It's not really true if you look at how calibers are actually developed, but if you look at the cartridges... the 30-06 really looks like the middle. The baseline. Everything looks like a bigger or smaller version of the 30-06. I think that says a lot about the round. I love my 270 and I think it cam do most things I will ever want to ask of it. But I know it's just a flatter shooting weaker -06

All great comments much appreciated. I'm just trying to add another long gun to the barn that will do what I need it to do when the few opportunities come up to go out West with my adult son, but still usable here in the south on these pine goats.

So I think I'm open to the .300 win mag. and 30-06 both. I can size up or down in bullet weight for most any game except squirrels. lol

I learned to shoot long range (1k+ yard) with a 30-06. Effectively... a Winchester Vietnam era sniper rifle. Realistic distance while hunting "out west" is typically within any cartridge's max point blank range. Not all shots east of the MS are long shots and most are under 300 yards. You can certainly get into 500 yards but the vast majority of the time you are going to be able to get within a few hundred yards. I tried to shoot a deer this past season @ around 500 yards and I could not do it while hunting. I could not get the rifle steady enough.

That's reality.

Out west... 180 Partition for elk. 165 Accubond for everything else.

here in Alabama put a 165 Sierra on the whitetails.

It will get it done today just like it got it done 100 years ago and still with ZERO fuss.

☝️

My Dad killed several antelope and mule deer with a REM 760 30-06 when we lived in Montana. He used 150g Silvertips. I asked him once how he accounted for long range and he told me “ just hold a little over his back.”