An ultra-light .30-06 may be nice to carry, but may not be as fun to shoot, especially from the bench. Be sure to get a PAST magnum pad to keep from getting bruised.
I find that with cartridges as close as the .270 and .30-06, the stock design and recoil pads make more of a difference than the cartridge. For instance, my first 30-06 was a Savage with a non-monte carlo stock and it kicked the heck out of me (at 16 years old). After getting a Bishop "semi- inlettted" blank and working weeks with rasp and sandpaper to make a "Weatherby" design out of it, felt recoil was much softer, even without a recoil pad.I voted 30-06 because 270 is a joke! Just kidding, but I personally don't like the 270 due to my experience shooting them. They seem to have a sharper recoil than the 30-06 rifles I've had my hands on. In a rifle that fits you, either is JUST FINE for the lower 48, but I prefer the 30-06 for bullet selection. I have recommended both to those that don't reload though, but the 7mm-08 is the cartridge I usually recommend for those that want one rifle and aren't invested in another caliber.
Does that weatherby stock design transfer the recoil into your shoulder at a different angle or something?I find that with cartridges as close as the .270 and .30-06, the stock design and recoil pads make more of a difference than the cartridge. For instance, my first 30-06 was a Savage with a non-monte carlo stock and it kicked the heck out of me (at 16 years old). After getting a Bishop "semi- inlettted" blank and working weeks with rasp and sandpaper to make a "Weatherby" design out of it, recoil was much softer, even without a recoil pad.
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My Savage '06 with Bishop stock (about 1961)
In 1925 when the 270 was introduced a typical 30-06 load was a 180 gr bullet at about 2600 fps. A 270's typical load was a 130 gr bullet at about 3100 fps or a 150 at about 3000 fps. They were 2 very different cartridges.
Today a 30-06 can be loaded with very high BC 180 gr bullets at near 2900 fps or 150 gr bullets at 3100 fps. The 2 are now ballistic twins and modern bullet construction means caliber simply isn't important unless you go WAAAAY up in caliber. With modern bullet construction a 150 gr from a 270 at 3000 fps will kill anything a 180 gr bullet fired from a 30-06 will kill. And I'd hunt anything in North America with either round with the right bullets. That would include the biggest bear in Alaska. There isn't enough difference in trajectory nor recoil to ever notice when both are using the best loads.
I started with a 30-06 in the 1970's and for a long time thought it was better. I now know better. In reality the only real advantage a 30-06 has is the ability to shoot heavier 220-250 gr bullets. Those would only make a difference on 4-5 animals on the planet and none are in North America. When you NEED bullets that heavy in a 30-06 what you really NEED is a bigger gun.
To be honest in 2018 I woudn't pick either. A 308, 7-08 or 6.5 CM will do the same thing with 1/4 to 1/3 less recoil and from a more compact rifle that will be more accurate than either. The 6.5 CM gives you the most performance for the least recoil. It shoots the same bullet weights as 270 about 150 fps slower at the muzzle, but they are faster within 150 yards. A 270 is 6.8mm vs 6.5mm. The 6.5 mm bullets will penetrate deeper and out perform 270 on the same size game even at closer ranges.
A 308 shooting modern loads is within 100 fps of 30-06 with the same bullet weights today, and beats 30-06 loads from the 1950's by 200 fps. If a 1950's 30-06 was good enough a 308 in 2018 is even better. Especially with the much better bullets options we have today.
I don't buy the argument that small caliber bullets kill as well as larger diameter heavier bullets if bullet construction is equal. I shot this large hog with a 180 grain Accubond out of a 338-06 and the shock was so great that it instantly flipped the hog over on it's back with all four feet sticking up into the air. Try that with a 6.5 CM and expect the same result.View attachment 793409
I would think for hunting in North America a 280 AI and a 338-06 or a 35 Whelen would cover all bases very well.But if I had to choose one it would be the 30-06 but I don't have a 30-06 any more I have a .308 Win.Many years ago I was an avid Jack O'Connor fan and I also read Elmer Keith. After all these years I realize that Jack O'Connor was wrong about many things, and I should have paid more attention to Elmer Keith. I really like my 338-06 and every time I use it I think of Elmer Keith and how right he was.