I love these conversations. It is so tough to stay out. I live in Western Wyoming. I think the 300 Win Mag is a tough cartridge to shoot well. I have shot it quite a bit. I won't shoot one again. The 7mm's are much easier to shoot well and it doesn't take as much weight in the bullet to have the same effect. A lung shot is a lung shot. It takes substantially more bullet in a 30 to have the same BC/penetration as the 7. I personally think the 6.5 are much easier to shoot well. I hunt every weekend from March to February. I have an opportunity to shoot any distance I can see. Rockchucks, Coyote's, Elk, Prarie Dogs. Richardson's ground squirrels. Deer etc. It's not the caliber it's the placement. I have had the opportunity to hunt with a lot of different marksmen carrying different calibers. I love hunting with the .270 crowd. They flat kill stuff. Single shot to the engine block. No flinching just plain marksmanship. I have a 7STW I don't shoot it. Extremely accurate but not necessary. My wife has a Model 7 in a 260. Holy buckets is it accurate. I lent a 6.5 Creedmoor to a friend that came to Wyoming to hunt antelope. He bought factory Hornady 140 Grain. I have never even shot the rifle they shot 2 antelope 1 at 650 and one at 1000. It is on utube. So go smaller than what you think. You won't be disappointed. I shoot a 6.5x47 Lapua for Elk. It has never let me down. I have shot a scad of Rockchucks at distances that have amazed me. If you want BC and Down Range Energy go 6.5 or 7. 30's are tough to shoot well.