True Mike, that rifle there now weighs in at an honest 5.5 pounds. I put my spotter and tripod on the other side of my pack to balance the weight out. I did the strapping the rifle to the pack like you mentioned for years, worked great, only missed out on an easy shot on a black bear due to not being able to access the rifle in time. Otherwise quick access to the rifle has been a non-issue. There we did hear a bear growling/growning in the alders on a hike Becca and I did up near (not in) Denali National Park and it was nice to grab the rifle and jam one in the chamber in one fell swoop, just in case.