Please don't let desparaging comments annoy you, there's jackasses on every sight. If I don't like a particular thread, I just move on; however some people have a penchant for trying to put others down. Generally all the people on here are extremely helpful and supportive and they are all more than willing to help. I found this thread interesting and picked up on it right away because I too have an interest in the 30-06. And......I'm hitting 75 this year, and have been shooting since I was eight-years old with my first .22. Why not the 30-06, it's been around since 1908 or there abouts. I am finishing up a custom 30-06 as I write this reply. I could have built whatever I chose to build, it was the 30-06 because of its versatility and can be used for just about anything one would care to hunt for in the U.S.; woodchucks to dinosaurs!! I black bear hunt and have plenty of rifles to use for that, however I also wanted something that could be used for black bear as well as a stand in gun for whitetail deer hunting, for me that's a 30-06. I am considered "ole" school compared to many who are on the forum. I also like the .270 Winchester, and when a new, barrel burning designer cartridge comes out I compare those ballistics against those of the .270 Winchester. Unless one has to eek out every "foot-per-second" out of a cartridge, the .270 Winchester is a tough one to beat. I don't get excited over any of the designer cartridges because advertising hype doesn't equal performance; and....for me the 30-06 doesn't need hype because it "does" have performance. When the .280 Ackley Improved came out, it was the latest and greatest 1000 yard, anti tank cartridge on the market and it was going to revolutionize the hunting and shooting world. Well....three years later and you no longer hear or read about the cartridge. I am not putting this cartridge down as I believe it is a great round, just making a point that the marketing hype is now touting another round to make sales. I am now reading where the "shooting specialists" are saying that the 6.5 Creedmoor is an overrated cartridge and is being used on game that it was never designed for. The latest and greatest is the "6.8 Western", a glorified .270. A lot of press and hype, I cannot believe it is being touted because its twin, the .270 Winchester short magnum, is already out there. If you choose to go the .270 Weatherby magnum route you will be paying around $100 for a box of ammo, and around $3.00 for a round of brass, and.....that is if you can even find it anywhere. The 30-06 will do anything that you have stated that you want to do with the cartridge, and it will not rattle your back molars loose when you squeeze the trigger, cause you to remortgage the house to purchase ammunition or components, and you will be able to find ammunition available just about anywhere you choose to hunt. In my opinion you made a great choice in both rifle and in cartridge. Good luck hunting with your step-son, at 67 it's great to be looking at new adventures.