If you' re looking for a rifle like the Weatherby Ultra Light that weighs 5 lbs., I think the 7mm STW is going to hurt you real bad. I don' t think the .270 Wby Mag will be a picnic in a rifle that light, but it should be manageable.

If your personal range limit is 400 yards, the .270 Wby will do everything the STW will out to that range, and it will do it with less recoil.

The recoil numbers on the .270 WSM are about the same as the Weatherby number, and its performance is only slightly less...about the same difference that exists between the .270 Wby and the 7mm STW. It may be an easier cartridge to handload, however I don' t have any experience with the new shorter cases.

If you want a really light rifle, I' d go with the Weatherby Ultra Light in .270 Wby Mag because I know that cartridge will do everything you require. If you don' t mind another pound or two, the Browning Rifle in .270 WSM should perform almost as well out to the ranges you specify, and you can spend the extra money on high-quality glass.

Another option that I consider very viable in a rifle that light is the 6.5x.284. It has ballistics similar to the 6.5-06, the 6.5mm Rem Mag and the .270 Win but kicks a bit less than the other three. And with the awesome sectional density and penetrating ability of 6.5mm bullets--especially the 140gr--it will take any game animal you would ask this rifle to take. In fact, one of the nicest all-around rigs I have ever used is a 5 lb. custom rig in this chambering that has taken a couple of truckloads of deer, elk, antelope and a few other things quite cleanly. Having shot an antelope with it myself, I can tell you that in a rifle that light, it doesn' t kick at all. My buddy who owns it has taken mule deer and elk both beyond 400 yards with this rifle, and they go down hard and die quickly every time.

If forced to give up my .270 Wby Mag, I' d gladly replace it with a 6.5x.284 and a .338-06. I think these two would do everything I would ever need on this continent.