Depends on if you have Alaska residency.
If not an Alaskan resident (and required to have a guide with back up gun for brown bear), the 30-06 is hard to beat. Those 168 gr Barnes bullets move plenty fast and flat enough and penetrate far above comparable weights of traditional style bullets, and there will always be 220 partitions, even some 240 woodleighs for short range work.
But if you are an Alaskan resident and not required to have a guide; and faced with the possibility of tracking a wounded brown bear through thick brush or want to anchor that 70" moose before it can die in the nearest swamp . . . I'd start considering that -06 case when it's necked up to 338 cal and can launch 225 grains as fast as the 30 cal can launch 180 grains. The 35 Whelen gets even better with heavier (300+gr) bullet options and ability to handload 38/357 pistol bullets for varmint to medium game. Other great options are of course the 338 WM, 350 Rem Mag, 358 Norma, 9.3x62, 375 H&H or Ruger, or the 375-338 Win Mag (Taylor) wildcat.
