Agree--much different shooting targets vs animals..entirely different..one will use different calibers and bullets depending on what you are shooting ..target or game.. My point is times and things change..bullet construction is one of them..while the old reliable Partition will still do the same job it did 50 years ago, there are other contenders now that will do just as good or better..perfect example is the Barnes Triple X..one can normally go down in bullet weight if you wish given the bullet construction of that bullet allowing for a possible flatter trajectory..metals have changed, with a general acknowledgment it is considerably better now than it was 50-80 years ago, thus barrels are better and last longer..powders are better..and IMHO, for both target or hunting, some calibers now are better as well.

As to "pip-squeak" caliber..if you are referring to a 6.5..pretty sure there are are thousands of moose shot in Europe in the past 100 years that disagree..

My own experience is I have used a 264W Mag shooting 130 gr Nosler Accubonds (which is suppose to be an improved, modern version of the partition) --shot my first bull elk with it about 10 minutes into the season at a little over 400 yards..one shot, dead..have killed 2 more since then with the same rifle, same results..given my experience, and having been on numerous sheep, goat type hunts, the flatter shooting, lower recoiling 6.5 calibers would be a very nice fit..they are not big animals and seem to tip over quite easily if hit properly..

Agree, there are no definitive answers, we will each make our own decisions on what we feel is the correct choice which will more than likely be different from the next guy asked..my initial post was "perfect long range caliber for mtn game, sheep/ibex...would a '06 or 270 work?? absolutely..but for me that are not in the "perfect category"...

Ripp