Mountain/lightweight rifles- good or bad?

[jryoung]

I shoot copper so I like velocity so took a gamble and built a rifle with a 26" lightweight contour barrel. It shoots way better than me and at 8lbs with 9 rounds attached to it I'm happy to carry it all day. Not ultra lightweight, but the lightest in my safe.

 

[sbhooper]

You tend to go lighter the older you get. You pack a rifle a lot more than you shoot it. The key is to practice in the off season to get familiar with the rifle, and manage the recoil.

I must be losing it, as I have gone the other way. For deer, it is not an issue, because my preferred rifles are fairly light and I don't have to hike much, but elk is different. I really like my 7 mags and they are not light, but shoot way good at 9.5 and 10.5 pounds respectively.

 

[GlockZ]

I take no offense nuevo-eph, and though I have yet to hunt the vast and mountainous terrain of the west,I have climbed the Adirondacks, and hills in central Pennsylvania. Do they compare with the elevations out west, not by any means,but they do compare to a point. Again I was just being inquisitive, only because I see many manufacturers are producing lightweight rifles that weigh about 5lbs,come with 18-20 inch barrels,and then some even offer them in a wsm caliber. And to be truthful I can't see getting the performance out of a wsm in a 18-20 barrel, where a 7mm-08, or 308 would be a better choice and virtually no loss in performance. Plus I wanted to see what one might consider a lightweight rifle and a heavy rifle. For me none of the rifles I own would I consider as "heavy".

 

[fishing4sanity]

I agree with Big Fin! Plus, I have cut my teeth hunting in the NYS Adirondacks ...... Lately, Kimber Adirondacks and Mountain Ascents are appealing to me, although I have no need at all for more guns. I still want them; badly!

Its totally a personal decision and use what you like!

Blasphemy! Don't make such dangerous statements, I've been telling my wife they are "absolute essential needs."
As to the OP, just get a lighter-to-lightweight rifle that shoots great and be done.

 

[nuevo_eph]

Thanks for the response. I did in fact get my lightweight hunter in 7mm08. Also, as I shoot copper, I figured I would have a gun that shoots lower weight bullets (relative to normal weight bullets for a caliber) so that would negate the felt recoil of a light platform. In other words, a win-win.

 

[Curvebow]

Fishing - But, I did say that I still want them!

In my defense, I could use a different gun deer hunting at home every day I hunted and not use them all in a season! I know, I know, obviously, I'm not hunting enough! I agree with that too!!