Charge of the light brigade

I was two-thirds the way up ‘the Ben’ and puffing some when my companion started. “You should get a lighter rifle, like mine,” he said. At that moment any rifle would have been too heavy, but I refrained from replying that maybe the 40-year difference in our ages ought to be taken into account. At 2,000ft above sea level I let it pass and, as soon as my heart rate slowed down, continued to climb, carrying my old rifle quite comfortably over my shoulder.

Stalking with a younger generation, as I do, I recognise a persisting interest in lighter rifles. My young friend Jason over in New Zealand has not just changed to lighter mountain rifles but has swapped his huge American scopes, such as those made by Nightforce, for slim, lightweight offerings. Though we have no terrain here that comes near to