Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or in the case of rifles, the hands of the shooter. Good article, Steve.
In my case, I came to Ak with a 30:06, got hired by a guide who used a .300Wn, so I bought a used one in 1967 for $70. Lousy, soft wood stock, replaced with an ugly fiberglas but the barrel is accurate. I finished off a couple of wounded polar bears using 150gr Sierras, soon went to 200gr Hornaday's - have stayed with that & load my own according to the book. The heavier bullet travels slower, has much more NRG, does less meat damage, is less deflected by wind - & has for the past 50 years been adequate for anything that has come my way in Ak.
I prefer the Winc.Model 70, due to the quick, easy bolt dis/reassermbly. Ruger & Mauser are okay for that, but not so simple as Mod.70.
But I've taken more critters with my Ruger 10/22 than any other firearm, however those were primarily hares & muskrats.