CAelknuts

I think that the caliber should be matched to the game, and the circumstances. If you're on a guided grizzly hunt, you don't really need that big of a rilfe, as long as your guide has a capable back up gun. Of course, that's assuming your guide is capable in a pinch himself. I once shot a grizzly in British Columbia with a .300 Win Mag, which I think is an excellent caliber for grizzlies, and when we went looking for the bear, my guide ran away when the bear stood up as we approached it. He didn't have a rifle of his own at all, and insisted that he carry my rifle when we went looking for the wounded bear. I mistakenly let him carry it. Once we got safely away from the bear, which was badly wounded and didn't come after us, I took the gun away from the guide and went back and finished the bear.

I believe that in most circumstances, something shooting a bigger and heavier bullet is better on large game such as grizzlies, elk and moose; than a faster and smaller caliber. I think most experienced guides would also agree with that. Personally, I think a .30-06 would be fine for 95% of the situations on all but Brown Bears, and even would be OK most of the time hunting them. The problem is, sometimes you should be carrying a caliber that can handle the other 5% of the time.

Personally, when hunting any large or potentially dangerousgame with a rifle, I'm carrying my .338 win mag loaded with 225 grain quality bullets. I've shot that rifle for 23 years with excellent results. When you hit something in the right spot with a .338 using quality bullets, you don't have issues to resolve afterward. Of course, not everyone can handle the recoil of a .338 win mag. I think the .338 Federal would be an excellent choice for those hunters who need a larger caliber, but are recoil sensitive.