I consider the 300 Win. Mag. with premium 180 gr. bullets @ 3100 fps. and zeroed for 250 yds. to be as good an all-around long-range cartridge as you can run with. I've used it for moose at 300 yds., Coues deer at over 500 yds., Patterson's eland at 275 yds., gemsbok at 400 yds., pronghorn at close to 300 yds., etc., etc. It's always worked to perfection, and has left absolutely nothing to be desired.

It's become the biggest-selling belted-magnum chambering in the world, and ammo and brass are widely-available, and it kicks a lot less and makes a lot less noise than the bigger 300s and 338s, plus you can get by with a nice, light rifle with a 24" bbl. that won't break you (or your horse) down on the mountain, and yet you won't have to give up anything in the way of practical performance.

It's unfussy, extremely easy to work with, inherently-accurate (in a good rifle, varmint-accuate), and ALL branches of the U.S. armed forces use it for long range work, and 85% of all 1,000 yard Wimbleton Award winners have used it to win that prestigious trophy over the last forty-odd years. In addition, guys like Weatherby Award winner James Mellon have used it to literally take all huntable species of the world's big game.

How's that for a pedigree?