RE: what should i buy
dead eye, i own both a 30-06 in a remington 700 bdl and a 7mm rem mag in 700 bdl ss. Both shoot very well with factory ammo. I hunt more with my 7mm, however, if i could only pick one, i would have to go with the 30-06. For someone who does not load (like myself), the 30-06 seems to easier to find a larger variety of ammo for. For example, in 7mm, 140 to 175 grain is common is either soft points, ballistic tips, etc. In the 30-06, i've seen everything from 125 grain up to 220 grain in soft points and it is also common to find 150 grain to 180 grain in nearly every type of bullet out there. Also, the 30-06 offers quite a bit of match grade ammo out there. The reason that i shoot my 7mm more is probably becuase it is stainless/synthetic so it takes weather very well. The 30-06 is walnut with deep blue and is more a of a keepsake since it was my fathers gun and is a older.
** Just a note, if you are considering a 7mm Rem Mag in a remington, you may want to buy it pretty quick. The reason for this is becuase remington will no longer offer the 700 bdl ss in 7mm rem mag, the are going to replace it with the 7mm rem ultra mag. Their logic behind this is that they want to push their new "ultra" cartridge in place of their older one in order to boost their sales. Just a rumor that I heard from a source that has never lead me wrong.