Whether it's in conjunction with a new rifle, a new cartridge, or a new load or bullet, I've had plenty of occasions to use various .30 calibers in the field and with them have taken my share of game. It's not what I want. They don't give a lot of thought to guns and hunting during the 10 or 11 off-months of the year. That's the difference between being impassioned about something and casual interest. As our knowledge and experience grows, the more demanding we become.
Details take on increasing importance.
We see each new gun as doing something better or different than one we already have, and we see that, in turn, as making us better and more successful shooters. All I've done is to relate the process by which I personally choose a new rifle. Your criteria and conclusions may be totally different from mine, but when it comes to choosing a cartridge, excellence at a specific task has always been more important than versatility. That being the case, I have always found that if it's the latter I'm looking for, I've always gravitated to the .30 caliber. If it's the former, I've always looked elsewhere.