Exactly! If you get a rifle to light it could adversely affect one's ability to shoot it well. You need a little weight in your hand to shoot well, especially if the shot is off hand. Light is all fine and dandy for lugging around in the mountains but it isn't worth much anywhere else. My lightest rifle is a 270 win with a Luepold VX series on top of it. It comes in just under 8lbs total package. I barely even know it is there when hunting with it. A 7-8 lbs rifle or bow for that matter, is just about perfect for hunting purposes and maintaining the average shooters ability to shoot it well. Anything less and you begin to give up things that could really matter when the time comes to make the shot count. Just my opinion!
As far as a sub 23oz LRH scope goes that my be a stretch for the simple fact every feature you add adds weight and if you build it to light it may lack durability, something that is crucial for mountain hunting.
My option for a scope compromise, if weight is the crucial determining factor, would be one of the Luepold VX 5 or 6 series scopes. They have a few options that come close.
