What a storm of controversy already!
Sounds like some of the younger guys figure that experience from someone who has been there and done it before doesn't count for anything because they have some grey in the beard.
I killed big game in the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, althrough the 2000's till 2011. Guided four elk hunters (successfully), guided 7 deer hunters, (successfully), harvested a moose, a whitetail buck, and two blackbears plus numerous coyotes this past year alone.
I have guided in BC, (owned an area), guided five years in the NWT for Dall's and Caribou, (before the helicoptors became popular for hunting) outfitted Coues Deer Hunts in Sonora Mexico, plus guided in Sask. and Alberta for many species including the Bighorns. Had my own hunting licenses in those places also plus hunted Alaska for Brown Bear twice. Also have hunted New Mexico, Wyoming, and Montana. Worked as a Problem Wildlife guy for the government, lived as a trapper back when fur was king in the 80's, killing around 130 coyotes by trap and gun in a season. I have three book animals and guided to many others. Other than this, I haven't seen too much. But what I have seen is that not one of the animals I hunt have changed one bit, they all look the same and they all have exactly the same anatomy they had over the years since I started. And when someone comes hunting with me, or when someone asks my opinion about killing shots I think I know a thing or two about what I am talking about. Sure, there are new spit-fire calibres out there, but it is still hard to beat a 30-06, a .338 or .375 H+H. (These have been around a mighty long time too) tho. And the faster lightening spitting calibres sure blow alot of energy out the other side where they leave a lot of that energy on the wrong side of an animal, (meaning the outside.) But calibre is a matter of choice, and isn't as nearly as important as you think. Best thing about the new cartridges is trajectory. Sometimes I hunt with a .300 RUM for Big Game, or a .204 for coyotes. Or sometimes a 30-06. Best bait gun for checking baits ever for me was a BLR .358. Now thats an antiquated calibre. Sure kills grouchy bears at yards that are measured in single digits tho. Whatever your calibre, placement doesn't change much.
You can shoot your game wherever you care to. Makes no nevermind to me. But whenever I have someone ask me where to aim, I tell them straight up where to try and hit em based on what has worked best for me and whoever I hunted with over the years. When I guided someone who was new to me, we'd have a discussion about where to aim. Lots of guys read about the shoulder breakdown shot, that always gave me the vapours. I always wanted them to double lung the animal and I knew it was dead, and I knew the hunter had the most room for error. I still remember one fellow who would not listen, shot for the shoulders on a great black bear, broke one shoulder, the bear rolled around bawling and then left faster than anyone could imagine a three legged bear could run. We looked for that bear for days in the rainforest south of Prince George, of course never to see him again. A great trophy lost, where if was to double lung him, he'd have that bear in his trophy room today.
Why try and re-invent the wheel? Double lungers are lethal, effective and ethical. Why try for riskier shots? Why not take the sure thing? And please don't think the newest greased lightening calibre out this year is going to be a game changer. Usually just means the bullet got there faster and more energy went into the bush behind the critter.
Been there, done that. That's all I'm saying.