The difference between field accuracy and target accuracy is the same whether you shoot a regular cartridge or a magnum.I always use a rest or bipod when shooting at longer distances whether shooting targets or game animals.I use a laser rangefinder so I am sure of the distance.I shoot my rifles at varying ranges out to 500 yards on a regular basis so I am very familiar with the trajectory of my loads and stay in tune by practising regularly.The cartridges that I use have more than enough power for the game I hunt to well over 500 yards which is my personal limit for shots on game.

Noway,
Looks to me like you have answered your own question in the process of asking it. About the only variable left out is the individual shooters tolerance for recoil. It appears you lean toward the sensitive side so " standard" calibers as you call them are likely to be your cup of tea -- for sure on antelope and deer because you can knock them over with a fly swatter -- as you move up the scale to elk and beyond then the age old horsepower versus range versus your recoil sensitivity argument will crop up with all the related tradeoffs and only you can answer that one -- other peoples opinions won' t help -- that is unless you are looking for moral support.

Since, as you mentioned, you are framing this in " .....talking real world in the field accuracy not bench accuracy...." then I would have to mention that when hunting in the field for big game that I feel NO recoil and hear NO report -- not in the " normal sense" , I am aware something has happened alright but I am totally focused on the quarry -- therefore recoil becomes a non-issue. Target shooting, yes its an issue to be managed -- Big Game Hunting, no issue at all. My $.02

Good luck with your choices and good hunting.

Never Go Undergunned,
EKM

I have spent many days on the silhouette range with many of my rifles and I have no fear of the recoil of the magnums for hunting. Since I wore out my old 308 silhouette rifle, I have setteled on the 6.5x55 for my long range gun. I do not however like to take shots past 250 yards because of all the things that can effect those long range shots. I will pass up most shots past that range. Thats sort of my comfort zone for a clean kill. I have a blind complete with shooting bench on the farm where I do 90 percent of my hunting.