Long story...but IMO the 30-06 is the most overrated caliber there ever was...I'll take any of the 308's in my safe over an -06 any day...just me. Two bad experiences years ago (which were both probably the result of crappy bullets more than the rifle... now that I am a little more educated)...I don't need a heavier bullet...150's and 165's do everything I have ever asked of them and everything I have ever needed...just more accurately and with less recoil. But then again, I am not commonly considered a heavy bullet guy...tend to shoot at the lighter end of the spectrum in most my rifles. Fast and flat...some people don't like the 270 the way I do...I just don't like the -06.