New to LRH

Joined
Jan 13, 2012
Messages
7
Location
South Dakota
As the title infers I am new to LRH. Just trying to get my feet wet and not quite ready to fully jump in the pond, so to speak. I currently have two .30-06 rifles, one a 700 Remington the a Stevens the model of which escapes me at the moment. I was thinking of purchasing a quality scope first and mounting it on the 700 and trying some long distance (400-600) shooting with this first to see if i have any talent (and eyesight) for this. What problems, advice etc. would anyone have for someone wanting to shoot a .30-06. I did do some searching of the forums and find very, very little on the .30-06. Am i just wasting time and money(already have the guns, so no cost there) using this caliber. i know from research that the 700 Rem is a good base. What are your thoughts? Thanks for the info!:)
 
Kevinb71,


The 30/06 isn't a bad gun to start with. It was a ww2 sniper round so it can't be bad. There is plenty of good 30 cal bullets out there. Save you money and buy the best optics you can afford. Leupold, Nikon, Nightforce, US optics are just a few of good quality glass. Take notes on the things you do, the weather you shoot in the wind, temp. Loading notes are very important. I keep all my targets in a folder so I can go back and if I have a question how a load shot out of my gun. Hope this helps

I my self shoot a lot of 308. Once in a while just to kick the dust off I shoot my 300 RUM.
 
KEVIN- do you reload? have you adjusted the trigger . it is easy. google remington crisp. if you reload- load 49.5 , 50 or 50.5 grains of varget behind a 168 berger. lapua brass. the 30-06 is a great cartridge. there is more info on it on Riflemansjournal.com. German competes out to 1000 yards with his 30-06. i can't come close to him even with my 6.5-284. the 30-06 will do it with good ammo and rifle. welcome. roninflag
 
Thanks for the replies! I always thought it was good long, but it's never even mentioned as an option when discussions of calibers come up. I think i will look for a good quality scope and mounts and start there.

No i don't reload , at least not yet. Still trying to get my head aroung the info on long distance. I will check out your suggestions. Thanks
 
Kevin, as others have said, the 30-06 will work fine for the range you mentioned. Get the trigger worked or replaced. A good clean 3lbs should do for starters.

There is no "talent" required, just knowledge. Don't worry about eyesight, that's what optics are for. Study the archives on trigger control and how to get steady. (Rests, bipod,etc. ) The setup you have will be no problem for 400 yards. Get a snap cap and spend a lot of time dry firing to learn trigger control and what works to get you steady. Welcome to the forum.
 
The '06 should be fine for your purpose. In my opinion, and I am by no means a long range competition / benchrest shooter, long range hunting / shooting is a matter of shooting a rifle that is known to be accurate and shooting it well. The easiest way I've found to gain confidence is with a big target. I have a 22" farm disc hanging on chains that I can shoot at from almost any distance out to 900 yards. I've used this for my own practice as well as introducing new people to the challenge of long range shooting.
My dad had never shot much past a couple hundred yards - last summer we got a good load worked up for him, and I used the Gunwerks ballistic chart to get his drops figured out. His first shot at 550 yards was on target (he doesn't smile like that very often).
Now, I'm not by any means saying a hit on a 22" target should give anyone the impression that they can go kill a deer at that range. It's all about practice. A big target will help you "walk" shots in while trying to learn how to dope wind. Elevation is the easy part, it's the windage that you will find that makes things difficult at extended range.
And, practice as much as possible from field positions. The only time I use a bench is to see the real difference between loads at short range (100 - 200 yards). There are a lot of very knowledgeable folks on this forum (much more knowledgeable than myself), so take in as much as possible. I learn something just about every time I log on.
In the end, long range (non-competition) shooting is about shooting a good rifle well and knowing your capable range.
The hardest part is the addiction!
 
Again thanks to all for the replies. It makes me feel more comfortable knowing that others who know more than I do think it's worth messing with. Now just to find that scope for the 500 - 800 dollar range!
 
In that range, I think it would be hard not to take a real good look at the Minox ZA5. I've heard very good things about it and have been thinking of picking one up myself.
 
for the less expensive scopes . i have several bushnell 4200's. what ever scope you get it i believe you need to have a turret with the yardages for your load. you may need a some burris rings with the plastic inserts to get to the longer ranges.
 
For that money, look at the Vortex Viper PST. They have a non first focal plane model for $759. It is at the top of your money allowance, but worth every penny. If you want to spend a little less, take a look at Weaver Tactical, and Vortex Viper and HS models. I own the Viper Vortex 6.5-20x44. I have been very pleased with my scope. Sightron SIII should also get your attention. It is quickly becoming a standard for Benchrest and F-class shooting. It is also a good line to look at for field use. The 6-24 would be the best option for power and huntability in any of the above options.

Tank
 
If your gun doesn't shoot sub-moa with match loads, consider having it accurized. There are many excellent gunsmiths on this site who may be able to help you. Hill Country Rifles also has a good reputation for this work. Could be just the thing to wring out all the accuracy from your rifle, at a reasonable expense.
 
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