I shoot everything with the .300 Win Mag. Antelope to elk. I would take it to AK for Griz if I could afford it. I's shoot moose and bison too with no worries if I could draw a tag.

I'm a firm believer in "shoot 'em with a big gun, and you won't have to chase them". BUT! There is a limit to what your shoulder should have to take to achieve this. I believe the .300 WM satisfies all aspects of your search.

Also consider this, the long range balistics for a .338 180gr is identical to the .300 with 180gr. Check it out at Federals sight. They have easy to use and read ballistic info. And, there is more over the counter ammo avail for the .300 than the .338, or any of the other calibers mentioned. If you do roll your own, you know how many 30 caliner bullets there are out there on the market.

I believe the family of short mags is just another way for the gun companies to spice up sales. Other than a shorter action (1/4"?), what's the point?

I firmly believe (cause I've done it) that just about any caliber from .270 on up can and does drop all the big game you have listed. And out here in the west, the two most popular calibers are the 7mm Rem Mag and the .300 WM. Lots of knockdown power, readily variety of ammo, not to tough on the shoulder, all combine to make (for me) the ideal caliber.