Rifles That Won’t Weigh You Down
BY Herschel Smith
2 years, 2 months ago
Light weight rifles in the news.
New Begara Crest rifle, carbon stock. Somewhere on the order of $2000.
American Hunter on the Bergara Premier MgLite.
Carbon barrel and carbon stock. And it looks about as skeletonized as you could get it, running at 6.8 pounds but a bracing $3300.
And just today Game and Fish came out with a nicely written article on eight guns that run between 6 and 7 pounds, but also run somewhere mostly around $2000 each. Carbon seems to be the common element.
The goal is weight mitigation in the bush and especially in the mountains. As a man who has carried heavy weight in the mountains, I can sympathize with the goal.
These are some nice rifles. If readers have experience with any of them, please weigh in with comments. We may revisit these guns in the future.
On October 14, 2022 at 7:01 am, jrg said:
Zero mountain gun experience here. My locale provides a view if standing on a phone book. My location does provide thick thorny brush that south Texas can provide. Unless confined to hunting blind – platforms overlooking bulldozed ranch roads, you are hoofing it through thick brush. A lot of bending around and under branches with spiny bush and cacti scattered around. Not a stroll, more of a pause and choose your path of least resistance.
The classic short lightweight carbine works fine. Small chance of repeat shots, so not much limitation on firepower required. Big game here is whitetail deer and feral hog. No bears or other large cat predators here. Shots from ‘right there’ to a distant point if the road provides it. Three hundred yard shots are more the exception than the rule, 90% of deer taken are inside 200 yards. No need for high power optics, but light gathering for low light hunting at dawn / dusk is nice to have.
On October 14, 2022 at 10:22 am, Frank Clarke said:
:…please weigh in with comments.”
Har.
On October 14, 2022 at 12:01 pm, Paul B said:
Nope. Not to shave a pound. Not sure they would be accurate than what I have. At my assumed ranges of contact I am well served with what I have on hand.
On October 14, 2022 at 12:10 pm, elysianfield said:
There is only one consideration in owning a rifle…the expectation of accuracy. Everything else is secondary.
On October 14, 2022 at 2:55 pm, Old Bill in TN said:
Worked a design job once on a rifle. The Seal’s mission requires both light weight and accuracy. We didn’t use carbon wrapped barrels (the kinks of their construction hadn’t been worked out yet). Got a LOT
of weight out of our barrels with a spreadsheet tool for defining the barrel contour and the best fluting pattern. Seals use 300WM, and shoot to 1500+ yds. They were satisfied with our design.
One of the best design jobs I ever had.
On October 14, 2022 at 7:41 pm, Redman said:
Time will tell on carbon barrels. I won’t go there for many moons. I’m into new stuff, but to me carbon barrels are questionable. Who are we building rifles for? Some times Steel is boss. Good gravy, guns are heavy! if you can’t carry a rifle, then stay home and bake a cake. MEN have been carrying rifles into the woods and mountains for centuries! If’n you can’t do it, your man card is in danger. We all like cake.
On October 14, 2022 at 8:15 pm, xtphreak said:
Seems to me it’s like carrying an ultra light weight big bore revolver.
That recoil’s gonna sting.
You need some mass to mitigate recoil.
On October 16, 2022 at 11:45 am, James said:
“Rifles that don’t weigh you down.”
Well,they will also certainly lighten the load in ones wallet.
On October 16, 2022 at 8:28 pm, Herschel Smith said:
@elysianfield,
“Only one consideration …”
That’s clearly incorrect. If you’re healthy, young, used to climbing mountains at altitude, etc., you may take that attitude for a little while.
But weight matters. And the reduced weight affect on the recoil is irrelevant if you have to take but a single shot on a hunt.
If you have severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, or have had should surgery, or back surgery, or are unaccustomed to climbing mountains at 12,000 feet, or intend to hike 15 or 20 miles, WEIGHT DOES MATTER.
There can never be ONLY ONE CONSIDERATION.
If a hunter intend to take white tail on the east coast, a 1.5 MOA gun is enough. If a hunter intends to harvest an Elk shooting from one ridge to another in Idaho, 1.5 MOA isn’t enough.
You see how this works?