NY, I know what you were getting at in your first post...but at the same time if you take it one step further, the good hunters are also going to be proficient with ANYTHING they hunt with. Personally, I hunt all over the state. I use a shotgun and .44 mag revolver back home (and have gotten bucks with both) here in WNY, and when I'm in the Catskills or the Adirondacks I have my .06, and I'm proficient with that too. Why don't I carry the shotgun or .44 in the Catskills? I'm good with both of them, but if a buck steps out at 200 yards, they aren't going to do it for me. With the .06, I can reach out and touch them. My last big buck in the Catskills wouldn't have been killed with a shotgun. It's just a matter of practicing with what you use, no matter what it is.
But, you're right, a rifle is not magic. Like any firearm, it's as good as the person holding it.