Hiking and shooting

[Asp]

Anyone ever hike towards an area they like to shoot at, instead of pulling up and getting out? Pros/cons?

Read More

 

[drew]

Pros: You can get to more areas if you're willing to hike. You get to avoid a lot of lazy idiots too. Just make sure the area is safe to shoot and clean up.

Cons: You might not bring as many guns/ammo as you would if you parked.

 

[19 Adam]

Anyone ever hike towards an area they like to shoot at, instead of pulling up and getting out? Pros/cons?

I'm always armed when I hike but I rarely carry enough ammo to do very much shooting due to the weight. I guess I could load up the dogs packs with spare mags so I could enjoy a little target practice on a ling hike. The dogs have tons of energy on the way out and then would have no load on the way back.

 

[Asp]

Cons: You might not bring as many guns/ammo as you would if you parked.

To me this is an integral part of the hiking aspect, as being able to carry all ammo + weapons towards x or y shooting area would be good for the body.

How often does one carry 10-30 pounds of stuff (+ lunch) for 1 to 2 miles on a monthly or bi-yearly basis?

I guess I want more of a "work-out" during my shooting experiences.

 

[MrNiceGuy]

When I go shooting, I tend to bring 3-6 guns, ~1,000 rounds of ammo, basic tools, a staple gun, targets, hearing protection, spotting scope, camera, bags to store brass, a snack, something to drink, and a mat or a piece of carpet to lay down on for prone shots. If I was hiking in, I wouldnt be able to bring a fraction of that stuff.

Around here, good shooting spots are abundant within a stones throw of the road. The only real advantage I can think of is that it would be harder for random people to interrupt if I hiked in. On that same note, you also risk wandering into a pot grow.

 

[drew]

To me this is an integral part of the hiking aspect, as being able to carry all ammo + weapons towards x or y shooting area would be good for the body.

How often does one carry 10-30 pounds of stuff (+ lunch) for 1 to 2 miles on a monthly or bi-yearly basis?

I guess I want more of a "work-out" during my shooting experiences.

Not only the weight. Carrying a number of rifles is a challenge. 10 lbs is not much weight. A rifle and pistol can weigh that much unloaded. I walk around with a backpack containing a laptop and other items that weigh over 10 lbs for a mile or so and don't notice the weight.

 

[The B]

no.. i pay good money to shoot at a nice clean facility and pack in all my heavy *** ammo, targets, props, gear, etc, etc. i like to get out, pin up, load up, and blast.

but i do get out with my guns hunting and hiking- i'm just generally not doing a lot of shooting.

 

[MrNiceGuy]

It cracks me up when I see/hear people with an 80lbs BOB.

That's right about where mine is when fully loaded.

Last hike I took with it was at ~74lbs. My 5200ci pack was LOADED with things dangling off of it. We hiked in 6 miles and up 2,500ft in elevation. Right up to the snow line. I had to move quite a bit of snow to lay down my tarp. We camped for three nights and came back. I'm in absolutely horrible shape and was sore the day after I got home, but I know it's more than doable now.

It's a good hike and a great place to camp if anyone is interested.
Happy Lake (in Lane County, OR)

 

[jyerxa]

On that same note, you also risk wandering into a pot grow.

Um, yeah.............. That is why you need an additional 30 lbs in your pack. The Necessary ammo.

 

[The B]

That's right about where mine is when fully loaded.

Last hike I took with it was at ~74lbs. My 5200ci pack was LOADED with things dangling off of it. We hiked in 6 miles and up 2,500ft in elevation. Right up to the snow line. I had to move quite a bit of snow to lay down my tarp. We camped for three nights and came back. I'm in absolutely horrible shape and was sore the day after I got home, but I know it's more than doable now.

It's a good hike and a great place to camp if anyone is interested.
Happy Lake (in Lane County, OR)

trail?

i used to spend a lot of time just north of there on the other side of 58, about 8, 9 years ago in the Waldo. i loved it... one of the few wilderness forest areas in western oregon where you can travel off-trail with any degree of efficiency.

 

[i8asquirrel]

ASP: you should join the Infantry we used to hike and shoot alot....

Yes I walkin to some shooting sites but mostly I ride my lazy ars on my ATV to my favorite remote areas!

 

[sadiesassy]

I use to like hiking into the Superstition Mountains and hunting quail .
Hike in - shoot quail for dinner come out the next day.
Lots of fun to just hike in and shoot a 22.
It is just extra weight to carry.
You may be surprized how many people you find when you start shooting ( So be careful)
Also carry out everything you brought in.

 

[cwegga]

Yeah, my normal place is a little bit of a hike. Maybe a 3/4-1 mile. The weight shouldn't be too much of a problem unless you plan to be shooting for 5 hours straight or something. The real limit to what you can carry is number of rifles and target stands. Basically anything that is big/awkward shaped can be trouble. You only have so many hands after all. If you want to mostly shoot handguns hiking in is easy breezy though.

 

[RallySoob]

I hike around with my dog, AR15 and pistol frequently. Usually not doing alot of target shooting but more of looking for something legal to shoot like a rabbit, certain birds or a coyote maybe. also have a cougar tag. I use small/medium size backpack, carry 4 spare 30rnd mags and 3 13rnd .45 mags. granola, jerky and plenty of water. and some small things just in case like means to make a fire and a survival knife. I usually end up hiking about 5-10miles, do some shooting when I find something that makes a good legal target and then head back with a few empty mags. Thats been my routine for the past couple months lately. My dog loves it and my shoulders are getting used to the slung weight of my AR15 on long hikes

 

[The B]

I hike around with my dog, AR15 and pistol frequently. Usually not doing alot of target shooting but more of looking for something legal to shoot like a rabbit, certain birds or a coyote maybe. also have a cougar tag. I use small/medium size backpack, carry 4 spare 30rnd mags and 3 13rnd .45 mags. granola, jerky and plenty of water. and some small things just in case like means to make a fire and a survival knife. I usually end up hiking about 5-10miles, do some shooting when I find something that makes a good legal target and then head back with a few empty mags. Thats been my routine for the past couple months lately. My dog loves it and my shoulders are getting used to the slung weight of my AR15 on long hikes

nothing like still hunting with an AR to make you appreciate weight savings... my hunting AR has gone through a pretty radical evolution over the last couple years.

 

[RallySoob]

nothing like still hunting with an AR to make you appreciate weight savings... my hunting AR has gone through a pretty radical evolution over the last couple years.

mine too... Started out with a heavy rig, now I'm all for being as light as possible while still having some accuracy. I can remember having serious shoulder pains after toting around a heavy rig out in the bush for hours. climbing obstacles was a major pita. Now, I even use 20rnd mags when I'm walking really far...it helps

 

[WIRED tactical]

Im planning on doing a multiday hike on the Pacific Crest trail starting from Stevens Pass this summer. Im hoping I can get a hold of a Henry survival rifle to throw in my pack and do some target shooting or varmit hunting once I get away from the trail. If I cant get one of those im planning on slinging my Mossberg .22, although Id rather not due to the weight.

 

[The B]

mine too... Started out with a heavy rig, now I'm all for being as light as possible while still having some accuracy. I can remember having serious shoulder pains after toting around a heavy rig out in the bush for hours. climbing obstacles was a major pita. Now, I even use 20rnd mags when I'm walking really far...it helps

i finally just came to the conclusion that there's a HUGE difference between a "precision" gun and a practical field gun. having been in the military, i just assumed that heavy was OK and thats just the way it is... but the fact of the matter is, i'm not in the military anymore, and a lot of the bubblegum a DM needs in theater, i don't when hunting. ditched the BUIS, swapped out the 11" railed larue for a vtac tube, dropped the light, dropped the bipod (actually did that pretty much right away), went from a "balanced" heavy stock to a lightweight stock (balance doesn't help after 12 hours of vertical gain), went from a QD optic mount to skeletonized aluminum rings, dropped the MUR and went to a slick side receiver, shaved the gas block, and am now considering chopping the 18" midlength barrel to 16", and maybe even profiling it.

i'm not sure of exact weights, but it'd guess i've shaved off about 3-4lbs... huge difference. and if i'm gonna be straight brush hunting with maximum range to 50m, i'll ditch the hunting gun entirely and grab a 10.5" SBR with C3. nosler is putting out some REALLY good SPs that perform beautifully out of SBRs right now.

 

[RallySoob]

sounds like you went really light! I love me my billet receivers and UBR...nothing better than a tight fitting set of receivers mated with a solid stock. shoots like a BMW vs a honda civic. Solid action w/ no "ping" in the recoil. love it. UBR's built-in buffer tube really makes a difference and it has 0 play. I thought about going back to a CTR but I just can't do it...rather tote around the extra half pound or whatever it is

 

[Bunny]

I do do sometimes, for the extra exercise. Really helps for later in the colder months when you might have to park further down/back and walk in the snow or when roadways are less than ideal to drive on.