Lighter is good to a point ....Just put your Whelen in a lightweight synthetic stock , my ruger M77 35 Whelen weighs 7.25lbs scoped , light enough for any hunt and with a 225gr@2700... No need for anything else ....
My Whelen weighs 7lb 2oz (23" bbl with 2.5-8) and is a handful at the bench with 250gr full house loads. I had thought about a shorter bbl and lighter scope to reduce weight but have decided against that after a couple outings. Came home from the range on Friday with a headache after firing 30x.




















































