You really can't go wrong with either, i carry a 7 mag myself but wouldn't feel undergunned with an '06. '06 might be a little cheaper with a few more choices on ammo, and you can find it absolutely anywhere, but that is kind of splitting hairs. As for recoil if you took two identical rifles, one 7 mag and on 30-06 and gave them to a blind folded shooter i doubt they would be able to tell the difference. To me the choice is kind of like picking between a hot blonde or a hot brunette, a matter of personal taste and there really isn't a bad choice.