I haven't chased after or killed anything bigger than about 600-700lbs. 30 cal Heavies at '06 speeds have done the job just fine, as long as the shot placement has been there. Marginal hits have produced less than perfect results.
I am supposing, and only supposing, that the results would have been remarkably similar with most sporting rounds a few steps up and a few steps down. Bigger gack numbers wouldn't have made marginal hits better ones.
When I go after bigger, I may use bigger. I know Shoemaker has high praise for heavy partitions at 30-06 speeds, but I would feel undergunned with any 30 cal if I ever hunt big coastal bears.
As you say, Bob, certainly there is a place for big guns, big bullets, big cartridge capacities, big energy numbers; they have significance.I just don't think that place is anywhere here in the Lower 48. Nothing I have seen has caused me to question this.
The other extreme is usually the case for me, because I often hear about much smaller guns, bullets, etc, doing what I do with mine.
