I just gave my son his grandfather's Rock Island Springfield to take back to Ft Benning. I had first shot it as an 8-year old back in the early 50's when it was in the original 30-06 chambering, as it was kept through the mid 60's for deer hunting in Texas.
In the late 60's my father
rechambered it to 300Win Mag for brown bear, and I inherited it in that configuration in the mid 80's. I continued to shoot it from then until three years ago when I pulled it apart to pillar-bed the old/original stock and rebarrel w/ a 26" Krieger (still 300WM). In this configuration it remains a very light
hunting rifle. While not unpleasant, it is not "fun" to shoot continuously off the bench.
All of 5'11/155-lbs, YoungSon sat down weekend before last to fire it for the first time before returning to Benning:
Rangers are tough.
On a Tech Note:
Because of the low-numbered Springfield problem, Rock Island began making their receivers out of nickel-steel o/a Serial# 319,921 instead of the Springfield arsenal's original Class-C steel. (Hatcher). While the
exact serial# is debated, all such RI receivers have "ns" stamped on the face at the front end. Although covered by the barrel this stamping can be seen when rebarreling. (As it was in my case.)
YMMV (that's the lawyer speaking), but these RI/nickel-steel receivers are as strong as they come.