Occasional Hunting rifle Decision

[holdingthezero]

Guys, just remember that Howa come with three barrel options. Light (~2.2kg), standard (~2.4kg) and heavy (~2.8 - 3kg). The standard profile seems to be a good midpoint between the heavy barrel and the light barrel.

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Haha, answered my question as I was asking it :)

[jdvisagie]

Some good advice already. Personally, I don't like heavy rifles. In theory heavy barreled rifles should add bench shooting and accuracy advantages, but in my personal experience there's not much in it.

I have owned two 7x64 rifles at the same time. One was a custom built musgrave heavy barrel k98 actioned rifle, the other a "light" barreled CZ 550. I spent allot of time developing loads using different powders and bullets (brands and weights). From moderate loads to some really hot loads. Across all the development, the "light" barreled CZ preformed better and more consistent.

I know that this might not always be the case and that something might have been "wrong" with my musgrave custom rifle. I know that thinker heavier barrels have "wider" accuracy nodes, look at how accurate bench rest rifles shoot and the thickness / weight of those barrels.
But, personally for hunting purposes I prefer something I can carry and handle well. Maybe the "standard" barrel is a good compromise.

I don't think he can really go wrong with any of those options..

[AndreVal]

I went through this exact process towards the end of last year and did a lot of home work before hand. I hunt once a year and want to have best of both worlds as the reality is I will spend more time at the range than in the veld.
I ended up going for the Howa 308 in the 20" bull barrel (i see you now get them in 18.5" as well).
The "Standard" rifle that weighs 2.4kg is the normal 22" sporter. The 20" BB is 2.8kg and the 24" BB is 3kg. This is all with the Hogue stocks.
The "Standard" 22" sporter with a wooden stock is significantly heavier than either of the one's i mentioned above with Hogue.
I eventually went to a gun shop that had most of the different configurations and the shorter BB felt a lot more comfortable. I know that 2 mins in a gun shop is not the same as hours in the veld but it does give one perspective.
The 20" BB is however very scarce and I was told that SA might not get any more after the scout rifle craze in USA. I also believe there is a 26" BB is now available.

[Shane G]

I'm a budget biltong hunter and normally hunts 3-4 times a year. I also just love the occasional range visit to hone my skills and to shoot at gongs. To maximise my annual enjoyment of being out there in the bush/vlaktes, I would not hunt all of my budget on one trip and therefore try to spread my trips out across the hunting season. I do bakkie hunts, walk and stalk bush hunts, walk and stalk vlakte/kalahari hunts, and occasionally typical "voorsit" hunts. For me a heavy barrel would be superfluous unless varminting becomes part of my hunting. A standard sporting barreled rifle for hunting 3-4 times a year (which include serious walk and stalk weekends makes far more sense. Like all hunters I guess, I detest unnecessary weight and a std barreled rifle with a light effective silencer (especially as a starter set-up) is the way to go!

[Andre in Alberton]

Enjoying this thread.

An occasional Hunter hunts once or twice a year. Once you start getting 3 to 4 plus trips you are at "dedicated hunter" status. No dedicated hunter will do all his hunting from bakkie or voorsit, so that means walking with all your gear. Average guy will not be happy carrying a bull barreled rifle with accessories, plus backpack and water.

If you are doing long range target shooting in the 500m to 1000m range then a bull barrel certainly makes sense. If you at the range 3 or 4 times a month then a bull barrel makes sense.

But if you are going to be carrying your gear in the field, forget about wood stocks, bull barrels and bipods unless you are really fit. In a perfect world u would have that heavy barreled rifle for range use as well

[A-R]

My personal preference is for the heavy barreled rifle and I own a few of them, one is a CZ550 Varmint with classic American style walnut stock. I don't mind carrying a heavy rifle for long distances or even when hunting in the bush, but then I'm not really of average build either.

Then I also own a few standard-weight rifles. One in particular, a 20,5" (std weight) barrel 223 sits at the front of my safe and gets taken out the most. It rides along in the bakkie and over my shoulder more often than any other, maybe even more than all the others combined. It even shoots the occasional competition and can hold it's own when the driver actually concentrates for a change.

My standard weight rifles also serve to let my kids hunt and shoot. They like shooting the heavies, but only from a rest.

Your type of use will determine what is best for you. If you deem carrying a heavy rifle as just a part of your fitness programme, by all means take it. The more you carry it, the fitter you will get and the lighter it will feel. Just carry it much more than 4 times a year then.

Ideally, one should have a light and a heavy rifle in every calibre you need. That way you can choose the right tool for the job in your safe, right before the hunt.

I often see hunters and shooters with rifles that are heavier than they can handle well, with scopes that are bigger in size and magnification than what they need for the job. This type if misfit tends to hinder good performance in the field, rather than aid it, but does give the owner's ego a little boost when the kit is discussed around the campfire. That is the sad part.

[TStone]

I often see hunters and shooters with rifles that are heavier than they can handle well, with scopes that are bigger in size and magnification than what they need for the job. This type if misfit tends to hinder good performance in the field, rather than aid it, but does give the owner's ego a little boost when the kit is discussed around the campfire. That is the sad part.

Unfortunately, we get a lot of that. Many hunters these days seem to choose their equipment based on what they see in "sniper" movies rather than by actual hunting needs.