Any suggestions for a .30-06?

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brewer12345

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I got an invitation from a friend to join his group elk hunting this Fall. Since I have never chased elk, I am thrilled to get schooled by experienced elk hunters. The only problem is that where they hunt the shots are commonly between 200 and 300 yards. The .35 Rem is not going to cut it, I think. I looked at the various options and it seems like a .30-06 bolt action would do the trick. Not as much recoil as the bigger magnums, enough to get the job done, and can always use downloaded stuff for deer. Added plus is that you can find the ammo in any sporting goods store I have walked into locally.

I am not looking to spend a ton, but something suitable that isn't garbage is necessary. I would prefer used if I can get a good rifle at a comfortable price. Anyone care to suggest fairly common rifles that I should go look at? I prefer wood stocks to plastic and somewhat heavier is a plus given the recoil inherent in such a rifle.
 
i had 2 savage 110 gxps that were half to three quarter shooters. guns served me well on deer out to 300 yards. mcclains in norwich ny had one for 350. last time i was there. you might also look at rem 700 adl. wal mart carrys them for unfer 400. and get a new wood stock from boyds or similar place for not much money. you might be able to find a win 670 used also, ifound one for lrss yhan 200. at montrose spirting goods montrose pa. a couple years ago. there are many options that will fit your requirenents.
 
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Lots of good options, a suggested budget would help. You can buy a decent rifle as cheap as $400 or spend over $4000. Some thoughts:

Wood can be pretty, but 90% of the wood on rifles today is cheap and no better looking than plastic. Wood can be accurate, but it will also expand and contract as temperature, humidity and altitude change causing the point of impact to change. It'll still be accurate, just hit somewhere other than where you aim. It is 1700 miles from home here in GA to where I last hunted in CO. When making the drive I'll gain 7000' or more, lose about 50% humidity and drop 50-70 degrees temperature in October. I'll bet money a wood stocked rifle zeroed in GA won't hit the same spot in CO. My synthetic stocked guns will. If you tend to hunt in the same area, and if the humidity is fairly stable this is much less of an issue.

I don't know where you live, but if you're not used to climbing steep mountains at 7000-9000' it will kick your butt. It'll kick your butt even if you're used to it, just not as much. A lighter rifle will be much appreciated. If a light 30-06 recoils too much consider a light 308, 270 or even one of the 6.5's. Any of those will kill elk with proper bullets past 300-400 yards. A 30-06 should get you to 500 and the magnums only advantage is past 500 yards. But since most can't shoot well enough to hit that far why put up with the recoil.

Without knowing your budget one of the Ruger Americans at under $400 is my top pick on the low end. Depending on the scope you can come in around 7.5 lbs ready to hunt. That is a good compromise, not too light to shoot well, but not too heavy either. For $800-$900 I like the Winchester 70 or Ruger Hawkeye. But those are personal choices, not the only good choice.

http://ruger.com/products/americanRifle/overview.html

I like the Winchester Featherweight in walnut. It is a featherweight in name only so don't let that scare you. The actual weight is the same or more than most standard weight rifles by other manufacturers. While the sporter is nice, it is simply overweight except in magnum cartridges where the weight helps with recoil. My personal pick is the Extreme Weather.

http://www.winchesterguns.com/products/rifles/model-70/model-70s-in-current-production.html

A Ruger Hawkeye is another good option. Very similar to the Winchester and usually a bit less expensive. Weight will be about the same as the Winchester Featherweight. A great buy if you want walnut/blue.

http://ruger.com/products/HawkeyeStandard/models.html
 
Lots of good 30-06 bolt guns out there, Rem 700 and Win 70 have both stood the test of time. Lots of others also. '06 with 3 to 9 glass should be able to do the job.
Lafitte
 
Brewer, I didn't see you mention a budget. Let us know what range you're working with and I'm sure we can help you exceed it ;)
 
I love my Rem700 in 308, but my buddies Ruger American in 308 is a very nice rifle for the money.

If it's not something you plan on doing regularly, I'd suggest the Ruger. If it's something you figure you're going to be into for a long while a nicer Savage or Rem would fit the bill nicely.
 
I'd at least consider the NATO round (308). Practice ammo costs less, more ammo choices, and a slightly shorter/lighter rifle.

That being said, I'd go with a Model 70. If you don't want to spend a lot, the post 63 design (push feed) are usually shooters, and if you want something nice without breaking the bank the "classic" CRF design with cut wood checkering is very nice.
 
If you don't want to spend much I would look at the TC Venture or Ruger American . The Venture is a little heavier than the Ruger and has a shorter LOP that fits me better with winter clothing . I am probably going to go on a one time elk hunt and I am debating caliber for that reason , even though I don't rifle hunt much anyway . I hunt in a shotgun only county , but that could change in the future .

The one thing I did notice in my area during the ammo shortage was I didn't see any .308 ammo in the stores , I saw a little 30.06 , but I saw plenty of .270 .
 
I've killed one elk, back in the early 80's. Used my .270. My guide carried a .270 also. What has happened to elk in the intervening years that's made them so tough a .270 isn't enough rifle for them?

I also wouldn't trust the scopes that come with the Axis, 783, Patriot, RAR, etc. in a package rifle - not for an elk hunt. Some package rifles do come with a good scope but cost quite a bit more, such as the Vanguard/VX-2 combo. YMMV.
 
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I'd say a ruger American or savage trophy hunter package with a Nikon scope. Either will be plenty accurate for what you are doing.
 
Its hard to chose a bad rifle right now so i wont make a specific suggestion.

This is the list i look at when looking for a new gun without an idea of which one i want before hand.

Choose your budget.
Action type, crf or push.
Choose your metal finish.
Acceptable barrel lengths.
Acceptable weight.
Magazine type.
Choose your stock type wood/plastic/higher quality synthetic.
Rifle Fit.
Brand.

You can order those depending on how you value each option. I find it generally preferble, for myself, to go in that order. BUT I like to tinker with and modify stuff, so i prioritize stuff i cant easily change.
 
Buy a bottle or two of single malt scotch in exchange for borrowing a rifle. This will be the best investment you could make if this is a "don't really need it, but need it for now" rifle. Never hurts to borrow a rifle when available, and you'll save a lot of money (and likely tighten a fellowship of hunters' bond) by going no cost.

Else, if you're looking for a reason to buy a new rifle and a way to save money on it, instead of saving money in general... flip a coin, there really aren't many if any bad rifles out there. 300yrds will mean you have to be able to deliver 2-3moa from field positions to effectively kill elk. Ruger American or Hawkeye, Rem 700, Win 70, Savage 110/111/112/116, Howa 1500, Wby Vanguard, Tikka... Any of these, given a little tweaking to make them happy at home in their stocks, will be capable of delivering 1MOA or less precision from a bench, and 2-3moa in the field at 300yrds or less (supported field shooting).

Another option - which is worth exploring - is to find a suitable load for your 35rem. Managing trajectory for the 35rem at 300yrds isn't as easy as it is for the .30-06, but it's not unmanageable either. A lot flatter shooting than the 45-70, for which I cap myself at 300 in the field. Definitely the least cost to you.
 
brewer12345 said:
I am not looking to spend a ton, but ...
Click to expand...

What's a ton?

"According to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, all U.S. bills weigh the same: one gram. About 454 grams make a pound, which means that a ton of dollar bills would be worth $908,000." ​

That's assuming you're talking Washingtons. You could have a very nice rifle for a small fraction of a ton. Yay, pedantic!
 
Yes, I should have specified a budget. Under a thousand bucks for a good scope, rifle and perhaps a sling. Ideally well under a thousand bucks. Sounds like there are a lot of good choices, so I really need to get to a store and handle a few.

I live in CO at 5300' elevation and regularly go to higher elevations, so sight in should not be a huge issue.
 
A ruger American or a savage 110, and a Leopold vx-2 or 3. For the price those are a few of the good options. I would also look at tikka. But it depends on which fits you best. For sure get some decent glass though. 3x9 by 40 or so should do nicely, but anything over 12x is a waste of weight and $$
 
Any name brand that fits YOU well should be fine. If you can hold the rifle at the "ready" position, focus your eye on a target . . . then close your eyes and raise the rifle to firing position . . . and find the target somewhere close to the crosshairs in your scope . . . the rifle fits. (It doesn't count if you have to move your head around to look through the scope.) Best to do this while wearing your hunting clothes.

Be sure you can easily work the bolt without removing the rifle from your shoulder and that you like the other features (like the safety) before you buy.

My personal "hunting" .30/06 is an older (early 70's) Winchester M70; it's a push-feed design, and is now wearing a synthetic Bell & Carlson stock I glass bedded the action into and a 3x9 Leupold Vari-X II. In addition to North American hunting it's been on 3 safaris with me and has accounted for numerous big game animals from hogs and deer to kudu, zebra, and leopard.
 
With that budget and purpose, I'd say get a stainless Tikka T3X or T3 (my local Sportsman's Warehouse still has a few T3's on super clearance). I'd also get a limbsaver recoil pad, the T3 in '06 can kick a little without one. Should leave enough cash for a Leupold Vx-2, Vx3i or a Zeiss Conquest from Eurooptic.
 
Savage Model 110, 111, or any of the 11x series rifles would get my vote. That would leave you with enough money to throw a decent scope and rings on there.
 
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