Something else that hasn't been mentioned is west vs east. In the eastern states, most of them anyway, a shot over 200 yards is a rare thing whereas in the western states, again most of them, a 200 yard shot is the normal distance. Easily manageable rifles such as lever action and shorter bolt action rifles chambered in .30cal+ cartridges for heavy woods and brush are what most hunters prefer and use in the east. In the west a long barreled rifle set up for 400 yard shots is more what people seem to want to migrate to and shooting flat shooting cartridges like the .300wm and such magnum cartridges. I've taken a few at 500+ and took some scolding from the old man in the process even though the few I took at longer ranges where dropped right where they stood or within a few yards. He was of the school that noone, no matter how good of a shot they are, should be shooting at a live animal past 400 yards because of the time it takes for the bullet to get to the target. That animal could take a step from the break of the trigger to bullet impact and what would have been a perfect heart shot would be a forward gut shot. Just some things to think about I guess as to why the .30-06 is fading away a bit even though it is probably the most perfect cartridge ever created.