Well I guess my logic is why would I feel the need to use a 53 foot tractor trailer when a 15 foot flat bed will do the job just as well.
Would your group be a kinda of a "closed society" in regard to this issue?
Absolutely not. We welcome people of all "calibers" in our camp so long as they can hunt and shoot. We would not exclude someone because of their choice of cartridge but we will exclude someone for being an idiot and an irresponsible hunter regardless of how much gun they are carrying.
It seems that every year more and more people are going to these super magnums and what do they gain? Recoil, muzzle blast, more expensive and harder to find ammo, etc... Yet they are not hunting anything bigger than they did in years past with "lesser" cartridges with perfectly good results.
A buddy down here just reamed out his 7mm Rem mag to 7mm STW. For what? Because someone else he knew has one and he had to have one too. Yet he does not shoot past a few hundred yards and he only hunts whitetails.
I am not saying that a 338 WM is not an excelent choice for elk cause it certainly is but IMO so is the 30-06. I am also not against useing any of these magnums and super magnums. I built myself one last year, 300 WSM, though I don't consider it a super magnum, just new. But to say that the 30-06 is not adequate or should be a minimum for elk in todays world of ultra magnums when it has such a proven track record with everything from rabbits to elephants is absurd.
It seems that everyone is wanting to "reach out there and clobber them off their feet" instead of hunting the animals and making a good shot. More and more people are relying on ultra speed and bigger bullets to make up for their own short comings in the field when what they should be doing is spending time at the range and in the field shooting.
I guess I would rather hunt the animal then shoot them a mile away. It seems though. I am becoming a rare breed.
A sharp broadhead does make the best bullet, I whole heartedly agree.
