30-06

[losthunter]

Im looking to purchase a 30-06 for deer hunting this year. could you guys give me some pros and cons about looking in pawn shops for one and what would be a good reliable gun. Are any 30-06 considered tack drivers. I have no experience with them.

 

[infoman jr.]

The 30-06 is not usually referred to as a "tack driving" caliber, but it is an extremely popular hunting round - certainly adequate for deer.

 

[DaveB]

What is your shooting experience? You have a 223 bolt, 243, etc? 30-30 lever?

What's your budget? You going to get a scope? budget is necessary, Swarvoski's cost more than Tasco's

I hate prowling around pawn shops although apparently some folks find deals.

Go to Academy and take a look at the Savage Axis in 30.06. This will retail for a very reasonable price.

The Ruger American in 30.06 will retail slightly higher. Take a look.

These are your two best opoprtunities to get the firearm you are interested in.

As for ammo, the 06 for deer will generally shoot a 150 grain round with an acceptable degee of accuracy.

 

[losthunter]

3030 lever action is all Ive ever known. I hoping to stay between 5 and 6 hundred. Will get a scope, just going to start out with iron sights first.

 

[DaveB]

Sorry, most new rifles do not come with iron sights, weird as that may sound.

The Savage Axis II should run less than $400.00 out the door. I could be wrong someone correct me but a Refield 3x9x40 can be had for around 140, that right guys?


I just purchased a Savage Axis out the door for 269 + Tax and I got a 50 buck rebate, already cashed that one. We are well within your budget.

The redfield scope is a good one.

What city you live near to if you don't mind?

 

[GOODWIN]

Id just keep watching the classifieds here for one. Used Rem 700 or savage 10/110/11/111 can be had for $400-500. Decent scope for 150-200 and you'll have a nice setup. Bushnell elite in classifieds right now. 30-06 great cal but if your not stuck on it your options will open up quite a bit. Oh and any cal can be a "tack driver" depends on gun/ammo/and man behind it.good luck

 

[deerhunter10]

I would look at other calibers I own a 30-06 and not a fan of the caliber at all. There are much better calibers on the market imo. Mine is a "tack drive" but it took a lot of ammo to find one that my gun liked to make it that way. I have a tikkka t-3 but its all preference but I wouldn't prowl around pawn shops but that's just me probably come good deals but the classified ads here have some great deals.

 

[DaveB]

here
http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/savage- ... id=3087764

Other calibers have different, lower prices.

 

[Remington742]

Try a Remington model 742 in 30-06. I like mine its perfect for normal TN deer hunting.

 

[JimFromTN]

Walmart and Academy both sell a rem 700 adl for around $379. Walmart's comes with a cheap throw away scope. You have time before next season so keep an eye on the classifieds here as well as keep an eye out for sales in the late summer, early fall. Richard's usually has a good sale in the late summer. Pawn shops are good only if you are really good at dickering. Most pawn shop stated prices are no better than retail.

 

[EastTNHunter]

30-06 is one of the best, most versatile rounds ever invented, and is the parent or grandparent cartridge for numerous other rounds (25-06, 270, 280, 35 whelen, 338-06, 308, 260, 7mm-08, 243, etc). Anyone who says that there are better rounds is uninformed or has an agenda. There may be more specialized rounds, but that does not make them better.

Carlos Hathcock would argue with anyone who said that it was not a tack driver. It is a very accurate round if used in an accurate rifle, just like any other round. If you reload then it is usually pretty forgiving and an easy round to create an accurate load in.

165s are my preference for deer, but 150s or 180s will work if you want them to

 

[Hunt2Live]

I would be carful about buying guns from a pawn shop because more than likely your going to be buying a used gun. Not saying it's a bad idea or that you shouldn't do it, but if I were you I would go to academy sports and browse around at what they have. Just my opinion.

 

[Plain Old Dave]

Couple thoughts, in order.

1) Accuracy. The US Magazine Rifle, Caliber .30 M1903 won a trainload of championship trophies in its day, including the Palma Cup (international match against all comers) and 300m International shooting. After the M1903 became obsolete as a Service Rifle, it still ruled the roost as a competitive Match Rifle while the US Rifle, National Match Caliber .30M1 ruled the roost. Even now, a competitor with a .30-06 is not at a particular disadvantage in NRA Match Rifle competition, as .30-06s still shoot possibles at 600. That's a 200/200, or holding the 10 ring which is a 12" circle. And telescopic sights are prohibited in Match Rifle competition. Given you're shooting game at considerably closer than 600 yards with (I surmise) a telescopic sight, the '06 will do anything you need it to. And it'll do it better with 180gr+ bullets than any short-action cartridge will. The '06 is plenty of gun for everything in the Lower 48, and adequate for Alaska with judicious bullet selection.

2) Guns. There's not enough money in TNDeer to get me to trust a new rifle from Big Green, as they haven't had a consistently quality product since they dropped the Models 81 and 141. About the only semi-modern Rem I would recommend would be a 760/7600, and that would only be if one could be found with a proper wood stock and a dust cover that wouldn't rattle.

3) Used guns. I have bought maybe two new guns in the last 15 years. The classics (Winchester 54/70, Remington Model 30, etc.) are light-years ahead of anything made new for quality, accuracy, and reliability. I'll take a $400-500 or so Winchester Model 70 from a pawn shop or Armslist, where several are here in TN for that kind of cash RIGHT NOW, over a $600 plastic and pot metal "700" or Ruger American from a discount store every day of the week. Never mind the barrel's already broken in. Before "shot out" is mentioned, a 30-06 barrel will give acceptable hunting accuracy for 5000-6000 rounds at least, and if you limit shots to 200 yards you might still have a usable barrel at 10,000 rounds; only now are the earliest Model 30/54/70s experiencing significant bore wear. Most "shot out" barrels can be restored to accuracy with serious cleaning, and the US military didn't rebarrel 06s til they were over 10,000 rounds. Your used '06 will be just as accurate when your grandchildren are preparing to pass it on to THEIR grandchildren.

 

[ratsnakeboogy]

What he said. ^^^

 

[losthunter]

Thanks for all the replys, I will keep looking around at Acadamy Sports and other places, Ive got some time before next season, just curious what everyones thoughts were. Thanks

 

[infoman jr.]

Pot metal. Lol.

Regardless of the manufacturer you prefer, on average, guns of today far surpass guns of 10 or 20 years ago in accuracy, materials, and reliability.

 

[TNRifleman]

Thanks for all the replys, I will keep looking around at Acadamy Sports and other places, Ive got some time before next season, just curious what everyones thoughts were. Thanks

Academy has the Rem. 700 ADL on sale through Saturday for $359 and Remington has a $35 rebate right now. I have bought 3 of these from them in the past, one in 30-06 and 2 in 25-06 to use for builds and all three have shot really well right out of the box. The stock is crappy but that can be easily replaced. The X-Mark Pro trigger is really pretty good.

 

[eweisner]

Have you ever picked up a VZ24, Enfield, or Mosin Nagant. Feel the way the bolt slides into the receiver. Newer rifles bolts feel like they rattle around until home. Better made? I'd have to disagree. Check and see how many tack drivers being used today are built on M98 Mauser actions.

 

[Vermin93]

Interested in selling your 30-30 lever gun? Got a pic?

 

[infoman jr.]

Have you ever picked up a VZ24, Enfield, or Mosin Nagant. Feel the way the bolt slides into the receiver. Newer rifles bolts feel like they rattle around until home. Better made? I'd have to disagree. Check and see how many tack drivers being used today are built on M98 Mauser actions.

And if you feel the bolt of a current production gun 50 years from now, they'll be pretty darn slick, too.

 

[Plain Old Dave]

Regardless of the manufacturer you prefer, on average, guns of today far surpass guns of 10 or 20 years ago in accuracy, materials, and reliability.

10-20 years ago, yeah. Because 10-20 years ago, all the manufacturers had already cheaped out and gone to pop cans, plastic, and sheet metal. 348Winchester and I both hunt with guns from the Golden Age (c. 1865- c.1960) regularly, and we have never had a broken part in the woods. Never. Accuracy is an overstated concern IMO for a deer rifle; if the piece and shooter can hit a dinner plate at the range in question, the rifle has plenty of accuracy for deer hunting. Materials, I must ask what drugs you're on. If your employer tests evidently it's pretty good stuff if you think plastic stocks, stainless steel, and Cerrakote are 'superior' to classic finishes like prewar Winchester rust bluing or Colt Royal Blue

And if you feel the bolt of a current production gun 50 years from now, they'll be pretty darn slick, too.

Wrong again. Nickel steel guns like the US M1917/Remington Model 30 and later M1903s are just as sticky today as they were the day they were made. GIGO.

 

[losthunter]

Interested in selling your 30-30 lever gun? Got a pic?

Not interested in selling the 30-30. Thanks for all the replies, its obvious everyone has their own take on this, I think I will just go shopping and get my hands on some different models and see how they feel.

 

[Jcalder]

If you look around you can find a good used savage 110 in a wood stock for around 300. I feel it is a far better deal than the axis. You won't find many bad reviews in the axis, but it just feels cheap.


Big or small, kill em all

 

[Plain Old Dave]

Interested in selling your 30-30 lever gun? Got a pic?

Not interested in selling the 30-30. Thanks for all the replies, its obvious everyone has their own take on this, I think I will just go shopping and get my hands on some different models and see how they feel.

That's a wise choice. A short-range rifle for stillhunting and a long-range rifle for stands is a very good combination. Another thought would be go to a gun show and see what you think of the ergonomics of the various boltguns and other 30-06s. I wouldn't hunt with a BORROWED Remington 700, but there are plenty of good boltguns that can be gotten used for very reasonable money; 60s-80s Winchester 70s, Ruger 77s, and the Savages you mentioned. Other action types cost more, generally, but have their own idiosyncracies; Remington 742s are so trouble prone that a place up North has made a cottage industry out of converting them into pumps, and while the 760 series are reasonably reliable their dust covers tend to rattle. Browning's BAR is a very good and reliable design, but even used are costly. Miroku Winchester/Browning 1895 lever actions in .30-06 do exist, but are virtually impossible to mount scopes on, and Browning BLRs are available in '06 too, but are about as pricey as their BAR.

One thing I would be sure and check on any rifle design I was looking at would be how loud the safety is. Some are designed such that they will always make a fairly loud CLICK and others are designed to engage and disengage silently. As boltguns go, I tend to like the Winchester Model 70 safety better. Easy to get to, generally quiet and (unlike some) is effective.

 

[infoman jr.]

Interested in selling your 30-30 lever gun? Got a pic?

Not interested in selling the 30-30. Thanks for all the replies, its obvious everyone has their own take on this, I think I will just go shopping and get my hands on some different models and see how they feel.

That sounds like a good plan. I apologize for taking part in derailing your thread.

POD: Enjoy your antiques.

 

[mr.big]

I have a Steyr Mannlicher MC 243 Win that was made in 1961 and is by far the smoothest rifle I have ever handled,,but I doubt any of Us would be able to afford that rifle if it were to be made today,,

Rem still makes the 700 BDL Custom Deluxe with high polish blue steel and fine walnut but you would pay way more than 500 for it,,

 

[Plain Old Dave]

POD: Enjoy your antiques.

This could be taken several ways.

First, there are no Winchester Models 54/70 or Remington Model 30s that qualify as antiques, as every last one of them were made after 1898 and are modern firearms under Federal law.

Second, if it was intended pejoratively, implying that classic sporting rifles are 'obsolete', nothing could be farther from the truth. The deer won't be able to tell the difference between a .30-06 coming from a classic (or even post-1964) Model 70 or one of the plasic, cerrokote, and stainless steel pot metal and plastic abominations from (insert discount store here). But YOU will. The classic rifle has higher quality, more robust parts in it, as it was made in a time when people FIXED things that were broken instead of throwing them away; a Winchester Model 54 or 70 was (and for the 70 is) a rifle designed to give a lifetime's service, while you do well to get 5-10 years out of one of the modern abominations. And going farther back, my personal medium and large game caliber, the 30-40 Krag, was invented in 1892 and has yet to be improved on. My personal Krag was made in 1897 and still shoots to called shot every time at 200 yards with iron sights. I have witnesses. The appropriate answer there is that "modern" sporting rifles are almost criminally lacking in aesthetics, and their "short magnum" calibers answer no question asked, except "how can we as a gun company convince the sportsman they need something new?" Planned obsolescence. Evil.

 

[infoman jr.]

POD: Enjoy your antiques.

This could be taken several ways.

First, there are no Winchester Models 54/70 or Remington Model 30s that qualify as antiques, as every last one of them were made after 1898 and are modern firearms under Federal law.

Second, if it was intended pejoratively, implying that classic sporting rifles are 'obsolete', nothing could be farther from the truth. The deer won't be able to tell the difference between a .30-06 coming from a classic (or even post-1964) Model 70 or one of the plasic, cerrokote, and stainless steel pot metal and plastic abominations from (insert discount store here). But YOU will. The classic rifle has higher quality, more robust parts in it, as it was made in a time when people FIXED things that were broken instead of throwing them away; a Winchester Model 54 or 70 was (and for the 70 is) a rifle designed to give a lifetime's service, while you do well to get 5-10 years out of one of the modern abominations. And going farther back, my personal medium and large game caliber, the 30-40 Krag, was invented in 1892 and has yet to be improved on. My personal Krag was made in 1897 and still shoots to called shot every time at 200 yards with iron sights. I have witnesses. The appropriate answer there is that "modern" sporting rifles are almost criminally lacking in aesthetics, and their "short magnum" calibers answer no question asked, except "how can we as a gun company convince the sportsman they need something new?" Planned obsolescence. Evil.

The ATF classifies firearms 50 years old and older as C&R guns. You're comparing the guns of yesteryear to today's bottom-of-the-barrel offerings. Stop being so defensive and crapping on this guy's thread.

 

[Plain Old Dave]

POD: Enjoy your antiques.

This could be taken several ways.

First, there are no Winchester Models 54/70 or Remington Model 30s that qualify as antiques, as every last one of them were made after 1898 and are modern firearms under Federal law.

Second, if it was intended pejoratively, implying that classic sporting rifles are 'obsolete', nothing could be farther from the truth. The deer won't be able to tell the difference between a .30-06 coming from a classic (or even post-1964) Model 70 or one of the plasic, cerrokote, and stainless steel pot metal and plastic abominations from (insert discount store here). But YOU will. The classic rifle has higher quality, more robust parts in it, as it was made in a time when people FIXED things that were broken instead of throwing them away; a Winchester Model 54 or 70 was (and for the 70 is) a rifle designed to give a lifetime's service, while you do well to get 5-10 years out of one of the modern abominations. And going farther back, my personal medium and large game caliber, the 30-40 Krag, was invented in 1892 and has yet to be improved on. My personal Krag was made in 1897 and still shoots to called shot every time at 200 yards with iron sights. I have witnesses. The appropriate answer there is that "modern" sporting rifles are almost criminally lacking in aesthetics, and their "short magnum" calibers answer no question asked, except "how can we as a gun company convince the sportsman they need something new?" Planned obsolescence. Evil.

The ATF classifies firearms 50 years old and older as C&R guns. You're comparing the guns of yesteryear to today's bottom-of-the-barrel offerings. Stop being so defensive and crapping on this guy's thread.

C&Rs are modern firearms and subject to all firearms regulations, with the sole exception that an 03 licensed collector may acquire them in interstate commerce pursuant to building a collection. If you go in a gun shop to buy a brand new Savage or whatever or a 1920s vintage Winchester 54 in .30-06, you'll have to fill out the exact same "I'm not a crook" paper and pay the exact same $10 background check. There is, however, a significant probability that the 54 will be a more reliable rifle, and a good probability that it will be at least as accurate as the new Savage if not more so.

With that addressed, I'm not threadjacking at all. I don't want the OP to get a classic, or even a 70s-80s vintage M70,which would probably be MY choice in his shoes, reliable, already broken in and VERY affordable; the collectors think they're junk and they can be had regularly for under $500 delivered. I want him to get the best rifle for the least amount of money that will meet his needs, and a used gun has a GREAT deal to be said for what the OP is looking for. I have always noted a trend here at TNDeer as goes firearms that newer is always better and this simply is NOT the case. The OP deserves to know that used guns aren't inferior to new ones and in many cases are actually SUPERIOR in reliability, accuracy, robustness, as well as the intangibles of fit and finish. And with judicious shopping, he can get a perfectly serviceable 30-06 that will definitely be more reliable and probably more accurate for less money than the discount stores ask for a considerably inferior product.

 

[JimFromTN]

If the OP does decide to purchase an 80 year old rifle, make sure you go over the rifle thoroughly before purchasing. A mint condition rifle would be a great find and you won't find a more reliable rifle but there are allot of rifles out there that have been abused and have pitting issues, throat issues, crown issues, and chambering issues. Thats not to say that modern rifles don't have QC issues. Manufacturers have to make cuts somewhere in order to produce an inexpensive rifle, especially ones under $400. The advantage with the new modern rifle is that you will get a warrantee for whatever that is worth.