Never had a need for more than the .30-06, so far. And anything I have done with the ‘06 could have been done with the Creedmoor, too. I don’t spend much time stopping grizzly charges. But the ‘06 will do things the Creedmoor won’t, especially if one handloads. You may not ever need more than the Creedmoor. It will kill elk of any flavor with solid hits and reasonable ranges. But if you do need more than the Creedmoor, there is a very good chance the .30-06 will be all you need.
There is nothing that walks that wasn’t killed before magnum cartridges existed, and a whole lot of it takes a lot of money and effort to ever get within shooting distance of. Some guys buy “Africa rifles” who will never see Africa. Some buy elk rifles and will never hunt elk. Most who buy a rifle based on potential bear encounters will never even have a bear encounter, much less use that rifle to stop a charge.
Buy the rifle you want, in the chambering you want, for the purpose you will use it for, not for things you could possibly use it for someday, if you got rich or went native in Alaska. if either of those things happen, chances are you will find the resources to get whatever rifle you need. Until then, get something you enjoy and find useful now.
