I own and shoot one. I own and shoot a 308Win, 30-06Sprg., and a 300WM. As an American I think I will always own one of each just because!
The 30-06 is the girl next door that was good looking, hard working, down to Earth and a sweet hart you married and had kids with! You could trust her with your heart and your life! Not the exotic Russian gal you met in Occupied Berlin that was wild, crazy and a lot of fun but not a good idea and not the hot naive bubble gum chewing teenie boper that was hot and chased after you like mad but could be but nothing but trouble!
So nothing wrong with the 30-06. I like it almost as much as my pet cartridge the 300WM.
I really like the way you described our love for the ’06.
Or for that matter, every round based on it.
35 Whelen, 280 Remington, 270, and 25/06 will cover just about every North American shooting situation you could find yourself in.
Ever since the center fire smokeless cartridge was conceived, the manufactures are always coming up with something better.
Granted, with newer powders and bullets becoming available, there are some newer offerings that make sense.
most of these offerings center around more velocity. But why? The cases I mentioned all have enough retained energy at 400 yards to drop just about anything in their bullet category.
If you hit an Elk at 400 yards are less with a 35 Whelen, 30/06, or 280 with any factory load with their best hunting bullet, it’s going down. Any White Tail or Mule Deer at the same range with a 270 or 25/06 will also drop.
But the manufacturers have sold the public on big diameter cases in short actions, convincing everyone that the Prong Horns will laugh at you if you show up with a 25/06.
by the way. The 400 yards is a distance I hear from a couple of pro guides I know. They consider that the longest range they allow is 400 yards, regardless of the advertised retained muzzle energy out past that.
Why. Simple. They do not like tracking wounded animals all night in sub zero weather and 3 feet of snow.