I think you are right on many counts Bow! Actually when I try to score a big buck in the field, I don' t actually score him. If the rack contains good mass, has long tines and you just know he is a mature buck....I automatically register him as a " class" buck. But I do admit to liking the air between the left and right side.

I imagine if Pope and Young/Boone and Crockett had come up with this scoring system, it would be what we use and more widely accepted.