I very much like the posts that note that there is no "con" about the .30-06. Very true.
None of the alternate ideas and calibers mentioned are really marks against the .30-06. They are only different suggestions. There are more powerful calibers. So what. Pick one if you need one. The .308 may be more efficient with lighter bullets. Great for the .308 Win. It doesn't diminish the utility of the .30-06 one bit.
Recoil - very subjective as one can see from the posts above. For every person who finds the recoil objectionable under a given circumstance, another will tell about how their 12 year old shoots it just fine. Recoil is something one gets used to in any case.
Pete