These days though, I don't recommend new folks start with the -06 anymore. Bullets are much better and many rounds can come close to the same versatile performance with less recoil.
As much respect as I have for the good ol' 30-06, and I indeed used one for better than 20 years (early '80s thru early 2,000s) there were cartridges that offered virtually the same "versatile performance" with less recoil even way back when I started big game hunting in 1963. And I didn't need todays "better bullets" to do it either.
I myself started with Remington CoreLokt factory loads (150grs for deer, and 180grs for elk) in a 308 Winchester. Later on, sometime in the mid-70s, I bought myself a 270 Winchester and used 130gr Remington CoreLokts in it for deer, elk
and pronghorns. In the early '80s I finally "stepped up" to a 30-06, and started using my own, handloaded 165gr Hornady BTSPs for everything.
I use my own handloads in my 308 Norma Magnum for all my big game hunting nowadays of course. But I could go back to a 308 Winchester if I wanted to, and I've considered doing just that - because at my age, the mountains have grown steeper and taller, and I could get myself a lightweight, short action, 20 to 22 inch barreled 308 Winchester that probably wouldn't kick any harder than my 8.5 lb. 308 Norma Magnum with its 25" barrel. And while it could be argued that a 20 inch barreled 308 Winchester is not quite as "versatile" as my 25" barreled 308 Norma Magnum for big game hunting anywhere in North America, it would be "versatile enough" for all of the big game hunting I'm going to do from here on out.
