Dave, I don't think you'll need a "steel" scope. The garand is no more punishing than.... say a Weatherby "kill anything that walks on the planet" caliber rifle. And the 30.06 is definately not too much caliber. The weight of the rifle alone will absorb alot of the recoil anyway. I wish I could find a garand for a decent price for my dad. He carried one during WWII and loved them.
I'd keep the Garand for fun at the range and the times where you know you won't run into shots beyond 100 yards. When you know you'll hunt areas where shots will be beyond that, definately get you another rifle (can't have too many) and scope it with good quality optics.
Good shooting!
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"Charlton Heston is my President"
Danny45
NRA, NAHC, Buckmasters