Just thought I' d chime in here, being I' m a big 30-06 fan. Shot many different 06' s from Rem. gamemaster to savage to Weatherby all shoot differently. My fathers old Rem. gamemaster pump would beat me up somthing mean. Shot a lot of big heavy bolt action 06' s that felt like a 22. I shoot a Weatherby Mark V ultralight weight now it only weighs 6.4 pounds with the scope on it, Can shoot it all day without a care in the world. Technically speaking the 30-06 is rated as a moderate kicker but a lot of things go into that. bullet size, type of action, stock shape, weight, shooting postion, and even proper shooting stanz. I will say one thing I never shoot more than a 20 rounds in one shooting session " less rounds more often" will get you farther than shooting all day just before the season. I guess what I' m tryin to say is try several different loads and technices and you will get it. Practice, practice, practice.