Looking for a 30.06 that wont bankrupt me.

[C-grunt]

Holy shit no.

First rifle I bought, never again. Never shot better than 3-4 MOA with match ammo

You probably just got a bad rifle. I had a Stevens 200 in .223 that was pretty accurate. Right around 1 MOA with match ammo and shot under 3 MOA with steel cased Russian crap. I'd buy another if I needed a hunting rifle.

[jgg]

Thanks for all the replies. Some good info.
I do know I could use a larger caliber rifle, but I also wanted a good deer rifle.
I asked the guy in the know about what I needed and he says he kills the pigs with a 30.06.

So I went today and held a Marlin ($320 wthout scope) and a Tikka,
....then I got to thinking and went and checked my GFs gun safe,,,,and I found she has a Savage 110 30.06...

So I am going to save my money for a good optic and use her rifle...for this trip, but going to check into some of the stuff I learned on this thread.

Finally she isn't costing me money...

I'd be surprised if you aren't looking for your own Savage when you get back. I have a model 16 in 308 and love it. Accustock and Accutrigger.

[19_A_CPT]

I bought a Savage 200 for my lil brother before last season in .308. It is a tack driver with Remington Corelocks. They are under $300 IIRC.

Also you may want to look into the Mossberg 100 ATRs and 4x4 at around the same price.

[nineteenkilo]

For a lower end rifle, the Mossberg ATR's are fairly decent. I've shot them in 30.06 as well as 270 and have seen very acceptable results from a wide variety of ammo. The early models had extractor issues with them breaking after 100 rounds or so, but this has since been resolved.

The 30.06 I shot was an early that broke an extractor and they shipped me a new one overnight and free of charge. Pretty good service for a cheap rifle if I may say so.

[brickboy240]

The Ruger American Rifle and Howa 1500 look like good low cost 30-06 choices.

-brickboy240

[PA PATRIOT]

A Savage 110 with accu stock and trigger is the best value for dollar spent out there for a accurate bolt action rifle.

[sierra 223]

Thats the first that I have heard of the Ruger American Rifle.

The reviews sound good. Would like to hear more, could be a real contender.

[okie john]

You’re never wrong with a 30/06. Over the years, it’s built a reputation for just plain working on everything up to elephant, although you’re starting to stretch its limits on game over 1,000 lbs. That said, modern bullets and powders let 308 factory ammo do 95% of what the 30/06 was doing back when it earned that reputation. Both are fine on North American game short of the great bears. That’s also true of the 7-08, 270 Winchester, and 280 Remington. You just can’t go wrong with any of them.

Fortunately for you, 30/06 rifles have been produced continuously for over 100 years and 308’s for over 50. Most were built as GP hunting rifles and riflmakers have really gotten them figured out. I’ve owned/hunted/fiddled with a few dozen of both over the years, so I’ve formed a few opinions.

A 30/06 can kick hard. Heavy rifles don’t kick as hard as light rifles, but they’re a drag to carry. 8 pounds unloaded with scope and sling is the sweet spot for a 30/06, especially if you don’t shoot much and you’re not used to recoil. A 308 is comfortable to shoot as light as 6 pounds, which matters more as I get older. Definitely avoid going too light—I own a 6½-pound 30/06 that kicks like a howitzer. It was a gift from my father, or I would have sold it years ago.

Older rifles often have more drop at the heel because they’re stocked for iron sights. That accentuates recoil, so if recoil bothers you, then buy a rifle that’s stocked for a scope. Ammo also matters: the heavier the bullet, the harder the recoil. For the kind of game you’re hunting, 150- or 165-grain bullets are plenty.

Speaking of which, inexpensive cup-and-core bullets like the Remington CoreLokt or Winchester PowerPoint are plenty for deer/antelope/sheep/hogs. That’s what I hunt most of the time, so I keep my 30/06 and 308 rifles zeroed for 165-grain CoreLokts handloaded to about 2750 fps. I use Federal Trophy Bonded Bearclaw factory loads for heavier game like elk or wild cattle. The variation in trajectory is slight, but I always check my zero before a hunt.

As for rifles, there are a ton of good options out there. I’d buy a used one. It sounds like you have time, so start checking your local gun shops and pawn shops. 30/06’s and 308s come in all the time, and you can get a superb used one that’s ready to hunt for under $1,000.

I prefer a 22" barrel, which is common in both calibers. Longer barrels are tougher to carry in brush, and don't add enough velocity to be worth the hassle. Shorter barrels tend not to balance as well, and they can be very loud with some loads.

I’d look for a used Winchester Model 70 Featherweight with a claw extractor, which means either pre-64 or post-94 production. Sako (pronounced “sock-o”) made several great rifles like that—the “Forester” sticks in my mind. My local guy usually has several of each with Leupold scopes in good rings and bases and good slings for $750-900. M-700 Remingtons and newer Rugers are a bit less expensive with the same grade of accessories. Older Ruger M-77 rifles can have major problems, but the current ones are GTG. I’ve never fooled with a Ruger American.

Older Mauser-based rifles like the Husqvarna, Interarms, and others are wonderful but I’d avoid them as a first rifle unless you have access to a gun-savvy buddy. You really have to know your way around a Mauser to set them up properly and get the most out of them, plus they tend to be heavy and rust easily.

Be careful with rings and bases. A 30/06 won’t beat up them like a 338 will but you’ll have problems if they’re installed incorrectly. Sako and Ruger use their own ring designs; both are superb. Kimbers and Talleys are expensive and worth it. Redfield-style rings and bases are good but too many people try to swap scopes around with them and they’re not made for that. On a used rifle, I replace them immediately. I use Weavers. They’re cheap, light, and ultra-rugged, they return to zero, and you can mount a scope really low with them. For scopes, go Leupold. Their customer service is incredible and you’ll probably never need it.

Once you buy a rifle, have a gunsmith strip it, clean it, check the mounts, and just generally give it the once-over. Pick a 150-grain factory load that shoots into 1.5" or less at 100 yards, and zero it at 200 yards, and you should be set up for a lifetime of big-game hunting.

One more thing—get a GOOD skinning knife. You’re going to need it.

Let me know if you have questions.


Okie John

[brickboy240]

The Ruger American Rifle runs about 400 bucks and comes with Ruger's rings.

Toss on a 100 dollar 3x9x40mm cheapie scope and you are GTG.

I have killed tons of deer and pigs with the 30-06....it kills them like lightning. My 06 is a sporterized 03 Sprignfield that I rescued from a pawn shop for 150 bucks and totally re-worked.

The 30-06 will kill just about anything in America and it is pretty accurate in my experiences.

-brickboy240