This is really personal and it comes from experience like Mike's. If I hunt well with a gun or rifle of my preference, the best that day for the mission, that's enough, birds or animals bagged are just a bonus. A drilling is too much compromise for me.
I have nothing but respect for anything that King contributes to any of these discussions. With regard to the drilling, I must respectfully disagree. We are all products of our experiences, and in my case that includes fiveyearsin Germany as young company grade officer. There, I became facinated with drillings, scraping together enough of a LT's meager pay to purchase a guild 16x16x6.5x57r. I took Huns, pheasants, hare, red and roe deer with it. It was ideally configured for stand or drive hunting where a load of sixes might be launched at a fox, or the 6.5 at a boar. There is lessutilityin the States, but to my mind, only because of restrictive game laws which often prevent a rifle on certain small game hunts. My current favorite is another guild gun in 12x12x8x57r. It is a true MOA rifle and I have broken 40 at clays with it. It is an exquisite tool for a multiple game environment (ergo the Blue Ridge where I hunt deer in the morning and kick up the rare grouse on the hike back to the truck). Rather than a compromise, it is a beautifully created tool for a very special purpose.
