It does not have to be that my stick is bigger than your stick.........
THREE rifles? That's easy for me... .223Rem/5.56NATO, .308Win/7.62NATO and .375H&H... PLUS a high-powered .22 caliber pellet rifle.For the record I started with a 30-06, used it exclusively for about 40 years and have no complaints. I have several 30-06 rifles that I like too much to get rid of, but I rarely use the old round anymore.
Didn't read the whole thread and maybe others touched on this but the 30-06 is the Jack of all trades, but the master of none. If someone truly wants ONE, and ONLY ONE rifle for big game hunting in North America it is the ONE rifle to buy. That was my rational back in the early 1970's, and I feel I made a good choice at the time.
But if a fellow wants to own 2-3 rifles in different chamberings you can do a little better by going slightly bigger and smaller.
Another thing that has changed in the last 40 years is bullet technology. With todays better bullets there is darn little that a 243 won't kill that a 30-06 used to be needed for. In the 1970's 30-06 was considered middle of the road. Today it is a more powerful round than 90% of American hunters will ever need. And if they NEED something bigger than 7-08 or 308 etc., they really need something a LOT bigger.
As much as I like the round, If advising young hunters today I'd not suggest they buy one.
No, it's overrated. As stated, it's a jack of all trades and a master of none. There are better deer cartridges that fit into lighter, smaller rifles with less recoil. There are far better choices for larger game. For game that bites back, it shouldn't even be considered.Am I missing something without a 30.06?
No, it's overrated
Didn't read the whole thread and maybe others touched on this but the 30-06 is the Jack of all trades, but the master of none.
308 is more "economic" than a 30-06? I would love to see the facts behind that statement. Seeing as how the AR-10 shooters bought all the .308 during the panic. '06 was still available the whole time here. Walmart, Academy, Bass Pro all had 30-06 ammo. 308, 223, 7.62x39, gone.
And why if you had to choose just one, and so many say that one would be the '06, would you not own one? Where exactly are the flaws with the '06? It's not performance. It's been doing that well for 100 years on everything from deer to moose. It's not price. It's not availability. It's not reloading options or capabilities. It's not inherit accuracy issues.
The issue with the 30-06 is 2 things:
1. It's not new.
2. It doesn't have "Magnum" beside it's name.
You don't have to say its the greatest cartridge ever produced. But to deny its abilities is borderline absurd.