both of my guns are in the 8 to 10 pound range as they are so weight is really not a factor for me most of my hunting is done out of a treestand over fields. i do have a harris bi pod on my 300 win mag. the 300 is primarily used for elk and mule deer out west and the 270 wsm is used for deer and coyote. i live in tennessee but hunt all over the place. the main purpose for the upgrade is accuracy. i just enjoy shooting accurate rifles and i guess that is the real reason...