I think the .30-06 still is the most common calibre in North America and it would take a biblical miracle to change that.

I saw a few in .30-06's in Oz but from the few gun owners I met when living there, they were outnumbered by .303's and .308's. Most of the gun owners I met were in rural Victoria and they were concerned about disturbing the neighbors and preferred to use nothing bigger than a .222 or .22-250. Not sure if they had licenses or if they merely did not turn in their guns. If they told Howard to go hump his goat and refused to turn the guns in, they're welcome in my home any time.

I remember posting some mail to relatives in America when in Marla, SA, and there was a big poster on the wall showing guns and pocketknives, saying something to the effect that these things are pure evil and must be given to the government...made me ill to think that a bunch of tree hugging city kids who are now "adults" in Canberra control the government and were making decisions for rural Australians who live a world apart, in a culture they know nothing about.

Richard.