My first one was a .308 with a #1 22" barrel. With a Leupold 6x scope, total weight is under 6 lbs. It took a little getting used to shooting off the bench, but it's very accurate and balances well. The barrel is not "whippy" and I've taken three bull elk with it, one at a little over 300 yards.
I can't see any advantage to a #2 barrel unless you want just a hair more weight for a cartridge that kicks. I have a #3 26" barrel on my Model 28 in 7x61 Sharpe & Hart for that reason.
