bcraig,
The Ruger M77 MkII is a relatively lightweight rifle of high quality. It's about the lightest 30-06 I would want. I won't trade mine. A 6-pound 30-06 shooting 180 grain bullets slaps a shooter pretty hard. If you want a lightweight rifle, I suggest you get it in a lighter caliber, like 260, 7-08, or 6.5x55.
An excellent lightweight 30-06 is the Weatherby MkV Ultra-Light. Very good rifle that weighs 5-3/4 lbs bare, but the stock design mitigates recoil to a great degree.
