Need rifle buying advice

[Uniballer]

I have been convinced to go hunting next year but I am not sure on a rifle.
I will be going deer and elk and do not have the funds for 2 rifles so I need one that can do the job for both animals. I have looked at some 7mm's and some 30-06's, not sure about brands either. I do know a lot of it is personal preferences but i would like some ideas so i can check them all out.
last i want ot get a bolt action

thanks a lot
Bryson

[Fremmer]

Simple:

Go to the store. Compare a Remington 700, Browning A-bolt, Howa, or any other major brand in .30-06, and see which one feels best on your shoulder. Then buy it. Put a decent scope on it, and you'll be good to go.

I prefer Remington, but that's just personal preference. All of the major firearm manufacturers make pretty good guns. You'll just have to decide which rifle fits you and feels the best. Good luck!

[Uniballer]

Will the 30-06 be the best caliber for both?

[Fremmer]

I'd stick with the '06, but that's just my opinion, so I'll defer to others to answer the caliber question.

[Art Eatman]

Your only limit with a .30-'06 is your own skill in shooting any rifle. Find the brand that fits you best, put most any scope in the $200 range (at most) on it. Me, I use a 3x9x40, but that's more than actual need. A quality fixed 4X would work just as well for critters as large as deer or elk, inside of 400 yards.

This doesn't mean I think the '06 is any sort of "best", but it'll work just as good as any for deer and elk. Zero for 200 yards and you don't even have to think for anything inside of 250. That's 2" high at 100 and 3" low at 250. "Point it and pull, Hell ain't half-full" for a heart shot on deer or elk.

, Art

[JKump]

Can't Go wrong with 06.

[taylorce1]

Will the 30-06 be the best caliber for both?

While it has been debated several times if the 06 is the best or not it will surely take any animal you can hunt in the lower 48. You could do a lot worse than show up on a hunt with a .30-06, and no one will laugh at you for using that rifle. Most of the elk I've ever seen taken has been with an old beat up .30-06, I know it took my first elk and black bear and none took another step.

Since my first elk I've started hunting with other rifles both larger and smaller calibers but I'll always have a 06 in my inventory. It is the one rifle I will always be able to count on to get the job done. It has what I now consider moderate recoil and that is something I want since my rifle doesn't reach 8 lbs on the scale.

[Scorch]

It has been said many times: there is no animal on this continent that cannot be taken with a 30-06. Even grizzly, although many folks like a bit more margin of error, but it is done all the time. Go with tha 30-06.

[davlandrum]

I use a -06 for both (when I don't opt to bow hunt for elk). The guy I hunt with uses his 7mm mag for both.

Either one will do everything you need it to do, as long as you do your part.

[FirstFreedom]

Go to the store. Compare a Remington 700, Browning A-bolt, Howa, or any other major brand in .30-06, and see which one feels best on your shoulder. Then buy it. Put a decent scope on it, and you'll be good to go.

Yep, +1. Except, make that a good scope *with good rings*, and *properly mounted* and *zeroed with the exact ammo you'll be hunting with*.

[Uniballer]

thank you everyone for the advice sounds like i will start with the '06 and get some experience under my belt and then try some other rifles aging thank you

[ojibweindian]

Uniballer

I lived in the Sandy, OR area when I was between 12 and 17 years old (Bull Run area a few miles from Roslyn Lake). Very beautiful area.

Anyway, as far as cartridge is concerned, either the 30-06 or the 7mm Remington Magnum will do just fine. And for a rifle, any of the brand name manufacturers will be a good choice, so long as the rifle fits you.

My personal preference is the Weatherby Vanguard/Howa line.

[Full-choke]

It can feasibly be said that the 06 is quite possibly the most versatile round ever made. I can promise that it would take anything in the lower 48 and I would trust two to three round in the worst animals in Alaska (But that's strictly for safety sake). I have heard of people taking elk with critters such as the 257 Roberts and the 7mm-08...all I have to say is that they are a better shot then I am.

I would be completely comfortable with an 06 any day for deer and elk. As far as the rifle goes, I would look into a Savage first, save money on a good hunting rifle and spend some extra on glass. I would feel 110% about putting an animal down on most shots with a Savage in 30-06 with a Leupold VX-I 3-9x40 sitting a top.

F-C

[Beretta16]

For elk I'd get a .300 win mag. 700 more lb of energy at higher speeds with better ballistics compared to a 30-06. Check out the Howa Lightning and Tikka T3. I think the T3 is the best value in rifles. My 30-06 Howa Lightning shot .5" groups at 100 yards, though, but the Tikkas are reputed for their accuracy. Also has a detachable magazine and 70* bolt which makes cycling a lot nicer. They also have some of the best feeling triggers. I sound like a salesman, but they are excellent guns, rivaling those over double their price.

[BIGR]

30.06 is a great caliber for what you mentioned. Go to a gun store that has different makes of rifles and compare them.

[WeedWacker]

.30-06 is going to drop lower than a 7mm mag. Think of ranges you will be shooting. Anything between 150 and 250 is perfect for .30-06. If you expect to have longer shots go for a 7mm.

The above mentioned rifles are good but Mossberg 4x4's can run a little cheaper than new remingtons or howa's (a little over $400 for a brand new .30-06 sans scope)

[crowbeaner]

Unless you LIKE a hard recoiling rifle, by all means get the 30/06. It has far more utility than a 7 mag., and ammo is available in a myriad of loadings and bullet types/weights. Ammo is easy to find in BFE US, and sold everywhere that carries shells. No, it won't shoot across canyons like a belted Supermag du jour, but more game has fallen to the old soldier than any other. All makers have one in their lineup, and many shoot extremely well with a variety of ammo. If and when you reload for it, it uses less powder, and the nonbelted case won't be as sensitive to die settings to preserve headspace and prolong case life. Just my humble $0.02. CB.

[Art Eatman]

Yeah, the .300 WinMag has more Oomph than the '06. And, yeah, the 7mm Maggie shoots a little bit flatter. The thing is, though, that they won't kill a deer or an elk any deader.

If you hit the right spot on the deer or elk, an '06 is way more than the minimum needed for a clean kill. Mostly, it's how good a marksman one is from some field-position hasty rest.

If you know the distance, trajectory isn't all that important: You're supposed to know the trajectory of whatever you shoot, be it a .45-70 or a .30RUM. I zero at 200 yards, so I know from experience that my load will be six inches low at 300, two feet low at 400 and four feet low at 500. With a laser rangefinder for the beyond-300 ranging, life is just real easy.

No rangefinder? Okay, don't go slinging lead in some, "Well, maybe, I hope, I just might..." fashion on a way-over-yonder critter.

[zpurdy]

my vote is for the 7mm mag, it could be loaded down and not all that bad, i shoot 150gr. in it and its a hare more recoil then when i shoot my .30-30(and this is the only other deer rifle i've shot) just a little bit louder and thats the only other difference i think

[Buzzcook]

Winchester M 70 .30-06 has been my deer rifle since 1970 it works fine.
There are very few bad rifles out there if you're buying new. The Remington and Savage bolt actions will do just fine. Remington has a Mauser clone now and you might want to check that out. Spend money on a good scope.
I prefer buying used because you can frequently profit from some other guys investment.
The .30-06 will take any American large game animal. Its been used to kill elephants, but that's not recommended.
It wouldn't hurt to go up or down a few tics in caliber. As mentioned above the .30-06 comes in all sorts of loads so it's easier to find one that works for you without hand loading. I think you'll find that the same round for a deer will work on an elk.
Just to confuse you a bit in theory I like the idea of the large caliber low velocity rounds (the .44-40, .45-70 or similar) for close up under 100yds.

Buzzcook

[remjeep75]

i like the a-bolt and i also prefer 30-06. but i also have a secret love for the 7mm. sorry

[slow944]

Started hunting Whitetail with my Dad's 30.06 and it's done the job on everything I fired it at. that includes big bucks, scrawny does and 300lb feral hogs. 30.06 has probably taken more game then anyother rifle round. I've got a Savage 110 and it shoots to point of aim. I don't feel under gunned with the Savage hunting anything.

[Greatest Hunter]

.300 Winchester Magnum is the best. Hunted a lot with it in North America, Whitetail, Coues Deer, Mule Deer, Goat, Black Bear, Moose, Antelope. Works very well for everything. 180gr. trophy bonder bearclaw bullets.

as for the rifle, if you can not afford a Sako, go for the Winchester 70