I carry an 11+ pound rifle on sheep hunts. It gets old, no doubt but I manage.
Everytime I look into a lighter rifle for those hunts I start adding up options and realize that for what I want (longer range(ish) and solid scope, decent cartridge size since griz are always on the menu, etc.) it always ends up being not terribly lighter than what I currently have. I always just realize that I can deal with what I have.
I had made up my mind to get the Christensen Arms Summit in 7mm Mag that Sasha and Abby has for sale here, but after adding up the weight for a good Arken or similar scope and an Atlas bipod it honestly was only a pound or so lighter. I have grown to really like a bipod vs resting over my pack for longer range shots, though it does add weight and makes the rifle unbalanced—-but I make it work.
