More importantly you are myopic. You believe that everyone should arrive at the same conclusions you do based on the available evidence, yet you fail to see the entire landscape. A fast-twist .223 is highly “efficient” based on your weight and recoil criteria and would easily suffice for most of the shooting and hunting most people will do in their lifetimes - yet they often shunned for various reasons and are illegal for hunting big game in some (most?) states.
You (intentionally?) ignored half of what I said - the part about appropriate terminal ballistics. Don't think a .224 bullet is suitable for the animal you're hunting, or it's not legal? Great, don't use one. I don't think they work particularly well on deer-sized game myself even though most states including mine have legalized them. But that doesn't mean the solution is to move to a .30-378W or even a .30-06. There are plenty of 6mm, .25 and 6.5mm bullets that are good for deer, and that chambered in various short action cartridges give a nice, efficient, easy to carry deer rifle for use out west. Do I think most deer hunters would be better off with a .243, .257 Roberts(+P), .260, 6.5CM or heck even a 6mm Dasher than with a .30-06? Definitely. You get plenty good terminal ballistics, plenty of reach, a lighter gun, and less recoil.
