Please recommend a 30 cal 400 to 600 yd bolt gun.

ATPBULLETS

New member
As the title says....want a bolt gun. 30 caliber....ideally 30.06 or 308. Want 400 to 600 yards that I can put follow up shots inside 10 inches as needed to kill 200lb plus animals.
simple is better out of the box. Nothing fancy.
1000 budget gun and scope.
thanks.
 
I just picked up a Mossburg MVP in the light chassis model. Super slick platform.

Today it was regularly ringing a coyote shaped and sized steel tgt at 500 yds. Look into the MVP
 
I'm going to recommend a Ruger American in either 30-06 or .308win. Both will do what you are asking for and for a reasonable price. That would leave more than enough for a Leupold or Vortex scope and some ammo.
 
Pick the scope 1st.

There are lots of $200 options that would work just fine and leave more in your budget for the rifle. There is nothing under $200 I feel good about. The Burris FF-II is my top pick in this price range with Leupold VX-1 and Redfield Revolution in the running. You could get a VX-2 Leupold for $300-$350 and have a slightly better scope, but not by much. No reason to spend more.

Cartridge choice is next.

A 308 will do what you want with the least recoil and from a lighter, more compact rifle if that is important. A 30-06 will have about 20% more recoil and shoot the same bullets 100-150 fps faster giving you a bit more effective range before bullet speed is too slow to reliably expand. It'll shoot slightly flatter too. Either will be perfectly fine for 200 lb animals at the ranges you are considering. The 30-06 will be a little better choice on much larger game at the longer ranges.

The exact rifle is less important and largely personal preference.

If you go with a $200 scope that leaves $800 in your rifle budget, more like $750 if you have to purchase mounts. I like the Tikka and Ruger American. Both are very lightweight rifles that may serve you better in 308. 30-06 is gonna have some bark from those 6 lb rifles. On the opposite end of the weight scale the Weatherby Vanguard is a good choice. But at almost 2 lbs heavier they can be a pig once scoped, but many like a heavier rifle. Never owned one, but I hear very good things about the TC Venture. I'd just go to a store and see what feels best to me.

My personal favorite is a Winchester 70, but it'll be close to stay within budget. The Ruger Haweye is another option if you're wanting a more traditional gun. But to be honest, the $300-$500 budget guns like the Ruger American and Tikka are out shooting the more expensive guns out of the box.
 
If you spend around $600-$700 on the rifle, it will almost certainly be capable of what you want. Most rifles now a days are accurate if you find the right ammo.

Having said that, I'm a Savage guy. Never shot one, but the Ruger American has gotten consistently good reviews and its going to be a little cheaper.
 
Any major brand will do the job.

I like Winchester my self. But try several and find the one that fits you.

Just for info, my son just got a Rem 783. Less then $300 and we put a Redfield scope on it. After getting a zero he was banging gongs out to 900 yards using the same data for my rifle.

You don't have to spend thousands for a shooter. On one of the outdoor shows they showed these guys with an unmodified Ruger American, after a half day long range school, wacking hogs at 750 yards.

With a bit of Practice your 308/'06 is good for 1000 yards.

But as I said, it would be better for you to look at several and find one that fits you.
 
Well, my first post here so I may as well get my powder wet. :)

Weatherby Vanguard S2 in 308 $500
SWFA 12X Mrad scope with matching mildot. $300

Rings and bases $75


I'm killing deer out to 500 yards with no problems
 
600 yards is too far for either cartridge. 400 is pushing 'em. A typical 165 grain hunting bullet drops 34" at 500 with roughly 1400 ft/lbs. of remaining energy. Drops about a foot between 300 and 400 alone. At those distances, you won't get a chance for a follow up shot either.
However, like kraigwy says, any brand of rifle will do. Best bang for your buck is a Savage though.
Do not get sold on high magnification scopes. Field of view gets smaller with higher magnification and the weight of the scope goes up.
 
Most new rifles in .308 or .30-06 (as well as some other calibers) can easily handle that task if the shooter is up to it. As for models handle as many as you can, for some reason one or more models will "speak" to you and whisper your name. After that decent to good scope, ammo and practice will put you where you want to be. While the newer stuff may not be as classic and pretty as the olders the accuracy potential you get for the cost right now is phenomenal in rifles.
 
Well, by the numbers the op is looking for about a 1.75 MOA midrange hunting rifle and made no mention of handloading so I will assume using factory ammo. That's sounds like a tall order with respect to the limitations of factory ammo. Obviously will need to experiment with varied brands of ammo to find a consistent load around 1 MOA. Remember just because you can nail sub moa bugholes at 100 yds does not, and most of the time will not equate to sub moa at 500+ yds. My other though is you will need to be SPOT ON with ranging the target so that will require a decent quality mill dot scope. I have minimal hunting experience so I'm not sure about sufficient bullet energy at 600 yds for a 200lb humane kill, but I do shoot target 600 yds on a weekly basis. I strongly suggest spending the majority of the budget on a quality scope for this described application. I'm thinking the 7mm RM or the .300WM might be a bit better suited for 500+ yds
 
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How can you (two posters) say the 308/'06 isn't capable of 600 yards.

Don't know where that comes from?

The remaining energy at 600 yards is some where in the neighborhood of 1000 FPS. More then adequate for 200 lb animals (and larger).

They are easier to shoot then the magnums, which means more accurate.
 
kraigwy said:
How can you (two posters) say the 308/'06 isn't capable of 600 yards.

If I am considered one of the "two posters" , I never said a .308/ -06 isn't capable , I opinionated that there might be "better suited" choices. You comment about being "easier to shoot" is correct with respect to aspects such as felt recoil , but the bigger magnums will provide better (flatter trajectories, better bucking winds ) ballistics which can also make an argument for "better accuracy". The ultimate question is what caliber is the best compromise for the intended purpose ?
 
A 30-06 with a heavy bullet (>180) will do nicely out to 600 yards. It will kick you into tomorrow but it will work. :D
 
A marlin bolt action would be a good and inexpensive choice! Then you can spend the important money to top it off with a leopold!

Did you read the 400-600 yard part?

I vote Ruger American in .308. I have one. Excellent rifle for the money. Slap a Vortex 2.5-10 on there and your still under budget.
 
I've been pleased with the nearly 10 year old CZ550 Varmint rifle in 308, walnut stock. I like the detachable box magazines, as one can purchase 10 round magazines which at once are easier to remove and replace than the stock 4 round magazine, and offer greater capacity. These magazines are very high quality heavy gage metal.

Once you have worked out your come ups and hold offs for wind you can turn in a respectable performance to 600 yards. Having seen KraigWY shoot his M14 at 600, I can tell you with no reservation that the 308 is an amazing cartridge in the right hands. If memory serves, KraigWY is a NRA High Master, and when he speaks I listen. Attentively. I suggest OP to take his advice to heart, as he truly does know whereof he speaks. I hope I have not made him uncomfortable tooting his horn, as he is not a braggart by nature, but jovial, approachable, and helpful.

Elsewhere, and maybe only tangentially relevant, the "belly bench resters" in F Class shooting enjoy either F "open" or FTR classes, the latter of which is limited to 223 or 308 cartridges IIRC. The "open" shooters will often shoot some amazingly slick bullets at very high velocities, in effort to minimize the effects of wind on their shots out to 1000 yards. Yet the FTR guys will often outshoot them using the "inferior" 308 at that same distance.

After all other factors have been eliminated, it is more about the nut behind the bolt than anything else, his ability to read wind and hold his rifle consistently, shot after shot.
 
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ATPBULLETS, it's to bad you are not closer.
I have an older Remington 700BDL in 30-06 caliber that's my own personal rifle I would sell you for $500.00.
For another $225.00 I would scope it with a Burris 3x9 scope plus one piece mount and rings.
That would leave you some change to buy ammo with.
 
30-06 or 308 can do it.

The question is can you?

Wind and bullet drop get large, 300 yds is pushing it for a lot of hunters
 
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