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Iain

Thanks Warwick. That thread seems to have input from a lot of blokes who are carrying a tad excess. That is not me. If I lost 5kg, I would lose strength. If I lost 10 kg, I would die, if I didn't blow away first. I have always been regarded as a pretty fair climber and fitness and weight are as good as they can be for me.

Making things a bit easier for our knees and lungs doesn't have to be an "either or" choice. We can have sensibly light gear and ALSO trim off excess body weight. WIN/WIN.

There is also the consideration of physical size. In broad terms it seems that many posters weigh 80kgs or more, even when fit. I weigh 62. So if one gets into the numbers, a 10lb rifle for someone weighing 80kg size is a 7.75lb rifle for me. Or put another way a 10lb rifle for me is a 12.9 lb rifle for our 80 KG hunter. How many of you want to hunt thar with a 13lb rifle, no matter how nice it is to shoot ?

Bob's idea of using the rifle as an anchor on windy ridges has some merit, particularly in Fjiordland, but 12lb ? No way. Even with a 30oz scope, I am unconvinced about the need for such weights to achieve excellent accuracy.

I carried a very accurate Sako L61R 270 on my first thar hunting trip 45 years ago, and it weighed over 9.5lbs. I vowed never again.