I am not much into caliber persay, I usually find a rifle that I really like and thats what I will hunt with...I have both large and small rifles..for deer on up to elk and plainsgame, I like 30 calibers, even the 338 win. for elk I lean towards the bigger caliber magnums I suppose, the 300 H&H and .338 suit me...for dangerous game I want a .375, 416, 404 or something like that...

If I were recoil consious then I might stick with my 06 or 7x57 for deer and elk, but I am near immune to recoil up to the .470 and I use it a good deal....

The magnums are great rifles, to attempt to put them down shows a lack of hunting experience, to claim they are the all of hunting shows the same lack....

There is a place for both and both have a place, I shall always have both...

Sierra2,
I have pretty severe arthuritis in my neck and shoulders from shooting big bores, I am 70 years old, I can't see as well as I used to, but all that has not had any effect on my shooting, I take Motrin and wear bifocals and still shoot a .470 just like I have for 50 years, I also rope steers with my grandson 3 times a week, spend a lot of time in a hot shower and and take Aleve also!..

what I am saying is if you quit, your dead..if you refuse to accept age, pain and what not you gotta chance...

"When the going gets tough the tough get going"