# Old Men?



## Bore.224 (Mar 23, 2005)

Often I have read stories bashing the heavy barrel varmint guns, even some people on our site say stay light in rifle choices for predator hunting. They paint the picture of lugging this heavy cumbersome rifle around and I bought into it hook line and sinker. However Last Christmas I recieved a great gift a Savage model 12 with a 26 inch heavy barrel, and at first I was worried that this would be a problem! Back in the Army I carried the m-60 and at 25 lbs on road marches it was a nightmare and I forever wanted light quick handiling weapons after that. However This 10 pound rifle is no problem to carry from stand to stand, I carried it around for 5 or 6 houres strait and did not even notice the extra weight. Its steady to line up shots and more accurate than I ever will be , maybe one too many old men are gun writers and hunters, so take that into account when you hear their stories!! If you are looking for a great rifle do not overlook the Heavy Barreled varmint guns!!


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## varmit b gone (Jan 31, 2008)

My Coyote gun is a bull barreled 223 Remington and I love it. It is 11 pounds but you never notice it. And you can't beat the accuracy in a heavy barrel :sniper:


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Bore, I am just short of 60 years old, and have both. I lug a heavy barrel 300 magnum in the mountains. If I get real tired I will switch the next day to a light 300WSM. 
For coyote I have four choices. Winchester Featherweight in 223 or AR15 Panther Bull 20 in 223. Then there are two 22-250 to choose from. The Savage Weather Warrior, or the heavy Remington XR100 Rangemaster. When I plan a two or three mile hike in deep snow I will take a light rifle. If I am going to only walk a mile I will go with the heavy barrel. I eat a lot of medicine just to keep walking, but if I want really good accuracy I just throw a couple of tylenol on top of my prescribed medicine and head out. 
When it comes to deer season I baby myself. I sit on a hill with coffee and cookies and let the deer come to me. After walking ten miles a day when I was younger I felt like sitting was cheating. Then when I started reading the outdoor magazines I realized sitting was the number one way to hunt deer around the United States. I can handle that. 
Another vote for the heavy barrels for an old guy.


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## iwantabuggy (Feb 15, 2005)

My Savage Model 12 is 14 lbs. I have to admit that it is combersome to carry because the weight is not distributed very well. Mostly due to the bi-pod. But I have never considered it too heavy. Many people I have been around complain about my 8.5 lb elk rifle, but to me it is just right. :sniper:


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## vtrons (Feb 14, 2008)

My go to deer rifle is a Thompson Encore with a heavy .308 barrel. It's topped with a Nikon 4.5 x 14 scope for the old eyes, (47 years).
It isn't too heavy for a day in the woods. And it's very accurate.
All this while only tipping the scales at 9.2 pounds.


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## Savage260 (Oct 21, 2007)

If nothing else you can get a good workout carrying them around. My 22-250 is about 14lbs with scope and pod, my 26-06 is about the same. .204 is a bit lighter at 10lbs.


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## Bore.224 (Mar 23, 2005)

Its funny the guys who complain about heavy rifles I bet are most likely the same bunch who complain about recoil when they fire their featherweight 300 Win mag :lol:


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## iwantabuggy (Feb 15, 2005)

I just camo'd mine today. I think it turned out pretty well for my first one. In fact, I like it so much I am going to do the same to my 300WM also.


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## wmmichael20 (Dec 19, 2007)

my new coyote rifle(howa 1500 varmint supreme thumbhole ) tiped the scales at almost 10 lbs befor I added the 8.5-25x50 scope and bipod and sling now I am thinking its around 15 to 16 lbs and I love it


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

If a person is comfortable carrying a heavy rifle, more power to them! My personal favorite is a club! The scoped, medium barrelled Ruger #1B weighs around ten pounds. I'll admit that it tends to pull on my worn-out shoulders after a mile or two, but I still like it. After fifty-three years, and some heart trouble, I hunt slower and more carefully than ever. The upside is that by doing so I see more game, and enjoy the hunt more than I ever did as a young man. Running up and down the hills, while sometimes necessary, is over rated, IMO. :wink: 
As an aside, I am wondering why Ron needs a heavy barrelled, high magnification scoped rifle for hunting in the woods of Vermont? Probably just because he can!
Burl


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## Jaybic (Sep 8, 2005)

Hey guys,

I also have both types and this is just what works for me. I have a 26 inch hb rem 700 in 22-250 and a 20 inch hb ar-15 by DPMS and both are 1/2 inch guns off the bench. I also have an 20 inch sporter barrel abolt in 22-250 and a 24 inch sporter bbl Encore in .223.

Most of the time the hb REM sits at home for coyote calling. I is slow to swing and the fact is compared to the short and fast A-bolt, it is cumbersome and on a called coyote out to 300 yards the accuracy difference is irrelevant as both shoot well enough to get it done. I do often use the HB AR but it was so front heavy with that barrel that last year I took it in and had the barrel turned and took over a pound off it! Now I still have the same match grade barrel accuracy in a much more nimble rifle.

Dont get me wrong as the heavy barrel rifles do have their place and I carried one a long time. I am only 40 years old and also have carried m-60s and m249 saws in the USMC so I do know the drill.

People who give up heavy rifles for lite are not simply old men or sissys that cant do it anymore. They have just found something that will do the same job just as well and is less weight and to me that is just being smart.

I encourage you to find out for yourself. Hunt a full days worth of stands carrying your favorite HB and then beg, buy or borrow a light weight and do the same thing and see for your self. 15 years old or 55, I bet it will make you think again about humping around all that extra weight for essentially no extra advantage and most popular coyote calibers have very little recoil anyway. Only time I complain about recoil is after about 30-40 3 in mag 12 guage slugs thru an 870 with no recoil pad. That will kick your A$$. Try it if you dont believe me. :lol:

I also not to long ago seen an NRA benchrest competition won by a pencil barrel A-bolt in .222 so that heavy-barrel accuracy edge thing? Not so sure about that IMHO.

There is a difference between a Predator rifle and a Varmint rifle. Both will certainly work but each one will do its own job better.

What say the other light barrel guys on this site? Maybe a poll on this one Fallguy?

Jaybic

P.s. To each his own but I have bought my last heavy-barrel rifle for coyote calling. :beer:


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## ndm (Jul 22, 2007)

Jaybic,

I agree go light. I'm not gonna drag an extra 6 lbs. around through three feet of snow for nothing. My 7 1/2 lb. sporter will shoot just as well as both of the varmint rifles I owned and gave up on long a go.

Old or experienced?


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