Since I mainly hunt wilderness areas, I have been trying to lighten up my pack and rifle. I carry a Kimber Montana in .308. I mounted a Leupold 3x9 ultralight in Talley lightweight rings. I no longer use a sling since most times I have a backpack on and prefer to hand carry my rifle. I bought a scale today to see what it really weighs (5.79 lbs empty) that's not bad for all "off the shelf" components.