I don't find using a 300 mag or whatever for deer silly in and of itself. What I may find silly is someone's reason for doing so.
I understand what you’re saying but...how about this.
I used my 300 mags deer hunting TO get more familiar with the rifle itself & its recoil while hunting AS I intended to use it for Elk Hunting. Someone else might use one in preparation for hunting something like Moose.
I know you don’t need a 300 to kill deer but I wanted to be accustomed to the rifle for hunting something else.
Jerry
I wouldn't find your use of a 300 mag on deer simply "because you felt like it" silly. Using what you like is perfectly legit. Often I use my 700 Classic in 250 Savage because I feel good with it in my hands. No technical reason or logic necessary.
I was thinking about some things I hear at my camp, like "Use a 300 mag since he might be waaay out there at 250 yards." That is silly IMO.
What's silly to me is toting a big, heavy rifle when a small, light one does just as well. I also don't believe that the big ones necessarily kill any quicker, having had and seen well-hit deer travel after good hits with both. The path to DRTs is shot placement, if conditions permit. Maybe long-range shooting would be different, but I don't get, or seek to create, those opportunities here.
The notion of getting in practice on deer with one's elk rifle makes sense.
