need general purpose 30-06

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afrederick

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I'd like a general purpose bolt action 30-06. I would probably put a decent 3-9x40 on top and use it to shoot paper and hopefully deer, pigs, black bear or anything else I might get the chance to go after.

Right now I'm thinking Kimber 84L Classic, Winchester M70, or maybe a Browning x-bolt. Are there others in this genre that I should be considering (traditional, bolt action, 30-06, high quality, very accurate, preferably American)?

I don't have a problem spending what the Kimber costs - if it is worth the extra money. The Kimber looks the lightest. I'm sure that's great for hunting, but truthfully, I'll probably shoot paper more than anything else. Would it be fun to shoot 20 or 50 rounds out of this in an afternoon?

The Winchester seems to earn good reviews. And I understand that FN makes them in Columbia, SC? Is that true? I've also heard that Winchester makes them somewhere abroad?

I haven't researched the Browning much but I have heard people recommend it.

So, is the Kimber worth the extra money? Is it too light to shoot for fun? I want a pretty nice rifle. Very accurate, very good fit and finish, very good trigger.
 
Just one question. Why a .30-06?

I have three, reason in my mind at the time was that almost everyone I deer hunt with uses same caliber. I have a Rem 742, Browning BAR, and a Browning A-Bolt all in .30-06.

All good guns, but in hindsight wish the A-Bolt was in .308 or 7mm-08.

Swanee
 
I spent $250 on a ruger american rifle in 30-06 and $300 on a nikon buckmasters BDC 3-9x50. Dialed in my handloads to .6 inch at 100 and 1 inch at 200. Saved all my money to spend on ammo!!!! Easily I outshoot my father in laws kimber. And brother in laws sako!

Not too bad for a polymer stock gun.
 
Savage...I'm a 30-06 man. If you want a GP 30-06 I recommend a Savage rifle.
 
If you want a new gun, well, I'd say a savage too, though there are tons of really nice 30-06s. If you are not opposed to a used one, honestly, go find one that you like in the hand. I have a used .270 (same cartridge family) that is a Smith and Wesson marked Howa that I really love. Its really smooth and has a great trigger.

But honestly, 30-06 is a great round and almost every bolt made is chambered for it. You are going to get a wide range of responses and the best one, is what feels good in your hand and on your cheek.
 
Ccctennis said:
I spent $250 on a ruger american rifle in 30-06 and $300 on a nikon buckmasters BDC 3-9x50. Dialed in my handloads to .6 inch at 100 and 1 inch at 200. Saved all my money to spend on ammo!!!! Easily I outshoot my father in laws kimber. And brother in laws sako!

Not too bad for a polymer stock gun.
Click to expand...
I've heard of experiences like this many times before. Seems to be a great value. Plenty of them on the used market too.
 
I have an FN M70's in .270 and .243 (used to have another one in 30-06), and an X-Bolt in 30-06, and I honestly think they are both great options. They are all very accurate, probably a wash in that aspect, the X-Bolt is a good bit lighter, but still handles recoil very well. I prefer the safety design on the X-Bolt, but like the CRF action of the M70 better than the X-Bolt's push feed. The rotary magazine on the browning works really well, and I personally prefer drop magazines, but there is definitely nothing wrong with the magazine style used on M-70s. I think they are both superior to the blind magazine used in the Kimber.

I've considered getting a Kimber Montana myself, but only really because I'll be covering a lot of ground hunting at high altitude. In the end though, the Kimber isn't that much lighter than the X-Bolt, and I already have a couple great loads for the X-Bolt. Sort of a bird in the hand vs two in the bush situation. I'd pick any of the three rifles you're considering over a Savage or Ruger American. They are fine rifles, but I do think that for the extra cost of the three you're looking at, you get a higher level of refinement.
 
The ruger american seems to be getting good reviews for its accuracy I think in large part due to its unique bedding system.... HOWEVER, the bolt action feels like a bad wheel bearing on a 20 year old dodge and the magazine catch seems waaay too flimsy- I foresee these being single shot rifles within a few years.....I think the Savage axis shows better overall build quality in the same price range, or spend a little more and get the old reliable model 110. For me , I look for a super smooth action and my Weatherby Vanguard fits the bill with sub MOA accuracy all day long. Or how bout a nice old sporterized 03 Springfield rifle....doesn't get much smoother than that and you'll get mad reps from all the old guys at the range....:)
 
I agree with Bexar.

Savage.

I have a Savage in .30-06.

It ain't the prettiest girl at the dance, but damn does she dance.

I ain't lyin', it's a pretty good shooter.

If you want to spend extra dough elsewhere, do it. It's up to you.
 
Afaik, the Winchester is no longer made in SC. (I may be wrong, maybe someone can clarify). How about a Ruger Hawkeye or a M77 MkII? Both made in America, mine was more accurate than I was And it comes with scope rings at about $100 less than a Winny or the Browning. Still more expensive than the American by Ruger, but it is wood stocked and reliable. I really miss my 30-06 MkII.:(
 
Thanks for the replies!

"Just one question. Why a .30-06?"

It seems versatile. I do not handload (yet). There appear to be a good variety of factory loads for different applications. And if a store sells any ammo at all, they probably have 30-06.

Down the road, if I get into handloading, I'd be more than willing to experiment with more interesting calibers.
 
Kimbers are great rifles, but you are paying a premium to get a quality rifle about 1-2 lbs lighter than the competition. I own one in 308 that is still under 6 lbs including scope and mounts. While I like the gun a lot, it is a special purpose gun at that weight, not a general purpose gun. You can also get a Ruger or Winchester that is just as good quality for considerably less. They will just weigh about 2 lbs more.

You want something around 8 lbs or a bit less including optics as an all around gun. Much heavier and you are getting into a special purpose long range rig.

There is nothing at all wrong with the Ruger American or Savage, I've owned both in the past and still have a couple of the Americans. For $350 they shoot as well as some guns costing $1,000+ that I own.

But if you can afford a Kimber, you'll appreciate a nicer gun. For the money a Ruger Hawkeye is hard to beat if you want something with nice wood and blue steel.

My personal favorite is Winchester. You can get a Featherweight for around $750. Don't let the name fool you, by todays standards a Featherweight is just a standard weight rifle. The Ruger Hawkeye and Winchester FWT will weigh within 1-2 ounces of each other. The Winchester Sporter or Super Grade are just plain too heavy unless chambered in hard kicking magnum calibers.

Winchesters are being assembled in Portugal. At one time the parts were being built here, shipped to Portugal for assembly then shipped back. I've heard rumors that they may be building them there entirely now. Haven't heard anything to confirm that.

As an all around rifle I'd strongly suggest 308 over 30-06. Modern 308 loads are about 100 fps faster than the 30-06 loads from the 1950's and will match anything from factory 30-06 loads. Hotter 30-06 handloads will still be about 100 fps faster than the best 308 loads, but there isn't an animal on the planet that will ever notice the difference when shot with either. Ammo is cheaper and recoil is about 20% less from rifles of the same weight. This is especially important if you choose a light rifle. My 6 lb Kimber 308 has the same recoil as an 8 lb 30-06.
 
My RaR bolt and mag function flawlessly. I'm always amazed at those that think since it is polymer that it is junk. Majority of people I talk to that say that have a polymer handgun with polymer mags and never complain about their handgun:)

I have run 1000 rounds through my RaR and it is as smooth as my $1200 remington.

I think if you handload put more money into your ammo Vs the gun. Most shooters never reach their accuracy potential due to skills, ammo, ect rather than the gun. Hey I have some high price guns on my purchase list but those are for the wall or the safe.
 
Just saw a savage 111 at the local gun store for 260$ throw it in a boyds stock for another 100$ and put a nikon prostaff 3-9 for an other 130$ and you have a perfect 500$ gun.
 
I have had Kimber rifles. My Kimber 22-250 had a beautiful wooden stock and shot lights out. I shot it until I burned out the barrel. The lighter weight composite stocked rifle that I had needed to go back for a bedding job, twice. Lightweight, 30-06, and fun to shoot don't belong in the same sentence.

I have switched over to Savage rifles with the Accustock. Not exactly good looking rifles, but they are very accurate if the stock is properly torqued to spec. All of my serious shooting stock rifles are Savage rifles. There was a time I swore I would never own a Savage. A model 16 weather warrior is a great hunting rifle. Of course, the Accustocked rifles approach the cost of their competitiors.
 
30-06

Lot of good suggestions on rifles. I would add that I have a couple of 06's.
One is 6 1/2 lbs (bare rifle without scope or mounts) and with bullets weights above 165 grain I do notice the recoil at the shooting bench (with a scope and mounts). I use an extra pad at the bench and that pretty much takes care of it. Also with bullets above 165 grain that have exposed lead, the nose of the bullets in the magazine will be flattened (we did remedy most of that). It even dents the front of the magazine. We never notice the recoil in the field however. The other 30-06 is a full size rifle and we don't notice recoil at the bench with the heavier bullets. We do prefer carrying the lighter rifle in the field. Thought we would just mention that. OYE
 
afrederick, a 30-06 is an interesting rifle, a lot more so than many of the other cartridges. I've had many rifles in the past and was surprised when the 30-06 became my favorite. I found myself always picking a 30-06 when I went hunting, no matter what the game. The two easiest cartridges to reload are the 30-06 and 308, but I have owned 2 308 rifles and got rid of both of then and kept the 30-06's. I have spent more enjoyable time developing loads for the 30-06 than any other rifle, with good results. Even today development of the 30-06 hasn't ended due to the introduction of new powders like Reloader 17. Pick a Winchester 70 or a Montana with a 22 inch barrel.
 
Factory rifle, Sako, Weatherby, or Remington higher end or custom. Limited production, Dakota or Kimber.
There are cheaper rifles that shoot well, but are ugly and vary in quality, accuracy and lack refinement. Also there are a lot of cartridges that are almost as good as a 30-06 and are great cartridges but not equal to the 30-06.
I really like my Tikka 7-08 but respect someone wanting a no compromise gun.
 
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