That's funny about the .32-40 observation in the 1920's. In my own experience I've found the .32 Special to be slightly superior to the .30-30 in effectiveness. Makes no sense from the ballistics standpoint, but I have seen over and over a small, but observable, difference in performance.....with the .32 Special coming out on top.
The .38-55 observation is also in line with what I've experienced. The .35 Remington (and later the .375 Winchester even more so) far outperforms the .30-30 and is at least as good (if not better) than the .30-06 at ranges of 100 yards or less (after 100 yards or so the .30-06 leaves the others behind).
Guess there really isn't anything "new" in the hunting world.
I read a book or an article (its been years) about the hunters and trappers that worked for the Hudson Bay Company and how they found the .32 Special to be more effective against Moose and Polar bear than the .30-30. I've used them both but have been unable to detect a difference.
