Well, this thread is a portal into a lot of "thinking" for sure.

Were I hunting New England whitetail I'd use a 257 Roberts or 250 Savage. The whitey is a small beast without much between either side, and there's little use getting beaten up killing one.

Give me a 115 or 120 grainer and I'm happy.

I've killed plenty with the 223 and its ilk, but am happier with a trifle more.

I like stuff in the 2,650 to 2,850 land.

A 358 is fine for those that fancy a whitetail to be the size of a moose... certainly works, but hardly necessary.

“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery