FWIW a large percentage of rifles used in NZ now are plastic stocked, more often than not stainless, and with moderators fitted with a camo neoprene cover or wrapped barrel and all in camo tape and then a bipod attached.

After years of toting a nice all wood and steel 10lb Schultz and Larsen rifle around the hills I too now use a modern short action plastic stocked rifle weighing about 6.5lb all up (22" barreled Marlin 7mm-08). Have a bipod but usually keep it in the day pack and mostly just use on the range. Don't have a moderator but have shot rifles with them and they sure make a rifle pleasant to use and don't scare game the same as the boomers do. My hearing has already been stuffed from too many years of shooting big boomers so I give all praise to shooters using moderators.

Traditional? who cares, the cheap Marlin is as accurate as any other rifle I've owned or shot, gives 2900fps with the usual 140gr bullet most often used in the 7mm-08, doesn't matter if it is raining and if I drop it in a river or down a mountain, a few hundred bucks gets another.

While I appreciate fine rifles I'm afraid tradionallity makes way for practicality in the field for me now, except for my Type A Mauser 404 Jeffery, gotta be something I cling to.