How did you learn,to tame big cams on the street?....

Someone posted a first timer's cam ,recommendation thread. I didn't really agree,with some of the posts(you decide). I threw the biggest cam(Crane/Summit hydraulic 238/248 @ .050,.540 lift) in my 396 . Idled awful,fouled plugs. Was a smog tech at the time. It kicked my ***. Someone threw me Rhoades lifters,showed me how to curve a distibutor. Damn,it became a pussycat! Big ramps can work. Share yours.