Entry Level 30-06

[PHeller]

I recently had the chance to sample my girlfriends fathers 30-06. He's modified it a few different ways, but its still got a cheap scope on it.

Anyway, on my second shot with the gun, besides hitting myself in the head with the scope, I managed to land a shot a 1/4" off center. The rest of my shots were within 3". Granted, this was only at 100 yrds, but either way, the big gun kinda spurred my interest.

I've shot a .22 for years, but shooting at 100yrds has gotten old (and I tend to think I can do better), so I'd like to move up to something with a little (or a lot) more range.

I've heard 30-06 are capable of 1000+ yards, and although that's a long way off, it still beats the ability of a plinker.

Oh, and I could use it for deer hunting!

Are there any 30-06, whether older models or new ones, that would be on the cheaper end of the scale, but might allow for some customization?

Or should I just buy off the shelf and save the money for a good scope?

[PHeller]

Maybe I should just buy a better scope for my Mossberg .22 and work on tighter groups and shorter distances...probably would save a few thousand eh?

[ironhorse]

I have a Savage 111 It has never let me down for deer hunting. Very accurate for the price.

[knight0334]

Savage/Stevens make pretty decent bolt guns that are on a budget price scale.

If you dont mind tweaking and a single shot - NEF/H&R make decent budget rifles.(I'm a strong fan of their products) Most will shoot MOA right out of the box, some sub-MOA, and there will be some that you cant ever get to shoot right.. You WILL have to try different loads though. With this line of guns I seriously recommend not using max loads - not due to safety, just they dont perform well.

Remington 700, Win 70, and Ruger 77 - most of which you can usually find a used model that you can get for $250-$400 at online auctions or classifieds.

[P-11 shooter]

If you don't care about it being brand new I personally would get a used rifle. They just don't make them like they used to, and there are plenty of great deals at gun shops, gun shows, and pawn shops. Alot of the time they also come with a decent quality scope.


Remmington 700 and Winchester model 70 are classic deer rifles.

CZ and Savage also make good guns.

Remmington 760 pump-actions can be had really cheap and are great guns for the money.

If you look around you can find a nice used gun that has real wood instead of synthetic stock, and has a few stories to tell.

[Dredly]

Remington 700 or 710? Both should do the job well.

A LOT of people use reloads in 30.06 its a good "tinkers" gun that will work for just about any species of game in North America.

1000 yards is a long shot but you can easily shoot 1 -2 inch groups at 200+ yards with a good 30.06

[XD45]

you can get a remington 700 SPS for a tad under $500, hard to beat that.

[Xringshooter]

A Savage, especially with the accu-trigger would be a good one, very good shooters and won't break the bank. Also possible to find them used.

[rtrageser]

If you want something that looks nice, try a remington 700 BDL, a browning a-bolt medalion, win mod 70, ruger m77mkII. I would buy used in any of these guns if you don't want to pay for new. If you don't care about looks, buy a Savafe. They shoot really good right out of the box, and are very reasonable in price. I would save up some money and buy a good scope. You're better off paying $100 for the rifle and $1000 for the scope than the other way around. That being said, you can find a good scope for around $300. Burris Fullfield II, Leupold(nothing less than a vari xII or vari xIII), nikon buckmaster or monarch, bushnell Elite 3200 or 4200, etc...

I would buy a scope with a 50mm endbell, makes it much easier in low light conditions to see. Try a 3.5-10x50 or something along those lines, 3-9x50, and the list goes on. My .3006 shoots 5 shot cloverleaf or figure eight type groups at 100 yards. I have the remington 700 bdl, muzzle break, trigger work done, and a 2.8-10x44 simmons aetec scope on it. My overall favorite gun.

[schr8er2000]

The rule of thumb is generally that an expensive gun with cheap optics wont shoot as good as a cheap gun with good optics..... Spend more money on a good scope and learn to shoot WHATEVER gun you get well.... A good scope is a much better option and if you decide later to go to a different calibre gun you can always remount the scope on that gun.....
JUST my opinion