Thanks, guys. Joe, that is a very clear explanation of what I always (dimly) believed. Nice to hear it from somebody with more experience than I'll ever have.
I realize this only becomes a REAL issue when you are contemplating a cartridge conversion, as Michael says. But the theoretical explanation has always bugged me a little.
(My new .308 to the contrary, I'm a confirmed user of rimmed cartridges. I think this started because as a kid of six I could easily understand exactly how a rimmed extractor worked, but not always a rimless one....old prejudices die hard.).
