For about the first 10 years that I hunted, my only rifle was a .30-06 Herter's U-9 that I put together in 1967. I used it for all of my mule deer, pronghorn antelope, and elk hunting. It weighed right at 10 pounds.
In 1977 I had that .30-06 re-chambered to .30 Gibbs. For the next 20 or so years It was my primary elk rifle that I also carried on 2 DIY Shiras moose hunts, 2 solo DIY mountain goat hunts, and on a DIY Alaskan caribou hunt. It still weighs 10 pounds.
Also in 1977 I built a .257 Ackley Improved on a Mauser Mark X action. It still is my primary deer and antelope rifle, and I also carried it on about a dozen DIY bighorn sheep hunts in various Montana unlimited sheep units, including one solo back pack hunt where I didn't see any rams, but I couldn't resist a white tipped dark antlered 330" 6 x 6 bull elk that walked by me on the last day. A 117 grain Sierra GameKing instantly dropped him. I also used this rifle on a back pack hunt in Canada's Mackenzie mountains for a Dall sheep, mountain caribou, and a wolverine. This rifle also weighs 10 pounds.
For the last 8 or so years, I have a stainless steel/Tupperware stocked Rem 700 in 7 mm RM that is my foul weather "everything" rifle. I've used this rifle, with 160 grain Accubond bullets, for deer, antelope, elk, and on two Canadian caribou and a Muskox hunts. It weighs 9 1/2 pounds.
My favorite rifle now is my .300 Weatherby Vanguard. It's blued and I stocked it in AA Fancy walnut. Its my primary elk rifle, and I've also used it on five international hunts, including probably my hardest backpack ever hunt, for Dagestan Tur in Azerbaijan. Loaded and with its sling, it weighs 10 1/4 pounds.
