Light weight rifles for elk hunting! They aren’t the answer.

H&Hhunter

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I’m going to drop a truth bomb. I do a lot of hunting in the Rockies. I’ve carried rifles of all weights from ultra lights to 10 lb chunkers.

I’ll go 5 to 10 miles a day on average with multiple thousand foot elevation changes. This is at altitudes from about 6,000 to 11,000 feet. No matter what the better shape you’re in the easier the hunt will be.

If I’m working out and watching my weight and doing my physical training it’s a lot easier than if I’ve let myself get lazy and fat.

For me High Intensity Interval Training 3 to 4 days a week, plus a few hard fast rucks with weight on my back is the answer. When I’m keeping up with that, hiking and hunting in the mountains gets real easy.

When I allow myself to go into couch potato mode hunting in the mountains gets really hard and miserable.

In conclusion when I’m in shape carrying any rifle is easy. When I’m a fat, lazy, slug carrying any rifle including an ultra light weight one is hard. It’s less about gear and more about physical fitness and endurance. And if you don’t think a mountain hunt takes fitness and endurance take a look at a few of these.

Solo multiple day hunt conducted at above 11,000’, goat was shot at nearly 13,000’. Rifle was a Model 70 in .270 Weatherby weighing about 8.5 lbs
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Solo Shiras moose hunt I killed my bull on the 8th day and packed him out solo one quarter at a time 2 miles each way it took me 5 trips carrying about 80 lbs out each time. I got the last quarter out at about 02:30. Rifle was a M-70 in .375 H&H I’m guessing she’s about 10 lbs dressed. Hunt was conducted at about 8500’ to 9500’. Walking an average of about 10 miles a day. IMG_0615.jpeg Some of the absolutely hardest days I ever spent hunting were chasing hounds in the high country of NM for cats and bears. I carried a handgun back then for the most part but I shot this Tom with a M-70 in .243. The longest, hardest days you’ll ever spend in the mountains hunting will be behind hound dogs in the Rockies.
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I’m recovering from a pretty bad leg fracture and reconstructive surgery at the moment. Here is what I’ve been doing for the last month and another month to come. Sitting on my butt getting soft… IMG_5386.jpeg
Anyway as I sit here and plan my recovery to get back to hunting I’m not planning on buying an ultra light rifle to make up for my lack of fitness. I’m planning on how I’m going to get back into the gym and on the bike and then on my feet and on the trail to build up my mind and body so I can enjoy hunting where I like to hunt! Anybody who’s planning a hunt out west should be doing the same. Worry more about fitness, less about equipment.
 
I would add and emphasize that “in shape” means endurance much more so than strength. Doesn’t so much matter if you can lift a car if you can’t walk 100 yards without getting winded. I learned that the hard way hunting in the gentle mountains of eastern Tennessee. Strength and endurance are two very different things and are easy to lump together if you’re not careful.

Packing a 12lb rifle sucks. Doesn’t matter if it’s flat or steep, near or far. Shooting a 5lb rifle sucks. Don’t be either one of those guys.
 
I would add and emphasize that “in shape” means endurance much more so than strength. Doesn’t so much matter if you can lift a car if you can’t walk 100 yards without getting winded. I learned that the hard way hunting in the gentle mountains of eastern Tennessee. Strength and endurance are two very different things and are easy to lump together if you’re not careful.

Packing a 12lb rifle sucks. Doesn’t matter if it’s flat or steep, near or far. Shooting a 5lb rifle sucks. Don’t be either one of those guys.
Exactly think less body builder more cross fitter/tri athlete kind of shape. Vo2 max is way more important than how much you can bench.
 
Worry more about fitness, less about equipment.

Being in shape matters but I've found that the hunters who are the most fit are the ones who tend to worry more about the weight of their gear. The out of shape hunters ride their ATV to a tree stand and how much the rifle weighs isn't important. Most of the fit hunters I know are also backpackers and hikers who weigh everything and even cut the handles off toothbrushes to save 1/2 oz. Cutting weight on their gear is just 2nd nature.

I chased lightweight rifles for years. I eventually ended up with a Kimber Montana 308 that weighed 5 lbs 15 oz with a 2.5-8X36 Leupold in Talley lightweight mounts. It was a joy to carry and was plenty accurate when fired from a steady rest. But after a time, I found it to be too light. I've since come to the conclusion that something between 7-8 lbs including scope and mounts is about perfect. And closer to 7 is better than closer to 8 for me. They are easy enough to carry and have enough heft to shoot from field positions.

I CAN and have carried a 10 lb rifle in mountains, but I CHOOSE not to. If a heavier rifle were needed to get the job done, then that's what I'd use. But I have several rifles to choose from that come in between 7 1/4 to 7 1/2 lbs that will do everything I need. I have 3 of them in McMillan Edge stocks that took 1/2 lb off the factory weights.

And I prefer to choose a lighter weight scope and mounts. Making informed choices on the scope and mounts can easily make 1/2 lb difference, sometimes closer to a full pound. Subtract another 1/2 lb with a lighter stock and you can turn an 8.5-9 lb rig into a 7.5 lb rig.

How the rifle is carried matters too. If the rifle is slung over a shoulder a 10 lb rifle isn't much different than a 7 lb rifle. But when carried in your hands ready for a quick shot that 3 extra pounds adds up after a few hours.
 
Age plays a HUGE factor too.
In 1978 I won the Alabama State cycling road race, 102mi race. 3rd in 25mi time trial. Invited to participate in the Olympic development program for the ‘80 Olympics.
When after I retired in ‘04, I had no problem trekking the mountain sides in Colorado. I ran 5-10mi daily. By ‘13, arthritis and chronic inflammation forced me to quit running. Kept Walking. In ‘13, minor difficulty in Colorado hunting the FlatTops wilderness for elk. In ‘22, Hunted Utah with somewhat difficulty. In ‘23, pretty much confined to riding in a s/s!

In ‘24, it was all I could do to get into and out of my 14’ boat to hunt deer/pigs in Georgia. For the first time in 40+yrs, I had to take a deer to a processor as I no longer have strength or endurance to skin, quarter, or butcher a deer.
Father Time is cruel and hits you swiftly!
 
Age plays a HUGE factor too.
In 1978 I won the Alabama State cycling road race, 102mi race. 3rd in 25mi time trial. Invited to participate in the Olympic development program for the ‘80 Olympics.
When after I retired in ‘04, I had no problem trekking the mountain sides in Colorado. I ran 5-10mi daily. By ‘13, arthritis and chronic inflammation forced me to quit running. Kept Walking. In ‘13, minor difficulty in Colorado hunting the FlatTops wilderness for elk. In ‘22, Hunted Utah with somewhat difficulty. In ‘23, pretty much confined to riding in a s/s!

In ‘24, it was all I could do to get into and out of my 14’ boat to hunt deer/pigs in Georgia. For the first time in 40+yrs, I had to take a deer to a processor as I no longer have strength or endurance to skin, quarter, or butcher a deer.
Father Time is cruel and hits you swiftly!
Pretty much in the same boat now after suffering a back injury when younger. Chased a pack of hounds up until my mid 30's then the decline set in. Last decade been pretty much on an ATV but prefer the SXS so as not to take a pounding. Dr. wants to do a major repair to my spine. After we talked about it and seen what he wanted to do I knew I'd never be able to put on my boots again. I'm 67 and hope to be able to ride around another few yrs. Getting old after a serious injury ain't for sissys.
 
Age plays a HUGE factor too.
Well, yeah......I was an avid backpacker and climber when I was in my 30s, 40s and 50s. I climbed the Grand Teton in 1993, Rainier in 1994, and Denali in 1996. I trained by running 7 miles every morning and by carrying a 90lb backpack (full of milk jugs filled with water) over the same 7 miles or working on my Soloflex for 2 hours every night. I was in almost as good of shape as I was in when I was in my early 20s and a Rescue Swimmer in Navy choppers. However, I'll be 77 in a few months, and I'll be asking my Cardiologist to sign off on an Idaho Disabled Hunter Permit when I see her next week! o_O
My wife (who is almost as old as I am) already has an Idaho Disabled Hunter Permit. It allows her to legally shoot from a motor vehicle as long as it's not moving or on a public road. That's why most of my wife's deer hunting anymore consists of her riding along with me as I drive around on our friend's ranch in our pickup-truck.
My wife would much rather be deer hunting by climbing to the top of a ridge before daybreak somewhere with me like she used to be able to do. Time marches on though, and on Tuesday next week, I'm pretty sure my Cardiologist is going to sign the paper saying that I am legally allowed to shoot from an ORV (which I'm thinking about getting) or the window of our pickup-truck as long as it's not moving and on our friend's ranch.
Come to think of it, now that my wife and I will both have Idaho Disabled Hunter Permits, it really doesn't matter how much our big game rifles weigh (as long as they're under the 16lb weight limit for big game hunting rifles here in Idaho). I mean, my wife and I are not going to be carrying our rifles anyway - they'll be in their cases on the back seat in our pickup-truck unless a nice mule deer buck wanders out.
BTW, my wife's chicken-fried venison steak with biscuits and gravy tastes just as good regardless of whether the deer was shot on top of a high saddle two hours from the nearest road, or from the window of our Dodge Ram pickup-truck. In fact, I'd almost bet my Cardiologist would tell me that my wife's chicken-fried venison steak with biscuits and gravy contributed to the heart problems I'm dealing with nowadays.
Oh, well. It was worth it! :D
 
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Well, yeah......I was an avid backpacker and climber when I was in my 30s, 40s and 50s. I climbed the Grand Teton in 1993, Rainier in 1994, and Denali in 1996. I trained by running 7 miles every morning and by carrying a 90lb backpack (full of milk jugs filled with water) over the same 7 miles or working on my Soloflex for 2 hours every night. I was in almost as good of shape as I was in when I was in my early 20s and a Rescue Swimmer in Navy choppers. However, I'll be 77 in a few months, and I'll be asking my Cardiologist to sign off on an Idaho Disabled Hunter Permit when I see her next week! o_O
My wife (who is almost as old as I am) already has an Idaho Disabled Hunter Permit. It allows her to legally shoot from a motor vehicle as long as it's not moving or on a public road. That's why most of my wife's deer hunting anymore consists of her riding along with me as I drive around on our friend's ranch in our pickup-truck.
My wife would much rather be deer hunting by climbing to the top of a ridge before daybreak somewhere with me like she used to be able to do. Time marches on though, and on Tuesday next week, I'm pretty sure my Cardiologist is going to sign the paper saying that I am legally allowed to shoot from an ORV (which I'm thinking about getting) or the window of our pickup-truck as long as it's not moving and on our friend's ranch.
Come to think of it, now that my wife and I will both have Idaho Disabled Hunter Permits, it really doesn't matter how much our big game rifles weigh (as long as they're under the 16lb weight limit for big game hunting rifles here in Idaho). I mean, my wife and I are not going to be carrying our rifles anyway - they'll be in their cases on the back seat in our pickup-truck unless a nice mule deer buck wanders out.
BTW, my wife's chicken-fried venison steak with biscuits and gravy tastes just a good regardless of whether the deer was shot on top of a high saddle two hours from the nearest road, or from the window of our Dodge Ram pickup-truck. In fact, I'd almost bet my Cardiologist would tell me that my wife's chicken-fried venison steak with biscuits and gravy contributed to the heart problems I'm dealing with nowadays.
Oh, well. It was worth it! :D
Climbing any of those is one heck of an accomplishment. Denali… Wow! My hat is off to you sir!
 
Me personally, shoot for a 7-8# rifle all up. For a backcountry rifle I wouldn't consider anything that wasn't ready to hunt over 8#.

But if one can shoot an ultralight 5# hunting rifle well, and cold bore shot and one follow up shot is within 1.5MOA, why carry the extra 2-3#'s?
 
Me personally, shoot for a 7-8# rifle all up. For a backcountry rifle I wouldn't consider anything that wasn't ready to hunt over 8#.

But if one can shoot an ultralight 5# hunting rifle well, and cold bore shot and one follow up shot is within 1.5MOA, why carry the extra 2-3#'s?
If you want to buy/build a 5 lb rifle I am 100% in support of you doing so. What I’m saying is you don’t need to go out and do so unless you want to. Want is a powerful motivator in the gun world.

I have a safe full of want and lust down stairs.
 
Same in spades here. At 77 with a twice broken back, replaced shoulder, and successful cancer surgery I'm glad I collected T-shirts when I could.

I like light rifles but not ultra light. With hunting days in the rear view mirror I sold my Kimber MT 257R and gave my Kimber MT 325 WSM to my grandson. I did keep my aggressively lightened FN 98 375 H&H, done in the 1950's by a great local gunsmith for a local hunter friend of my dad's and my very light FN 98 30-06 in a Pound'r stock, my last two rifle battery for PG and DG. I did get a Kimber Hunter 6.5 Man-Bun and topped it with the little Leupold VX 3-9 Compact. I like it better than the 257 Roberts Montana.

Excellent post H&H, and best wishes for a full and speedy recovery. Do what the therapists say. ;)
 
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also getting off the toilet with out help is a accomplishment at times. at 81 i use a kimber hunter in 7mm08, it comes in at 6.5 lbs scoped and will shoot 3 shot 1.25" to 1.5" groups. it likes varget and 139 gr hornandy bullets. every game animal i shot more than 3 shots at is still running.
 

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Truth to all that. What I didn't see mentioned is what weight one is used to carrying. Light is nice, heavy can be kind of excessive, my "sweet spot" is 8.25 pounds. Both my Jeager and Bess weigh that, and that's what I'm mostly used to. My 1861 Springfield is ten pounds, and by the end of the day I actually get used to it. It does not get heavier as the day wears on. I have hiked up a mountain or two with it. But that's my limit, I think a 12 pounder would get heavier, and I can't imagine how a rifle in that range would offer anything a lighter one would. ? I mean there's a limit there somewhere.

And there is a limit on endurance, which is why those of us that do range and hike far and wide are weight-minded. Less rifle weight means more food and water and survival "stuff". But I guess if you are in crazy-good athletic shape maybe you have the best of both worlds. I'm not super-fit, but I ain't no couch potato either. :) Still, there is a direct relationship between weight and endurance, no matter how fit you are.

Anyhow, the M1 Garand is a 9 pound rifle, and GI's carried them all over Europe. Hiked hundreds of miles. And the BAR man. !!! But, it was what they were used to. Just like Kit Carson and pals, they were using 10+ pound rifles, and lugging them around every day. (yeah they rode horses a lot, but had to get on and off the horse with rifle in hand. And hunt on foot, and have it in hand around camp) My point I guess is that you get conditioned to whatever weight rifle you use.
 
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