I suspect that you are a horse guy from your picture and if the horse gets to carry the rifle instead of you, then you can go with a bigger, heavier rifle. My Wyoming elk shooting buddy likes his .300 WM and another guy who had a .338 WM liked that a lot, but made the mistake of getting a .338 RUM and it was too much of a good thing. I did just fine with my 7# 7mm RM because I had to carry the rifle and the recoil was tolerable from a lighter weight rifle. There is a perfectly good reason why the 7mm RM is as popular a magnum cartridge as it is, it just flat out works. Boring I know, but it will be around next century when nearly no one can remember a Mashburn or STW 7mm. Lots of us rifle loonies are getting gray around the muzzle and not willing to trek up a mountain after an elk any longer. Thus we have some very respectable custom rifles already built up and sitting in the safe just looking for a better home. In your place, I'd be watching the classified sections.
