The .30-06 Springfield (or "thutty-ought 
six") is a standard bearer with both military and 
civilian histories.  From it's roots as the 
30-03, it emerged in 1906 as a now-familiar round 
that saw the U.S.  through 3 wars.  Millions of 
Americans have depended on the .30-06 for their 
lives.

    Successfully used in rifles as varied as the 
Springfield, M-1 Garand, Browning Automatic 
Rifle, Johnson amd others, the .30-06 was 
effective in the widest variety of battlefield 
conditions.  It is still often regarded as the 
best "all-purpose" hunting cartridge (with of 
course "all-purpose" being left up to the reader 
to judge).

    The military would find one criticism of the 
round in time (it's size), but from 1906 to 1954 
(when the smaller 7.62mm NATO cartridge was 
adopted), the 30-06 proved itself over and over.  
It's excellent ballistics combined with the 
high-quality of the 1903 Springfield surplus 
actions and cousins have provided sportsmen 
endless hours of converting that "ol' WWI Bolt" 
into the perfect sporter.  Even if the 
home-gunsmith job was less than steller, the '06 
always made it worth it in the end.