Butch,
Seems we may be products of different environments.
I grew up in the open plains of Nebraska (and now Colorado)with long horizons and 60 to 80 mile visibility, what you might call a long shot, we would call ordinary.

It wasn't legal for me to hunt deer until I was 14 so I was stuck with that W-9430-30 for 5 years....
Short little steel butted stock, short little barrel, short little cartridge with flat nosed bullets that dropped like a rock, top ejection thatmade a scope impractical --- that combined with wide open spaces just didn't make for a very satisfactory package, as for coyotes and prairie dogs (typical "young kid" fare growing up) it was a POS. I resolved that by the time I was old enough to hunt deer I would get myself afully capableweapon for my environment, and I did.

If I was going to be involved in some "briar-patch" brush busting hunting, then I'd probably gravitate to a Marlin in 45-70 or a double rifle of some sort, both are pretty quick handling and don't fall short on "punch." Now some folks like 30-30'sI guess and that is fine; they just came across as anemic in my life experience.

I've still got that little popper as it was my dad's gun and so I can't sell it.The kidsdon't like it or want it and neither does the wife. It sits in the far back left corner of the gun safe and seldom sees the light of day.
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Reb,
338 & 358, that's kinda what Iremembered --- just temporarily puzzled byyour much applauded all encompassing quotewith the endorsement of the 375 H&H which you included as though it were your own.

I supposeif one is stay on track to do 10,000 posts ina singleyear, thenone probably can't dwellexcessively on accurate detail/editing or too much original thought.

Dang, that's 27 posts each and every day --- no days off, no vacation....