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Hunting & Fishing too heavy? please help

J

jackh

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 18, 2008
683
1
College Station, TX
#1
im looking at getting a savage 10fp .308 in mcm a5 direct from savage. their website says it is 10 lbs. i was gonna have the barrel cut to 20" which might save a pound or two but then with optics and bipod i was thinking it might end up back at 10 or 11 lbs. is this too heavy for practical hunting use?

i will be carrying this to the blind or doing the occasional spot and spook, no backpack hunting or anything. what do yall think? thanks
 
#5
Re: too heavy? please help

If the rifle is too heavy for you get stronger. In all reality most rifles used for hunting are going to be in the 9-10 pound range after all the gadgets are attached.
 
#7
Re: too heavy? please help

yeah, 10-11lbs isnt bad, mine is 14w a mag and suppressor attached and i walk with mine 3-4 hrs. Drag bag with gear makes it right at 25 and that tends to get cumbersome after a few miles, but you can always stop to glass.
 
#9
Re: too heavy? please help

I off hand shot a 225 yard shot sitting sideways out of a deer stand 4-5 years ago at my biggest buck ever killed yet. I off hand shot a running yote at 150.
 
#11
Re: too heavy? please help

see everyone on here says its no big deal but then the guys on my hunting forum are saying its way to heavy. i think its because theyre used to their little sporter rifles and yall are used to big tactical rifles or bench guns
 
#12
Re: too heavy? please help

i dont think lopping a few inches off really makes enough difference in weight to justify it. the diffence is in balance and handling.
 
#13
Re: too heavy? please help

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BOLTRIPPER</div><div class="ubbcode-body">eat your cheerios................. </div></div>

with Tigers Milk



I tote a heavy gun every year into the woods. As long as you practice with it, you should be fine come hunting time.
 
#14
Re: too heavy? please help

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jackh</div><div class="ubbcode-body">ok thats what i thought. so should i cut the barrel down to 20 to save the extra weight or leave it? </div></div>

Shoot it first and see how it groups... you can always cut it in the future... also no real need to cut right now if your just stand hunting... a shorter barrel would be better say if you were spot and stalking in the woods.
 
#15
Re: too heavy? please help

If you find yourself struggling to muscle a 10lbs rifle when you shoot it off-hand, you need to work on your techniques.

Get a GOOD sling, and learn how to use it properly. There are alot of good reads around the Hide on sling usage, and if you really have no idea, take a class on it. shooting off-hand with a sling & proper techniques are one of the foundations of positional shooting, and requires attention and practice.

I'm 5'10", 150 lbs, and I shoot a 18 lbs Rem700, 26" bull barrel with TAB sling off-hand with no problem at all.
 
#16
Re: too heavy? please help

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Acttacus</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you find yourself struggling to muscle a 10lbs rifle when you shoot it off-hand, you need to work on your techniques.

Get a GOOD sling, and learn how to use it properly. There are alot of good reads around the Hide on sling usage, and if you really have no idea, take a class on it. shooting off-hand with a sling & proper techniques are one of the foundations of positional shooting, and requires attention and practice.

I'm 5'10", 150 lbs, and I shoot a 18 lbs Rem700, 26" bull barrel with TAB sling off-hand with no problem at all. </div></div>

ok howd you learn to do that??? what should i type in the search engine to come up with results? sling usage?
 
#18
Re: too heavy? please help

thankyou

so basically it can be done contrary to most ppls belief. i have heard ppl talking about wanting to sell their heavy barrel guns because theyre just too heavy to carry around and shoot, but its really about technique. correct?
 
#19
Re: too heavy? please help

I caried the exact same set up your talking about elk hunting this year.Not to heavy for me! But with that said i also packed my 16 pound 300 wizzum also.

The 10fp was a welcomed rifle on the death marches!If the heft of the rifle is bothering you then buy an Eberlestock pack.It'll make it alot easier carying it to and from the field.....
 
#20
Re: too heavy? please help

The thing is this:

If you don't know how far you have to trek, ya don't know how much ya got to carry back and how far to the truck, and you only get one shot most of the time, then it makes sense to have a relatively light rifle. Yer asking a weight question on a board with a bunch of young bucks, many in pretty good physical condition, whom rarely hold their rifle off-hand to shoot at moving game in inclement weather, and then drag back half of an animal for what could be miles, so expect to get answers leaning towards the heavy side. Ask the same question on a hunting board with more seasoned hunters, and you may get different answers.
 
#21
Re: too heavy? please help

Its all about compromises. A heavy rifle is much easier to shoot accurately. Technique, practice, and muscle toning makes all the difference. Go with a lighter rifle only when it is necessary.
 
#23
Re: too heavy? please help

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jackh</div><div class="ubbcode-body">im looking at getting a savage 10fp .308 in mcm a5 direct from savage. their website says it is 10 lbs. i was gonna have the barrel cut to 20" which might save a pound or two but then with optics and bipod i was thinking it might end up back at 10 or 11 lbs. is this too heavy for practical hunting use?

i will be carrying this to the blind or doing the occasional spot and spook, no backpack hunting or anything. what do yall think? thanks </div></div>

For the climb up the stairs from the 4 wheeler to the deer condo it will be fine, but just barely.
 
#24
Re: too heavy? please help

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WYK</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The thing is this:

If you don't know how far you have to trek, ya don't know how much ya got to carry back and how far to the truck, and you only get one shot most of the time, then it makes sense to have a relatively light rifle. Yer asking a weight question on a board with a bunch of young bucks, many in pretty good physical condition, whom rarely hold their rifle off-hand to shoot at moving game in inclement weather, and then drag back half of an animal for what could be miles, so expect to get answers leaning towards the heavy side. Ask the same question on a hunting board with more seasoned hunters, and you may get different answers. </div></div>

i posted this thread on 3 hunting forums. most ppl on 2 forums said ill be fine and everyone on the other said it will be too heavy
 
#25
Re: too heavy? please help

Weight_Bench.jpg
 
#26
Re: too heavy? please help

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NineHotel</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jackh</div><div class="ubbcode-body">im looking at getting a savage 10fp .308 in mcm a5 direct from savage. their website says it is 10 lbs. i was gonna have the barrel cut to 20" which might save a pound or two but then with optics and bipod i was thinking it might end up back at 10 or 11 lbs. is this too heavy for practical hunting use?

i will be carrying this to the blind or doing the occasional spot and spook, no backpack hunting or anything. what do yall think? thanks </div></div>

For the climb up the stairs from the 4 wheeler to the deer condo it will be fine, but just barely. </div></div>

i dont have any blinds yet and i dont own a 4 wheeler. id rather spot and stalk than sit in a blind anyways, thats why i started this thread...
 
#27
Re: too heavy? please help

I have the same rifle chambered in 300 win mag it's a little on the heavy side with the glass and Harris bipod but not the end of the world.

shooting in the standing position with a sling it not the difficult although you can't take all day to acquire and kill your target but in the kneeling you can hold it for a while.

if your hiking in with backpack/rucksack and you’re not use to having allot of weight on your back and legs then you may feel some pain having to carry the extra weight of this rifle, but that's nothing that some PT won’t fix.
 
#28
Re: too heavy? please help

It really depends on how long of a trip you're planning to do. If it'll be weeks of hiking in rough terrains, then I'd suggest something like a Tikka T3 light synthetic with a small 10x scope and no bipod to cut down on weight. But if you're only going for a couple of days, or between the hide and the truck, then a heavy rifle is favorable, as weight is proportional to stability, and hence accuracy.

When you're properly slung up, you should be able to relax all of your muscles, and the weight of the rifle is completely supported by the sling. Then POI is controlled by your breath alone, and not by you man handling the rifle. correct off-hand shooting should not require any muscle tension, and if you're experiencing muscle fatique, then you're doing something wrong.
 
#29
Re: too heavy? please help

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Acttacus</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It really depends on how long of a trip you're planning to do. If it'll be weeks of hiking in rough terrains, then I'd suggest something like a Tikka T3 light synthetic with a small 10x scope and no bipod to cut down on weight. But if you're only going for a couple of days, or between the hide and the truck, then a heavy rifle is favorable, as weight is proportional to stability, and hence accuracy.

When you're properly slung up, you should be able to relax all of your muscles, and the weight of the rifle is completely supported by the sling. Then POI is controlled by your breath alone, and not by you man handling the rifle. correct off-hand shooting should not require any muscle tension, and if you're experiencing muscle fatique, then you're doing something wrong. </div></div>

Link to a how to?
 
#30
Re: too heavy? please help

ya i think ill just go with the rifle and deal with it.

like i said earlier i have no plans for future backpack hunting trips. when i spot and spook im just walking around my ranch and i dont think ive ever walked more than 4 miles at a time around there and that was carrying an ar looking for pigs. i think i will be just fine.

i realy need to research proper sling use though, really interesting reading yall say with the proper technique shooting off hand with heavy rifles is easy.
 
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