I think the answer depends heavily upon what 'general purpose' means to you. I have a handful of bolt guns in varying calibers and profiles. They are all very different in terms of weight and performance.
Bull barrels are great. I love mine... and the ridiculous accuracy and recoil mitigation are nice, but carrying a 13 pound rifle for a couple of miles is a very specific type of punishment, especially in the snow.
At the same time, I shot a super light, beautiful .338 Win Mag that was a dream to carry, exactly 2 times. The second shot felt like I had just been hit with a mallet.
Do you have a specific caliber in mind... and what are you going to/want to be doing with it?
Bull barrels are great. I love mine... and the ridiculous accuracy and recoil mitigation are nice, but carrying a 13 pound rifle for a couple of miles is a very specific type of punishment, especially in the snow.
At the same time, I shot a super light, beautiful .338 Win Mag that was a dream to carry, exactly 2 times. The second shot felt like I had just been hit with a mallet.
Do you have a specific caliber in mind... and what are you going to/want to be doing with it?