[M.T. Pockets]

I agree that magnums aren't necessary for deer or elk, but I've only got one centerfire rifle and it's chambered in .300 Win Mag. I've used it from fox to deer, caribou, elk and had a round in the chamber when I stumbled upon a grizz eating a gutpile. It felt like a BB gun.

Anyway, I agree that magnums aren't necessary. I'd gladly hunt deer with a .243 and elk with a .270, there are also some great larger non-magnum calibers which are great elk rounds like the .338-06 or .35 Whelen. I do prefer a 200 grain bullet, these animals deserve a bit of respect. With that said I feel like my .300 Win Mag is turning into a classic round, heck it's been around 40 years or so and is always the round other magnums compare themselves to. If others want to shoot the newest & greatest more power (and powder) to them, just don't make me have to change. I still run windows 95 on my computer so you all know how cutting edge I am.

But while magnums may not be necessary, they're sure nice. Kind of like a 4 wheel drive pickup, how often do you really need it ? But it's sure nice to have available when you do. I practice a lot all year long and am very comfortable shooting from field positions to 300 yards and with a rest to 400. If conditions were right I would (and have) shoot an elk at 400 yards. I wouldn't be comfortable to do this with some of the smaller rifles. I know everybody knows a guy who knocked a bull dead with one shot from his .270 at 700 yards with 130 grain bullets, but it wouldn't be me.

Gadgets ? Well, I hunt in the same clothes I feed cattle in except I throw on a blaze orange vest when required. I'm not much into camo or gizmos but I do love my GPS (I did't get the camo one, it was $20 extra). I don't understand camo underwear or toilet paper. I put a blaze orange strip on my knife handle and thought about inventing blaze orange toilet paper.

While we're talking about magnums being necessary, how about the duck sloughs full of guys shooting 3 1/2" bismuth at teal & wood ducks all day long ? This is where I see magnums used when I don't need to be. For me, I just want to get the job done responsibly and quickly.