Replacing a 30.06 BDL with ?
I'm new to the board, but I have been lurking for a couple of months. I've seen some good advice and/or suggestions so I thought I would give it a try.
I have an older Remington 30.06 BDL that has been with me for the last 20 years. It's been a great rifle, but it is starting to show its age. (me too!) The barrel is not "shot out", but I am having a little more difficulty getting tighter groups. I'll keep it for sentimental reasons, but I have a question.
Other than getting another 30.06, what would you all recommend as a good replacement e.g. caliber and make of rifle.
I want something that will take most North American game. If the occasion arises that I hunt elk, moose etc., I want to be ready to go. However, I currently hunt mostly deer.
I hunt mostly in areas where the shots can be 100 yds and as long as 400 yds (which is at the extreme range of my capabilities).
I'm not interested in the fancy bells and whistle with accompanying price tag rifle, just a nice solid round and rifle to hunt.
Thank you!
I have an older Remington 30.06 BDL that has been with me for the last 20 years. It's been a great rifle, but it is starting to show its age. (me too!) The barrel is not "shot out", but I am having a little more difficulty getting tighter groups. I'll keep it for sentimental reasons, but I have a question.
Other than getting another 30.06, what would you all recommend as a good replacement e.g. caliber and make of rifle.
I want something that will take most North American game. If the occasion arises that I hunt elk, moose etc., I want to be ready to go. However, I currently hunt mostly deer.
I hunt mostly in areas where the shots can be 100 yds and as long as 400 yds (which is at the extreme range of my capabilities).
I'm not interested in the fancy bells and whistle with accompanying price tag rifle, just a nice solid round and rifle to hunt.
Thank you!
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Why not have a gunsmith set the barrel back a few threads and freshen your chamber. That should bring the accuracy right back for all of maybe $100.
why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?0 -
.270 in whatever brand suits your fancy.
My personal preference is Ruger mod.77
or Browning A-Bolt.
Welcome
BW
IT'S WHAT PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THEMSELVES THAT MAKES THEM AFRAID.0 -
JustC you absolutley correct, but I was also looking for a little vareity -- try something new see, what else is out there. 0 -
IU, welcome to the site. It sounds like you are looking for a new rifle caliber experience more than anything else. Nothing really wrong with that. Since you mentioned moose, I would try something on the order of .300 magnum--either short or long. You get the benefits of the .30 caliber in a flatter shooting platform. A .270 or a .280 will also get the job done but you are only down in caliber on the same case. A 7mm Remington Magnum would also provide flat shooting and good bullet selection. There are numerous rounds out there that will get the job done--just remember that a moose is not particularly hard to bring down but he is a heavy animal and requires heavier bullets than deer. The Big thing though is to place the bullet in the right place regardless of what you are shooing--caliber and animal wise. 0 -
theres not a doubt in my mind for you...300wsm in a stainless mtn rifle set up, prolly...but then again, i'm not one of these old grampa types around here that still argue about 270 vs.'06. whatever...i'd avoid "ultra" anything... 0 -
Before you let your old rifle disappoint you, try giving the barrel a real good cleaning. I would suspect the barrel to be copper fouled and a good cleaning should bring it righ back to what it used to do. Bought a 300WinMag that no longer shot well, got enough copper out of the barrel to just about make a penny (or so it seemed). Shoots very well now, thank you. Also cheaper than the alternatives. 0 -
Well, if you have a good -06 than there's only 2 ways to go. You need a dinky game cartridge and a big game cartridge. May I suggest the 22-250 and the 416Rigby. Both are classics, are capable of fine accuracy, and fun to shoot. 
Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.0 -
I'm with Tailgunner but my caliber choices might be a bit different.
I do own and love 22/250's but for light deer hunting step up to a 243 what a pleasure to shoot and accurate too, you'll find that it kills deer and antelope size game better than you'd expect. Keep and clean the ol' '06, but for elk and moose and long range deer consider a .338 Win Mag. All the power you need for elk and moose ( so has the 30/06 for that matter), with the 200 and 225 gr bullets, and light bullets like the Barnes 185 gr. for long range deer. I'm in the same situation as you love my old '06 and still hunt with it a lot, but I also own and hunt with the 22/250, 243, and 338 and really enjoy them too. For cleaning tips on your '06 to bring back the accuracy go back in the forum about 2 weeks.0 -
if you have been hunting with the old 06 for twenty years , you hunt mostly deer but want to be able to do the moose and elk thing and you want alittle variety I would suggest a remington 700 bdl in a 7mm remington mag. first you will have rifle familiarity and the cosmetics and feel you have grown to covet. Second , if you have been using the 06 that long, you will be amazed at the trajectory on that occasioal 400 yard shot you talk about; third , the recoil is basicaly the same and ammo is plentiful and relatively cheap from a belted magnum standpoint in a variety of weights and lastly, with all the new souped up hyper magnums out there, 7 rem mags are showing up more frequently then ever and the competition has got the prices down below book for very nice used rifles ranging from 95-99% 0 -
so many choices, so little room in the safe. my two cents worth, look at the 35 whelen. don't sell it short because it aint got magnum in it's name. the older i get the less i want to chase down game for that second shot, the whelen produces one shot results.
ok0
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