Saands,
I am not sure what you mean by referring to the .308 Win as not being a "big game power cartridge." Once upon a time, when I began hunting, non-magnums were the norn in camp. A hunter armed with a 7MM Rem Mag had a BIG gun. This was considered an elk rifle extraordinaire. Somewhere along my path to big game nirvana I musta got lost because now a 7MM Rem Mag is a damn fine coyote rifle and that's 'bout it! But don't tell that to the game I keep collectin' with it 'cause they just drop like they always have. If they know I'm only usin' a 7MM Rem Mag, they might take it personally and not give up the ghost! Point of the matter is that when the .308 was introduced by Winchester in 1951, and I have looked at that year's issue of Shooter's Bible, it was chambered in their Featherweight model, and it was billed as ample medicine for all of North America's big game. But now it is on the same path as the 7MM Rem Mag...a damn fine coyote rifle and that's 'bout it! Hell, I heard tell of a squarely hit bull elk get up and leave the county once he learnt it was but a lil ol' .308 Win that had done him in! He said he weren't never gonna play in that part of Utah agin lessen them hunters went and git themselves real guns!
Adios
E