New to Bolt Actions

[Graytimber333]

Hello all. I just turned 16, and I am getting a little big for my 30-30. I am looking into bolt actions. The land I will be hunting is in mostly thick brush but I want something that has good range for bear hunting and power lines. What caliber would you suggest? I was thinking about a .308. Is a 30'06 a little over kill for deer and black bear? What has more power and range, a .308 or a 30'06? I don't want a gun that is over powered, but I want something that will take down big game as quickly and cleanly as possible. I was told that the .308 would do the job nicely.

 I am also left -handed. So far I have only looked at one left-handed bolt action. It was a Remington 700 BDL. I liked the look and feel of this rifle but I've read on other threads that the 700 was of poor design. Another thing is that they don't come in .308.  I consider myself a Browning man when it comes to shotguns, but I have heard that the A-Bolt is over-priced and not as accurate as other brands. I have been searching the web for left handed bolt actions in .308 and so far the only one I've found is Savage. Does anybody know of any other left- handed .308s?

 Sorry about the long post. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Graytimber

[.300weatherby]

graytimber,                                                                                                                                                                                                          The 308 or 30-06 would be perfect for what you are wanting to do. The 30-06 does generate more energy than the 308 but also results in more felt recoil to the shooter. If I were planning on hunting elk I would go with the 30-06, however with a good bullet and limiting yourself to around 250 yards the 308 would work fine. On deer sized critters you will not notice a difference in the two calibers. You also need to realize that everyone on here has an opinion and most of these are strong opinions. Most all firearms manufactured today are of very good quality and  will produce very good accuracy. All rifles have a plus or minus feature so it's best to find one that best suits you and fits you well. You may also want to expand your caliber choices since you need a left handed rifle. Remington has a CDL chambered in 270 and 30-06. Winchester and Browning also have several left handed rifles chambered in 270, 30-06 as well as several in the short magnums. Hope this information might help and good luck on your new rifle.

[Ramrod]

Graytimber333. The .308 is probably perfect for you. The .30-06 handles heavier bullets better, like for elk or moose, so it is a better all-purpose gun. But for deer and bear the .308 will do anything the .30-06 will do, and kick a little less. Nothing wrong with the Remington, and they are accurate. Some of us old die-hards prefer a Winchester Classic or Mauser style bolt for big game though. And if you want a gun you can proudly pass on to your heirs, stick with the "Big Guys" and avoid the Savage.

[mountainview]

Hear, hear, nothing wrong with the Savage, it kills 'em about as dead as anything else, just don't cost as much. The 700 BDL is a nice rifle, I have an older one though my pards all have newer ones and nary a complaint from them. So G-timber, if your heart is set on a 700, go for it. The 308 and 30-06 are great calibers for deer and bear though the 30-06 would be a tad better for larger critters (assuming proper shot placement and bullet construction).

You may or may not find the recoil of 30-06 to be manageable, it depends a lot on how well the firearm fits and how much energy you feel comfortable absorbing. My 14 year old (who is a bit recoil sensitive) shoots my Savage 110 30-06 and does not seem to mind the recoil but the rifle fits him quite well which makes a big difference. If possible, the best thing would be to find a friendly shooter at the local range and see if he/she would let you try their 308 or 30-06. This would help you determine which caliber you are most comfortable with.

Safe shooting.

[270_Abolt]

Im going to throw my 2cents in. When I was your age , I got a .270 Win. Id get it over the '06 any day , just my opinion though.

[Lawdog]

Graytimber,

The .308 will work great.  Ammo is easy to find and available in any type load you could ever want.  For practice there is surplus ammo you can get really cheap.  The .308 is a breeze to reload for, not finicky at all.  Now for  rifle that is accurate out of the box and won’t cost you a bundle get a Savage in whatever model that tickles your fancy.  With the money you’ll save it will help defray the cost of a good scope.  Lawdog
 

[Coyote Hunter]

Graytimber -

I'm with Lawdog on this one - a Savage .308 will do you fine.

The one Savage I had was an older 110E in .22-250 that my Dad gave me.  Homely as sin, but it would put 4 holes in a 100-yard group you could cover with a dime.  The newer Savages are much nicer cosmetically and they have always had a reputation for being good shooters.

As to the .308, it excels as an all-around big game cartridge, although many consider it a bit light for big bears and maybe moose.  There is plenty of good, relatively inexpensive milsurp ammo available to practice with.  Same can be said for the .30-06 if you want a touch more reach and don't mind a bit more recoil.

FWIW, my favorite rifles are Ruger M77 MKII's.  You can pick one up for around $440 for a walnut/blued rifle.  You may want to get the trigger touched up but that is an easy thing for a 'smith and when you are done you have an excellent rifle.  I've done a number of Ruger triggers myself with excellent results, so it can't be too hard!  Every Ruger I've worked with has been an excellent shooter.  The Rugers come with Rings and the bases are milled into the receiver, so consider the additional cost of those items when comparing to Savage, Winchester, Remington, etc.

[cam69conv]

Ok here it comes fellas  :-D  ...OUTGROWN A 30/30 ?? Partner I am 45 years old and I STILL havnt outgrown my 30/30... Now granted I have around 75 other rifles but I STILL have the same winchester my pa gave me when I was 9...It has taken SEVERAL black bear...innumeralble whitetails...Countless wild boars and pretty much every other critter you can think of on this continent.. Dont buy into all the hype...Now ifn ya just itchin for another rifle hell they aint nothin wrong with that...Just dont go a thinkin that that 30/30 cant do the job... I like gettin within 150 yards of the game myself..Thats why they call it HUNTING... Lots of people seem to underestimate the power of a 30/30...I just wonder this...why is it that the 30/30 has taken more LARGE game from wild boars to MOOSE than ALL the other calibers COMBINED hmmmm Maybe because it CAN and DOES the job and does it well..Now as far as ya question...The .308 is a wonderful load with , like has been said, ALOT less felt recoil than the .06 and has plenty of KO power for what you mentiond to hunt...Had to put in ma 2 cents worth on that one kiddo...Just always remember..That lil ole 30/30 can do anything within 150 yards that any 30.06 or .308 can do..But like I said before..Its called HUNTING not KILLING...I can train a monkey to shoot a deer at 300 yards...But would you call that sporting??? Or would you call sportin getting as close to your prey as possible?? Good luck in your choices and in your future hunts young man.

[Gregory]

Graytimber333
 
If you live anywhere near southern Illinois your welcome to try my lefty bolt guns.  I have a Browning Abolt 25/06, a Savage 7mm-08, and a Ruger M77 in 300 Win Mag.
 
As a lefty you have many choices today, Remington, Winchester, Savage, and Browning all chamber left hand guns.  Check out their web sites for more info.
 
A .270, .308, 30/06, or 7mm-08 would fill your needs nicely.  Savage has the most choices in the short action chamberings.  My favorite is my Browning.

[Dave in WV]

Your choices in left hand rifles chambered for .308 are slim. Since you made mention of a 30-06 your choices are more plentiful. Savage rifles with the new Accu Trigger will have the most user friendly trigger. Winchesters have a good out of the box adjustable trigger. Most Rugers have a terrible trigger but can be fixed. Remingtons are better left to a knowledgeable gunsmith or have the trigger replaced. Savage rifles are bashed by Remington fans more than the others or so it seems. I wouldn't be ashamed to own a Savage.

[savageT]

Graytimber 333,
Welcome Southpaw to the ranks and let me just say as a fellow left dominant eye southpaw, I want to add something you may have never considered!  I've always preferred lever-actions and especially Savage 99 levers, but I digress.  A few years ago, I picked up a used Savage 110L in 30-06 in left-hand bolt and I just want to say that it sure doesn't seem to feel quite as handy as my lever guns.  Now that's just me, but I've always used right-hand bolts in the past and just find a left one to be....well kinda awkward to my backassward ways?  Best of Luck on your decision.

Jim

[Zachary]

I want something that will take down big game as quickly and cleanly as possible. I was told that the .308 would do the job nicely.

Graytimber,

First and foremost, welcome to the world of bolt action rifles.

Second, keep in mind that no gun in the world, whether .308, .30-06, or .458 Winchester, will take down big game as quickly and cleanly as possible unless you put the bullet in the right place.

For whitetail deer, I love the 7mm-08.  It is essentially a .308 necked down to a .284 bullet.  For black bears, a 7mm-08 will do the job (again, assuming good shot placement), but a .308 with its wider and heavier bullet would be better.

There is not a world of difference between the .308 and .30-06.  As most have already stated,  the .30-06 does have more power, and thus more recoil, but not that much more.  Still, I would opt for the .30-06 given that black bear is on your menu.  As a bonus, if you ever want to hunt elk, then the .30-06 would be, in my opinion, a better choice than the .308, assuming that you can shoot both equally well.

Zachary

[USA Varminter]

keep that 30-30 too though, as much fun as new bolt action rifles are, if you shoot deer in thick brush with limited range they are very handy rifles to have.  And they are short so they do not hang up on overhead brush as easily.

[High Brass]

If you can find a left hand 308 then you're set.  I'm a 30-06 fan but wouldn't feel handicapped if all I had was a good bolt action 308.  The 30-06 is an outstanding choice for pretty much any game in NA although the big bears like grizzly and brownies might call for bigger guns.   As far as rifles themselves go I like Savage and Ruger BAs but I'm not sure of their availability in left handed versions.  Good luck.

[longwalker]

Graytimber333

I would suggest the 30-06. While there is little doubt a 308 will do what you want, the 30-06 will give you the ability to use larger bullets. In my opinion that is the only real balistic advantage. In addition the 30-06 case has been the host to many a wildcat and standard rounds and would allow you to use your standard "long" action to be used if you ever decided to change barrels. Left handed rifles are limited sometimes in calibers offered. That is why I mentioned swapping barrels. Start standard and go where you need to go in the future.  

As far as rifles, I have shot Remingtons, Rugers and Savages. My last purchased rifle was a Savage. They offer you very good value and shoot very well. I also have a 30-30. Keep it ! I promise you won't be sorry you did. Who knows, someday you may have a hunting partner that is 15-16 years old and they might have a need for it. If they don't, when your 50 years old and still out hunting you will appreciate the light weight and quick handleing of your 30-30 again.


longwalker

[shootrj2003]

graytimber333,'first off the 30-30 can do it,Savage is one the best and most accurate rifles for the money you are going to find and now they have a real upper quality model that will rival the best any other brand has ,the .308 and 30-06 will both take just about anything in america but I would go with the30-06 or a good lever in 45-70 for the mean stuff.Shootrj2003