In general, you have a good point. However, Northern whitetails can weigh two or three times what average Southeastern or Texas bucks do. Some folks hunt where bears or moose might also be legal game. Long range also favors something heavier.
Texan John Wooters once wrote about rifles suitable for trophy bucks. He wa a big .257 Bob fan, but as I recall, his list of suitable cartridges for trophy bucks began with the .25/06 and that was marginal.
I used a .243 for the first time last season and killed a spike. It did a good job, but if I thought that there were any bucks of real size on the public land I hunt these days, I'd pack something bigger.
