To biscuit jake: Well, it good to hear from someone that has used the M14 in the military. Personally, I like the .308 cartridge design better than the 30-06. I've had several 30-06s and have never really liked the cartridge for some reason that is hard for me to pinpoint. I'm tempted to get either a heavy barrel Remington VLS or perhaps a standard weight 22-inch barrel stainless Ruger M77. I know what you're saying about the M-16 - I have had a chance to use it some and was not impressed at all with it. However, I have a friend who saw combat in Vietnam and he swears by it. From what I've been reading lately the military has gone back to one of its original ideas on rifle cartridges by developing the 6.8mm,(.270 cal.) in a newer form of the M-16. Some people do not know this but the .270 Wincester was originally designed by the military as a follow-on to the 30-06, but it was dropped for some reason and picked up by Winchester for a sporting cartridge. Thank you for your service to your country!