I've packed my 14lb+ Lapua on an elk hunt were I was hiking 2000'+ elevation most days for a week. Then shot an elk at 160 yards. Could have packed my 6lb 6.5 creedmoor or 9lb 300 win all week and killed that elk just as well. I didn't mind packing the Lapua around all week because it gave me the confidence that I could shot and kill an elk 400 or 500 yards across a canyon without the limitations the 6.5 creed would cause.