Magnum craze came and went. Then it came and went again.
I think many finally figured out that they do not need a magnum for most hunting. Or should I say, lots of folks carried magnums that didn't need them. They have their place, but I have seen many hunting woods and thickets with them and often wondered why. If it was your only rifle, for east and west and in between, I could see it.
Another thing is that bullet technology has come a long, long way, in recent times. I feel 223s and 243s, etc. are much more widely accepted as viable choices nowadays, whereas they were often considered not enough gun, or marginal, in the past. I.E. smaller cartridges are now being used on larger critters. Of course, some still will disagree, and are stuck in their way of thinking in this regard.
I can't comment on the trends out west, but cartridges like the 300 Savage, 35 Rem, 30-30, 32 Win Spl, 45-70, 444, etc., are still very much alive and well here during deer and bear seasons. I feel many have gone the magnum route, then switched back to "old faithful". Most of the bolt guns are 308s, 243s, 30-06s, and few 270s thrown in. And with today's bullets, they are better than ever.
I still like the 7-08 best overall for general big game, in bolt actions anyway. Not much it won't do. And that trend isn't likely to change any time soon.
The 7mmRM is still a great cartridge though. One I am very fond of, actually. But I use it mostly for LR shooting and not hunting.......
