Gun weight vs accuracy/confidence

[Wyohunt]

Thanks for all the responses.

It’s not that I shoot the 7mag poorly. I shoot decent groups. I just have 100% confidence that I can make a good shot with the 6.5. I guess I’m just getting knit picky fumbling through my gear.

I probably need to worry more about finding an elk to shoot at.

Yeah but if you do make a crappy shot the 7 will be a lot better. I have several times seen good shooters make crappy shots in hunting situations. The softball sized groups pretty much go out the window then

 

[brockel]

Yeah but if you do make a crappy shot the 7 will be a lot better. I have several times seen good shooters make crappy shots in hunting situations. The softball sized groups pretty much go out the window then

I wouldn’t say the 7mm will be a lot better if you make a crappy shot. Here’s 4 bullets. You tell me which is which. Two of them are 6.5 and two are 7mm. One 6.5 is a 140 Berger shot at creedmoor velocities and one is a 140 Berger shot at 3000fps. One 7mm bullet is a 160 grain accubond shot at 3250 FPS and one is a 168 grain accubondlr shot at 2900fps. All pulled from elk. I don’t see an advantage to the 7 if shot were less than perfect

 

[Dunning Kruger]

I own both. Leave the Creedmoor at home!! It doesn’t have enough energy to cleanly put a elk down. I’ve shot three with it using a 140g accubond. I will never do it again, all 3 took a couple rounds, none of them were quick kills. That’s why I stepped up to a 7mm mag. Leave it at home, and you only need to put it in a 8” pie plate, no need for a softball size group. Elk have a large killzone.

An softball size group off a shooting bench while totally calm can easily translate to a pie plate sized group in a field position while excited. A pie plate sized group off a bench while calm can translate into garbage shooting in a field position. Just sayin.

 

[CPAjeff]

I’d use whatever you’re most comfortable with - which in this case, sounds like the 6.5.

 

[shrapnel]

I wouldn’t say the 7mm will be a lot better if you make a crappy shot. Here’s 4 bullets. You tell me which is which. Two of them are 6.5 and two are 7mm. One 6.5 is a 140 Berger shot at creedmoor velocities and one is a 140 Berger shot at 3000fps. One 7mm bullet is a 160 grain accubond shot at 3250 FPS and one is a 168 grain accubondlr shot at 2900fps. All pulled from elk. I don’t see an advantage to the 7 if shot were less than perfect
View attachment 167318

There is always the horsepower debate, but if there wasn’t a benefit of bore diameter to energy ratio, Africa wouldn’t have any caliber restrictions.

 

[manitou1]

I shoot fairly long distance but limit my shots on game to 750 yds. I wil not carry a gun under 8 lbs as my accuracy suffers. That being said, 9-9 1/2 lbs is the max I would be willing to tote around on my Western hunts. All my hunting rifles weigh in the 8.5 lb range.
I had a heavy hunting rifle... once. Sold it after one season.

 

[brockel]

There is always the horsepower debate, but if there wasn’t a benefit of bore diameter to energy ratio, Africa wouldn’t have any caliber restrictions.

I’m not saying there isn’t a benefit of bore diameter. We aren’t talking .264 vs .375. We are talking 0.020” which isn’t much of a benefit if at all if you look at those expanded bullets it shows. All 4 of those were against the offside hide

 

[MarvB]

Another suggestion, look at the rest of your gear- if your worried about a 6# difference between rifles you can probably make up half of that by just adjusting what you drag along with you!

 

[belshawelk]

Please please take the 7mm unless you are under 300 yards. Then still please take the 7.

 

[88man]

Placement kills.
Light short rifles are the best to carry and don't shoot the easiest.
Bigger heavier rifles suck to carry but typically shoot better & easier.
Humm> Mid weight sporter is my call

 

[Jape]

Isn’t his hunt already over? I want to know which gun you chose @Stocker and how the hunt went?

 

[Stocker]

Isn’t his hunt already over? I want to know which gun you chose @Stocker and how the hunt went?

Sorry, I kinda forgot about this post. I ended up taking the 7mm Mag. I worked hard on getting better with it. I took the Hornaday 154g Intelock rounds. Got 2 shots off at a bull at 300 yards, both entry holes were within 1” of each other and went through the heart. Recovered 1 bullet that was mushroomed perfectly. It was definitely a lot of luck, but in the end I’m glad I took the lighter gun. I think the 6.5 is plenty of gun to kill elk, but all things being equal less weight and a little more umpf was the better way to go.

Edit, I thought this post was this years elk hunt, I didn’t kill an elk in Idaho in 2019. I took both rifles and usually toted the 6.5.

 

[MITCHMO]

I wouldn’t have chosen either. I would have used it as an excuse to buy another rifle. Is t that what any reasonable person would have done?

 

[OleRedbeard]

like others have said... 7mm, both because its lighter and because its a far better choice for what you are hunting.
I have lived and hunted in the mountains my whole life. You wont regret taking the lighter rifle. Somewhere between wondering why you chased something so far down and looking at your GPS or your map and seeing how far it is to the top of the ridge where the truck is sitting your going to probably consider taking a dump just to drop a little more weight. Don't get caught up in the long range crap. Get confident with that rifle out to 400yds and get cocky with it out to 300 because you will use leg muscles and parts of your lungs that you didnt even know existed if you drop something and start packing.
Not to mention you will handle the rifle better if you happen to find elk in the timber and you end up taking a shot far closer than expected while leaning against a tree or offhanded.

 

[Bigjay73]

I'll never understand worrying about carrying a couple extra pounds when the end goal is carrying out 200 lbs of meat. That being said, im a large frame guy, 10 extra pounds in my pack probably isn't the same to someone 5'2" , so there's that. Glad it worked out for you..

 

[Western Traveler1]

I'll never understand worrying about carrying a couple extra pounds when the end goal is carrying out 200 lbs of meat. That being said, im a large frame guy, 10 extra pounds in my pack probably isn't the same to someone 5'2" , so there's that. Glad it worked out for you..

Give it a few years..

 

[davinski]

I know it's an old post, but I'll bite! I couldn't shoot my light .300WSM from field positions nearly as well as my trust old, and heavy, .300RUM for a long time. Then I started carrying a grocery sack in my pocket, filling it with dirt or rocks to make weight, then hold it with my front hand as I shoot, usually from a sitting position held on my knees. Made my light mountain rifle feel nice and heavy and my shooting improved.

As for caliber, I'll stick to my usual advice when these questions come up among cartridges that are both good...If you'd take that shot with one rifle but not the other, you probably shouldn't take it with either.

 

[Bigjay73]

Give it a few years..

Haha, I wish. Im already old and sore

 

[Steiny]

My smart ass buddy says ...... Quit complaining about the rifle weight, if you're concerned about a couple extra pounds, maybe you should consider taking it off your gut.

I shot him