The 06 was developed for the military.The nato 7.62 (308) is a shorter cartridge and can operate in a shorter action and carry more ammo in a smaller space. I was trained with the M-14 in Basic training and I liked that rifle.....it was accurate and had enough punch. On the way to Vietnam, I was handed an M-16 that I had never fired and was not impressed with a varmint cartridge to kill the enemy with, it did the job when it did not jam. I would still prefer a 7.62 for a military cartridge...it has more range but you can't carry as much ammo....each round has its advantages and the 06 will be with us forever, not much it can't handle from chipmunks to elephants in the right hands. I plan on getting an AR-10 at some point and hope S&W come out with one.....they will if "we" let them know that we want one LOL. DPMS has a nice Lite Hunter in .243, 308 and 338 fed. I looked at one and almost bought it but did not want to pay $1500 for it....beautiful rifle and not too heavy. Also looked at the M-14 and was tempted but I like the new AR style better because its easy to adapt any sight to it.