Just a couple of notes. If you intend to hunt with it, a 10-round magazine is going to cause you problems in some states with limits on magazine capacities. I'd check them before you buy.

Ruger lists it at 7 lbs without any optics. That's not exactly a "light" rifle, particularly for a short-action "walker".

They're long out of production now, but look through gunbroker and find yourself a Remington M600 Mohawk in .308. I have one in .243, bought it new in '78. Accurate. Compact. Light.