I want to get a "CLASSIC" 30-06 hunting rifle with a nice wood stock.

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30-06 Classic

That is one beautiful Ruger but if I had my druthers I too would go with a Winchester M70 but I would not hold back too long if a nice A-Bolt or X-Bolt Browning was discovered first. Accuracy wise I've not found anything more accurate out of the box than the X-Bolt.
 
my vote is for a Winchester Model 70 Pre 64. i have 7 of them and they are all great rifles. you can pick up 30-06s in great shape on gunbroker for 700-900 and in my opinion better than anything else out there.
 
I'm gonna vote for the CZ 550 American, in .30-06, as that is what I went with when I was in your same position. Beautiful rifle, great palmswell, great checkering, and quite a shooter with my VX3 on top.
 
Classic

That CZ ^^^^^ is a beauty. I have wanted a Mannlicher stocked gun for years.....never bought one....hmmmm. Maybe.
When "classic" was mentioned, though, Winchester M70 immediately popped into mind.
Pete
 
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The point is this

Do you want it to LOOK like a classic?

Or do you want it to BE a classic?


Rugers, CZ, new Winchesters, and all of those... well.... they *ain't* classics. They are faux-classics.

So if you want to LOOK like it's a classic, the faux-classics as described will be fine for you. These are the no-brainer cookie-cutter choices. But.... they.... are..... not.... classics......


With NO MORE COST (or likely by spending less), you can have a REAL classic that will be pleasing and will perform as well as you would ever need. The difference is that you can't pick it put of a catalog. You'll need to (1): EDUCATE yourself so you know what the good stuff is, and then (2): SEARCH for guns *without looking for anything absolutely specific* because as I said, these are not cookie-cutter items, and then (3): BUY when you find what you like. You'll end up with a surprise of some sort.

As I said before, get a "general" idea of what you want, and then keep an open mind as you look over used gun racks and gunshow tables. The 1950's and 1960's vintage Mauser sporters as sold by almost everyone then are *very* good rifles. Don't overlook a "Ted Williams" sporter sold by Sears... it's a factory commercial FN Mauser, one of the best rifles ever manufactured by anyone at any time. Husquavarna... these are commercial Swedish Mausers, simply gorgous. Look at Sako rifles, they are highly refined and of absolute top shelf quality. And do not overlook older custom rifles built on Mauser and Springfield actions. You need to know what t look for to tell the wheat from the chaff, and some patience. Invest in yourself to gain the knowlage needed. It might take buying a rifle or two before you get it right. Don't worry... taking one into a gunshow to sell while looking for it's replacement is a hobby well worth enjoying.



*Anyone* can buy a cookie-cutter Ruger. Are they "Classic"? Uhh.... no.

If you want a REAL classic, find one. It's easier than you think. Thousands of them are sitting in gunshops right now in the used gun racks. Start looking. And there's a lot worse advice than buying a pre-64 Model 70. Buy one and you'll not regret it.


Willie

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hard to beat a win 70 featherweight. Good shooting beautiful gun
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^^^^^^ +1

I picked this one up cheap because sometime in the distant past a recoil pad was added.

1956 M70 Featherweight.
IMG_1921-XL.jpg
IMG_1919-XL.jpg
 
Andrew Leigh:
One of the most beautiful rifles I have ever seen! Love that full-length stock, and especially the iron sights. In this configuration, a banded front sight wouldn't make sense, and so it is perfection as it stands. Thanks so much for that photo.

highpower:
That is a beautiful rifle, and it goes to present why I think the current Winchester ( while beautiful) the company is making a huge mistake. Models have no factory-installed iron sights. I learned to shoot and hunt with iron sights, not optics. In fact, I had never even used a scope until I was about 26 or 27. I still like irons. Well, I like optics too. But I want a back-up when hunting, because I can use both proficiently.

For my likes, I would like to see Winchester offer a Featherweight with a covered, banded, front sight, and a dandy folding rear sight. Not that Winchester checks my posts daily to see what I opine. So, that leaves me (when my daughter finishes pre-med and I once again have money), to buy a Featherweight, and have the sights installed aftermarket.

Geno
 
I'm left-handed, which really limits my choices, but when I think classic .30-06 walnut-stocked hunting rifle, I think Remington 700 BDL. Maybe it's because I own one.
 
Nathanael;

Now myself, I never cared much for the vintage BDL look, high gloss, white lines, and all that Weatherby glitz. There's a lot more out there in left handed guns, I can tell you that because I've got a fair number of 'em. Sako, Tikka, Browning, vintage Steyr-Mannlicher's, Montana Rifle Company, Blaser, and Mauser G3, just to name a few of them. OK, probably the majority of them, but there are other options, even Savage if you care to.

900F
 
Willie Suton:

Rugers, CZ, new Winchesters, and all of those... well.... they *ain't* classics. They are faux-classics.
Click to expand...

Have you held a new Winchester 70 lately? They are as nice as anything with the Winchester name on it in a LONG time.
 
Reserve a couple of hours.
Go to a well-stocked gun shop.
Shoulder lots of rifles.

Choose one that:

1. Fits you
2. Has a smooth action
3. Feels like it's balanced in your hands

If your hunting involves lots of loading/unloading, consider actions that are easy to retrieve the cartridge from, without having to catch it or pick it off the ground.

Also consider ease of loading more cartridges without having to remove the mag.

Sako fits these two criteria, although some say it isn't fully controlled feed. Mine manages to cycle perfectly, even when upside down and I've never had any issues with double feeds. When I bought it, I tried the actions on a number of rifles. Many other brands were rough, scratchy or gritty. It was an easy choice after that.
 
There are some good rifles out there in synthetic stocks, all you need to do is wait on the right wood stock to come along.

I bought this barreled action as new, and put it in a used wood stock. I think the marriage is working out....

i-fJZrDC4-L.jpg
 
"Have you held a new Winchester 70 lately? They are as nice as anything with the Winchester name on it in a LONG time."


Yup. As far as cookie-cutter "anyone can buy one that's identical at Cabelas" rifles it's fine.


BUT: It's not a classic. It's a modern cookie-cutter rifle worth less tomorrow than when you plunk down your cash today. And it'll continue to depreciate for decades.

For me... I buy *real* classics, not faux-classics. I had a few hours last night to browse a few of the sales sites looking for a hypothetical rifle to meet the needs of the OP here (I like hunting down nice rifles and this was a good excuse), and found a bunch of German prewar and immediate postwar Mauser sporters in the price range specified, several beautiful commercial FN Mauser sporters, and a bunch of other nice *true* classics. Why in the world would I buy an immediately depreciating new rifle that has nothing "special" about it, when I can buy what to me is a more pleasing real classic, with old world craftmanship, which will be unique, and which carries the gravitas of the ages in its genes?


Here's an example of a real classic, one that I purchased myself. It's still listed for sale, I guess Champlin leaves things up as advertising. It's out of the OP's prioce range, and is in an African caliber, but when I calibrate my brain to "Classic", this is what I am thinking of. This came back to the USA in the hands of bapist missionary named JS Garlow, on the Lloyd Trieste passenger liner "Neptunia" for the voyage from Calcutta to Naples, based on the stickers on the case. A little Google-Fu shows that Garlow set up churches in India, but must have been a shootin' preacher.


http://www.gunsinternational.com/RO...ORIG-TRUNK-CASE-ORIG-GUN.cfm?gun_id=100489173

I guess you either appreciate really classic things, or you don't. I'm all about things made in Suhl and Liege. They don't cost any more, are appreciating, and are the real deal.


Back to .30-06's... (noting that if you opened up the caliber choice to 8x57 that there would be a HUGE number of gorgeous prewar and immediate postwar Mauser sporters suddenly available), let's look at some nice stuff for the OP that stays within price range and will provide accurate performance, classic looks, and investment appreciation potential:


The most vanilla of the REAL classics is the pre-64 Model 70. You simply can't go wrong with one.

http://www.gunsinternational.com/WINCHESTER-70-PRE-64-30-06.cfm?gun_id=100497667

Things like this are the "easy choice" for someone wanting a real classic, but who does not know enough to really discriminate amongst the no-name custom rifles that range from beautiful down to awful. You can't go wrong with a shooter-grade pre-64 Model 70:

Here's a beauty in a FN Sporter:

http://www.gunsinternational.com/FN...-Lyman-48-receiver-sight.cfm?gun_id=100496544


Here's a sleeper: H&R had FN make sporters for their label back in the 60's and 70's. Who would go searching for a Harrington & Richardson rifle? Folks that know what they are looking at is who. Sears also had FN put rifles together for them.

http://www.gunsinternational.com/Harrington-Richardson-Ultra-FN-30-06-caliber.cfm?gun_id=100493374


And then there are the GOOD QUALITY no-name sporters. Got $400? BUY THIS. It's a beauty.

http://www.gunsinternational.com/FN-BARREL-AND-ACTION-SPORTER.cfm?gun_id=100492501


Here's "Willies Eclectic Choice" of the night. Might add this to my own own rack.

http://www.gunsinternational.com/CUSTOM-MAUSER-30-06-MANNLICHER-STOCKED.cfm?gun_id=100480680



Just start looking and researching and poking thru used gunracks...


Willie


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two of my classic bolt action 3006,s, a remington model 721 made in 1948 and a winchester model 70 made in 1951. they have both killed deer,but only on nice days. open sights for the remington 721 and a older 4x weaver on the winchester 70. eastbank.
 

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I like Rugers and Kimbers.
Get one of those and a Leupold VX2 and be done with it. I recommend warne bases and rings.
 
I have an M70 that I bought used over 25 years ago. The stock was abused from years of deer hunting and it is still abused but it is a classic and a wonderful shooter. I keep saying I am going to get the stock refinished. Before anybody goes apoplectic about refinishing a "classic", I am not interested in some future trade value but rather the look of the gun.
I have a 1970's Remington BDL. Phenomenal gun.
If I were looking for a "classic" with a $1k budget then one of the CZs would probably do me just fine. Those are fine rifles.
BTW I hunt mostly with a Savage Axis in 30-06 with a synthetic stock. I love that accu-trigger!
 
Lots of good options for a nice gun that you'll enjoy owning, whether an American "classic" or other old-school-style, not-CNC-built guns. Should be fun to search out the one that speaks to you.

A couple of CZ 550s here. I like the feel of the heavy Mauser actions.
550safterrefinish_7_zpsa832c3de.jpg
 
Another vote for the good old Model 70 Featherweight. I have 2 from the late 1930's and they are indeed the American classic...the rifleman's rifle. If I wanted a newly manufactured "classic" rifle, it would be a Cooper model 52 Classic.
 
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