jimbob86 said:
I told you the fix for that in posts #6 and # 7......
I'm all for increasing endurance, strength, and losing a few pounds for hunting, but that doesn't change the fact that a lighter rifle is easier to carry. I've carried a lot of heavy firearms (M60, M240B, and M249) in my prime over long distances, sometimes more than 20 miles in a single day, and I can't tell you one time I didn't wish I was carrying a M16/M4. Nor if I'm backpacking in to a spike camp am I going to want to carry a heavy rifle, every ounce saved eventually adds up to pounds. Saving those pounds means all my extra endurance goes into finding that animal and not carrying weight.
I realize not all hunters hunt the same way, and a rifle I carry to the blind in Oklahoma can be vastly different than what I hunt with in Colorado. Sometimes it isn't, but while I'm not adverse to shooting heavy rifles I still prefer the sub 8lbs rifles I carry hunting elk, mule deer, and pronghorn in Colorado. Have you ever tried using a 26" barreled .243 Win that weighs 13+ lbs in a blind? I have, and can tell you it sucks!
There isn't a huge gap in shootability between an 8lb FWT rifle with optics and a 10lb Super Grade in .30-06. However, there is a huge difference in the way they handle the FWT will come up faster, point easier, and track the target better. A person can learn to shoot a light rifle with more than acceptable accuracy from the bench and field positions. However, you can't make a heavy rifle handle any better in hunting situations unless you lighten it up.
Pops1085 said:
I just want a rifle I’ll be proud to have for the rest of my life and can pass on to the next generation and the super grade fits that. It’s just so heavy. Tough call.
I missed this last part when I first posted. There is nothing wrong with pride in ownership, but you can be proud in owning a cheap Savage Walmart, Dicks, or Cabela's special as well. The most important thing you're going to pass on to the next generation is memories, and they might have stronger memories of you attached to a cheap rifle that you've been using. So whatever you buy go make some memories with the people you want to make them with, or when your gone it'll likely be sold.