For me, I can say I like lighter rifles, but I don't place a lot of importance on lightness.
My lightest hunting rifle is a Lee Speed-"ish" 303 I made on a 1900 Irish action, which weighs only 6 pounds 7 oz. My 6.5X54 Mannlicher is just 7-1/2 pounds, and I hunt with that sometimes too.
My heaviest rifle is an AR15 in 6.8 SPC with full steel free float sleeve and GI handguards, fixed stock and a mid weight barrel it weighs 12 pounds and 11 OZ.
I like them all.
I enjoy hunting with iron sights and so most of my game is killed with lighter guns because with the lack of a scope, mounts and rings, they are just lighter then what many carry.
But I have also killed many head of game with my M1 Garand, (Just last year for the M1 in fact) a few FALs I have owned and a 12 pound 50 caliber Sharps 1874 in the past too. So even shooting with irons I don't always end up with a light rifle.
I hunt with what I will have fun with that day or on that hunt, and don't concern myself with many other details.
I guess if I were pushed to place a figure on top weight I would put 13 pounds as the most I'd use. Not that I can't carry one heavier, but I have no reason to. Most of my scoped bolt actions weight in the 9-10 pound range except for one very light 25-06 I made that comes in at 7 pounds,13 OZ scoped, loaded and with the sling, and 30-06 Scout carbine is also quite light at 8 pounds loaded, scoped and with sling attached.
