Me too.
Good point. I’ve been getting great sub-BSOAB groups lately from a heavier gun (broad-side-of-a-barn). I’d probably be all over the place with this.
Light rifles really show bad form
So how light is too light? My current backpacking gun is right at 9.5lbs scoped but even it seems whippy at times. I figured with the howa a guy could be scoped at like 6-7 lbs saving 2 pounds at least
I like around 8-8.5lbs myself. Helps when I’m breathing heavy from lack of oxygen
With my kimber montana I am 6lbs 13 Oz in 30-06 with vx5 2-10 cds and talley lightweights. With this howa with a lightweight scope your probably easily under 6 lbs.
Not to derail into an ultralight gun thread, but how’s that Kimber working out for you? I’d thought of one of those in a short action cartridge.
I have two. A green stocked one in 6.5 creedmoor and a grey stocked one in 06. I bought the creemoor in 2019 and the 06 late last year. I got a smoking good deal on the 06. I bought it from a website that I have bought from before and they listed it as a used rifle. Montanas have been hard to find in 06 so I ordered it when i saw it. When I got it I was surprised that it was a brand new rifle. Apparently just old stock. Bolt was still taped up in its original box. I have been super happy with both. Both of mine are very accurate. Build quality is very high and the stock is impressive. I have no complaints. I liked the first one so much I bought a second one. I will say that when I got my first one my shooting ability was so so with it. I was getting groups of about 1.5 inches at 100. Not that great. Rather than blame the gun I started doing some research on shooting techniques with light rifles and learned a few basic things that dramatically shrunk my group sizes. Now with the creedmoor I can get .5 inch groups and .75 with the 06. I haven't worked much with the 06 but I think it can do better. Partly because I was hurrying setting it for last season. One thing I learned is that you can't simply shoot them like a 9 lb rifle. It just takes a different technique. Kimber rifles are interesting in that some people really like to criticize them but I think much of the criticism is from people who don't own them repeating what they saw online. I am fortunate to own many rifles but if I was forced to start selling them off these two would be the last to leave.
That's a nice rig. How do you like it?
