I need some advice on gun buying

[lennyluminum]

I am looking to buy a used 30-06 but have been out of the game for a long time. I used to buy and sell a lot of guns mainly hunting and assault rifles but its been many years. The gun i miss the most was my Savage 25-06 with a leupold 5x scope. I want to find a used Savage 30-06 so i can do some hunting this year. Also wanting to get a .308

So what should I pay fr a used 30-06 in good condition? also if anyone on here has one that are looking to sell please let me know.

 

[waysideranch]

The price range is going to be wide open on this. I use a 1918 Enfield 30.06. It shoots straight and has been in my family for 50 yrs. Its only worth $150. Maybe. Look around and check the online gun auctions. My bro in law bought a rifle out of a pawn shop and the barrel was bent. Good luck.

 

[smokebuzz]

Scott pritty much got it. Check local gun shops ,gun shows and Gunbroker.com(don't buy from gun broker,just reference). You may find that used isn't much cheaper than new.Shop around, Savage make some good stuff with the Accutrigger, but don't count out Remington and Tikka

 

[buffalosmoke]

It all depends on what you are looking for. They could range anywhere from $150 up to a few thousand. I picked up a nice used Winchester Model 70 bolt action for $360 last fall. Nice gun, but a pre '64 gun would have cost me a lot more.

I would suggest you go over to gunbroker.com and you can get an idea of the value of the gun you are looking for. I try to buy locally....by the time you add in shipping and transfer fees from buying online, you can usually pick up something local for a decent price. No sales tax here in NH, so I factor that in too.

Savage has some pretty nice new rifles as well. You can pick up a brand new model 200 bolt action 30-06 with a camo stock for under $400. Check out Galleryofguns.com

Good luck!

 

[gene111]

Check out the tc encore pro hunter can buy any barrel for it you want !! Only down fall have to be a good shot cause you only have 1!!! I have the encore itself with 50cal barrel & 12 ga. love it only gun i deer hunt with now!!!

 

[grillin_all_day]

I bought a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless 30.06 and absolutely love that gun!! It weighs in at a little over 6 lbs. I paid $630 for it brand new, and then turned around and topped it w/ a Nikon Monarch 4x16 scope. All-in-all, I've got almost $1200 invested in that gun

 

[jcurrier]

I have a model 200 J.P. Sauer (prior to Sig purchasing the company) it is chambered in 30.06, but like the thompson you can purchase additional barrels in various calibers. I would recommend. Go to the local library and look through some fall issues of Field and Steam and check out some of Dave Petzels reviews- he seems to have shot just about everything ever made

 

[mr mac]

It's going to be nearly impossible to answer that question without first understanding your budget constraints. Some here would find that a used Remington 700 A/B/CDL for $500 was a steal when someone else might think that that was about $200 more than they can afford.

I can tell you this, there are plenty of good new Savage rifles out there with scopes (probably a Simmons but, hey, I have nothing but Simmons and love 'em) with the Accu-Trigger for less than a used Remington. I've seen plenty out there at the larger discount and sporting goods stores in the $390 range for several different calibers.

Aside from that, go to Gun Broker and check out the used section there. Every once in a while you come a cross a great deal.

 

[gargra03]

I am a savage man myself. I have two 25-06 savages, a 30-06 savage and a 308 savage all with the accutrigger. They are prob one of the most accurate brands I have ever owned. And I have had remmys, brownings, and winchesters. You can usually pick up a decent used savage in the $250-$350 range. Keep an eye on gunbroker.com or your local shops.

 

[Bearcarver]

Be careful what you buy. When I came home from Vietnam, my buddy (also Vietnam Vet) & I went out to buy new deer rifles. We both wanted lever actions, but didn't want 30-30s. We wanted the power of a 30-06, but in a lever action. I found & bought a Winchester Model 88 lever action .308 for $139. My buddy wanted to save a couple of bucks, so he bought a Savage lever action .308 for $119. I tried the Savage, and the slide was square and felt like concrete grinding every time you jacked the lever. Then my buddy took it out the first day of deer season in the rain. The rain washed the woodgrain finish off of his plastic Savage stock. He had to buy a new stock for it---wood for $75. My Winchester Model 88 still works great & has been a collectors item for many years. I would never say Savage is junk, because I'm sure most of them aren't, but that one certainly was.


Bearcarver

 

[lennyluminum]

first off I want to say thank you to you all for all of your input. It is nice to know that whenever I have a man Question I can come here talk to you all about it. (girls and guys alike).

ok so what exactly is this " accutrigger" ??

hey Gargra I had a Savage 25-06 and i loved it can you tell me the pros and cons between the 25-06 and the 30-06??

 

[smokebuzz]

http://www.savagearms.com/accuracy/accutrigger/

GREAT inavation, I like it on my 17hmr

 

[the iceman]

If you don't mind me jumping in, the 25-06 is regarded more of a varmint round & started out as a wildcat round just after WWII, it was standardized by Remington right around 1969. It essentially is a 30-06 necked down. It will work on the smaller big game animals but not suitable for larger deer, elk etc. It is a very flat shooting round due to the amount of powder relative to the bullet weight.

The 30-06 is an all purpose round that has been around more than 100 years. It will, and has, taken down any big game animal the North American continent has to offer. It does, however, push it's limit when you get into animals the size of a grizzly.

I own a Remington 721 in 30-06 Ackley Improved. This is a wildcat round that is based on the 30-06 with an increased case capacity. The cases can be fire-formed from standard '06 cases. This boosts the velocity of a standard 30-06 from about 2700 to 2900 fps to 3150 to 3200 fps depending on comparable bullets.

 

[hemi]

I do a LOT of gunsmithing for local gunshops here abouts and I am
a Remington fan to the bone. But I gotta say that I have never had a savage bolt action that DIDN'T shoot well. I just don't like their looks.
They are really under rated. hemi..

 

[gunner69]

Your looking anywhere from $300-800 depending on the rifle and the seller...

check out this you can do a search based on your own zip code.. pricing should be the same.

http://www.galleryofguns.com/Genie/R...7821009343555E

 

[pineywoods]

My advice is don't buy a Savage without the accutrigger or at least not the model I bought about 5-7 years ago it was a model M77 I think 270 with composite stock and stainless barrel. The trigger on that gun was terrible and I heard others with the same complaint. I let it sit in the gun safe until last year and finally got rid of it. I hadn't shot a 1/2 a box of rounds through it and told the guy that wanted it the trigger was terrible but he wanted it anyhow and I was glad to be rid of it

 

[lennyluminum]

so do you have anymore sittin in your safe that you would like to sell me at a really good price??

 

[monty]

Well, I just gotta jump in here. Been doing gun stuff since I was old enough to pick one up, partnered in a gunshop for about fifteen years and have personally owned just about one of everything.

My preferred centerfire rifle is a Savage model 99-CD Series A in .308. It is a smooth quick pointing rifle and for the hunting I do here it is perfect. I handload and that makes it even better with the choices of bullets available these days. No scope.

If I lived in more open country my option would be for a Ruger Model 77 in either .270 or 30-06, scoped and glass bedded.

My favorite time to shop for guns is right after hunting season and just before Christmas. That is when our shop took in the most consignment pieces for obvious reasons. Don't buy the first gun you pick up and if a dealer has a used gun on consignment ask him to contact the owner for his bottom price for cash today. It might surprise you to see what the resulting price will be. If he does not move.......move on.

Good luck in your quest and happy hunting!

Cheers!

 

[gargra03]

I will second that one up for you, the old savage levers are junk, if you want a lever gun get a marlin. The winchesters are nice but are top eject so if you want to mount a scope it has to be mounted differently. Like I said I have put alot of rounds threw my savage bolts and love them, I also have a marlin lever that I love and a remington that I am partial to as well.

As far as the 25-06 , it is all I ever use, you can by alot of different ammo for it. It can be used for small game up through large thin skinned game. I have taken almost every deer with my 25-06 and have never had to track one. The 25-06 has less recoil, and less noise than the 30-06. Also remember to save a few bucks to buy a decent scope for your firearm, I am a big believer in good glass. As fas as my ammo I get it all from these guys http://www.georgia-arms.com/, great selection and good prices. I hope this helps you !

 

[fourthwind]

The 30-06 is the most versitile round every built in my opinion. I own 5 guns in 06 including a savage stainless bolt action. My favorite however is my Colt light rifle in 06 (bolt action). Topped with a Burris 3 by 9 (pre china version) the gun weighs in at 6 pounds 2 ounces. Great mountain gun that is incredibly accurate. I have hand loaded 30-06 ammunition for 25 years now. I have taken everything from Pronghorn to Elk with it. 165 grain class bullets are the best performers in the 06 case. Actually carry more down range energy and penetration than the 180. As for guns, the savage rifles are hard to beat. Accutrigger or not. Yes the accutriggers are nice, but the older trigger groups are VERY easy to adjust. A good gunsmith in your area should be able to get any savage trigger set to your liking in a matter minutes. So dont let a good deal on a savage rifle without accutrigger go by. Here are a few other things when looking for a rifle. If buying used, make sure the bore is bright and not worn out. If you buy local, they should allow you to have the rifle checked for headspacing and overall condition by a gunsmith. A few other places to check for used guns are Gander Mountain, and local (statewide) gun forums. AR15.com also has sale forums for hunting rifles. One nice thing is if you have a Gander Mountain in your area is a firearm associate has the ability to check all of the stores nationwide to see what they have in inventory. used or new. If they have something you want to look at, they will have it shipped to their store free of charge. Little known trick to finding good deals. Good luck!