So, I've got a Remington 700 in .223AI, Krieger heavy 24" barrel, custom Holland setup, McMillan Lazzaroni thumbhole stock, and shoots light out with 40-60 grain pills.
And I mean those pills are smoking on the way to the target/fur.
I set this up for handing out frequent flyer miles to rockchucks here in Idaho which I have done hundreds of times.

These days being what they are, I want to use this rifle for fur busting coyotes and I now shoot suppressed on everything I own.
Bolt guns are alot cleaner than gassers when shooting a can as you all know.

With scope, this pig weighs 11 lbs.
I know the modern field rifle thinking is light is right?
$$ money wise I have a lot invested, and don't want it to be a closet queen.
I am an old man and ride my side by side to within a few hundred yards of the killing fields so weight isn't terrible but, noticeable.

How heavy is too heavy for a field rifle?
Do you think a 11 lb. rifle is too heavy to tote around?

I'm 73 and probably the worst one to comment as almost all my rifles are heavy barrels. My main problem is not the rifle, its all the other crap I think I need when going afield.

Exactly !!!
That's why I drive a KRX side by side

I'm 62, good to 11 lbs and snowshoes, lighter is better with the shoes. Most of my walks on shoes are over 1/2 mile from truck. I don't carry the ecaller as much.

I like responsive rifles that I can swing and maneuver on a responding coyote as it weaves its way through the timber or cover as it approaches. An 11 pound rifle wouldn't handle right for me. Also, I walk miles over rough country making stands as I go and the weight would be a no go. You don't have that issue as you ride motorized from stand to stand, I get that. My ideal weight for a rifle or shotgun is somewhere between 6.5 - 7.5 pounds all up. And, it has to have feel and balance, good handling qualities. Some guns feel like a pig on the end of a shovel handle and I have zero use for them.

I totally get that.
I'm in high desert where I can see for miles, I rarely have to swing and shoot.
I usually see them long before a shot and do my best impression of slo-mo getting ready.

I think for the type of hunting you’re doing, using the side by side to travel most of the way, and considering you already own the rifle, I’d keep using it. If you were doing more walking, or covering steep/rough terrain in the distances you’re currently going on foot, I’d opt for something lighter.

I never in a million years would have thought that I would carry a 12 pound plus gun and like it....

My night time gun is an AR, and all decked out, weighs in at 12 lbs 6 ozs. Luckily, I don't typically carry it much over 400 yards, so I soldier on.

My calling guns generally I prefer to stick to 8 lbs or so. But those have been outfitted with bullet proof scopes, rings, and bases, so I'm willing to pack the extra for absolute reliability.

I have put several bolt guns on diets through the years. I had two 24" Krieger Varmint barrels fluted in the past, with the 2nd being pretty aggressive, taking a full pound off. Switching out McMillan stocks, scopes, rings, & bases, I trimmed over 3 pounds off it.

My lightest calling gun is 7 lbs 5 ozs, which is a peach to carry.

Something to consider; Since you're shooting it with a suppressor which is putting you well over 30 inches of total barrel length with it screwed on, have you given any consideration to shortening the barrel?

My 223AI is built on a SA Rem700 with a fluted 9tw Hart Varmint/Sendero contour finished at 22. It wears a NF NXS 3.5-15x50 and always has a TBAC 223P-2 screwed on the end so mine is certainly no featherweight either. Unloaded it's just shy of 11 lbs and loaded it's a little over 11 lbs. The only thing I would do different is have it built with a 20in barrel instead of the 22 it currently wears. If mine wasn't fluted, it would have had 2-2+ inches lopped off of it years ago.

One of my favorite guns is my 22-250, also always shot with a suppressor on it. My 22-250 started life with a 24in Brux barrel but I had 6 inches lopped off of it a couple years ago so it's 18 plus suppressor now and I couldn't be happier. Does it shoot a little slower because of it, absolutely, but it is sooooo much handier now then before and I've yet to meet a coyote that could tell the difference between 3900 and 3700.

I think if you had the barrel shortened up to 20 inches, not only would you instantly lose almost a pound off of the tip of your rifle which with a suppressor screwed on is already front heavy, but it will become so much more mobile to use, especially, when using it in a side x side. My dad has a Honda Pioneer 1000 all done up up with hard doors and full hard cab, it's really nice, but nearly all of his rifles are 24-26 barrels and they are far from convenient, honestly they're kind of a PITA actually, to use in his SxS. I've had numerous non fluted barrels shortened up and every single one of them shot just as well, if not, better than they did before they had a few inches lopped off the end.

For reference.....

I just had a Krieger 25" 6mm Remington Varmint barrel cut back to 18" and threaded.

That stub, at 6 3/4" long, weighs 16.3 ozs.

Curious, since having it shortened up to 18 does it feel a lot lighter to you than what the scale actually says it is?

When I had my 22-250 chopped down to 18 the balance, especially with a can on it, was so much better it made it feel like it was pounds lighter but the scale said it was less than a pound difference.

It does feel more "lively" after shortening, at least here in the house.

This was a gun I sold 3 years ago that was put together as just a LR plinker. Unfortunately, the buyer died, and I ended up buying it back from the widow a couple weeks ago.

I had an 18" carbon barrel on order, but when this opportunity developed, my plans change to shorten this barrel for my can use, & set it up as a night time gun, & possible sell the carbon when it came in. My can weighs 15 ozs, so it's a wash in raw weight.

Of course, snow, cold, & wind has now arrived, & put a damper on getting it set up to shoot. I sold it with 100 rounds loaded with 108 ELD-M's, and I received the majority of them back, but I wanted to find a load with 70's for the speed.

I shoot 70gr Nosler BT's in my 20in Proof Research barreled 6CM w/RL16 and it's one of the most accurate guns I own.

No way I would carry around a calling rifle that heavy but I do a lot of walking. In the end you are the only one who can really say if it's too heavy.

So I'm 50 and I don't mind the weight at all. That extra weight is what makes them easier to shoot accurately. One thing that will make that rifle feel a lot lighter is how you carry it. I use an eberlestock pack and honestly a 12lb rifle vs a 8lb rifle is hard to tell the difference when doing reasonably short walks into stands.

Last night after I got home from hunting I weighed my two rifles. Both rifles are built on 700 SA actions. The light rifle, 20P, 1.5-4 Leupold Scopes, 20" Criterion barrel, butt bag and 10 rounds of ammo 7.76 pounds. My heavy rifle, 22-250 AI, 2-12 Athlon scope, 24" Shilen barrel, butt bag and 10 rounds of ammo comes to 9.69 pounds.

I'm 75 11/12 short and not very strong anymore, I can't dead lift my Grumman canoe and put it over my head to carry it anymore. I can feel the difference but I carry my rifles in a back scabbard so it really isn't an overly heavy burden. I have gravitated away from the heavies for quite awhile finding little advantage to a calling rifle that weighs over 9 pounds. But I like to experiment with different rifles and this is the first season with these two. I could live with just the light rifle here, it is a handy little devil.

I say take it out for a day and try it. That’s the only real way to know. My calling rifle used to be darn near 15lbs. I rebuilt that rifle not sure exactly were it is now bu I would say it’s 10 or less and feels a lot easier to carry.
Mines a bighorn action, carbon stock, carbon barrel, heavier can. I beleive shorter barrels are handy to have if running surpressed. 22” or less. 6mm with a 20” barrel and a 87 grain bullet should give good ballistics and be handy.

Lots of good replies here-thank you
Not sure about cutting down the barrel for length, I mean 4 inches is significant, but so is about 50 fps per inch. (24" to 20")
Kinda defeats the reason I went AI, well, that, and I hate trimming brass.
But, I'm pushing 40 grn vmax just shy of 3900 fps and its a glorious thing.

Did a little surfing, and most factory .223 setups unless you go "Lite" on the barrel are around 8.5-9 lbs., sans a scope. So add another 1-1.5 lbs. for scope and now I'm talking within a pound or so of my current setup?

The only humping I do with a gun any more is with the help of tadalafil.
I pretty much like making as many stands as I can rather than walking.
I will try it out in the field and post some pics as soon as I can being a fng.

My Thermal rig...A Savage 11VT .243 is 19#....22" Bull...Suppressor...Trijicon IR-Hunter MK3 35...Aux battery...MDT LS chassis...AB Arms Urban Snipe stock and Ergo tac grip and a couple little extra stuf on chassis...
.it actually isn't to bad since I carry it mounted on tripod over shoulder...balances good.


????...I don't believe you'll loose 100fps per inch....

Yup, I fat fingered that
Changed to 50 fps max.
Thx

as shown weights are

Top is a Kimber Montana 223AI 6 3/4 lbs 18" BBL
Rem 700 20 Prac 7 lb 2 oz 18" BBL
Bottom AR 223 7 lb 7 oz 16" BBL

These could b lighter is I used other scopes, but I like the SWFA SS 6x. My longest shot last trip with the 223 AI was around 210 yards, bang flop result.

I took the Kimber to AZ last trip and used it the whole trip. Going to take the AR15 on next trip, along with the 20 P

https://i.imgur.com/RLcCUNd.jpg

I have heavier rifles for prairie dogs and such, but prefer the lighter rifles for carrying in the field. I am 61 and not as fit as the old days years ago. LOL I would just build another rifle if you have that option.

My predator rifles run between 9-10# but, the short M4gery @ 8.1# was my favorite. It was the handiest rifle ever, especially for quick target acquisition.

Regards,
hm

My model 11 wearing a factory profile 22” .223 barrel is 7.5#. Same rifle wearing a 26” heavy Varmint barrel but in a Bell & Carlson M40 Varmint /tactical stock is 10.5 lbs. weight is pretty much all in that long tube. I could take a pound off cutting it back to 18”. Easily.

Its really personal and depends how far you walk and how you hunt. I have guns from 6lbs to 25lbs. I have taken my 24" heavy barrel AR coyote calling when it just happened everything else suitable was not sighted in. Its about 13 lbs. I also walk around hunting prairie dogs from sticks or from fence posts with this gun. Does it work? Sure. Is it as pleasant and useful as my lighter guns? Heck no! Its horrible from sticks and really hard to move/adjust the sticks.

I find something with a total weight scoped between 7 and 8 lbs to be ideal. I also have a cz 527 varmint in 17 hornet that is 9lbs or so and its also pretty good. A lot of it is also balance and handling. I like light guns with long barrels. The long barrel increases the moment of inertia compared to the overall weight. Plus you get more velocity with less muzzle blast. Its a win win. I really dislike stubby guns with 18-20" barrels. To each their own though.

So, what’s the story on these Lite barrels?
I am looking at a Tikka “super lite” in 223 with one of these, are they accurate?
Can these fluted lite barrels be threaded to use a can?
I shoot suppressed always and that would be a deal breaker for me.
Light though.

Pulled the Krieger off and I'm gonna have it cut down to 20" as suggested.
Threaded for my Specwar, should be back in a couple weeks.

I've got a couple of slings that use 2 straps, and you carry it on your back like a pack. The straps are adjustable and long enough to wear over your backpack. Used it to haul my Ten-Point crossbow no problem.
Soup

Got my barrel back after the chop down to 20” today
Definitely handles better
9’ 14oz. With scope

If someone could help me with pic from photo bucket, I will get some pics up

For me is more about balance than the actual weight. My go to AR upper for years was a 16" fluted bull barrel. Went to a 10.5" after getting a can to keep the overall length, weight and balance about the same.

I also had a 24" heavy barrel 20 practical that I absolutely hated because of length and balance.

I’m with Crapshoot…weight is relative. If I have to pack it in go light. Otherwise, being a more “robust” gent, I prefer the stability of weight so I don’t over power the gun. My .308 is nicknamed the Hog…Hand Of God because of how it puts coyotes down.

The hog is all of 14 lbs with my suppressor. 16 in fluted stainless .308 on our billet upper/lower set, Magpul MOE stock, 3.5 lb trigger, YHM Phanton suppressor, camera and mount. I run the Nightstalker tripod from our friends at Night Goggles, mainly because I film while hunting.

They can be very accurate? The bolt action rifles above are very accurate. I have a Tikka 22-250 t3 that is very accurate also. I put a can on most of my rifles, even the ones with light contour barrels like above.

The big drawback is that they can start getting loose as they get hot. But most of us only get cold bore shots on predators, so that issue is really a non-starter.

Most suppressors shift the POI from POA from the gas entering the baffles and not so much from the weight. A buddy of mine runs a YHM Titanium Phantom which is about half the weight of my YHM Stainless Phantom. Our POI shift is the same at 4 inches.

Remember, accuracy is hitting what you are aiming at, precision is hitting the same spot each time. ALL barrels are going to whip, you just want them to whip consistently.

I have seen uber light uber expensive barrels shoot like garbage and I have seen inexpensive barrels shoot like trash. Good quality manufacturing has more to do with it than just what it's made from.

Thumbhole Thumper cut from 26" down to 20", balances alot better and shoots cloverleafs..
223 AI
Swarovski 3-18 Z5
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