we were chasing a few deer is a big river bottom with the occasional wolf, and I had a couple 800-1000 yard shots on wolves in previous years and nothing in the truck I trusted to shoot that far.
Talley ultralight rings, VX-3 3.5-10, Tbac ultra 5. Comes in right under 7 lbs with a sling.
Now, where I'm at we have wide open and timber. That's the timber rifle that won't ever need to go 400 yards.
Last year I used a 25 Creed in a KRG Bravo with a 5-25 Mark 5 to fill my deer tags. It weighs about 18 lbs, and I probably carried it less than a mile. It's not a good hunting gun, but it collected a fox at over 600 yards, and a deer at 500. The other deer were really dumb and walked within 75 yards of the truck. Only had to get out and set a bag on the bedrail.
Mostly just the place we were chasing a few deer is a big river bottom with the occasional wolf, and I had a couple 800-1000 yard shots on wolves in previous years and nothing in the truck I trusted to shoot that far.
Had this one built to be my dedicated backcountry rifle but didn’t want to give up the accessories I like my heavier rifles to have. All in I think it’s at 11.2 lbs if I remember correctly. That includes rifle, scope, Arca rail, bipod, suppressor, two round ammo holder with anmmo, two rounds in rifle and sling not pictured. Not ultra light weight but definitely better than hauling my 14 and 16 pound rifles out there.
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I have 2 of them myself. They are the best option out that I've found.
Thanks for the info. What do you think about your Peak 44 stock? I’ve been looking at those.
I always hunt with a Sherpa so my AI is just fine on those long days. Plus I like to have a solar powered microwave for snacks and such.
It’s my first carbon fiber stock and it’s crazy light. I got the Bastion because I wanted to try a more vertical grip like my KRG-B and Solus chassis. I like the feel a lot, but I have not shot it yet in that stock. I have bedded it, which was really easy, they have a kit and a video on how to do it if you haven’t done it before, but I’ve been load testing that action with a Hellfire brake in my KRG-B stock with a Cronus on top…..so lots of weight which helps with recoil. I hope to shoot it soon and will report back when I do.
Its a good stock, wish the heel was flatter. I'm talking to a friend who 3d prints to possibly make a bag rider of a sort that will screw to the rear sling stud, and inletting another threaded pillar in front of that for an attachment point. If it adds a ton of weight I'll liky sideline the idea.
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