ORIGINAL: homers brother
And, are not the "marginal shots" that result in lost game? If you knock the animal's leg out from under it with a bad shot from either a 6mm or a .300 magnum, is there a difference in what'll happen next? How about a gut shot? Is a "marginal shot" from a magnum going to compensate and knock the animal down?
Gut shots and knocking a leg out from under an animal are not "marginal" shots, they are BAD shots. There is no amount of insurance that will compensate for that, and that is not what we are talking about. Are you saying that on shots between broadside lung shot and a bad shots, there is no room for insurance?
Again, if it were my only "wrench" in the tool box and I couldn't afford a bigger one, I would use a 6 mm. However, I would also limit myself to shots inside 200 yards (pesonal decision) and standing broadside shots. However, most of us have a bigger wrench, and as for me, I am going to take it.
At 300 yards the 6mm has aprox 1280 ft lbs, and with just stepping up to the 30-06 jumps to 2150 ft lbs. People smarter than me have recommended at least 1200 ft lbs for deer sized game and 1800-2000 ft lbs for elk sized game. Sure they are probably padded for "insurance"andthey are only mathmatical formulas, but they do give us a means to compare.