I just got back from my Coues deer hunt here in Arizona and I WILL NOT pack a 12.5lb rifle anymore! With my pack (Eberlestock), 80mm spotting scope, Swarovski LRF, carbon tripod and head and a few other miscellaneous items, I am packing around an additional 50lbs.
I know the forum is very diverse when it comes to location of hunting, but our here in Arizona, you simply cannot kill "good" buck hunting the roads. So when I'm covering 5-7 miles a day packing around 50lbs of gear it gets old real quick.
So the question is: Why do we, as long range hunters, build rifles that are so heavy? What benefits are there? If we do our homework and practice we shouldn't need to be taking repetitive shots that would heat the barrel up. Do we really gain that much stability and accuracy from having a 12lb + rifle?
I know the forum is very diverse when it comes to location of hunting, but our here in Arizona, you simply cannot kill "good" buck hunting the roads. So when I'm covering 5-7 miles a day packing around 50lbs of gear it gets old real quick.
So the question is: Why do we, as long range hunters, build rifles that are so heavy? What benefits are there? If we do our homework and practice we shouldn't need to be taking repetitive shots that would heat the barrel up. Do we really gain that much stability and accuracy from having a 12lb + rifle?