headspace wrote:The trouble is that it's not longer produced in a commercial bolt rifle...
That's always a bit of a sticking point for me.
Not that it's the end of the world obviously, just avoiding the hassle of ammo/components not being readily available down the road.
Throwing out a few alternative...
On the subject of 30-06... 30-06 will let you shoot up to 220gr pills or there abouts. .35 Whelan will take you up to about 250gr.
30-06 is obviously enough for deer. How likely are you to want/need that extra pill weight for the buffalo?
If 30-06 isn't up to the task there is always 9.3x62mm
If buffalo is a serious possibility this is probably a better option anyway... With up to 300gr bullets readily available.
Both are readily available cartridges and have various brands chambering them in current rifle offerings. Those are my thoughts anyway, hopefully not completely useless