I think since I joined the Forum last fall we've batted this same ball around several times now. In fact I think I posted one with almost the same title a few months ago. We will have those who insist the magnum thing is mostly a fad and an unnecessary extreme (I happen to be one of those), and we will have the opposite arguments that the new magnums are a refinement in rifle technology that improve accuracy and killing power in more modern rifle styles. Back and forth we will go, backing our opinions with reasonable and sometimes not so reasonable arguments.
But the real truth is that some folks are going to want something new, whether or not there is any tangible gain to justify it. And others are just as steadfastly going to be proud of what they can accomplish with the "old fashioned" rifles that we've had around for a while. AND NEITHER ONE IS WRONG.
Sport shooting and hunting are, by their very lack of necessity in this day and age, hobbies for all of us. We can say we hunt for meat or tradition or whatever, but in the end we are all just out there because we love the experience of what it brings to our lives.
If experimenting with a new style/caliber of gun is what brings excitement to you in this sport, then no one should deny you your chance to experience that. If you feel you can afford the price tag of the new gun and ammo, and it has a payoff that's justified in your mind, then we should be able, as sportsmen, to let that be your piece of that big pie we call enjoyment. So what if there is or isn't a 1" better trajectory at 250 yards, or whatever? We're missing the point.
And if you want to have one of these new guns for your enjoyment, you shouldn't feel like you need to justify it with all of the technical data from the range or "knocked 'em dead" stories from the field. Just get your gun, shoot it safely and well, enjoy the experience, and let the naysayers go have fun with their old '06 or whatever and leave you well enough alone.
In truth, we all have favorites: favorite stories, favorite boots, favorite recipes, favorite guns, favorite friends, etc. None of them is ever going to be perfect in everyone else's mind, but that's okay. That's what makes our own lives unique and special, something to be remembered by us and by our closest friends and family members. And that is what makes our experiences as sportsmen something we enjoy and want to share and remember.
If we're out there having fun, and doing it safely, then let's quit nagging at each other about the insignificant details. And whether you tagged the eight-pointer last season with 250 grains of lead zipping along at 300 fps or 100 grains of lead plodding along at 1800 fps, or anything in between, is beside the point. Whether you enjoyed the backstrap fried or barbequed is beside the point. Whether you enjoyed the whole experience enough to drag your tired rear end out of bed at 5:00 am again next year to do it all again is THE POINT. And that's my point, however dull or sharp it might be.
HAPPY HUNTING
