New rifle questions

[WI in the west]

I’m not new to rifles but new to big game rifles. I’ve got a .243 ive used for coyote hunting the past 12 years. I’m now looking into getting a elk/deer rifle. I’m leaning towards a 30-06 solely on the fact that then me and my dad can shoot the same rounds Incase we’d loose bullets or some dumb scenario comes up. I was thinking of putting a fairly good 4.5-12x scope on. I know this setup would kill lots of stuff, but was more somwondering if there’s any accessories or things to look for when selecting a gun for example safety position or scope covers or a bipod. I’ll take brand and caliber recommendations or ones to avoid, since I’d probably be looking for something used or atleast on the lower end of intermediate prices guns. Just curious what you experienced guys know since I’ve been focusing mostly on learning archery stuff the past few years.

 

[Tufrthnails]

30-06 will handle any big game you want to hunt with the right bullet combo. As far as rifle brands I'm a savage guy, but I like to build rifles so if your not into that look at Howa and Tikka they are making some good stuff out of the box. For me one of the most important things is the Trigger. If it has a crap trigger out of the box i'm not using it and that is an extra cost to replace I have to figure in. Most any manufacturer will put out a rifle that is sub 2MOA realistically out of the box. Which for most shooters is Minute of Deer out to 300 yards. I like the fact you are thinking common ammo between you and your dad, but not all rifles shoot the same ammo well. you may need to work together to find a round that shoots well out of each of your rifles and performs well on game.

 

[Catahoula]

Can’t go wrong with the 30-06. I’ve shot elk and deer with my 30-06 and my 270 Win.

 

[ShortMountain91]

30-06 is probably not my favorite caliber..... But it's probably my 2nd or 3rd favorite! For elk and deer it's perfect and ammo availability is great. Every place that sells ammo has 30-06. I prefer 300 wsm but ammo availability isn't very good but getting better. As far as rifle, I love my Browning Xbolt HC Speed but I've heard great things about Tikka but never personally owned one. Tikka and howa have a sub moa guarantee so you can't go wrong there. Browning needs to offer it also but they don't although mines been great even with cheap factory ammo. I've had problems with Savage but there's plenty of people with Savage tack drivers. I've been toying with the idea of throwing a Harris bipod on my rifle but don't really want to add the weight. Figure I'll just shoot off my pack instead.

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[Pmringer]

I just posted a brand new Howa 1500 30-06 if you’re interested.

 

[WI in the west]

What’s this moa garuntee you guys are talking about?
*edit I should say what’s this convert to in inches/yards, I haven’t learned much of the gun lingo and only owned scopes that have the 1/4 inch at a 100 adjustmeant on it.

Secondly what do I look for in a good trigger? I’ve seen a bunch of different types but don’t have experience shooting them so
I don’t have a grasp on what makes one better

 

[N2TRKYS]

Good choice on the 30-06. I like Remington M700 and Model Seven rifles(only offered in short action). I use Leupold scopes. They come with a neoprene scope cover that I use.

Safety position is a personal preference. Some wouldn't have a rifle that the safety doesn't lock the bolt down. Personally, it's not that big of a deal for me.

A good trigger will be able to be lighten and will break clean with no creep.

 

[ShortMountain91]

What’s this moa garuntee you guys are talking about?
*edit I should say what’s this convert to in inches/yards, I haven’t learned much of the gun lingo and only owned scopes that have the 1/4 inch at a 100 adjustmeant on it.

Secondly what do I look for in a good trigger? I’ve seen a bunch of different types but don’t have experience shooting them so
I don’t have a grasp on what makes one better

A 1 moa gun/shooter will shoot 1 in at 100 yards, 2 in at 200, 3 in at 300 etc. A 2 moa gun/shooter will shoot 2 in at 100, 4 in at 200, 6 in at 300 etc. The sub moa guarantee means they guarantee the gun will shoot a 3 shot group smaller than 1 in at 100 yards

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[Bisley45]

Unfortunately you are in the realm of "you don't know what you don't know". That is not a dig at you by any means!

A 30.06 is an excellent choice, from mice to moose with a level of recoil most anybody can withstand.

There are lots of accurate rifles today. I am an unabashed fan of Browning Xbolts. I've never heard of an inaccurate one. A tikka t3 is another excellent option. I believe you could spend 750 on either rifle and an addition 500 on optics and mounts and have a versatile setup that will shoot as well as many custom rigs costing 2-4 times as much. Where it gets fuzzy is the minute details that seperate one rifle from another. Compared to the rifles above you can find lighter options for a bit more money that are easier to hump up a mountian but a light weight rifle can be more difficult to shoot accurately even if the rifle is inherently very accurate. Other details are barrel twist rate which is dependent on bullet weight, length, and velocity. Trust me you can circle the drain looking at small details untill you're more confused than you are now.

Case in point I have a buddy that knows jack about rifles. He is a naturally tallented shooter. I suggested his first rifle to be a tikka t3 in 308 winchester. The thing shoots lights out at 100 yards. One day he was at the range and got a little disgusted in the groups he was shooting at 200 yards. He called me and I asked him the text me a photo. His groups where reight at 1 inch at 200 yards, he didn't understand why they weren't all in a single hole like he was accustomed too.... The same guy will often show up with 3 different weights and bullet types in his box of ammo at deer camp....

 

[CApighunter]

I came across a used Winchester 70 extreme weather in 30-06 on gunbroker for $650. Much better than anything you could get off the shelf new for $650. Moderate weight, stainless steel and a decent quality stock would make it a fantastic all around hunting rifle for you in a capable, common cartridge.

 

[ReddingArcher]

Take a look at the Ruger American, for $420 bucks at Sportsmans I think thats a pretty good option for a budget rifle. The Ruger American I have in 223 in crazy accurate. Its got an adjustable trigger, I cant remember what mine adjusted to but its a pretty decent trigger I think. Top it with a Leupold VX3i 4.5-14 and you'd have a pretty damn good set up for a real reasonable price.

 

[WI in the west]

Thanks for dropping all this knowledge guys I appreciate it!

 

[JigStick]

I don’t own a single factory rifle. But if I was buying one I’d probably go with a Sako. Remington would be my 2nd choice.

Nothing wrong with an 06. Plenty of factory ammo available to cover any and all of your hunting needs. If you are able to handload you can get fantastic performance out of the cartridge given your barrel/gun have the capability.

Don’t cheap out on the optic. Spend as much on the optic as you do the rifle.

 

[hawk45]

What kinds of distances do you plan to shoot? I ask because there are lots of hunting accurate rifles out there for super cheap brand new off the shelf. They aren't pretty, but if this is a working gun, you just need it to do it's job. On the budget side, I'd say Savage Axis and Ruger American. You can get these new for sub $300 sometimes and most times below $400. If you can spend a little more $500ish, check Weatherby/Howa or even some of the Savage line. In the $700 range you are looking towards Tikka T3 or XBolts. I won't dog Remington, but their trigger is throw away, so if you want to go that route, expect to put another $100 at least into the gun. I think even the budget guns have better triggers than any Remington I've had unfortunately.
As you move up in money you get better actions, triggers and barrels usually. Most hunting stocks today are nothing to write home about.. they flex and are usually ugly, but functional and in the end that is the most important thing. Ruger has a new "Go Wild" American in LA calibers with a little heavier profile barrel I think and comes with a brake and AICS compatible mags for under $500. Lots of good options out there. I'd probably put more money towards good glass than a rifle that may only get me another .5 MOA (if that). I really like Tikkas as lots of guys on here (and most other places). I have a few but as the prices have jumped I've gone with a few other makers and been very happy with their price to performance ratios.
Best of luck.

 

[TalusHunterCA]

I’m not new to rifles but new to big game rifles. I’ve got a .243 ive used for coyote hunting the past 12 years. I’m now looking into getting a elk/deer rifle. I’m leaning towards a 30-06 solely on the fact that then me and my dad can shoot the same rounds Incase we’d loose bullets or some dumb scenario comes up. I was thinking of putting a fairly good 4.5-12x scope on. I know this setup would kill lots of stuff, but was more somwondering if there’s any accessories or things to look for when selecting a gun for example safety position or scope covers or a bipod. I’ll take brand and caliber recommendations or ones to avoid, since I’d probably be looking for something used or atleast on the lower end of intermediate prices guns. Just curious what you experienced guys know since I’ve been focusing mostly on learning archery stuff the past few years.

30-06 is a great all-around choice. I'd go with a lower end mag variable. Something like a 3.5x10-12 in a 42-44mm obj lens; else, you get too big of a rifle scope and it will be unnecessary 90% of the time.

 

[WI in the west]

I do really like how people seem to agree more on gun brands vs. bow brands, seems like tikka and Howa and maybe savage get mentioned by everyone so far

 

[WI in the west]

Would everyone agree to saving the money on a bipod and use it on getting a better scope then and shoot off your pack?

 

[OXN939]

Would everyone agree to saving the money on a bipod and use it on getting a better scope then and shoot off your pack?

Not necessarily. Even shooting off your pack, a bipod is nice... I've had my $50 Caldwell bipod to Alaska 4 times without any issue. You don't need to spend an inheritance to get gear that works nicely.

In that vein, I'd encourage you to look at Vortex Diamondback scopes. They're perfect for what you're talking about. I just took a new mountain rifle I traded into and set up out for her inaugural range day today, topped with a 2-7x35 Diamondback I picked up from a member on here... they track nicely, have good clarity and the ballistic reticle makes shooting distance pretty intuitive. I was ringing 6" steel plates out to 300 within minutes. That in 3-9x40 on top of any of the rifles mentioned above will serve you well.

 

[Eltigreblanco]

Take a look at the Ruger American, for $420 bucks at Sportsmans I think thats a pretty good option for a budget rifle. The Ruger American I have in 223 in crazy accurate. Its got an adjustable trigger, I cant remember what mine adjusted to but its a pretty decent trigger I think. Top it with a Leupold VX3i 4.5-14 and you'd have a pretty damn good set up for a real reasonable price.

I have an American in 30-06 and like it a lot

 

[WI in the west]

I’m just about certain I’ll go with a vortex scope since I’m from Wisconsin but just not sure what line yet