Ripp, I have to say that whether a rifle costs 1 or 10 grand shouldn't be a factor ..if the hunter is a competent person,good hunting skills are far more important than the worth of a firearm imo.I see blokes with the "best you can get" out in the field that are hopeless with the actual hunting/shooting side of trophy chasing.
Now my 30+ year old Mod 70 7mm RM imo would be "just the gun" for me on such a hunt.I paid $320 for it and its worth about that still ha ha.

Since the comment was mine I will elaborate. I don't see the point in limiting the rifle budget, especially since the author is shooting for light weight. As with many things that goal costs money. Yes you can shoot a sheep with most anything but if you want to keep the weight down as you pack into the mountains you will have to pay for the privilege.