ORIGINAL: nchawkeye
I've got 7 buddies here in NC that bought '06s because they might "Go out west...Someday..."
One bought his in 1952...None have been yet...5 of the 7 have bought a .243 in the past 4-5 years...
Buy a .243...25-06...7mm-08 or even a .270....IF you can afford to ever go out west, you can afford
to buy a proper rifle...
Buying too much gun is a sure way to start flinching...I'll tell you at least 60% of the hunters out there flinch
most of the time...There are more deer lost due to flinching than any other way...
We had a saying back when I played football...Hit them harder in the 4th than in the 1st and they will start laying down....That's true...That '06 sure sounds bad...It can be, I expect the '06 has caused more hunters to flinch than any cartridge in history...There are better rounds for deer than a '06, rounds that recoil less so you will shoot them more, there is no way you can be a great shot shooting a box of shells a year, and I bet most on here shoot less than that...
I understand what you're saying, my grandpa's 30-06 was a Winchester Model 70, and it kicked terrible, but when my grandpa got aLimbSaver Recoil Pad, the rifle turned into the recoil of less than a .308, and it was suddenly fun to shoot, I believe recoil shouldn't keep someone from firing a good rifle, they should get a recoil pad, they won't regret it, and there's nothing wrong with using a recoil pad, if it makes you shoot comfortably, then it's good.
Stick with the 30-06.