There are lots of good short action caliber choices but picking one depends on what game animal your going for. My personal preference for most deer sized animals would be the 7mm-08 and if you handload with a premium bullet like the Barnes X or Nosler Partition then it should be quite good at just about every animal in the lower 48, might be a little light for elk, and most in Alaska as well with the exception of Brown Bear, Polar Bear, or Moose. Another good choice if you want a bigger cartridge would be the 350 Rem. Mag. but rifles in that cartridge can be hard to find. Other good choices for deer sized animals would be the 308 Win., 260 Rem., 6.5x55mm Swedish, etc. You might also look at all of the new short magnums that Winchester and Remington have been coming out with in the last few years.