I use a 7mm Rem Mag for everything and never feel over or under gunned in Alberta. The same could be said for everything between a 260 Rem and 338 Win Mag. Bullet construction is more important than the size of the hole you are going to make. Sometimes there is less meat damage with a well constructed 338 caliber bullet than a thin skinned 264. I would take the $3000 and get the Tikka T3x with a $1000-1200 optic and spend the rest on something you don't have yet like a good range finder or good boots or a good pack.
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