30.06 Bolt Action

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You should find a used .30-06 Springfield Browning A-Bolt, possibly decently scoped, in that price range, if you are patient.

If you are not, a brand new Ruger American Rifle with an equally brand new Bushnell on top of it is another option. Both should shoot better than minimally required for hunting, either can shoot very well.

Their looks are quite different, though. Many other options would be as good, some might be better, but those are the ones that came to mind. I am biased towards Browning for the look, but Ruger offers a good value. If you go with the later, keep an open mind about an aftermarket stock in the future, you might prefer one as I do.
 
I've got a Howa 1500 Lightning in 30-06 that I'm real happy with. It ain't much to look at in it's factory stock, but the finish on the metal is nice and the action is buttery smooth. Definitely something to consider.
 
Used: Winchester Model 70. I have a 1983 model that I love.
New: Howa 1500. Absolutely fantastic rifles for not much money. The only thing I find “cheap” on them is the safety lever, and that’s not super critical.
 
The best advise my dad ever gave me is that if you don't know what to do don't do anything. That goes for buying rifles. I would far rather have a used rifle than some of the cheaply manufactured stuff that is on the market today. No matter how good it shoots if it is of poor quality you have made a bad choice. My choice is a Winchester Model 70 because they have several advantages over the competition. The action stands up to damp weather and don't corrode like some of the others. The triggers are easy to adjust. They have an excellent three position safety that locks the firing pin which is much better than any trigger safety. After market accessories are readily available like scope mounts, triggers, stocks, recoil pads, etc. You can buy one and keep it for several years and sell it for more than you paid. You can't go wrong with a used Winchester and you can't go wrong with a 30-06.
 
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Varminterror, a Winchester has a forged receiver that is hardened in an acid bath at high temperature. Most of the competition have receivers milled from a steel blank. A good example is a Remington. Take a Remington out in bad weather and then wipe it down with an oily rag and the rag will be red with rust.
 
Interesting - can you elaborate a bit on this? What makes the Win 70 better in damp weather than the other big names: Savage 110, Ruger M77, Rem 700?

I have the same question. If it's because some Model 70s can be had in s/s and with synthetic stocks, the same is true for the other makers being compared. And the Ruger receiver is investment cast; not "milled from a steel blank". Finally, I've hunted in inclement weather many times with blued Remington actions and barrels and have never found them to be any more susceptible to rust than any other rifle I've used in similar conditions. Of course, I'm speaking only for myself and my own particular experiences.
 
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Under $700.00 I’d go Weatherby Vanguard or Tikka if you can find one.

My personal choice would be Vanguard because I prefer the larger ejection port and hinged floorplate. The Tikka is as good or better quality though.
 
Varminterror, a Winchester has a forged receiver that is hardened in an acid bath at high temperature. Most of the competition have receivers milled from a steel blank. A good example is a Remington. Take a Remington out in bad weather and then wipe it down with an oily rag and the rag will be red with rust.

My pre-64 70 is the most notorious “rust whore” I have ever owned. The advantage of the metallurgy and heat treatment vs. the finish quality is comparing angels on the head of a pin vs. blades of grass on an acre...
 
If you take $700 cash to the gun show in Tulsa, you will finds 100s of used rifles in that price range. The 30-06 has been around forever so lots of them are available. I picked up a nearly new Remington 700 .270 for $500 awhile back. Very nice gun and have killed deer with it, wicked accurate. When I looked for the .270, I saw 100s of rifles in 30-06. If you prefer new, the Tikka suggestions others have made are right on. Shop around and you can find deals well under your $700 limit. I found a NIB Remington 700 CDL .243 for $540 on GunBroker. Tons of 30-06s are available.
 
If I were buying a 30-06 in 2019, which I would not do because I’m not looking for a retro styled hunting rifle, it would be a Winchester 70 pre-64, Ruger M77 Mark II, or Remington 700 BDL from a vintage with iron sights. Blued and walnut across the board.

But if I were to buy a hunting rifle in 2019, it wouldn’t be chambered in 30-06, wouldn’t be any of these 3, and wouldn’t be blued and walnut.
 
If1HitU, if you are on the west side of Louisville say west of I-65 you might consider riding down two knobs Creek Gun Range and looking at their guns. They won't have a great deal most likely but you will be able to handle the guns and see how they feel in your hand. If you are east of I-65, may consider the short drive to Bardstown to Kentucky Gun Company. You may get a good deal there and they also have a nice selection although I'm not sure how it would compare to Whitaker's which is over a two-hour drive from Louisville. I'm 10 minutes away from Knob Creek so a lot of my reloading supplies come from there even though they are not known as cheap and sometimes their prices on certain items are downright ridiculously high, others not bad at all.
 
Fantastic, if not pretty, rifle is the Thompson Center Dimension. Tikka in that range. For a fantastic and good looking rifle in that range, look on GB for a Dickson Howa Golden Bear, they were a limited semi-legal Howa license copy of the Sako Finnbear. Nice wood, 24" barrel, accurate.

Heck, go on GB and look for a pre-Garcia Sako Finnbear .30-'06. IMHO a better gun than just about anything made today, including Sako. Here's mine, a '68 model bought for $700 at the LGS: Oryx 002.JPG
 
I'd buy a clean pre cerberus 700 ADL.
Matte/synth. Stiffen the Tupperware and go.
 
I'd take a Remington Model Four or Six in .30-06 ;)
Freakin pimptastic.
Not bolt actions though hehehe
 
So basically you should choose from every model of centerfire rifle ever made. :)

I'm left handed so my choices are more limited. My two favorite rifles are a Tikka T3 lightweight stainless synthetic in 308 and a pre-64 style Winchester 70 LH in 270 that is blue/walnut. The Winchester only comes out when the skies are blue.
 
I like those old Sakos too-but why "pre-Garcia"?

From another internet source:

"This refers to Sako rifles imported to the U.S. prior to the Garcia corporation becoming the U.S. importer/distributor for Sako. Up until sometime in 1971 the Firearms International Corporation of Washington D.C. imported Sakos -- these are the "pre-Garcia" rifles.

Why is this important? Well, it's not, exactly. But shortly after Garcia took over the importation of Sakos there was a major devaluation of the U.S. Dollar. This made imported items like Sakos more expensive to American consumers. Sako (and many other European companies) attempted to counteract this by holding back the price of their products. In an attempt to be more competitive, Sako cut some costs on their "standard" grade rifles by using less hand finishing and a slightly duller bluing on the metal. They also introduced the Model 72 which was intended as a lower-cost, lower-priced competitor with Remington and Winchester."

I've owned both and think the pre-Garcia are better made, very smooth bolts and incredible bluing and checkering, very accurate, and I prefer the slimmer stock configurations. The exception is the later European walnut stocks often have better wood on them than the pre-Garcias, which often have dark, shiny stains. I'm in the process of getting the stock on mine refinished and the recoil pad replaced. I don't think you can find a better rifle for about $700 used. A lot more info over on the Sako forum.
 
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