7lbs Or Less: Practical Rifle

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WrongHanded said:
You should. Just to see if it meets Cooper's arbitrary weight requirement.

Honestly, I don't have a problem carrying 8-9lbs of gun whilst hiking around. But the M1 Garand I had was just a little too much.
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With that, I think about a million Japanese, Germans, and Koreans would agree. The M1 was a bit too much. But our boys hiked with it well enough if empirical data has any value.
 
SharpDog said:
Curse this thread. @Rexster got me looking into new production BLRs and I found this :(

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https://www.browning.com/products/f...ilability/blr-white-gold-medallion-maple.html

Not gonna look for a dealer

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....Looking for a dealer.
 
WrongHanded said:
One of Jeff Cooper's "requirements" for a scout rifle was that it weight 7lbs or under. So, what general purpose/practical or jack-of-most-trades rifle do you have that meets the weight requirement?

I'm not talking about scout rifles specifically, nor about super light hunting rifles, or anything chambered in .22LR. I mean a rifle you could press into most rolls if you had to, chambered in a centerfire cartridge. The weight should include all accessories attached, and an empty magazine.

I don't think even my standard Ranch rifle (Mini 14) would make it, bare bones with a sling. I may have to check. But if you've got a rifle that makes the cut, post it up and let us know.
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Winchester model 94 in either 30-30 or 25-35. With 7 rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber you've got a rifle that's good on large game out to 200 plus yards, A round that's available in most stores and doesn't carry the stigma of a black rifle.

Mine's fitted with a peep sight and I don't worry about it ever going out of style. If a used one won't do, Mossberg makes a very close copy at $350 - 400 out the door
 
The lightest rifle that has come through my door was a Kimber Hunter weighing 5 lbs 10 oz. It weighed under 7 lbs with a 2X7 Leupold. I thought that it would be the ultimate deer gun in 257 Rob. Unfortunately I never found a load that shot to my liking and I sold it. My go to rifle is a Savage 10 Sierra that I have had since the early 90's. I bought it the year before Savage came out with the Accu-trigger. It weighs 6 1/4 lbs without the 2X7 Leupold. I wanted a light rifle and a butt kicking rifle. I got them both in this Savage. It is chambered for 300 WSM. When in doubt of the conditions. this is the one that I pick up.
 
Not sure why you'd exclude "super light hunting rifles," as they are to me the best examples of GP rifles.

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My .260 AI 700 Ti in a McMillan Hunter stock weighs in at 6 lb. 5.1 oz. I have three Model 7s that tip the scale at 7.25 pounds (.223, .243AI, 7mm08) so they don't quite make the cut; pull the scopes and they would. Nevertheless, they are great walkaround GP rifles.
 
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WrongHanded said:
One of Jeff Cooper's "requirements" for a scout rifle was that it weight 7lbs or under. So, what general purpose/practical or jack-of-most-trades rifle do you have that meets the weight requirement?

I'm not talking about scout rifles specifically, nor about super light hunting rifles, or anything chambered in .22LR. I mean a rifle you could press into most rolls if you had to, chambered in a centerfire cartridge. The weight should include all accessories attached, and an empty magazine.

I don't think even my standard Ranch rifle (Mini 14) would make it, bare bones with a sling. I may have to check. But if you've got a rifle that makes the cut, post it up and let us know.
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The only centerfire "rifles" I have that are under 7 lbs. are my Marlin 1894 CSBL and Beretta CX4. Neither of them fire a proper rifle cartridge, though.

My other rifles start at 7 lbs. 2 oz. and go up to 9 lbs. 4 oz. before adding optics and ammo.
 
3Crows said:
I believe Col. Cooper allowed a weight, with accessories and unloaded of 6.6 pounds to 7.7 pounds. Since people have gotten bigger (perhaps more rotund) since Col. Cooper wrote his description we should allow rifles up to 8.8 pounds (being generous). This given that bigger people can carry bigger rifles with equal effort. No scrawny 1940s or 50s guys need apply around here, we all buff and stacked on rage'roids.
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Rotund indeed. :D

When I don't exercise for any length of time, an 8 lb. rifle sure feels too heavy. When I do a fair amount of exercise (at age 55) an 8 lb. rifle feels fine, and when I was in my 20s I never thought an 8 lb. rifle was too heavy.
 
Lightness is nice when you lugging anything around. Heck, when I travel for work, and I travel a lot, I judge everything I carry by weight. I had to travel via a regional airline (no security at all) from Auckland NZ to Wellington NZ and my suitcase was so many kilo's over. Pain in the behind. I don't even know what a kelo is, but my suitcase normally weighs in at 50 lbs.

Anyhow we all judge what is acceptable for carry in the field. It only takes once being overloaded to know what not to take next time. When you add to your light weight rifle, a mount, a scope, sling, and then ammo, it goes up accordingly. When hunting tight woods in Central NY I carry a Marlin 1895 at 8 pounds unloaded with fixed power scope and sling. Add five rounds of 45-70 and you got 6.8 oz more.
 
My Kimber Hunter in 308 with Leupold 2x7-32, Talley rings and sling weighs 6 1/4 lbs.
 
Legionnaire said:
Not sure why you'd exclude "super light hunting rifles," as they are to me the best examples of GP rifles.
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Because I know most of them will come in under 7lbs. And because I don't think many people really consider a super light hunting rifle as being "general purpose".

I think we can all imagine the responses to a thread asking "what general purpose rifle is best?". Lot's of responses for ARs, not very many for super light hunting rifles.

So that's my reasoning. Nice rifle!
 
gotboostvr said:
I'd almost like to combine this thread, and the "Personal preference rifle cartridge poll" thread.

Get a consensus for what we'd consider the penultimate "one rifle to rule them all" hunting rifle.

The front runner seems to be about #7.5 scoped and in 7mm-30cal
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That would be interesting.

I forgot to take a pic, but just weighed my Tikka T3X Lite Stainless in .30-06. Game Reaper mount, Nikon 2-7x Prostaff scope, 5 round mag and a nylon sling with the rubberized grippy pad. Came in at 7.49lbs.
 
WrongHanded said:
That would be interesting.

I forgot to take a pic, but just weighed my Tikka T3X Lite Stainless in .30-06. Game Reaper mount, Nikon 2-7x Prostaff scope, 5 round mag and a nylon sling with the rubberized grippy pad. Came in at 7.49lbs.
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I'm thinking that rifle would be perfect for the eastern half of the US. With a little more glass, and in 270win would be perfect for the western half. I'm looking hard at the Tikkas, they're definitely on my short list.
 
gotboostvr said:
I'm thinking that rifle would be perfect for the eastern half of the US. With a little more glass, and in 270win would be perfect for the western half. I'm looking hard at the Tikkas, they're definitely on my short list.
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Part of the reason I went for .30-06 was for Elk and anything bigger out West. Not that a .270 couldn't do it, but I figured a little bigger couldn't hurt. And .30-06 is very common. I already had the scope, but I should probably consider a 3-9X at some point.
 
Pulling from that other thread, my east/west hunting rifles would probably be my Model 7 in 7mm-08 and the semi-custom 700 Mountain Rifle in .280 Ackley Improved respectively. They both weigh in under 7.5# scoped. Bonus, they use the same bullets.
 
527SuppressorReady.png CZ527 in 6.5 Grendel. That cartridge can do anything .308 could have done back when it was just M80 or the likes. The short receiver of the 527 allows for a longer barrel in the same overall length and therefore better ballistics. This CZ comes in at 5.87 pounds (without the optic or suppressor). It also has a DBM. While factory magazines only hold 5 rounds, which is appropriate for the role this rifle actually fills, it could be adapted to a "scout rifle" role with a larger magazine. No, it's absolutely not a "scout rifle." Several makers offer those and they're not that popular. There are better ideas for more practical rifles that people really use. But if the lightweight aspect of the scout rifle concept was seen as important, the mini-short receiver of the 527 and Howa rifles is a winner. The lower recoil of the "AR family" cartridges these fit are also a win when the weight is that low.
 
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Personally I was never a huge fan of the scout rifle concept. If your goal is a "fighting arm" there are plenty of box-fed autos which do a fine job in the role and most any m4-type clone can be built plenty lite if desired with a 16" pencil barrel and poly lower down close to 4 pounds unloaded. Chamber in 6.5 Grendel if a 22 caliber doesn't make the grade.

Just call me a pseudo-Fudd as I stick with synthetic stock bolt guns and receiver mounted scopes for hunting.
 
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Tikka T3x, 270wsm 24" barrel.

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Standard Ruger American 30-06 22" barrel.


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527 American, 6.5 grendel, 24" barrel, scopes about 15oz if I remember correctly.

Light mounts, light scope and you'll be just over 7lbs. Lop a few " off the barrels and you'll probably be right about 7lbs.
 
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