RE: magnum vs 308 or 270 or 30-06
Magnums are great...but so are the classics. The only big game I have hunted has been whitetails but I have taken deer with .44 magnums, .30-.30s .30-06s, 7.62X54s (my favourite) and a .280 remington. Out of all those I love hunting with my Russian Mosin Nagant. it is a 7.62X54, and it is not a big calibre. It just depends on what you want to hunt with. I am comfortable taking shots with my '06 out to 400 yards... the nagant only about 100 because of the open sights. set your limitations and stay within them. Magnums are great, but the classics still do the job.