My first Bolt Gun.

[Glock Jock]

Well I just went to Cabelas and they had a Tikka Lite (wanted to see superlite but they didn't have one), Ruger American, Bergara Hunter and 14 HMR but didn't see a Ruger 77. They were all pretty nice. The HMR was heavy and I would say the Ruger American and Tikka T3 had a similar enough feel but the Bergara Hunter felt the best. It was a little heavier by about a pound for $699. Tikka was $750 and Ruger was cheaper than both by almost half. Still undecided but it was good to actually see them. Going to see more before I make a decision, bday isn't until April so no rush.

 

[Colts4me]

Try a Steyer too, I have one and the trigger is fantastic.

 

[Dungannon]

I would not want to carry that in the woods with the box magazine hangin' down right where I want to put my carry hand. Having said that, you might be able to acquire a hunting stock and a flush magazine for that Bergera.
Then you might have that combo system.

You're probably thinking of the HMR or Match Precision Rifles. The majority carry fine in the hand.

 

[Member 5605]

Ruger American 30-06 or .308

The American series are fine shooting rifles and you won't break the bank for your cherry popper.

 

[Glock Jock]

You're probably thinking of the HMR or Match Precision Rifles. The majority carry fine in the hand.
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The green Hunter is what I looked at. Really liked it.

 

[No_Regerts]

The green Hunter is what I looked at. Really liked it.

Its compatible with M700 stocks and scope bases. Makes changes easy since there are more aftermarket goodies for M700s than anything.

 

[Glock Jock]

I like that stock, it felt great. I believe that rifle in a .30-06 is a great choice.

So now I guess a good question would be what scope and power should a .30-06 have on it? Leupold is probably my first choice and Vortex might be another. There are certainly a lot of variations of similar looking scopes.

Another trip to Cabelas is coming! Lol. Didn't think too much about it when I was there.

 

[DirectDrive]

A lot depends on the budget.
Leupold VX-3i 4.5x-14x 30mm tube is a new offering from Leupold.
I have one with a 40mm objective lens and a Boone and Crockett reticle.
(lots of options with this scope line)
Very nice scope in the mid price range.

I like the newer 30mm tubes over the old 1" tubes.

Also you might want to use a pro to mount it instead of a screw-stripper at Cabelas.
That pro can help you with correct ring selection and decide whether or not the rings need to be lapped.

 

[AK0perator47]

What Direct Drive was saying about who to mount the optic and his suggestion about power of optic. From 4-14 will suit you just fine.

 

[Glock Jock]

A lot depends on the budget.
Leupold VX-3i 4.5x-14x 30mm tube is a new offering from Leupold.
I have one with a 40mm objective lens and a Boone and Crockett reticle.
(lots of options with this scope line)
Very nice scope in the mid price range.

I like the newer 30mm tubes over the old 1" tubes.

Also you might want to use a pro to mount it instead of a screw-stripper at Cabelas.
That pro can help you with correct ring selection and decide whether or not the rings need to be lapped.

Thinking $400-550. No junk but not trying to win a popularity contest either.

 

[Pete F]

I like that stock, it felt great. I believe that rifle in a .30-06 is a great choice.

So now I guess a good question would be what scope and power should a .30-06 have on it? Leupold is probably my first choice and Vortex might be another. There are certainly a lot of variations of similar looking scopes.

Another trip to Cabelas is coming! Lol. Didn't think too much about it when I was there.

I have the older Leupold VX-3 with the custom dial system and parallax adjustment - 4.5 -14x40, 30mm tube. Very good choice for aging eyes and long range shots. Buy the Leupold dual dovetail rings and bases and you won't have to worry about lapping or gunsmiths. You can buy an installation tool that most would think unnecessary, but it worked great.

I also invested in a Wheeler torque wrench. I use it often.

 

[DirectDrive]

Just don't use the scope tube to twist in the dovetails like an acquaintance did one time.

 

[Pete F]

Just don't use the scope tube to twist in the dovetails like an acquaintance did one time.

Very bad idea. The installation tool looks like a cheap plastic wrench, but worked so well that I can recommend it. You can always sell it or rent it out later, but I also like the nice steel Leupold bases and rings so I have used it several times.

 

[DirectDrive]

 

[Medic!]

Or you could just go all Daniel Boone or Kit Carson...
Just had to get a plug in for muzzleloaders as the world hasn't been right after recommending a cartridge rifle or two...
Andy
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Great point. They did the job in there day.
And it's not like there building our current animals any tougher.

Well the top one has gotten:
Deer , Bear , Elk and Grouse...no fox yet....
I have had a "fox" shoot it...but that is a story for a different thread or even perhaps forum...
Andy

A fox shot your rifle. Really?

Reminds me of the time I shot a bear in my pajamas.
How he got into my pajamas. I'll never know?

 

[Ura-Ki]

Your on a good track here, a good rifle that fits you well, and a well proven all round caliber, and a Leupy optic would be an excelent choice, how ever, one BIG catch here, take a bunch of time when selecting your optic, take as much time as you can to look through as many as you can, while several recomend a certain brand, or even model, it all comes down to what YOUR eyes like best!!! I cannot stress this aspect enough! I have known several shooters who followed excellent advice from well trusted folks ( my self included) who followed said sage advice and purchased the recommnded scope, only to find it wasn't what their eyes liked, and were then upset that they had to go scope shopping again and then take a hit selling a now used scope!
Spend the effort to have the mounts installed correctly and the rings installed and aligned to the rifle, and finally the scope installed to match your specific eye relief needs, and to ally bore sight it to get you on paper at least! I have no recommndation for WHO, but I know several members here will fill in the blans for you on that!

 

[Glock Jock]

I agree. Seems there are more rifle scope options than rifles and calibers.

 

[No_Regerts]

I agree. Seems there are more rifle scope options than rifles and calibers.

I think a big mistake many hunters make is over-scoping. <400, nothing more than 10x at the top end is necessary. Anything over 10x should have a parallax adjustment to it.

 

[Glock Jock]

Not sure what that means, but ok.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Agreed with No_Regerts, You will need parallax adjustment to go much above 9 or 10 power. otherwise it will really effect the clarity with shimmer. You will really want that correction, but it ads to the price of the scope! You could add a kill flash or a sun shade and it might be enough to cure this, or it might not, depends on the scope!