I thought the guys who gave me input might want to know how I finally came down. I bought a Rem. 700 Titanium, 7mm 08, Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36, with a custom reticle from Premierreticles, low Al mounts from Talley. My gunsmith will get the gun cryo-treated, lighten the trigger to @2 lb.s and bore sight the scope. Total Wt. without sling will be about 6 1/3 lb.s empty, about 3 lb.s lighter than my next lightest gun, a M 70 with a BOSS in .270. It will take me a couple of weeks but I'm hotted up see what I can do at the range with a rifle as light as a broom handle.
Thanks guys!

Congratulations.

What reticule did you choose? 4a, 4e?

Sound just great. I hope you really enjoy it and it serves you well. Right now drying with it's last coat of polyurethane is my hand whittled, walnut, military Mauser stock painted in American native motif. The badly pitted Modelo 1912 Steyr Austrian action with it's $35.00 7X57 replacement ,Sarco,19" barrel and barrel mounted 2 power BSA scope will be mounted in the stock tomorrow. I'm not sure what it weighs but it is light and because I am a recoil pussy I put a home grown recoil compensator on it.Since it has a long neck and a deep throat I plane to try it out next week with various loads using 174 grain bullets. roger

Chris at Premierreticles recommended 4. 3 fat bars and a crosshair.
I have no experience with the reticles with a spike so I went for the 4.

Two things are obvious from the nature of the Steyr your working on. First, our taste in hunting tools is different. Second, I'd really like to see yours when you finish. I've alway loved the old Steyrs. It's straight pull isn't it? I really appreciate other people's pretty guns, I just can't find the energy to look after one of my own. Enjoy!