Practicing with a small bore

[BeeMaa]

It wont since OP still needs to buy the rifle/ammo/optics(?) Etc. Itd take a lot of rounds to break even and .30-06 is not terribly cheap to shoot anymore.

.223 is the best choice for a centerfire training rifle if you can find one that matches. Otherwise, snap caps and dry firing are probably as good as anything.

The only way to make this cost effective AND maintains the same fit and feel of the big gun is to have a rifle with interchangeable barrels. Another thing to consider is the feel of the trigger will be identical.

My wife and I enjoy using our 22lr kit on the R8 to keep the varmint population at bay while maintaining the same feel as our larger hunting cartridges. I know @One Day... does the same using a 223REM barrel on his R8 that wears a 458LOTT on safari.

Having completely separate rifles will get it close, but not identical. Either way will involve a significant monetary investment, but if you want live fire practice it’s the way to go.