I'm enamored with the 35 Whelen and the 9.3x62. The 375 Ruger sounds ideal for ballistics and power, but I'm sure it is out of my comfort range recoil-wise, at least in a gun I'd be willing to carry all day. I'm not a fan of muzzle brakes either, and will never own one. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd likely get the Whelen first!
I'm inheriting a nice Marlin XLR 444 from my dad, and have been excited to carry it after elk in the high timber for a long time. It will be an opportunity to carry another part of him with me. He has had Alzheimer's for some years now, and his days in high mountain meadows are past.
