My main hunting rifle is my .30-06 with a scope and it weights a total of 7.5 lbs. I used to have a heavier magnum and found it a pain to carry due to the weight and longer length getting hung up. If you're walking a few hundred yards to your tree stand any gun will work, heavy or not. I'll walk/stalk sometimes 6 miles in a day and have found the longer you are out there and the further you walk, the lighter you'll want your rifle. This all holds especially true in elk country. Elk are generally found above 7,000 ft., in rough, steep country and you'll feel every ounce. Years ago when I just starting hunting elk I read some books by Jim Zumbo and he mention the importance of paying attention to the weight and length of a rifle. After hunting elk for a few years I came to the same conculsion.