Aa - it is unlikely that a SAAMI load is going make an old gun disappear in puff of smoke; barrel burst or bulge is not generally the issue. What is much more likely is that repeated exposure to high peak pressures will "pound" the action off-face and, possibly, loosen it laterally. The metal parts are basically sensitive to high pressure; dram equivalent tells you nothing about pressure. On the other hand, you are correct in that the wood is sensitive to recoil. Keeping recoil down via light shot charges and low velocity is good for the gun and for the shooter. And, frankly, gives away very little performance.
