Having carried a BSA CF2 around the hills since I was 16, - often wearing steelcap workboots and all sorts of other heavy as crap gear - I brought myself a new Tikka in 7-08 for my 45th birthday, 10 years back. Barrel to 20 inches, but a crown issue led to another inch chopped off. Suppressor, 2 - 10 Grandslam scope, used to have a bipod on it but don't use that much any more, weighs 3.35kg. I think the CF2 was about 4.5kg, so 1.15 kg saved there and another 2kg saved by ditching the steepcaps.....Unfortunately my weight had tracked that of the average All Black over those years (for different reasons) so I'd gone from 92kg to 108kg... I'm battling to save the 16kg from my gear.... Might have to cut out more donuts. Down to 101kg now.
Mainly used in the bush, shots to 300m every now and then. Hence not really thought about a brake, as my understanding is that you need hearing protection on with most brakes? But they are lighter and reduce recoil better than suppressor.
Thinking about the advances in gear in the last 20 years, pretty amazing really. The idea of a 3.2kg rifle easily capable of MOA, was fantasy or $20k in 1990.....Maybe the biggest advances are in clothing though?
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