Looking for a 30 06

$1700 for a new bolt gun and glass? Man, sounds like Christmas!

Honestly, as has been said many times over, you cannot go wrong with a high end Winchester model 70 or a Remington 700. Do you like synthetic/stainless or walnut and bluing?

Here is Remington's current offerings in 30-06 for the 700:

https://www.remington.com/search/ri...kfinish=All&additionaloptions=All&passion=All

I am partial to Remington since I own a Sendero and absolutely love it. Problem is, it isn't offered in 30-06.

A 700 CDL with a mid-range Leupold scope and rings would leave plenty of cash for ammunition. Maybe even another gun!

horsey300 said:

Well, throwing a 120 copper solid, or 130 accubond could be a compromise worth investigating, I'm not trying to tell you you're doing it wrong, just saying that there are options available that weren't always so.

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I'm not doing it wrong. The vast majority of the time there is more than one right way to do something. I'm being given the solution to a problem that doesn't exist for me.

I don't like light rifles because of the recoil. I've hunted Nilgai twice since 1992, I have no desire to work up another load for my 6.5x55, I have other rifles for the very infrequent times I hunt Nilgai.

I don't use a lead sled to sight in, I've used them before and for me the POI changes when you go from the lead sled to shooting from a field position, so it requires some more sighting in.

I've also mounted many scopes over the years and happen to have an optics mounting business as a sideline. I'm not an expert but have figured out what works for me most of the time.

CDB1, so all the hunters who sight their rifles in off of a bench with sand bags or other means should go lean on a tree,sit on their arse or shoot off hand and try make sure they have a good zero? nope, i never had a cracked stock. i put two 25lbs bags of shot on the tray. i think the cracked stocks come from the stock screws being loose or the rifle not being pulled back tight againest the butt holder(stop).i have used the lead sled for calibers from the .458mag on down with no problems at all. i do admitt i don,t load real hot loads in any of my rifles. eastbank.

salt&battery said:

yes I know all that but I have fired many bolt 30-06's that did not kick like the springfields. I don't think gas has anything to do with recoil it is compressing the return spring that absorbs some of the recoil

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Gas operated semi's don't have less recoil but feel like they have less because they spread the recoil impulse out over a longer period of time.

This is just my personal opinion, but having owned three Remington 700s over the years, I won't even consider a bolt action rifle for hunting if the bolt can't be locked. I had a friend lose a bolt from his 700 while hunting in Washington (he found it on the trail), and another friend has seen numerous cases of bolts falling out of Remington 700s (M40) in the hands of Marine snipers (students). Personally I much prefer the Mauser/Winchester/Kimber/AI three-position safety with fire-safe-lock modes, but some of the two-position safeties that lock the bolt closed are ok I guess. Tikka safeties have to be in the fire position to empty the magazine whereas Sako has a weird three-position safety that allows the magazine to be emptied while the rifle is in safe mode. Both Tikka and Sako rifles have a bolt lock feature as far as I can remember.

Gas operated semi's don't have less recoil but feel like they have less because they spread the recoil impulse out over a longer period of time.

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How about the gas changing direction to drive the bolt rearward?

MCMXI said:

How about the gas changing direction to drive the bolt rearward?

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it is just a tiny bit of gas if that much gas was involved you would see a decrease in the velocity compared to a bolt. there might be a little..compressing the return spring on semis is the biggest factor. look at the spring in an AR it absorbs recoil and it is almost against your shoulder

eastbank said:

CDB1, so all the hunters who sight their rifles in off of a bench with sand bags or other means should go lean on a tree,sit on their arse or shoot off hand and try make sure they have a good zero? nope, i never had a cracked stock. i put two 25lbs bags of shot on the tray. i think the cracked stocks come from the stock screws being loose or the rifle not being pulled back tight againest the butt holder(stop).i have used the lead sled for calibers from the .458mag on down with no problems at all. i do admitt i don,t load real hot loads in any of my rifles. eastbank.

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Never said other hunters should do anything. It was explicit what I said about lead sleds applied to me, no one else. Most of my hunting is done from a stand so for all intent I'm sitting just as I would at a bench. Maybe I'm holding my mouth wrong when using a sled I use a Caldwell Fire Control rest for the front and sandbags for the rear when sighting in. If you do some research you will find there are others who have experienced the same phenomenon as me when using a lead sled. If not in a stand I use sticks and POI doesn't change.

Never mentioned cracked stocks. I'm not bashing lead sleds, they just don't work for me. If they work for you and other people, and obviously they do, then by all means use them. As I said before, most of the time there is more than one correct way to do something.

CDB1, no offence intended. and you are right there more ways to get the end results. eastbank.

No offence taken.

I would look for a Sako I think. Or... not as pretty as a Sako, but a Tikka. My .30-'06 Tikka shoots better than my heavy barrel L579 Sako .243. Go figure. The Tikka is extremely light too - great for packing around the woods, but I pretty much had to put on a LimbSaver recoil pad because of that lightness. Call me weak.

mrbladedude said:

Leaning towards a Winchester Model 70. How are the new 2016 models?

And how does the Winchester Super Grade conpare to Remington 700's top model? Which model is Remingtons best?

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How are the 2016 models? In a word "Beautiful". I just bought a new featherweight in 243 cal, and it is smooooth and well finished and fitted. I really like the stock design on the featherweights and only wish they had such a model with the beautiful wood grain that the super grades have. Mine says "made in Portugal" on the barrel. On the box, it says "assembled in Porutgal from parts made in the USA. The salesman I got it from said the new Model 70's are made in Japan. Seems not. At any rate they are very very nice rifles. Have hunted the last 40 years with a 1956 Featherweight 30-06. Won't ever sell that.

Dog Soldier said:

There are some used quality rifles out there as well. Some times a bargain Sako or a Pre-64 Mdl 70 can be had.

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+1, here's a pre-Garcia Sako Finnbear .30-'06 I got recently for $700 at the LGS. Better than today's Remchesterby production guns, heck better than today's $2K Sakos. My best group with it was .375". I got a slightly used Zeiss Conquest for $400, total rig is $1,100.

Paul 7, I can see you know elk hunting. That Dry cow is the champagne of elk meat. I am a Sako guy you did well. A Pre-Garcia good buy.

salt&battery said:

being a sissy has nothing to do with it. trying to site the rifle in and getting pounded brings on flinching and fear of touching one off I don't care who you are. I do not see a need for such a lite rifle in 30-06 some do

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You'll also shoot a heavier rifle better. A gun rag did a test on this subject and found 30% better groups with the heavier rifle, same caliber, same shooter.

Dog Soldier said:

Paul 7, I can see you know elk hunting. That Dry cow is the champagne of elk meat. I am a Sako guy you did well. A Pre-Garcia good buy.

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Thanks, nothing like your experiences, Dog Soldier, only my third elk. Kind of new to all this fun, spent most of my life in the Chicago area. The shot was 284 yards, if the guide had told me I probably wouldn't have taken the shot.

Paul 7 I am so glad to know you have become a successful Elk hunter. Hell man 3 elk and you have just started. You picked up a vintage Sako. A shot at 284 yards on an elk is a "Safe" shot. I folded a Bull years ago in the Wind River Range at 700 yds. It took 3 shots. One went high one low and number 3 was traveling with a guarantee.

Dog Soldier said:

Paul 7 I am so glad to know you have become a successful Elk hunter. Hell man 3 elk and you have just started. You picked up a vintage Sako. A shot at 284 yards on an elk is a "Safe" shot.

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If you say so.

I folded a Bull years ago in the Wind River Range at 700 yds. It took 3 shots. One went high one low and number 3 was traveling with a guarantee.

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I am duly impressed.

I can laugh now, but my first elk I was so excited it turned out to be a calf, it was good eating though. Was much calmer for this one, my guide said I was 'a pretty good shot for a cow hunter'.

Skeet 25 said:

If your going on a guided hunt, some outfitters will not allow the 30-06 . They spent too many waisted hours looking for animals never retrieved. Can't speak to your state for I have never hunted it. Some may limit your shot distance . Too many better cal. and recoil systems to limit yourself to less than 300 yard shots. These can be loaded down to lesser loads too. Just my thoughts ,

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I wouldn't be surprised at all if the 30-06 has successfully harvested more large game in the last 100 years in North America than all other cartridges combined.

Good race with the 30-30 ...

I can honestly say ive killed more game with an 06 than any other caliber, tho the 7Mag is a close second i think....it might actually have taken more at this point now that i think about it.....

If some Guide tells you no .30-06? I bet you met in a small town Bar over four cold Coor's beers. I have been around Western Outfitters for ever. I have never heard anything so ridiculousness.
I would like to see an Outfitters brochure stating no .30-06?

I find the no 30-06 idea nuts. I can't believe a guide would do that to his business. But anyhow you can get a great setup with $1700. And as plenty of others have stated a Leupold VX-2 or VX-3 is plenty of scope. I am still using a Bushnell 4200 3-9x40 on my '06 and have never felt the need for anything better. Have almost gone to a VX-3 a few times but stuck with the Bushnell because it had the Rainguard coating which definitey works. May have to get a VX-3. Then I would need another rifle for it! If I could find a good used one for a decent price I would get a Sako. Currently I have a Browning x-bolt and really like it. Light weight and VERY accurate. A rifle from any reliable manufacturer would work fine. Good luck in your hunt!!

I also have an Elite 4200 3-9x40 on the rifle I've owned the longest, a .270. Don't use the rifle much anymore but it sure isn't because of the scope. They are good scopes.

Most of us who haunt the gun forums like nice rifles. But the Big Trophy Colorado Elk was taken with an iron sighted Milsurp .30-40 Krag.