"One of the nice things about having one rifle you like is you get to grow old with it."
That's the way it's worked out for me. I bought my Winchester 670 .30-06 new in 1978 when I was just shy of my 19th birthday from K-mart. I'm now 48 and the ol' '06 has worked as well for me as I could have hoped. Plus, it's still sub-MOA.
I think it was in American Rifleman that I saw a piece called "My Favorite Rifle," or something like that, a few years ago. In it, there was a photo of this old man holding a rifle he'd used since the 1940s and he'd taken umpteen deer with it. Although I doubt I'll have the same headcount by the time I get to his age (ASSUMING I get to his age), I want to be using the same rifle I've been using if I make it.
Sure, I could replace my rifle with any model/caliber I'd like, but I guess I'm just too practical and loyal to a piece of machinery that works. I love the .30-06 for its versatility, even though I know it can be beat by many other calibers in specific areas, save for said versatility. The .30-06 is the perfect answer to the one-rifle question. YMMV.
Now, it's time for a confession. If I had to do it all over again, I'd choose either a 7-08 or a .260 Rem. (of course, I don't think either were available commercially back in 1978). That's not a knock against the venerable .30-06, it's just that I still haven't found that I need all of its versatility. But it's nice to know it's there if I ever do figure out how to use it. (Actually, I made up some handloads using Speer's 100-gr. Plinker bullet that would be great for cottontails, but I prefer to use my ol' 870 12 ga. for that chore.)
DAL357
