Kutenay, your argument is right for you, in your BC mountains and perhaps elsewhere, but the validity will wax and wane with the particular area a hunter finds himself. In many areas further north, in the great expanses of open tundra, grizzly density is low and arming oneself for a chance, unexpected encounter while sheep hunting seems counterproductive, to me.
But, for example, hunting the Kuskokwim river drainage one year for caribou, we knew we'd be seeing brownies every day so I carried my 340 and it comforted me.
Arguable also is whether a 270-30/06 loaded with any of the premiums wouldn't do acceptable, decisive service on a much smaller mountain grizzly should that rumble actually have to occur.
You are dead to right concerning personal weight and fitness as the Ace in the deck. It all starts there but my point is, assuming THAT is true, I hence don't become careless about the weight of my other gear, not insinuating you are, but still striving for me, an acceptable weight to proficiency ratio with everything I have to carry.
So to the point of the thread, it would be my 6.25 lb Z3 scoped 284 with 150-gr TTSXs at 2900 fps. This bullet/load at 100 yds will penetrate five feet of flesh and bone. I know this.
