No I used the 7 Mags first then found out that the 7mm-08 was just as effective for me and never looked back at the 7 Mag again. I tried ALL the big ones first. I had Magnumitis but recovered from it. A good Bullet in a good spot is what it takes and many standard caliber will do the job without the recoil and muzzle blast and wasted escaping gases. The 7mm-08 is just one of them. Anyone who knows rifles and history knows that rifles like the 7x57 have taken elk and MUCH bigger game as has the 270, 280, 308 6.5x55, 300 Savage 30-40 Krag. The bullet and where you put it does the work. The caliber? Not nearly as important. Find aGOOD bullet with a SD of 250 or more at 25-2600 fps+ and you can take about any game this country has to offer. Increase the SD a little and you can decrease the velocity a little. Then its up to the hunter and what he or she can do with it.