Magnum:
(see "magm")
-rednek for "more boom"
-biggrer
-kills stuff deader
-more boom
-happy wife
-keeps the ducks in a row, then kills em all, one shot, ten hundred yards, off hand, and one hand, cause holdn a weiser in the other, while chattin up a coed in the hottub out back of jeds house with the ACDC blastin and the hot dogs steamin.
-gooder for huntin big stuff
The only thing that magnum means, is that there was a cartridge of similar size or shape previous to this cartridge, of which this cartridge now has a larger case, longer case, fatter case, more velocity, more powder, "better engineering," better marketing, or some kind of change which makes an advertisement feasible.
There is no rule. If they make the case just a little different than something else, they can slap magnum on there, and run with it.
I guess you could have a short magnum though. A tennis ball could hold a LOT of powder, and is still about the same length as an -06.... hmmmm
Hey!! Don't let hornady steal my idea!!