ORIGINAL: James B
The example you used is as rare as chickens fangs. You will find darn few cases where the 30-06 has failed to kill almost any NA game. I have long ago lost track of the critters I have killed with the 30-06. I have yet to see ANY animal fairly hit in the vitals with a 30-06 that didn't give it up PDQ. In some rare cases strange things happen but it has nothing to do with cartridge size. How many people do you think in this country hunt deer with rifles way smaller than the 30-06? 243. 250 Savage, 260 6.5x55, 270, 280 7MM-08 7x57 Mauser, 30-30, 308, muzzle loaders and handguns? All these guns are smaller than the 30-06.
Are you saying with a straight face that none of these are suitable deer rifles? Are you saying that nothing short of Mr. whiz bang Magnum + will take elk.? If so you better start doing a little research on hunting. Do you think that the entire buffalo herds in this country didn't die because the buffalo hunters didn't have any WSM's and Ultra Mags?
Maybe they are all still alive just hiding in the bush laughing. Maybe all the big game taken with the 30-06 including Elk Moose and Grizzlies will come back to life and start kicking butt.