30-06 hunting rifle for pops.

[Justin///M]

I want to get my dad a new hunting rifle. He was mentioning a Remington 700. What do yinz think for a hunting rifle in 30-06 for a 60 something liver transplant survivor?

[Hodgie]

For a basic hunting rifle with good performance Savage, Ruger, or Remington are going to be pretty safe bets, and will offer all sorts of options for any budget. I really like the Ruger American Predator more so then I thought I would, excellent trigger, good fit and finish, CHF barrel, and very accurate for a sub $400.00 rifle. The stock is it's weakest point but didn't stop a much more experienced family member from shooting a few MOA and sub MOA groups with it. My personal best was 5 shots at just over 1.5" at 100 yards.

I know T/C has been putting out some really kick ass bolt actions lately that perform extremely well and appear to be very affordable. Howa is another but it is made in Japan which isn't a deal breaker for me but might be for your pops.

Is your dad a specific brand guy and does he like the traditional wood stock route or would a lighter weight synthetic stock be something he is open too?

I'm sure you will get a million different options from guys with more bolt action experience then myself soon enough.

I'm glad your dad is still with us and his new liver is serving him well, and may it continue to do so for many years to come.

Here's a new offering from Ruger for this year and it's available in 30.06 as well. It's definitely a bit different then the usual run of the mill deer rifle, but maybe too much for some.

https://ruger.com/products/americanR...ld/models.html

[Daycrawler]

A Remington 770 is a very light weight. It is a no frills kind of gun. The stock is plastic/polymer, and that is forgiving. Should he take a spill of just fumble it to the ground, it should be just fine. IIRC they also come with a scope. My only concern for him would be the recoil from a 30-06. IMO a .308 might not punch the shoulder so much. YMMV.


A few years ago I picked up a used 770 in .308 for 200 bucks. A three shot group at 100 yards can nearly be covered by a quarter. I put a scope on it that was laying around. It gets the job done without the expense.

[Justin///M]

Thanks gents.

He hunts fine with a 30-06 now, but has been using the same rifle since I can remember, so at least 35 years.

I'm thinking weight will be a primary concern these days. It seems there's several good options on that front.

[Hodgie]

Late thought here. The Savage 110 series has an excellent reputation. I know a few guys that have the 110 Hog hunter and swear buy it.

The 110 Hunter is available in 30.06 and those accue triggers are excellent.

https://www.savagearms.com/firearms/...gage-hunter-xp

[Jhaydeno]

Late thought here. The Savage 110 series has an excellent reputation. I know a few guys that have the 110 Hog hunter and swear buy it.

The 110 Hunter is available in 30.06 and those accue triggers are excellent.

https://www.savagearms.com/firearms/...gage-hunter-xp

I'm also a huge fan of Savage accuracy, accu-triggers, and their price point. My favorite varmint and long range rifles are both Savage, upgraded with Boyd's stocks.

[Qtrborecrazy]

T/C Venture weathershield. Accurate, easy to clean, good price, and has some weather protection to boot. Put a fixed 4x or 6x and you’ve got a killin machine. If you want to go a little higher in price, Winchester model 70 featherweight or browning. Both have rebates going on now.

[Pilot321]

Look for a used Winchester M70. It does NOT have to be pre-1964 to be a great rifle.

[unclejumbo]

All good choices mentioned. If you want to go a step up, get him a Sako.

I never paid attention to Sako, having had all of the major brands listed at one point or another. I happened upon a Sako at my LGS and he handed it to me and had me try cycling the bolt. Wow is all I can say. The difference between it and the "standard fare" was night and day. Definitely a step up, and the price reflects that.

[R L Suehr]

All good choices mentioned. If you want to go a step up, get him a Sako.

I never paid attention to Sako, having had all of the major brands listed at one point or another. I happened upon a Sako at my LGS and he handed it to me and had me try cycling the bolt. Wow is all I can say. The difference between it and the "standard fare" was night and day. Definitely a step up, and the price reflects that.

^^^this^^^

If you have the scraty, it's hard to beat a Sako. The Tikka offerings will give you the same trigger with a little less polish as well and are mid range in price.

I have a couple friends that have jumped on the bergara bandwagon as well and really seem to love them. The ones I've handled seem like solid rifles.

Personally for the money I think the 700 is way overated anymore. There's lots of rifles that do the same or better for less money. Ruger American and Savage 110 series are both excellent (I own both) and cost less. If you're sticking to "budget" offerings either will work great as a bambi getter.