Don't disagree Oupa. The .303 has a proven history, but no-one is denying that technology and experience moves on. It may or may not be the best - as you say calibre choice is very subjective within the bounds of common sense (i.e. use enough gun for the game hunted!). You certainly don't have to search for more modern designs, but IMHO the number of new rounds rammed down our throats every month in the shooting press wears thin very quickly! However the point of the thread was to discuss how effective the round was and is now given advances in bullets and powders, etc. I think 9Three's bullet tests more than prove that the .308 doesn't offer much improvement ballistically, although clearly a better design for a bolt action rifle with a vastly better selection of bullets available. Nevertheless, if you want to shoot a .303 a fresh discussion of its effectiveness may be interesting/useful... Certainly if you have a .303 you already have a very effective hunting rifle and certainly don't need to bin it in favour of the latest Winchester, Remington or Ruger! If you need a new barrel, you are going to need to select a twist rate and bullet weight... And if you want something a bit different to shoot and hunt, the rimmed case is still the best starting point for a Ruger No1 or Hagn falling block (my personal interest)... At the end of the day, if you hunt inside 200 yards, what more do you need? Nevertheless, you still need to know the limitations of that lump of lead you are throwing (but that applies to all calibres)!