Have hunted hungarian partridge with my 7 lb 2 oz DARNE 10 gauge, using gaugemate gold chamber reducers to shoot one oz. 12 gauge shells. No problem handling the gun at all.
Now, I'd be reluctant to use my 8-3/4 lb (with its 28" barrels) Lefever C in ten gauge for an extended walk in the grouse fields. But, I used it with the 30 inch barrels (9 lbs or so) for geese on Maryland's Eastern Shore this past weekend, and it handled easily standing up to shoot, including a double on geese. I had taken it out for a round of sporting clays the previous day, using the chamber reducers, and had no trouble getting on the birds despite the weight.
Key is how well the gun balances, with weight between the hands in my limited experience.
Regards, Tim
