I bumped into this discussion and wanted to add some thoughts. I have squandered too much time and money and have placed too much emphasis on the choice of a cartridge. I doubt there is nearly as much difference in cartridge effectiveness as there is in the choice of bullets and in the workability of the bullet delivery system.
Said another way, today I am more concerned with the physical characteristics of the rifle I use. Bore diameter between .264” and .284” is about right. The 30’s have too much recoil for me in a LW rifle. My primary goal is precise bullet placement coupled with reasonable terminal bullet performance. Today I am less concerned with perfect expansion/weight retention than with BC. Also, today I am much more focused on appropriate optics.
More important than any rifle is getting into and moving around in a great area! Put me in a great elk area and I can get the job done with a 6 GT.
Rick, you're a machine. I know there is still hope for me as a younger rifle nut with guys like you still picking nits from all the cool stuff we can get into!
