I went Whelen. I am seriously enamored by the 35 cals, for some reason. After working up many loads that would be quite effective for elk and bigger, using cast and jacketed bullets from 200 to 315 grains, I don't think there is even a hair's difference between a Whelen and its metric cousin. If I needed to own another 30+ cal, it would likely be a 45 cal something. I'm sure the Whelen would do anything I would need or want to do on any continent I found myself on (likely just North America, but a guy can dream). To outdo it in ability to kill really big things at hunting ranges, I suspect one would need to step up quite a ways in powder capacity and bore diameter.
