I found an error in my scale when I first weighed this rifle. No wonder it felt lighter. It actually weighs 7 lbs 11 ounces. (not 11 lbs 1 oz) And loaded it weighs 7 lbs 15 oz. (not 11 lbs 5 oz) Even though this rifle only weighs about 8 pounds, its' superb balance, recoil is very tolerable. Tested loads of 2,000 fps with a 400g bullets have a felt recoil of about as much as a 300 Win Mag. This one is really a lot of fun to shoot.