Author Topic: Need Advice on Bolt Action 30-06 Rifle for Son (Read 5995 times)

147 Grain · « **on:** May 19, 2005, 10:00:03 PM »

Looking for advice on a quality 30-06 rifle for my 17 year old son to hunt with. He's an expert shot with a Marlin 336 30-30 and wants to shoot the '06 like his dad.

Savage makes a decent rifle, but I don't know what model is best. The 24" barrel on a Remington CDL is intriguing. Tikka makes good rifles as well.

Will also have to spend some dollars on a quality scope for long range deer and elk hunting. Often the package deels aren't the best option in the long run.

Thanks in advance of your guided assistance!

Steve in Utah

1911crazy · « **Reply #1 on:** May 19, 2005, 11:17:33 PM »

Well all i can say with all the talk lately about the new Mossberg ATR Rifle thats made in Texas by the same people who manufacture the maverick shotgun. All I read is great things about it and it seems to be very accurate with bought ammo too and thats a big plus for the ones who don't reload. Another good thing going for it is the $244 price tag at walmart too. I have read bad things about the remington 710 and most will say to stay away from it. The savages are ok but cost more. I want a new hunting rifle too and its going to be the mossberg too. They come in 30-06 or 270win. two great calibers too. The choice is up to you but its hard to put $244 and accurate in the same sentence nowadays. If your looking for a no frills all weather hunting rifle this is it. BigBill

Ramrod · « **Reply #2 on:** May 19, 2005, 11:56:07 PM »

If you want to spend more, the Remington CDL is a good bet. The Winchester Featherweight is also good, and to me, one of the best looking guns out there.

tscott · « **Reply #3 on:** May 20, 2005, 12:16:36 AM »

I have had very good success with reliability / accuracy of the Howa 1500
(Weatherby Vanguard). I'd have some fun with my son and get the barreled action, Howa Lightning 1500 (legacysports.com), and match up a stock and scope of your choice.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 20, 2005, 12:38:12 AM »

I like the Tikka, the action is so smooth and the bolt operates effortlessly. And mine shoots extremely accurate.

Val · « **Reply #5 on:** May 20, 2005, 03:32:42 AM »

You didn't give an indication on how much you want to spend. If you are on a tight budget, get a Stevens, which is a Savage rifle without the accu-trigger. The Savage with an accu-trigger is also a good choice for a bit more. I've replaced the stocks on my Savages with Bell & Carlson Duramax stocks and they look better and shoot a bit tighter with the new stocks.

Zachary · « **Reply #6 on:** May 20, 2005, 03:41:18 AM »

Tikka.

I own Remingtons, Winchesters, Brownings, Sakos, and Kimber, and the Tikka is the best choice for the money. The quality is excellent, as well as the fit and finish. Also, their accuracy is outstanding. Again, in the $500 price range, you can't beat a Tikka.

You also mentioned getting a quality scope. In the $200 to $300 range, look a the Bushnell Elite 3200, Nikon Buckmaster, and Leupold VX-II. In the $300 to $500 range, look at the Elite 4200, Nikon Monarch, and Leupold VX-III.

Zachary

Handwerk · « **Reply #7 on:** May 20, 2005, 05:33:12 AM »

I also say tikka. I bought my son a t-3 last year and couldn'd be happier. All the features I was looking for and at a good price.

Lawdog · « **Reply #8 on:** May 20, 2005, 08:39:56 AM »

Why not let your son pick the one he wants? This is what I did with all of my family members. That way everyone ends up happy :grin: and Peace reigns throughout the family. Lawdog

Dave in WV · « **Reply #9 on:** May 20, 2005, 05:56:38 PM »

Lawdog has a good point. That said, in blued and walnut a Win M70 featherweight and in stainless a Ruger M77 with the laminated stock.

147 Grain · « **Reply #10 on:** May 20, 2005, 07:04:55 PM »

My son took a liking to the Savage 110FXP3 in 30-06 today at Walmart. It has a Simmons 3-9X40 scope for $349.

We'll keep the Savage in mind and keep looking, but might end-up with a Savage.

Additional feedback is welcome!

daddywpb · « **Reply #11 on:** May 21, 2005, 12:04:02 AM »

My daughter is using a Rem 700 youth rifle. It's blued with a black synthetic stock in .308. Ruger 77 would be my choice. I know of several people who have the savage package rifles and love them. I had one and didn't like it. Sold it off. If you buy a package that needs a better stock, a better scope and trigger work, where is the savings?

poncaguy · « **Reply #12 on:** May 21, 2005, 03:22:57 PM »

I just got a Stevens 200 in 25-06 for $262 out the door. Very , very nice hunting rifle, barrel free floated, good trigger too. Hope to sight it in tomorrow.

myronman3 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 21, 2005, 03:52:03 PM »

concerning savage- when i got out ot the service my dad wanted to buy me a rifle. he bought a savage in 300 win mag, new. i couldnt get it to group, neither could he. then my brother came home and he couldnt either. the best group was 8 inches at 50 yards. yes, we tried different scopes and everything else, the gun was definately the problem. so we didnt get excited, we just sent it back to savage. they returned the gun with a note explaining that the rifle met factory accuracy requirements. so then we called them, and their group were just as big as ours but they felt that was acceptable. we quickly sold that p.o.s. for a loss, and dad bought me a very nice howa 30-06. THAT was an accurate gun. sweet. but hard times came and i had to sell the rifle some time later to make ends meet. :cry:

my advice is to stay away from savage. because if you get a bummer, they aint going to help you at all.

poncaguy · « **Reply #14 on:** May 22, 2005, 03:31:17 AM »

Every Savage I have owned was usually as if not more so than my Remingtons, Rugers, and Winchesters. I've never had any problems with any of my rifles, no matter the brand........... :-)

poncaguy · « **Reply #15 on:** May 22, 2005, 03:33:20 AM »

forgot the word "accurate" :oops:

myronman3 · « **Reply #16 on:** May 22, 2005, 04:12:59 AM »

dad had a savage 243 that was a tackdriver. that is what convinced him the savage was a good buy. but savage dropped the ball big time on the 300 win mag, and when given the chance to make things right, they dropped the ball again. savage will never get another dime from my family.

when you screw someone, it always comes back in spades. with one gun that wasnt right, savage lost three potential new owners and my cousin stopped selling savages at his shop because of the way they treated us. up until that time he sold alot of them.

buy a savage if you like, but pray it is a good gun. i would stick with either a tikka, browning, or howa (a well kept secret). i personally shoot a ruger model 77 mk2 in 270. i love my rifle, but ruger aint treated me the best in the last year, nothing to do with the rifle (other guns).

beemanbeme · « **Reply #17 on:** May 22, 2005, 05:47:43 AM »

I think Lawdog got it right. And you don't have to say "okay, son, we're gonna go buy you a rifle". Just drop into a gun shop with him to look around and see what catches his fancy.
I would strongly advise against package deals. It always seems like some component of the "deal" is gonna be a POS.

daddywpb · « **Reply #18 on:** May 22, 2005, 06:25:41 AM »

Here's another train of thought. I got my daughter a Rem 870 20 gauge youth shotgun. she likes it so much, that I bought a fully rifled slug barrel with rifle sights for it. She likes the slug gun better than the .308, and uses it more. You just never know with kids. Shots at deer or hogs around here are relatively short. Fifty yards or so, so the slug gun is about right.

Nebraska Kelly · « **Reply #19 on:** May 23, 2005, 12:14:05 AM »

If cost is not an issue then your choices are unlimited. BUT if cost is a concern then you could do no better than the new Mossberg ATR 100. The low price for that rifle in no way reflects its true value. I have recently purchased one in 30-06 and it is a very good shooter. It is smooth functioning and looks like it could be used hard and stand up to it. The recoil for this low cost rifle is not to bad either. It has a nice soft recoil pad. The Mossberg ATR 100 would be my first choice. You could end up spending a lot more money and not get the accuracy. Only the accurate ones are interesting. No matter what the cost.
Nebraska Kelly

147 Grain · « **Reply #20 on:** May 23, 2005, 06:45:54 AM »

How's the stock and trigger on the Mossberg ATR 100? Can the trigger be easily adjusted and what kind of groups can it achieve?

Steve

P.S. My son just found a new Winchester Model 70 with Simmons 3-9X40 scope at Walmart for $398 - is this a decent rifle?

Lawdog · « **Reply #21 on:** May 23, 2005, 08:16:06 AM »

Quote from: 147 Grain

How's the stock and trigger on the Mossberg ATR 100? Can the trigger be easily adjusted and what kind of groups can it achieve?

Steve

P.S. My son just found a new Winchester Model 70 with Simmons 3-9X40 scope at Walmart for $398 - is this a decent rifle?

There are scopes and then again there are scopes. Which model Simmons scope is on that Win. M70? Some Simmons scopes are JUNK. Lawdog

SuperstitionCoues · « **Reply #22 on:** May 23, 2005, 11:52:19 AM »

Great rifle, whatever the type of M 70.

At the price you are paying, even if the Simmons isn't very good, you can afford to junk it and pick up another scope ( Burris, Nikon, Leupold, etc.) later down the line.

I don't think you could go wrong with that combo, at all. In fact, when I was that age, my first gun was a Win. M70 Ranger with a Bushnell. Selling it was a mistake, I wish I still had it. It cost me a lot of $ to replace it with a comparable one years later.

dougk · « **Reply #23 on:** May 23, 2005, 01:24:00 PM »

Buy something decent.

Its your sons first gun so the odds are he will keep it for along time. Maybe he will never sell it.

Having said that buy a gun that is highly regarded as being well made. As for the scopes spend the extra $ and buy one that has a lifetime warranty.

Doug

147 Grain · « **Reply #24 on:** May 23, 2005, 02:58:30 PM »

My boy went to Walmart after school and they just got some Remington 700 SPS's in stock; now he's in love with them too!

They want $388 for a blued SPS with 24" barrel / Sims Recoil Pad and make a Youth SPS with a 1" shorter stock for the same price.

Stainless SPS's run $469. Now I'll have to have some more fun and compare the Remington 700 SPS with other models.

Steve

P.S.

Remington 700 SPS = $388 (stainless is $469)
Remington ADL fiberglass = $398 (laminated is $439)
Savage 110 / 111 with Scope = $336
Mossberg ATR 100 = $244
Stevens 200 = $244
Winchester 70 with Scope = $398
Ruger 77 blued = $398 (stainless is $469)
Weatherby Vangard = $398 (stainless is $469)

poncaguy · « **Reply #25 on:** May 23, 2005, 03:11:00 PM »

Stevens or Winchester..............

Lawdog · « **Reply #26 on:** May 24, 2005, 07:14:20 AM »

If you or your son wants the most accurate rifle you can get for your money then go with the Savage. Plain and simple they are the most accurate out of the box rifles being produced today. If accuracy counts then Savage is the one!! Lawdog

longwalker · « **Reply #27 on:** May 25, 2005, 03:21:39 AM »

Is it going to be a hunting gun where it is hunted with or is it a hunting gun that goes outside two weekends a year. If you and your son hunt like my son and I do don't buy a fancy wood model. You will no doubt be disappointed when it comes back with scratches and dings. They just happen. We as the more experienced, scratched and dinged our guns when we were 16 too. Thats why we know. only a fool leans their rifles against a fence post.

If I were you I would find a good used rifle. Take the time to shop around for it together and when you get it home set him to cleaning it. I bet you find it is a good shooter that only needed some TLC.

I have found some real bargans, becasue last seasons hunter missed a deer. He blamed the gun and decided he would have hit the deer with a 7mm mag. When in reality he would have hit the deer if the barrel would have not been clugged with copper.

Buy him as good a rifle as you can. It is still along way off till first light. In the mean time he will have his gun ready to shoot and looking better than in the store.

longwalker

Grubbs · « **Reply #28 on:** May 25, 2005, 06:50:40 AM »

I'll disagree with Lawdog on only one thing......Tikka is every bit as accurate as any Savage made today. Throw in the adjustable trigger, and scope mounts/ rings that come with it (which I use on my three Tikka's are 1/2" out of the box with factory ammo). Nothing comares.....nothing. Given that I'd do the Tikka t-3 with Burris FFII.....all the gun and scope you will ever need....and affordable.

Zachary · « **Reply #29 on:** May 25, 2005, 08:34:26 AM »

AND the Tikkas have much better quality than Savage.

Zachary