Re.: Why is an "iconic" .318 WR so impressive when compared to say a "mundane" .30-06? Shorter case, less capacity, almost no bullet selection except 2 Woodleighs and 1 Prvi Partizan.
You are right, there is very little practical difference between all the cartridges you mentioned. But it's a matter of rifle provenance. Before WW2, just as English speaking hunters did not understand metric numbers (reread Taylor and Keith), continantal Eurpeans did not understand the alien imperial ones like inches, grains or fps. Though German gunmakers made some rifles in .30-06 and .318 WR for export, such cartridges were virtually unknown in Germany. If you are looking for a 1920s – 30s bolt action sporting rifle of this performance class, an American one will be in .30-06 most likely, a British one in .318 WR and a German one in 8x60. The differences serve one purpose only: They provide topics for endless discussions among hunters on one being a marvel and the others about useless.