I like 7-08 well enough, but it has always been obscure where I live. Not that there is anything wrong with it, it just never caught on. The 6.5 CM has.
It will be obsolete about 15 minutes ahead of the .30-'06. I'm not holding my breath for either one to die.
Obscure and obsolete are not the same thing. I expect both 7-08 and 3006 to become obscure in my lifetime, but not obsolete. If anything 3006 will go 1st. There are a butt load of 3006 rifles out there, but very few new production. Some new rifles are no longer even being offered in 30-06 whereas it along with 270 used to be the 1st chambering's offered when something new came out. Ruger has 10 different versions of the Hawkeye, only 2 are available in 30-06, only 3 in 7-08. They don't offer a single Hawkeye in 270 BTW. If you want a 270 you have to settle for the Ruger American. Times are a changing.
Some sales numbers from one manufacturer in 2019, nearly 1/3 of all rifles sold were in the hated 6.5 CM. 308 only accounted for 7%, with 3006 lumped into the "other" category. I wouldn't be surprised to see similar numbers from other manufacturers.
https://christensenarms.com/blog/2019-in-review/
