Timber338----great question and I can't believe that I have missed this thread.
As you know, there are so many tradeoffs between carry versus shoot. Backpack hunting is mostly what I do now and I've had a heavy rifle and I've had a lightweight rifle. I had a 280 Ackley that weighed in at 6 pounds complete field carry. I HATED it---too whippy and it just did not "feel good." I've gone the other way but not too heavy at 11 or so pounds and that was okay but not great although all my rifles are shooters---if they weren't, I wouldn't be carrying them.
I have, as you are, always been looking for the holy grail of lightweight, accurate backpacking specific rifles. It just really depends on what you want to put up with.
All that being said, I have made a personal goal of having said rifle and accessories to come in at "around" 8 pounds. You get a "feel good" rifle that can be superbly accurate. It also depends on what you are going after. I still maintain that elk are just tough and a bigger bullet and caliber is more to my liking.
I also have a lightweight custom shop Remington 700 KS mountain rifle in 338 ultra that I put a mercury recoil reducer in the stock to ADD weight. Rifle with the reducer weighs 7 pounds.
If I had to pick (that is a horrible thought) one of my rifles that I go to for keeping the weight down, I'd have to pick my 6.5 saum which weighs in a 8 pounds complete. Superb deer cartridge and okay for elk although at times I wish I had my 338 or 300 winny.
I've run all sorts of scopes and my longest range "backpacking" kill was a muley buck at 762 yards with a 10 pound 300 win mag sporting a huskemaw 4-12 scope.
One of the scopes I am looking at getting which is a tad bit heavy although not too bad and it will fit in my criteria is this:
Bushnell - LRHS 4.5-18x 44mm
It's got good reviews and has a MOA reticle.
Another really good option is the Leupold VX 3 in the 4.5 x 14 or the 20 power with their MOA reticle. They are lightweight and would fit your needs especially with the MOA reticle.
There. That's all clear as mud.......................
Randy
