A thought about balance and motivation… Lots of folks can’t effectively shoot a featherweight rifle but just as many won’t go the distance up the next hill to check for blood if they didn’t see a “solid hit” or a DRT. Chalking it up to a miss that was obviously the fault of some other influence that all to often results in scavenger bait.
Shoot a rifle that you can carry/fits you and have the stamina/balance to get yourself up the hill then over the next hill to verify your shot…
I personally am far more effective past 250 yards with my 7lb.30-06 than I am with my 5.5lb .308
I decided not to mention shootability in order to keep the conversation centered on the original post, but you make some good points. For me a 6.75lb "all up" (scoped w/ sling and rounds) rifle with a weight forward balance is ideal. I'd call that a "lightweight," not an "Ultra-lightweight." My Kimber 84M MT's are both going to get rebarelled with the modified Lilja 84M contour that finishes at .620" at the muzzle. For me that's the right compromise between packability and shootability. That's the sort of thing only time and experience can teach you, and others will find a different answer undoubtedly.
“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
