I adopted the philosophy a long time ago that every shot at a BG animal is the shot of a lifetime because once you pull the trigger, you can never call the shot back. So I don't treat a hard to draw tag any different from a whitetail in the back 40.
Plus I don't like over thinking these things....gives you heartburn and keeps you awake at night.
If I did not plan on shooting any further than 600 yards (that's it for me) my choice in the 7 Rem mag would be a 160 gr Partition in 7mm....on that sized game if I plant it on the shoulder I know he's going to fold like a rag doll and the cape will be in good shape....and if he presents something of a long angling shot the bullet will make it to the boiler room. Few things are as predictable, and reliable when it comes to killing.
A pal who used to post here has taken all species of North American game three times...that's three Grand Slams of sheep so he has more experience on lifetime shots than most of us could imagine.All this was done with Nosler Partitions and Bitterroot bonded cores.
He seems to be working on round #4 and has been doing it the last 4 years with a 7mm Mashburn and 175 gr TBBC,including a record book desert ram in Sonora last January. I'd grab the Partition myself out of long familiarity. A guy should shoot what he knows and has confidence in.
I certainly would not be experimenting. Once in a lifetime shots occur....uh....once in a lifetime.
