Weight for a sheep rifle?

[coppermushroom]

What do you sheep hunters feel is about the perfect total (scope / rifle) weight for sheep a rifle? I realize this is subjective however tend to favor heavier guns and am trying to decide if a package weighing in at 10.75lbs would handicap me too much.

 

[Washington Hunter]

Where will you be sheep hunting?

 

[coppermushroom]

Nothing planned yet just wanting to buy / build a do it all rifle. All of my hunts are DIY and would like to do sheep and billies in AK and perhaps a bighorn somewhere else should a tag work out someday.

 

[T Bone]

weight of the rifle matters not. Use what you can shoot well.

Good physical condition and good gear is more important.

 

[dustinf]

Mine is 8.58lbs.

 

[.280 Remington]

Never hunted sheep but have hunted elk/deer in plenty of "sheepy" country.

I don't like packing guns that heavy around. 8 1/2 is much more manageable. 6 1/2 is better still.

 

[LopeHunter]

Lighter is better. If you get into cold weather and are out for all day then you will likely have 50 pounds to lug around between clothes, water, food, binos, range finder, knife, perhaps a spotter and tripod and gun/ammo. Every 5 pounds you find a way to lighten the overall load is goodness. Swap out the old metal tripod for a carbon fiber, etc.

The younger you are, the healthier and the better your physical shape and mental frame of mind then the pounds will not matter that much whether is Day 1 or 12 of the hunt.

I attempt to train for 20 pounds of pack weight beyond what I will carry on the hunt. The one thing I am not able to train for is the effects of elevation.

 

[Lawnboy]

I just showed my brother from Alaska my wifes 7mm-08. It's crazy light weight and his comment was that this would be an awesome backpack rifle for Dall Sheep. Can't say I would argue with that. I haven't weighed it yet to give you numbers.

 

[Kaitum]

On my sheep hunt last year I took my wife's 700 TI in .270. What a pleasure to carry. My buddy went along. He didn't have a tag but brought my 700 -06 just in case I needed a back-up rifle. Once camp was set and we were out for the day, guess which gun I shouldered and which one I left in the tent.... As much as I like that TI I just enjoy having my -06 all the same.

 

[Bambistew]

5 lbs 14oz.

 

[Steve O]

My first sheep hunt in the Yukon was done with a 10#+ .270; that was not my smartest decision...

When I got home I built a 7lb 4oz .300 WSM Mode 70; great all around choice and I'd not go lighter.





For just sheep I will go with my 6lb 2oz .270Win Model 700 Ti

 

[brymoore]

I run two Kimber Montana's. 84M is 5 lbs 4oz before scope, 84L is 5 lbs 10oz before scope.

 

[Bambistew]

...

When I got home I built a 7lb 4oz .300 WSM Mode 70; great all around choice and I'd not go lighter.

What did you do to the M70 to get it down? I have a similar rifle in 325wsm, it weighs 7lbs 12 oz if I remember right. I don't mind the weight of the rifle and have packed it on a couple sheep hunts.

The Kimber is a dream to carry though, don't even know its on the pack.

 

[MKotur325]

My Winchester Model 70 Sporter runs 9.75lbs with scope, mounts, sling and a full mag. I don't mind packing it up elk hills, but I would want to drop at least 1.5-2lbs off that if I can for a sheep rifle. In one of Layne Simpson's. I think it was in "Rifles and Cartridges for Large Game" he said that a mountain rifle should be no heavier than 8lbs for rifle, mounts, scope, sling and a full mag. That seems like sound logic to me. Also remember that in may cases an Alaska hunt will start with a flight in, and in those cases you may be limited to 40lbs/person of total gear unless you want to pay for a second gear flight. I challenge you to hit 40lbs of gear for a week long backpack hunt with 10-11lbs rifle...

 

[Kaitum]

My Winchester Model 70 Sporter runs 9.75lbs with scope, mounts, sling and a full mag. I don't mind packing it up elk hills, but I would want to drop at least 1.5-2lbs off that if I can for a sheep rifle. In one of Layne Simpson's. I think it was in "Rifles and Cartridges for Large Game" he said that a mountain rifle should be no heavier than 8lbs for rifle, mounts, scope, sling and a full mag. That seems like sound logic to me. Also remember that in may cases an Alaska hunt will start with a flight in, and in those cases you may be limited to 40lbs/person of total gear unless you want to pay for a second gear flight. I challenge you to hit 40lbs of gear for a week long backpack hunt with 10-11lbs rifle...

Yes, many air taxis limit you on your pack weight for the flight in, but I've yet to see one include the weight of your firearm in that total. For example, 40 Mile Air limits you to a 50 lb pack. But you could bring a 15 lb sniper rifle for all they care, doesn't count towards your pack weight. Just my experience, but then again not all air taxis operate the same.

 

[MKotur325]

Yes, many air taxis limit you on your pack weight for the flight in, but I've yet to see one include the weight of your firearm in that total. For example, 40 Mile Air limits you to a 50 lb pack. But you could bring a 15 lb sniper rifle for all they care, doesn't count towards your pack weight. Just my experience, but then again not all air taxis operate the same.

I did a hunt in 2000 with my family, we flew out of Keni and our rifles and cases were included in our 40lbs/person total.

 

[coppermushroom]

Man - I have a serious weight problem. My pack for a 7 day elk hunt in the San Juans weighed 92lbs. I was aware of the weight limits for the air taxis but do need to adjust my thinking on the weight of the rifle.

 

[MKotur325]

Like Kaitum said, not all air taxi's operate the same. If you hunt with a buddy or two, it can help split weights up some. Backpacking food can be pretty light, but tents, cooking gear and some of the other camp essentials are not light. If you can split them through a few different people's gear, that can help as well. When my family went, we had 160lbs to work with considering the 4 of us. It wasn't the easiest to pack a week of gear for 4 people into 160lbs, but we did it; and didn't want for anything while we were in the field (except for better camp chairs...). If an air taxi was to allow 50/person + guns that would help as well.

 

[dustinf]

My limit this year is 70lbs for all my gear, including rifle.

 

[mdhunter]

I did a sheep hunt in Alaska this year and can only say "lighter is better"... and I mean a "lot better." Hunts vary, terrain varies. I can only tell you that ounces make pounds.

Five pounds extra on your back climbing a mountain on the fifth day of a sheep hunt will feel more like fifteen extra pounds. Go as light as possible...on everything.