rifle weight

[bigrich]

hey fellas, i have a topic that some of you might want to discuss , or maybe haven't given any thought to at all . rifle weight . i've recently had a push feed model 70 rebarreled from 243 ,( anyone want to buy a swan barrel , only used after church on sundays ), out to 358 winchester . now it's a 22" barrel , 1.137" at the shank and tapers down to .748 at the crown . it's a straight taper, so it "looks" a bit chunky . it didn't seem any heavier in total weight to my 6.5x55 23.5" barreled model 70 but . i think the .358 hole down the guts might have something to do with that i umm-ed and ahh-ed about getting a lighter profile just because it would "look" right , be a little lighter to carry , and be quicker to point .

to settle any doubt , i went and bought a set of hanging fish scales from BCF, and yeah those two rifles total weight is pretty well much the same , at 8 1/2 pound . doing more research on the web, reading numerous fourums and online gun writers , it seems that a lot of people with rifles that kick a bit have a preference for a heavier rifle over a light one . considering that i want to ramp up my 358 loads to something not far under 35 whelen type recoil, i think i'll leave the weightier barrel alone for the moment . it seems to be steadier holding offhand than some of my lighter rifles as well

other rifles weighed ,with scopes fitted , but unloaded ( of coarse ) sauer 100 - synthetic 223 - 7.3 lb , cz 2e american 22 lr - 6.2lb , model 70 222 - 81/4 lb , and the biggest suprise was my 64a ( pistol grip model 94 with a 24" barrel and half mag ) , it weighed under 6 lb with a williams peep ! thin barrel on that one i think . to pick it up , yeah , the cz 22 is heavier

so do any of you fellas have any preferences of weight versus use/caliber and applications ?

[Blr243]

When I hunted thar in South Island of New Zealand I enjoyed the light weight of my browning lever in 243. My mate who was a bit slower and always 20 m downhill behind me carried a 300 rem ultra mag varmint rig with long heavy bull barrel.he was a tough character but I still felt sorry for him

[Blr243]

When I grow old and only shoot from my quad I will get a heavy rig. I once saw a rifle with a 30 mm barrel that was strictly vehicle use and never carried .... the stability was amazing... on a rest it just sat there like a log and never moved

[SCJ429]

I like a bit of weight in bigger calibers, I have a 45/70 in a Ruger #1 with the standard Ruger barrel and it is no fun to shoot. A 416 Rigby with a heavy barrel is great fun and I carry it around regularly but I am not climbing hills in NZ with it.

[bigpete]

Around 7-8#. I hate heavy rifles. My featherweight in 358 is loaded max according to ADI specs and is still nowhere near 35 whelen power....

[marksman]

l've never felt recoil while shooting an animal till after but a heavier rifle is an aid to holding steady for me

l've recently bought a 308 featherweight for scouting sessions and close shooting but it is so l can work out where l can camp with a heavier rifle to shoot at longer distances for head shooting, l would normally just grab my 30-06 brno that is a medium weight lMO

some photo's of the 358 would be nice

[bigrich]

Around 7-8#. I hate heavy rifles. My featherweight in 358 is loaded max according to ADI specs and is still nowhere near 35 whelen power....

what loads are you using pete ? i'm gunna look at 225 gn sierras , probably try ramping up to around 46.7-9 gn of ar2206h . should start pushing above 2400fps easy out of a 22" barrel , which is around whelen loads start . i love having a new toy

[bigrich]

Here ya go MM , the new toy

[AussieCapitalist]

The Ruger precision I just bought in 338 lapua comes in at 15 pounds out of the box. When I add glass, a bipod and a loaded magazine it will be over 20 pounds. Not something I want to carry around all day in the scrub.

[bigpete]

what loads are you using pete ? i'm gunna look at 225 gn sierras , probably try ramping up to around 46.7-9 gn of ar2206h . should start pushing above 2400fps easy out of a 22" barrel , which is around whelen loads start . i love having a new toy

[/quote]

I'm running 180gn Speer hot cors over 48gn of ar2206h. They work well. Theoretically getting 2600 out of them

[bigrich]

The Ruger precision I just bought in 338 lapua comes in at 15 pounds out of the box. When I add glass, a bipod and a loaded magazine it will be over 20 pounds. Not something I want to carry around all day in the scrub.

yeah ,definately not a carry rifle i guess the objective of my post , besides having a chat , is to gauge peoples opinions on what carry weight their comfortable with in their heavier recoiling sporting rifles , 30-06 , 7mm rem ,300 win mag ect

[bigrich]

what loads are you using pete ? i'm gunna look at 225 gn sierras , probably try ramping up to around 46.7-9 gn of ar2206h . should start pushing above 2400fps easy out of a 22" barrel , which is around whelen loads start . i love having a new toy

I'm running 180gn Speer hot cors over 48gn of ar2206h. They work well. Theoretically getting 2600 out of them[/quote]

those 180 speers are something i've considered myself pete . from what i've read the 220's are a bit hard for light game . i'm glad i stocked up on the 225 sierras , the price of projectiles has gone up . have you tried the spire point hornady's pete ? throw up a pic of your 358 pete !

[bigpete]

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[Archie]

I have a carbon fibre 308 that, without scope, is about 2.2kg. Fantastic for carry and comes to my shoulder like a well sized shotgun but I’ll tell you what, that sucker can scope you hard if you aren’t paying attention, especially with heavier loads and quick shots. I love it but it doesn’t always love me back.

[marksman]

l really like it BR very very nice

[bigrich]

I have a carbon fibre 308 that, without scope, is about 2.2kg. Fantastic for carry and comes to my shoulder like a well sized shotgun but I’ll tell you what, that sucker can scope you hard if you aren’t paying attention, especially with heavier loads and quick shots. I love it but it doesn’t always love me back.

yeah , i hear ya archie . i had a sako A7 sythetic in 308 that was light . it used to kick hard at times with 165 gn speer handloads

[bigrich]

hey pete, your barrel looks straight tapered as well. do you know what the muzzle crown measurement is ? it's hard to gauge the barrel in your photo cause the rifle is angled away from the camera . it doesn't look like a truck axle but .....

nice bang stick ya got there pete

[bigrich]

l really like it BR very very nice

thanks MM , i'll shoot it a bit more and work up some hotter loads before i think about lightening it . on the up side it seems REALLY consistant with accuracy and not heat affected at all . it's a swan barrel , grant seems to like setting up rifles with barrels on the heavy side . i got stuck into the stock during "lockdown" , six coats of tru oil , a new pachmyer recoil pad and some old almond oil from a "mr sheen" can that's lived in a cupboard for about 20 years rubbed in . christ i was bored ......

[bigpete]

hey pete, your barrel looks straight tapered as well. do you know what the muzzle crown measurement is ? it's hard to gauge the barrel in your photo cause the rifle is angled away from the camera . it doesn't look like a truck axle but .....

nice bang stick ya got there pete

It's standard featherweight taper

[bigrich]

ok , thanks for that pete .

[TassieTiger]

Beautiful timber - as rich as Ive ever seen on a lumber stick. Bloody grain is...I’d love a table.
How’s that sauer going ? I reckon one of the nicest triggers from a factory I’ve used.

[bigrich]

The sauer is a good thing taz, but I find it hard to love Tupperware I got a new toy to play with

[in2anity]

If you keep your shots under 200m, IMO the pros of a 16” carbine outweigh the cons of a 24”, or even 20” rifle.

Give me a plastic carbine any day out in the sticks. And 762x39 region is just about ideal for the majority of Ozzie game. A pocket full of bullets goes a fair bit further also - I noticed that switching from the bigger 30/30 rounds.

[bigrich]

If you keep your shots under 200m, IMO the pros of a 16” carbine outweigh the cons of a 24”, or even 20” rifle.

Give me a plastic carbine any day out in the sticks. And 762x39 region is just about ideal for the majority of Ozzie game. A pocket full of bullets goes a fair bit further also - I noticed that switching from the bigger 30/30 rounds.

horses for coarses i guess . the original light weight deer rifle , the model 94 30-30 , is quite light . makes for something that can be carried a long way . lighter than my syn 223 sauer, wish i still had a mates 223 t3 on hand to check it's weight . but 100 yards is about the limit i can shoot my 30-30 with any accuracy on account of the sights . a mate has a zastava in 7.62x39, that after bedding is a nice light accurate rifle . i can see why you would like one in2anity . i've hiked around the ridgeline country in northern nsw with my 8 1/2 lb model 70 6.5x55 . the sling was handy , but i never found it overly difficult . i had a mate who sung the praises of how light his tikka t3 was, in 300 win mag . he hated shooting it but

barrel length is a funny one , depends on the round and how much velocity drop effects things i suppose. i've read the 16" special forces weapons aren't known for their stopping power in 223 , which is why the millitary is looking at increasing caliber

[brett1868]

I have rifles at the extreme ends of the scale, the comp rifle is just over 28kgs and barely moves but I prefer light as possible for hunting on foot.

[bigrich]

I have rifles at the extreme ends of the scale, the comp rifle is just over 28kgs and barely moves but I prefer light as possible for hunting on foot.

28 kg brett ? crikey mate , are you shooting a boys anti tank rifle ?

[bigrich]

i'd be curious to know what the average weight of some of our favorite rifles actually weigh . it's probably something not a lot of people have done . i'm catching up with a mate on the weekend who has a sporterised k98 that seems to weigh a lot . i reckon it's the type of timber the old sporter stocks made from