30-06 as first rifle?

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Cassera

New member
I'll be completely frank with you guys, I'm originally from the city and I have never shot a gun before. I want my first gun to be a rifle. I have been looking at 30-06 caliber rifles and for some reason everybody is telling me that 30-06 is way too big for my first rifle. I mean I know 30-06 has a lot of recoil, but it can't possibly have THAT much recoil as to where my friends are telling me to get a small caliber to learn on. I figure if i learn, I might as well learn on 30-06 ;-)

What do you guys think? Specifically I've been looking at Browning A-Bolt rifles.

It's just a littler harder finding the perfect one when your a lefty.
 
Flinching at the shot is one of the biggest causes of poor accuracy. The flinch comes from anticipating the recoil and jerking a bit during the trigger pull. Flinching can develop from starting out with a rifle that has a good amount of recoil. A 30-06 can have substantial recoil, depending on the rifle.

I would recommend a smaller caliber for a beginner. If this is a deer rifle, a 243 is great. If its a target rifle, go with a 223.
 
I was in the same boat as you not so long ago. I bought a Browning A-Bolt in .270 win as my first rifle, even though I haven't fired the danged thing yet :D. anyway, since i'm new to shooting/hunting I don't really have any advice to give. I chose the .270 win because I read that the recoil is slightly less than the 30.06 (but not by much) and that it's a flat shooter. it should also be enough rifle to hunt most big game in North America. i'm sure there are plenty of seasoned pros here that can chime in and give you better advice. what's your intended use for the rifle? hunting? shooting range? what's your budget? there are too many variables to consider so you have to be as specific as you can
 
My intended use for the rifle will be at first to bring it to a range quite a few times to get a feel for the rifle and just shooting in general....Than I plan on hunting later down the road once I get used to the actual rifle and shooting it.
I was thinking maybe deer hunting. But it's primary use for a while will be shooting at a range. I'm hoping to shoot at about 300-500 yards eventually (at the range of coarse).

I have always been attracted to long range rifle shooting.

My price range is about 1300 bucks for the rifle.
I am still browsing rifles, but it looks as if the browning A-bolt is top notch :-)
 
Take a hunter safety course! :)
A .243 will suit you well and is plenty of gun for anything from varmint to deer.
Start reasonable and work your way up as you learn.
If you feel the need to get a "bigger" gun later on, you can always do so!
A day at the range with a .243 is a heck of a lot more pleasant than a day with the .30-06! ;)
 
I can only tell you what I would recommend, while it is certainly an option to get a .30-06 right from the go and has been done plenty of times before by other shooters, it is not a good idea if you want to have a fast learning curve up to good proficiency. I can speak with some experience, because while I had a some experience with rifles (father's, etc), the first rifle I bought was a big kicker that was expensive to feed and within a few months I bought a smaller, cheaper gun and rarely take the big guy out anymore.

The .30-06 is pretty stout, while recoil is subjective to the shooter, it is above the point where most shooters cannot just sit there and put rounds through it all afternoon without it beating them up (especially in a lighter weight bolt rifle). I've seen some shooters boxing up their .30-06 before they finish a box of shells due to recoil. At first, you will need to practice a lot at first to learn the fundamentals, high recoil interferes with this. It can teach you some bad habits (such as anticipating recoil/flinching, jerking trigger, and others), which can take a while to unlearn. Also, since you need to spend a lot of time shooting, you will need a lot of ammo, and .30-06 ammo is not cheap. While it is common, .30-06 usually costs 75¢ to well over a dollar a shot. Consider you might have to shoot 500+ rounds to build up a good base and the cost adds up (compared, for example, to a .22lr where 500 rounds costs $18.) As a lefty, that does make things harder, but remember that most guns, while maybe not the most convenient, can be operated left handed (of course I wouldn't blame you for wanting a left-hand specific model). If any of your friends have .30-06s, you can ask to try them just to get a feel for it.

The general recommendation, which I'd have to agree with, is to start with a .22, which is cheap to buy and get ammo for, low on recoil, and surprising fun :D. However, I would say a .223 is an ok compromise on a learning gun mixed with something more practical. There are others out there that would work as well, but those two probably have the lowest ammo cost. The only situation where I could understand for a new shooter to buy a highish power centerfire is if the shooter for some reason (financial, spouse rules, whatever) could absolutely only buy ONE rifle and they intend to hunt with it. Then you don't have the option of a learning rifle and hunting rifle. But the shooter would still need to practice extensively.
 
Last edited:
I am still browsing rifles, but it looks as if the browning A-bolt is top notch :-)
Click to expand...

Have you picked up a new Browning X-Bolt? I like it quite a bit more than the A-Bolt.
 
I think you guys are convincing me right all-though it kills me to say so.
I guess it's just in man's nature to want something "Bigger". Still, I think a .22 is a little too small even though I agree it will be a better gun to learn on, I don't want to have to spend money in the long run. Is there anything slightly larger that can shoot pretty far. After I shoot the rifle for a bit, I intend on going hunting with it and I dont think I can easily take down deer with a .22 especially at my experience level lol

Am I just putting up a fight because I want something bigger?? lol
I think It makes sence
 
How about a .270 WIN?
I could imagine way less recoil still with some take down power

Or still too big for first timer? Honest opinions!!!! lol
 
Still, I think a .22 is a little too small even though I agree it will be a better gun to learn on, I don't want to have to spend money in the long run. Is there anything slightly larger that can shoot pretty far. After I shoot the rifle for a bit, I intend on going hunting with it and I dont think I can easily take down deer with a .22 especially at my experience level lol
Click to expand...

Are you reading our responses??

243 Winchester.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/243Win.htm

http://www.6mmbr.com/243win.html
 
Why not get a savage in .243 then you can just buy the tools and rebarrel it yourself into other calibers like 308, 260 remington etc...
 
How about a .270 WIN?
I could imagine way less recoil still with some take down power

Or still too big for first timer? Honest opinions!!!! lol
Click to expand...

the 270 win is a fine cartridge used by many. when I first joined this forum I was given the same recommendations....to buy a .22 before moving up to something bigger. but like you, I was impatient and didn't want to buy a plinker gun for my first rifle, so I bought a 270. I got my A-Bolt used/new via gunbroker.com for $425, so don't rule out buying a used rifle before laying down $1300. $1300 can buy you a quality used rifle, plus a decent scope and you'd still have money leftover for other stuff. since you say you're interested in long range hunting then i'd say the 270win, 7mm08, or 30.06 or all good calibers. do some more research and find out what's best for you. i'm not against getting a .22 but I do understand why you'd want something more powerful to start. I did a lot of research before I bought my rifle, so take any advice with a grain of salt. only you can decide what you want
 
Some people dont flinch, you might be one of those. Unless you want to purchase multiable rifles or rebarrel one, start with the cal you want. Perhaps it just me, but a good trigger and scope (for hunting) is the key to good shooting experience, assuming that the recoil of your rifle is not painfull.
But then again what do I know.:barf:
 
for 1300 bucks i would get a .22lr for plinking and learning how to shoot properly, and i would get a 7mm-08. believe me you will not be disappointed. big enough to kill anything in north america except for maybe huge bear, and very mild recoil. plus it is a flat shooting gun for those long range shots. ammo isn't very high, and you can reload very cheap. all around great cartridge. can't think of a better newbie gun, and as you become experienced you will realize you don't have to buy another rifle. got one for the old lady. now she can't get it away from me long enough to shoot it.:D
 
Cassera asked:

How about a .270 WIN?
I could imagine way less recoil still with some take down power

Or still too big for first timer?
Click to expand...


Cassera,

Here's a relative comparison of recoil:

Cartridge - Recoil Energy - Recoil Velocity

22LR - 0.3 - 1.2
223 - 5 - 6
243 - 11 - 9
270 - 18 - 12
30/06 - 22 - 13

The guys are recommending a lower recoil rifle for a first time shooter to learn. Someone mentioned 500 rounds - I put more than that through a 22LR as a kid. Since your just starting, you can mulitple the recoil numbers above by 500 practice rounds and well...you get the picture.

Since your wanting to learn, shoot targets and quickly begin hunting too, a 243 is a good place to start.

PS: Just remember, If you like shooting rifles, You WILL buy more.
 
I bought a 30.06 for my first rifle many years ago but, I was also taking on Deer Hunting at the same time. I loved that rifle and wish I still had it but, I got a great shotgun in a trade for it so I am still happy.

It's your money and I think just about any full grown man can handle the kick of the 30.06 without much of an issue. I do understand the reasoning of buying a .22 first but, I fall into the same as many of us do and want the larger caliber. If I were still working I would have bought a AR 10 instead of a AR 15! It's bigger! LOL:p
 
Here's my $.02, you might consider one of the Thompson Center Contenders which would allow you to buy multiple barrels to shoot almost any rimfire (i.e. 22lr) or centerfire (i.e. .223, .270, 30-06). Granted it's a single shot, but the ability to shoot cheap rimfire ammo on the same platform as your hunting rifle would be almost invaluable for a new shooter I would think. Your other option would be to maybe buy a bit cheaper centerfire say a savage or used rifle and invest the rest into a good quality .22lr. 30-06 is a great caliber, but unless you plan on hunting out of the county listed as your location, you won't be able to use it hunting anyway. Dutchess Co. is shotgun, handgun, or bow territory no rifle. Check here for DECs map of legal implements, you'd have to cross the river or hunt north of Dutchess Co. to use a rifle. I do agree that a .22lr is a great training tool for not only new shooters but even old timers should use them to keep their skills sharp, they're cheap to feed, don't beat you up like a large caliber centerfire and are fairly reasonably priced.

Stu
 
If it were me getting into it id get a T/C pro hunter, you can get a rimfire barrel to practice with, a small center fire for varmit, a big bore for hunting anything, a shotgun for turkey. Its a perfect option. The A Bolts are great and I own a few but also have plinking guns, the 30-06 may build bad habbits. If you do get a A Bolt 30-06 atleast spend another 150 buck and get a cheap .22 or .17 to plink with
 
a 30-06 is a lot of gun for a beginner especially if you're planning on putting in a lot of range time.

I agree with everyone that recommended a .243. It has considerably less recoil and can handle anything up to deer a reasonable ranges. A 7mm-.08 will give you a little more power than a .243 with light recoil.

A .270 is one of my favorite calibers but it is going to recoil about the same as a 30-06.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top