30.06 Bolt Action

Looking to add a Bolt Action 30.06 to my collection.My budget range limit is $700.00 & South.What's a good name brand in that price range?

 

Do you want pretty, or functional. $700 is sort of no mans land. You can get a pretty functional rifle in the $400-$500 range. But to get anything a little classy $700 won't do it.

If I wanted the most gun for just under $700 it'd be a Tikka. The odds are it will be the most accurate gun at any price.

https://shop.whittakerguns.com/product/9931

If I wanted something pretty

https://shop.whittakerguns.com/product/33023

Howa, Savage, Ruger, and several others make decent guns in the $400-$500 range.

I see you are in Louisville KY. Whittakers ( the guns in the links) is not far from you in Owensboro. Would be worth the trip to see 1st hand.

 

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog...avage+Centerfire/Savage+110+TH+XP+30-06+NIKON

Just one of many options. In your price range, there are several good choices. I would try to lay my hands on as many different models of rifle as I could, and narrow it down from there.

 

I found a new display model of the tikka t3 ss in 30-06 for $500 a few months ago. it is an outstanding shooter.
I would also look at a Savage or a Ruger. There are many others out there too, but I've had really good luck with these three brands.

 

Old Ruger Hawkeye or M77.

 

Ruger M77s were generally CHF barrels, mine shoots a dream, and ran me 400$ used. You could probably
get a Browning X Bolt Stalker, used, in the neighborhood of 550-600$.

 

I definitely recommend a trip to Whittakers, the selection they have is unbelievable. All the rifles and shotguns are in racks that allows you to look it over and get a feel for how it will handle. I don't know how many firearms they have on display but there is a wide range of brands, models and calibers. If you've read about a certain gun I'd be surprised if they didn't have one in the store. Friendly and helpful staff.

 

Add $100 or so and get a Remington CDL.

 

Mauser M18 or Howa 1500

 

I picked up a Savage 11-111 in 30-06. Shoots good. I'm in the process of working up a load to hopefully make it even better.

 

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.

 

OP, do you want a wood or synthetic stock?

 

OP
Do you have any specific purpose or parameters in mind for this purchase? For my $, I'd be looking for another classic Winchester model 70 in stainless or a Sako AV, AIII, or L61R depending on your druthers. It might take some patience or a little extra cash, but they're out there.

 

Used gun racks.
Greg

 

Less than 700?

TC Dimension. Looks odd, feels great in hand.

 

CZ. Buds has their CZ’s 557’s for $425-$550. If you’ve never shot a CZ you should really think about it. They’re a dream. Their set triggers are....awesome. And their accuracy is really good.if you can find a 550 for around $600, you’re crazy if you don’t buy it. In fact, if you do find one and don’t want it, PM me a link. Because I’m interested.

Tikka. Well....their Tikkas. Nothing bad to say about them. They’re simply fantastic rifles by all accounts.

T/C Venture. Guaranteed Sub-MOA accuracy. Crisp, match grade triggers. Smooth bolts. Really cheap price. Usually around $350 with rebate.

And in the used market. Hop on Armslist and do a power search and search that caliber. No shortage of great options.

 

IMHO the used rack can get you a rifle that someone else could not get to shoot accurate.
Sometimes the used rack has other people`s problems waiting for you to solve.
I have bought many guns off the used rack, most are good, a few were not.

 

It can happen, but I think the overwhelming majority on the used rack, especially at the pawn shop, were simply sold off when money got tight. Sometimes you can find them wearing good glass too.

 

I'd browse the pawn shops. Generally, they have 40% to 50% of the asking price actually invested, so there's plenty of room for dickering over the price. I've rarely seen a very-worn bolt action rifle offered for sale. Most are "low mileage".

 

I'd think a Browning bolt action would fall in your price range. Just saw a wood stocked used one, 30-'06, for $550, unfortunately for me, the handle was on the wrong side....

 

For $700 you should have no problem finding a nib bolt action 30-06 that you will be happy with. Lots of really good options that will shoot very well.

The choice comes down to what are you into? What do you need from this gun? Push feed or CRF? Short barrel? Long bull barrel? Wood stock? Syn stock? Do you have a target weight you want to be under? I would use process of elimination to get down to the one gun that meets my demands.

As far as name brands go, I prefer CZ, Tikka, Weatherby Vandguard/Howa 1500 the most but for a gun I'm gonna drag around in the woods and don't want to worry about scratching up it's hard to go wrong with a $400 Ruger American.

You have lots of options, enjoy the hunt.

 

Though I've owned and hunted with several bolt-action rifles over the past fifty years or so, including Remington, Browning, Savage, Winchester (but, oddly, not a Model 70) and Howa (ala Weatherby), I've had the best experiences in terms of accuracy, material, workmanship, durability, reliability and relative affordability with Ruger. I currently own a couple of early seventies Model 77s and two Mark IIs.