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Posting this per a phone conversation and at the same time maybe it will save other a few $ experimenting. Maybe others will add why I am messed up, or have better suggestions.
Let me start by clarifying, this quick post is only meant to address the carrying a gun with a backpack for hunting or a match where you "need" to carry more than the just gun, were weight is an issue and where you might/will need your rifle several times as you move. I am not going to address sling types such as a Biathlon sling vrs a tradition 2pt or 3pt sling. I'll just assume you're going to need a good quality sling to enhance your shooting one way or the other.
With that in mind, we know we are going to have a slung system and need a pack to carry at least the ammo, water, food, ballistic and material tools, LRF, spotter etc.
So the real question is do we NEED to add more weight and put our gun into a heavy padded scabbard integrated into a backpack?
Also once this type of pack is fully packed/loaded, getting the gun in and out is a PITA. The last thing you want in a match is to struggle with getting your weapon system in and out of an integrated pack with scabbard, gassing yourself, rushing and slowing down your squad, or holding up the group behind because you're fiddling with your heavy tactica-cool backpackpack. I'm not too proud to admit, I've been "that guy" as well as responsible for squads when someone else is "that guy" - it sucks on both ends.
I've seen many people do much the same I have done, buying multiple things only to end up worse than where you started.
Usually, when I hear or read someone recommending an integrated scabbard backpack to someone who has a heavy rifle system and is already concerned about it's weight, it is something like the GSII family of backpacks. Usually these recommendations seem poorly matched if the intended use is as outlined above. This has to be because they haven't actually participated using it in one of these moving stage matches or on a long grueling hunt, yet the recommendations for them flow freely. The internet is a funny place..
The top two in this picture are two of the most common gun carrying packs you'll see recommended - these are no longer in my quiver of packs, it is an older picture.
Not all packs are worth the weight in my opinion. The Eberlestock packs shown with integrated padded scabbard empty, the Low Drag weighs about 6+ with low carrying capacity, or the GS II @ 9+ with a tiny bit more of capacity. Neither are good for hunting, with low capacity and without a game or load shelf or a good load suspension system. They're also very difficult to get the gun in and out when the pack is fully loaded.
The Stikas at the bottom are very inexpensive, small, carry everything you need for a day match, super fast on and off and don't interfere if you're shooting with them on. But of course are fairly small for hunting and do not carry heavy weight. For a Match I prefer something like Stika. Here are the Stikas loaded for a match, with 100 rounds, water, food, lens cleaning, full rain gear, FA, tools and cleaning rods, complete dope gear, LRF, spotter, Bipod extenders, extra mags, rear bad and they still have room.
For matches you will need to take your gear on and off a lot! The ease and speed of doing so certainly make a huge difference.
Note it is easy to shoot without even removing my pack because the shoulders are not covered with the straps. See how the pack only has a cross chest single strap, leaving my shooting shoulder free. Inside images of the pack further down the thread.
For hunting you generally need some volume to carry gear and with a well thought-out load carrying system to carry animal parts out.
Kuiu Icon is my favorite light weight Hunting Backpack. The #1 concern is how the waist system and frame systems hold heavy loads. Then I look at weight vrs load capacity. Like the Kifaru and MR they with interchangeable bags and harness sizes, but the complete pack, is just over 4lbs with the carbon fiber frame, 3200ci storage, easy access side gun cradle, place for your tripod, plus a load-shelf this one works for me.
The Load-Shelf is an expandable section that detects the main pack body revealing a sling or cradle that lets you put parts of your animal between the gram and the pack, up to about 150lbs or so in it and since the pack section back to tightly hold all in place. You’ll find these on several top shelf hunting packs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nATIEvbx2VA
Here is a magnum in KUIU gun carrier. You can self-remove the gun quietly without removing the pack by reaching back and releasing the top clip. When stowed this allows me to use both hands plus the heavy gun is on the load system. That said, I switch to the sling if I am thinking shots might be present anyway. Damn my hair is turning gray!
This is my 2nd of these and fairly new still. You can see the Carbon Fiber Frame.
Here is the light weight gun sling (it is from KUIU and of course a marketing piece) https://youtu.be/9ASUbWfFCzI
Note that I have seen guys use similar as well as these with their barrels pointing at an such an angle that would be very dangerous, as in the barrel pointing at the guys head you're following or that is following you.
I guess lastly, why carry a heavy barreled gun hunting? For me, when hunting long range, I feel better shooting a gun I can self-spot. Others might because they want to hunt with their match gun. My son is standing at our firing position for the pig we shot in the center of the meadow under the oak tree. At that distance, I want something rock solid.
In addition to the 4Lbs KUIU, Kifaru, Mystery Ranch, Sitka, Eberlestock without the integrated scabbard, all are a bit heavier but offer some good stuff if hunting is the main objective.
To recap: The point was to illustrate that you need to distinctly different packs for the most part.. Although, I have blood on my match ruck. Both benefit from saving weight. Think seriously about NOT getting something with an integrated scabbard.
Hope this helps- anyone with better suggestions feel free to chime in
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk edited for clarity - I hope.
Let me start by clarifying, this quick post is only meant to address the carrying a gun with a backpack for hunting or a match where you "need" to carry more than the just gun, were weight is an issue and where you might/will need your rifle several times as you move. I am not going to address sling types such as a Biathlon sling vrs a tradition 2pt or 3pt sling. I'll just assume you're going to need a good quality sling to enhance your shooting one way or the other.
With that in mind, we know we are going to have a slung system and need a pack to carry at least the ammo, water, food, ballistic and material tools, LRF, spotter etc.
So the real question is do we NEED to add more weight and put our gun into a heavy padded scabbard integrated into a backpack?
Also once this type of pack is fully packed/loaded, getting the gun in and out is a PITA. The last thing you want in a match is to struggle with getting your weapon system in and out of an integrated pack with scabbard, gassing yourself, rushing and slowing down your squad, or holding up the group behind because you're fiddling with your heavy tactica-cool backpackpack. I'm not too proud to admit, I've been "that guy" as well as responsible for squads when someone else is "that guy" - it sucks on both ends.
I've seen many people do much the same I have done, buying multiple things only to end up worse than where you started.
Usually, when I hear or read someone recommending an integrated scabbard backpack to someone who has a heavy rifle system and is already concerned about it's weight, it is something like the GSII family of backpacks. Usually these recommendations seem poorly matched if the intended use is as outlined above. This has to be because they haven't actually participated using it in one of these moving stage matches or on a long grueling hunt, yet the recommendations for them flow freely. The internet is a funny place..
The top two in this picture are two of the most common gun carrying packs you'll see recommended - these are no longer in my quiver of packs, it is an older picture.
Not all packs are worth the weight in my opinion. The Eberlestock packs shown with integrated padded scabbard empty, the Low Drag weighs about 6+ with low carrying capacity, or the GS II @ 9+ with a tiny bit more of capacity. Neither are good for hunting, with low capacity and without a game or load shelf or a good load suspension system. They're also very difficult to get the gun in and out when the pack is fully loaded.
The Stikas at the bottom are very inexpensive, small, carry everything you need for a day match, super fast on and off and don't interfere if you're shooting with them on. But of course are fairly small for hunting and do not carry heavy weight. For a Match I prefer something like Stika. Here are the Stikas loaded for a match, with 100 rounds, water, food, lens cleaning, full rain gear, FA, tools and cleaning rods, complete dope gear, LRF, spotter, Bipod extenders, extra mags, rear bad and they still have room.
For matches you will need to take your gear on and off a lot! The ease and speed of doing so certainly make a huge difference.
Note it is easy to shoot without even removing my pack because the shoulders are not covered with the straps. See how the pack only has a cross chest single strap, leaving my shooting shoulder free. Inside images of the pack further down the thread.
For hunting you generally need some volume to carry gear and with a well thought-out load carrying system to carry animal parts out.
Kuiu Icon is my favorite light weight Hunting Backpack. The #1 concern is how the waist system and frame systems hold heavy loads. Then I look at weight vrs load capacity. Like the Kifaru and MR they with interchangeable bags and harness sizes, but the complete pack, is just over 4lbs with the carbon fiber frame, 3200ci storage, easy access side gun cradle, place for your tripod, plus a load-shelf this one works for me.
The Load-Shelf is an expandable section that detects the main pack body revealing a sling or cradle that lets you put parts of your animal between the gram and the pack, up to about 150lbs or so in it and since the pack section back to tightly hold all in place. You’ll find these on several top shelf hunting packs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nATIEvbx2VA
Here is a magnum in KUIU gun carrier. You can self-remove the gun quietly without removing the pack by reaching back and releasing the top clip. When stowed this allows me to use both hands plus the heavy gun is on the load system. That said, I switch to the sling if I am thinking shots might be present anyway. Damn my hair is turning gray!
This is my 2nd of these and fairly new still. You can see the Carbon Fiber Frame.
Here is the light weight gun sling (it is from KUIU and of course a marketing piece) https://youtu.be/9ASUbWfFCzI
Note that I have seen guys use similar as well as these with their barrels pointing at an such an angle that would be very dangerous, as in the barrel pointing at the guys head you're following or that is following you.
I guess lastly, why carry a heavy barreled gun hunting? For me, when hunting long range, I feel better shooting a gun I can self-spot. Others might because they want to hunt with their match gun. My son is standing at our firing position for the pig we shot in the center of the meadow under the oak tree. At that distance, I want something rock solid.
In addition to the 4Lbs KUIU, Kifaru, Mystery Ranch, Sitka, Eberlestock without the integrated scabbard, all are a bit heavier but offer some good stuff if hunting is the main objective.
To recap: The point was to illustrate that you need to distinctly different packs for the most part.. Although, I have blood on my match ruck. Both benefit from saving weight. Think seriously about NOT getting something with an integrated scabbard.
Hope this helps- anyone with better suggestions feel free to chime in
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk edited for clarity - I hope.
ˈrəkˌsak,ˈro͝okˌsak/ can you get big red attached? kidding.. ya, I probably have been close to being banned here too, I write in a weird way (other than a ton of miss spellings) than seems often to come across wrong. I hear my tone in my head, but it rarely seems to translate to the post correctly or at least how I want it to.
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