Eight pounds limits you a bit in componentry, unless you're going NULA or the like.
The Campfire Rifle is a .300 Winchester Magnum built on a Rem 700 BDL with a 24" Lilja #4, I believe, with a 1" shank. It's in a McMillan Classic at 14" LOP, Talley LW, and a VXIII 2.5-8x36. It's 8.5 pounds with optics, sans cartridges and sling.
If you build this same blueprint and opt a McMillan EDGE of your favorite flavor, you'll make weight. Opt for a 70/77/1999/Mauser, etc., and the action weight goes up.
I'd stick to a 24" barrel, but have no arguments with a 25" if you prefer it. I like the shorter barrel because of balance, portability, and (in theory) an edge in accuracy potential due to increased stiffness. 50 ft/sec means little to me either way.
In terms of caliber, I'm a .300 Winchester fan, but have nothing but respect for the Weatherby. It's a classic cartridge, truly an "all-around," and certainly has BTDT.
My only thoughts would be to opt for SAAMI specs � full Wby freebore � so factory fodder is not an issue. Factory Wby ammo has a reputation (which I have corroborated) of being hot, and stuffing it into a short-throated rifle isn't something I'd want to accidentally do.
The Campfire Rifle in an EDGE would do the trick.
Rick
PS: An eight-pound .300 WinMag or Roy is going to get your attention when you touch her off. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
