Bolt gun suggestions

I think your current goals and reasoning make sense to me. I would say sell your 30-06, buy a Ruger in 7.62x39 and you'll get out of it what you put in: a reliable rifle that will fit your budget and stated purpose. And you can start stocking up on ammo so when you do get into an AK or clone, you can blast away at the range without a huge upfront investment. Heck maybe you even have the time/money to get into reloading at that point.

EDIT: Was searching for something else, but found this and thought it might be useful to you: https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=590026&highlight=mvp
 
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I would sell or trade off the rifle too, if it weren't for the fact that it's inherited from an honorable progenitor. And remember, a 30-'06 is one of the best candidates for a rifle that does it all.
 
Pathfinder45 said:
I would sell or trade off the rifle too, if it weren't for the fact that it's inherited from an honorable progenitor. And remember, a 30-'06 is one of the best candidates for a rifle that does it all.
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Ah, thank you Pathfinder for alerting me to that, I was unaware that the '06 in question was a historical hand down. In that case I certainly wouldn't sell it if it means that much to you. I'm sure it would to me.

Hence the real issue behind your budget. In that case, I whole-heartedly agree with a RAR in x39. You will (always) have the 30-06 if you ever were to move to a location where you have a 300yd+ range to shoot at, but until that time, you have a rifle that won't beat up your shoulder, runs on cheap ammo, mag-fed(I also like this, but realize it is a personal preference), and you can share ammo with another firearm in the future.

I myself just traded in a 30-06 Rem 770 and a Handi single shot shotgun to get a C308. I already bought a Savage 308, so I went from 2 sets of long cartidges to 1 AND the neither the 770 nor the shotgun was much fun due to fitment/accessories; the 770 scope didn't have enough eye relief to be usable and the shotgun punched me in the face due to (lack of)weight and LoP.

So with all your variables on the line, I would say that because of your future want of an AK, your current range and specified usage, I still stand by yes to a RAR in x39. But I will temper my response about the Savage 110. Hope you keep it around to give you your children one day. Now maybe you trade up the AR to get rid of ANOTHER cartridge and get into an AK that much quicker ;)
 
PlatinumCore, thanks for that link, I have actually read that post before making this one. It's what got me to realize that rifle is a good candidate for what I want! Calibers such as 6.5 creedmoor are just a bit too pricey for me to enjoy as a range gun. Great for accuracy and hunting, but I'd probably only shoot a few rounds before I put it back up. I have considered the RAR in .223/5.56, but I want a bigger bullet for hunting. I really like the mini 30 mags on the RAR too, it would just allow me to shoot more rounds before having to reload on the range.

I love my 30-06, and love that caliber as a whole. My savage will always be around and will remain my primary hunting rifle. I'd love to build one from the ground up for long range shooting, but that's further down the road. I just think the RAR fits the niche that I want in a rifle right now.

Thanks for everyone's input!!! I'll start my search for a scope to put on it now. I'll probably make another post about that subject in the not so distant future!
 
I always considered the 7.62x39 to be ballistically very similar to a 30-30. Obviously, plenty of 30-30 levers can turn in some pretty respectable 100yd groups from lever rifles equipped with glass or a good open sight shooter on the trigger. But in my opinion, if I wanted something to have more fun punching paper and trying to shoot smaller groups, I would look at something other than a 7.62x39. As others mentioned, how about a 243 Win?? Or a 7mm-08 perhaps?? Lighter, faster, flatter shooting than the AK round but ammo is certainly not cheaper than AK rounds can be had for.

IDK, maybe the AK round can be a clover shooter from a scoped bolt rifle.

But aren't steel cases that comprise alot of the available AK rounds hard on rifle chambers?? I have heard that said a few times.
 
But aren't steel cases that comprise alot of the available AK rounds hard on rifle chambers?? I have heard that said a few times.
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From what I understand, the sur plus commie ammo is the stuff that causes a lot of corrosion, but sticking with steel from US companies is fine. As a matter of fact, I was shooting steel case .308 in my buddy's pized r700 he built. If he's willing to run that in his rifle, I don't see why I wouldn't in a much cheaper rifle.

Again, I'm not looking for a laser of a rifle. I'd love to have one ragged hole from time to time, but as long as I have an affordable round to ring steel and hunt with, I'm good.
 
Well, what I heard about steel cases could very well have been a thing about running it in AK/SKS platforms. It's been quite a while since I sold my SKS so my memory is a little fuzzy on the subject.

Sounds like you are pretty settled on the 7.62x39, I say go for it and enjoy! :)
 
An ak is meant to shoot the lacquered steel cartridges, i dont know the science behind it but i think they help prevent jamming. I wouldnt run them in a bolt gun unless it was a cheapie
 
7.62 x 39 is a nice range gun but it has less power than a 30-30 for hunting. A fun gun to use at the range and hunt with is a 243or 250 Savage or 257 Roberts. None of those have a lot of recoil but you can take any size deer you want and even elk with them. For fun at the range and white tails the 80 to 90 grain bullets are terrific. For mulies and elk the 120 grain bullets work very well.
 
I like the 7.62X39 as a short to moderate range deer rifle and as a range rifle that also shoots low budget ammo.

I don't particularly care for the Ruger American but that is strictly a personal preference. I have a Ruger 77 MK2 in that caliber and it is one of my favorite rifles. My late brother bought it for himself for just the reason you stated...he couldn't tolerate heavy recoil. He also got rid of that ugly "boat paddle" stock and equipped it with a a nice walnut stock from Ruger. I developed hunting loads for it using Rx7 and various 123 & 125 gr. bullets from the major manufacturers. It isn't at all particular about what it shoots. It shoots everything well.:).

This is the rifle that I use to introduce newer shooters to a real "deer rifle".

If I were in the market for a new bolt action rifle in that caliber I would definitely look at the CZ.
 
Back when the Mini 30 first came out I grabbed one for deer hunting. Over the years it took many deer easily out to 200 yards. These were all large northern deer. I also have a friend that I shoot with at Quantico and he easily shoots clays at 300 yards with his AR 47, as do I with mine, so they can be quite accurate with the right ammo. Both of these rifles were under $500.00 and have worked very well. He is shooting some kind of American made steel cased hunting ammo, I believe Hornady makes it but I may be wrong on that. I shoot my own handloads. Now, even though we get good accuracy form them, I would definitely limit them to 200 yds or less on deer. For me, I love shooting this rifle, and I would sure think a bolt rifle in this caliber would work as well if not even better.
 
So I have recently discovered the mossberg mvp rifle and I feel like it is even more of what I am looking for than the ruger. The 5.56 chambering accepts ar15 magazines, which is great since I already have an ar15, and the 7.62x51 variant accepts m1a, sr25, ar10, and similar magazines. From what I understand, 7.62 is a cheap round (roughly 50 cents per round) to shoot also. So what do you all think about this rifle, and if I were to buy one, would I be served well in 5.56, or should I opt for the 7.62?
 
If you want a best range gun, the 5.56 will be a better choice. To hunt and have a great range gun, 308 is a better choice.

My friends Savage 308 puts 5 rounds under 1/2" at 100 yds with factory ammo with ease.

The only small advantage I see to the 308 is twist rate. In a bolt gun, I would want to shoot 75-77gr bullets from 5.56, but 1:9 twist is borderline too slow.

With 308, I want to shoot a 168 or 178 gr bullets. 1:10 is fine.
 
Not a good choice based on your criteria of a lighter recoiling rifle than your .06.
The .308/7.62x51 has slightly less recoil than the .06, but not enough to make a difference:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

And the MVP is not heavy enough to make a difference at your shoulder. Stick with the x39, or .223/5.56, or get a brake fitted to your .06 to make it more p!easant to shoot.

Steel case and surplus .06 is available for not much more than the .308 at around $.60/round.
 
I see your punishing recoil problem with that old '06 right there:

As for my 30-06, it's a nostalgia piece. It was my dad's rifle before he passed, so it's out-dated in terms of modern technology: very light weight, and has a raised scope to allow for iron sight shooting, and the scope isn't the best. It is my only bolt gun and I want something more affordable and more fun to shoot with. Hence my choice of the RAR in 7.62x39, or something very similar.
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Those "see thru" scope rings require you to break cheek weld to use the scope, making a good hold on the gun impossible, and any consistent sight picture improbable ..... the only contact the gun has with you is your shoulder and that ain't a lot of area to put that recoil force into .... in a light gun in '06 from the prone or on a bench, that's gonna hurt quickly ..... plus, your face won't recoil with the gun as a unit ... letting the gun take a run at your face on every shot ...... sounds like a recipe for a flinch ....and fail ..... ditch them and/or get a cheek riser, so that you can learn good technique .....https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1...MIw7esjIyj2AIVWrnACh1irQw9EAQYASABEgIHuvD_BwE

I also think that even if you are handloading some kind of extra special boutique bullet to get extra case capacity and thus a little better velocity, using a marginal round like the 7.62x39 for hunting deer is unwise ....and trying to use it for informal 400 yard plinking will leave you disappointed .....
there are so many better choices....

Recoil issues and good external and terminal ballistics to 400 yards led me to build an AR-10 rifle from palmetto State Armory for my daughter (13 and not 100 pounds soakin' wet) for deer hunting .... gun, glass, rings, sling and magazines all ran about $800 ...... Winchester 150 gr Power Points were $13/box at WallyWorld..... it worked out pretty well, mainly because she shot hundreds of rounds in practice sessions, without any complaint about the gun kicking :
 

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Those two deer were dropped on the spot with a single shot each ..... the first from 286 yards as measured from the gutpile to the blind with a rangefinder, the second from just a bit further out (not measured).
 
The .308/7.62x51 has slightly less recoil than the .06, but not enough to make a difference:
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Perceived recoil depends on many different things ..... action type, load used, weight of the gun, muscle tone of the shooter.... and probably the most important of all, gun fit and proper technique - i.e. shooting form and hold ...... even an SKS will bloody your nose if you hold it loosely with one hand an inch in front of your face and touch it off .....

Sadly, good shooting form is pretty rare these days ....even the military does not teach it en masse like they used to..... they do not need to, in this age of minor caliber carbines .....
 
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