What to look for

[Karate]

I have ran across a used Remington 700 30.06...being new to rifles...I would like some advice as to what to look for in a good used rifle...

 

[Dave R]

Most important thing to check is the condition of the bore. Is the rifling sharp and pronounced? Any pitting? How does the action cycle? Can you check headspace? I'm sure there's more, but those are the big ones.

The BEST way to check it out is to spend $25-50 and have a gunsmith check it out.

 

[rhino_36]

I'm in total agreement with Dave R. Spending a little money before you spend a lot of money will potentially save you a lot of headache/$$ later.
Remington model 700 action is widely considered one of the best. Why not make sure you're getting what you're paying for? It's also the best way to be sure the rifle is SAFE to shoot! Better safe than sorry.

 

[dakotasin]

pick the gun up, yank the bolt, and peer down the bore. you'll know the difference between a bad bore and a bore that just needs cleaning.

turn the rifle to the other end, and look at the muzzle... you are looking for dings or burrs.

and that's about it, really... let's face it, very few people actually shoot their deer rifles much. my rule of thumb: 243 and smaller must always be bought new. 257 roberts and bigger are ok off the used rack.

 

[Brian Dale]

dakotasin,

my rule of thumb: 243 and smaller must always be bought new. 257 roberts and bigger are ok off the used rack.

I bet you've got a good reason for that. My guess = bullet velocity and resultant barrel wear?

Please fill us in, unless I'm risking thread drift. Well, it's NOT likely to be a problem for a .30-'06 because _________?

 

[dakotasin]

bob- smaller rifles tend to do things like prairie dog shooting. so, especially for hot-rod cartridges (243, 220 swift, and my personal favorite - 22-250), it is possible to burn a barrel out in a single outing.

also, many people don't know how to respect a rifle... so, the smaller, less recoil cartridges tend to get shot more - which is fine, except i doubt many people will let barrels cool.

because the 30-06 is a very mild cartridge regarding barrel life, and because it does indeed produce enough recoil out of a bolt gun to be unpleasant after a couple dozen rounds, it is highly unlikely the thing has been shot enough to reduce its useful life by much. contrast that w/ a 223 where after a couple hundred shots, many shooters still don't notice the recoil - and how long do most people actually shoot for (shots/hour) - and you can see where that's going...