I posted on the 'review forum" about what caliber and gun to get. Can anyone describe the major difference between the 7mm and 30.06? which one do i want. Can you detail the differences? i am leaning towards the 30.06 as an all around deer rifle.. Winchester model 70 with scope for under $400 new.. I think i can get it in 7mm as well. that's why i ask.

There are a lots of 7MM's on the market today, so I'm gonna assume you are looking at the 7MM Rem. mag.
The 7MM RM has flatter trajectories and a little more ummph, it is a great long range caliber, and will take just about anything in North America, except maybe the largest bears!
As for the 30-06, what can be said that has not already been said?
It is the most used cartridge in America, if not the entire world!
I personally don't use the 30-06, I prefer smaller and larger calibers. However, if I was limited to one gun, it would probably be the '06!
You can't go wrong with either caliber so, good luck!

Well if you mean a 7mm mag vs a 30-06 then the 30-06 will have a little bigger frontal area as its a 30 cal and the 7mm is .284 cal. With a bullet of equal weight the 7mm is going to have a little flatter trajectory and a little more energy due to the higher velocity. The 7mm bullet will have a little better sectional density. The 7 mm will have about 2 more ft lbs of recoil when fired with an equal weight bullet. Both are common calibers and cartridges should be available for both anywhere that sells ammo but the 30-06 probably gets the edge in availability. You will probably also find the 30-06 offered in more bullet types and weight variations. Both would be well suited for virtually any North American big game animal with the possible exception of the truely large bears like the big Browns or Polar bears.

In pure performance stats the 7mm out does the 30-06 but kicks a little more to do it. However the differences aren't that huge if you compare them on a ballistics table. You can't go wrong with either one. Both are great calibers.

flip a coin and trust it....you won't be disappointed.

Actually, i think i meant 7mm-08.. ??

Can't say it any better than JagMag said. These rifles are very simular in application. The 7 Mag will shoot a little faster and flatter but the 30-06 with bullets up to 250 grains gets the edge for bullet weight and performance on Real Big Critters. My choice for a one rifle battery between these two would be the 30-60 hands down. I have owned three or four of each of these calibers but own niether right now. For primarily deer I would take the 280 above either of the others listed here. I am a big fan of the 280. It comes very close to both the 30-06 and the 7Mag without the recoil of either. Of all the rifles I have owned (and thats a lot) and includes the 300 Mag both Win and Weatherby, 338 Win Mag and 416 Remington Mag. Only the 416 rendered more felt recoil than the 7mm Mags that I have owned. The ones I have had (7 Mags) Savage Ruger and winchester kicked harder for the energy delivered than any other gun I have owned. And I am speaking of felt recoil, how much it hurts my shoulder. The 416 Rem mags recoil got your attention in a big way[]. That rifle was a Ruger NO 1 single shot.

If I were picking a cartridge for deer and maybe the occasional black bear or elk then the 7mm-08 Rem would be all I would need. It is a great cartridge with less recoil than the 30-06, yet still carries good numbers downrange.

Yea I agree if you are talking about the 7MM-08.

I'm a .30-06 addict, and personally I don't see any reason to step down to the 7mm-08. If you can handle the recoil (which really isn't that much, especially compared to the magnums), then you'll be better off with the .30-06, IMHO. It's a great all-around North American game cartridge. If you practice regularly and know your limitations, you can take anything from coyote up to grizzly bear.

In the short amount of time that I've been posting here, I've seen dozens of "what's the best caliber for x" questions. Basically, my philosophy is to shoot as powerful as cartridge as you can, comfortably. If you go too high up the ladder, you'll develop bad shooting habits or give up altogether. The key is to try different calibers and find out for yourself which is best. We can all make suggestions, but we can't pick the right caliber for you.

I like the 7mm08 over the 30-06, but only if I'm primarily a deer hunter. If hunting larger game I'd buy the 06.