The -06 loads I speak of are available commercially. Everything from reduced recoil to varmint loads,match loads and every type of medium/big game loads. Though handloading makes tuning the various loads to your specific rifle a lot easier, -06 ammo of all stripes is certainly widely available commercially for most any application you can imagine.

In my personal experience the whole heat vs heavy barrel thing doesn't seem to have as drastic effect downrange as some might portray. Heavy barrels have more mass and though they may dissipate the heat through the metal a few shots slower, the mass also retains heat and therefore cools slower.
Red pill VS Blue pill.
I have several factory sporter weight barrels in various calibers that will most certainly hold their own. Kinda hard to tell with limited handling at the gun shop but a pound or two as well as an inch or two on either end of a rifle adds up fast when taken afield.
If I could have one bolt action centerfire rifle to cover the bases it would be a stainless and synthetic 22" sporter in 30-06 with quality name brand rings, bases and a good 3-9x40.
Anyway that's my $.02 and it's worth exactly what you paid to read it.