ORIGINAL: MichaelT.
Chantecler111, I do not know that you necessarily have some soul searching to do, but more-over perhaps some new rifle ( s ) searching to do....LOL...
Good luck in your quest.
And what zrexpilot was saying is exactly what I came to understand years ago by studying ballistics tables and bullet expansion charts. My first rifle was a used 30-30.My first new rifle, about 16 years ago,was a .270. Then a 7mm-08 followed, then a .243, then a .308, then a 30-06, then a .243 ( yesterday ) . I just got my Ruger M77 Compact .243 Stainless / Laminate, and it is sooooo great.
I currently have all of these rifles, and I believe I can do anything I need or want to do with them. Magnums have never been a part of my vocabulary.
God bless
Oh - BTW - and if I ever feel the need to boost any of these rounds, I will shoot some Hornady light mag ammo. It will Add around 200 ft / lb of energy to your round.
Michael, when I say that zrex's post, had a profound affect on me, I'm not kidding, I finally see that magnums, really arn't all that great, they are hard to shoot good, as well, I have been considering trading a .300 Win Mag for a .280, that seems like a good idea all the time, and Michael, you know as good as I, that a .338 Win Mag just isn't necessary in Arkansas, I own one, BTW, and I'm going to trade it in as well, I definently have some rifle searching to do,LOL.