Need help with long gun choice

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GW-Customs

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I have a couple of rifles that were passed down from my grandfather that I have been packing around and storing for many years. When I got them out and cleaned them to take them out and shoot, I found that they don’t make ammo for one of them anymore and the other is very expensive. I have a Remington Model 8 that shoots a .30 Remington cartridge and a 30-40 Krag. I also have my 30-30 Winchester that I carried on my saddle for some time. This gun is a good short range rifle but don't trust it for any distance.
What I’m asking is opinions on a caliber that won’t break the bank and still be a good game rifle? I think it would be important that it be available in the future, if any ammo will be available in the future, (another subject altogether).
Any feedback will be appreciated.
 
I'm kind of old fashioned but my favorites for most larger game found in the U.S. are .270 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield. They are still very popular cartridges, easy to find (even with today's problems), have been around for many years and are popular enough to remain in common use. They are good medium to long range cartridges and powerful enough to bring down most game in the continental U.S. In the event of a societal meltdown they can be found almost everywhere. The recoil on both cartridges is more than your .30-30 but quite tolerable for most normal sized adults. Prices very considerably for different loads but are usually in the $25 to $40 range for 20 cartridges. This is just personal opinion. I'm not an expert but I have been a hunter and gun enthusiast for over 50 years.
 
Your 30-30 is good to over 100 yd. I used one in Vt for years on deer. was told it was good for brown bear but my be not on black bear.
 
I agree with bucky01 on the .270 or .30-06 .when it comes to rifle brand. Buy based on personal preference and your budget. You can get good rifles from low priced to very expensive.
 
Personally I like the 308. Extremely accurate, has good range- target 800 to 1000 yards. Hunting- 300 to 500(that's me anyway some guys say further) and a joy to shoot. Will say you can't go wrong with the 30-06 either. Both should take care of you in North America.
 
.270, .30-06, and .308 are all good large game choices and can be found (if you shop around) for decent prices. But don't ever give up that Winchester; there is no more dependable, take-a-bootin'-and-keep-on-shootin' rifle around. Yes, you easily get 100 yds with it. Just take the time to sight it in right. Even though I have other, fancier choices, I still often opt to take my 50 year old Model 94 out. I just can't leave it alone. (BTW, if you scout the ranges you find plenty of brass to reload for your Remington and Krag. It's about the only way to keep them shooting without going broke).
 
Your choice is going to depend on the type of hunting you are going to do. Are you going to be hunting in thick timber, across an open field or pasture. Will your shots be under 100 yards or reaching out to 250, 300 yards or further? Brush hunting will call up your 30-30, a 45-70, open pasture and fields your .270, 30-06, will better serve your purpose. A .308 caliber serve both of these extremes. The choice is yours. Good luck and enjoy!
 
I just wanted to say that even though I recommended the .270 and".30-06, I also have a Winchester 94 in .30-30 with a 4 power scope that I bought new in the early 80s. At distances of between 50 and100 yards it is far more than adequate. Ammunition is cheaper and the rifle is lighter than the other two. This rifle was made for more than a century and is still one of the finest and best designed rifles ever made. If I was limited to only two hunting guns it would be my LC Smith side by side 20 ga. and the Winchester 94. And I know that if society collapses these two firearms would protect my family and also feed us, as they did for countless pioneers in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
 
30-06 period. every mom and pop store around the country carrys 06. and it will take any big game animal on the north american continent.
 
Everyone has their personal favorites. Any of the above are fantastic. '06, 270, 308, 300 Win Mag, - - all available in reasonably priced weapons. Savage, Marlin, Mossberg all come to mind. My personal favorite - - - a .243 bolt action. Jes sayin..
 
My two recommendations for a longer range rifle for medium to large game would be either the .30-'06, or the .308 (also known as the 7.62 NATO, however if chambered in the NATO round, both calibers can be used, if just the .308, then only .308) can be used. Correction, the more powerful .308 rounds should not be used in the 7.62 NATO. Therefore, if chambered in .308 you are safe with both 7.62 and .308.

Both of these calibers have been used in the military and both are easy to find even back in February of this year.

I have a Weatherby .30-'06 that I take hunting and I'm always within 1/4" of my target at 100 yards. I have a .308 LMT MWS that is a semi-automatic (it can take the NATO round) that is supposed to be good up to 7-900 yards. However, my range only goes to 300 and I would trust this gun to take down game at that distance easily. Unfortunately, the backwoods ways of PA do not allow me to hunt with a semi-auto.
 
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The .308 is among the all purpose rounds. If you have a modern rifle chambered for 7.62X51mm , a NATO caliber. Most will also handle the .308 . If you are worried about future availability, a case or two of ammo should see you through a shortage.
 
I like the 30-06. Marlin makes the 336 in 30-30, and .35 Remington and other models in 45-70 .444, .450 Marlin if you want something bigger. And there is the ubiquitous Winchester '94.
 
In a short cartridge I like the 243 and the 308, in a long cartridge I like the 270 or the 30-06. Both 30 cal are military battle rounds and will easily handle any North American game animals, and can be found anywhere in this country or around the world. Military calibers are always a good bet. The 243 is fast and flat shooting and great for varmits and medium small game, with little recoil. The 270 is also a great game round. All 4 have extensive options for reloading regarding bullets and powders. If you go to CHUCKHAWKS.COM: Guns and Shooting Online; Motorcycles and Riding; Military History; Astronomy and Photography Online; Travel and Fishing Information Guide you will find in depth reviews of just about every caliber available. Just about every American rifle maker has all four of these rounds covered in multiple configurations. Savage has nicely priced "package" rifles that include a scope that is factory mounted and bore sighted, and tend to be quite accurate. I'm sure others are too. Your challenge will likely not be in finding something great available, but deciding among all the great choices that exist. Personal preference and price will likely form your boundaries, happy shopping.
 
Thank you for all of the advice. I was looking for a 30-06 when I was told it was on its way out. I didn’t want another rifle sitting around like my others. After talking with this guy again, I came to the conclusion that he is a blow-hard and if he owns all of the guns he says he has he would need an armory. I want a bolt action that can be fitted with a quality scope, (my eyes aren’t quite like they were 40 years ago) and have decided on getting either a 30-06 or a .308. My 30-30 is still by far one of the best brush guns around and will never let it go. I have taken many deer with it here in California and I don’t hunt bear. I don’t have a scope mounted on it and don’t trust its knock down at a great distance using the iron sights. During civil unrest, (which I believe we may see sometime in the future) any weapon will be useful. My book, Future Warning, is a science fiction novel out on the market now that is my vision of the country in the future. (A cheap plug for my book) I wrote this book to express my thoughts about the slippery slope our country is on and tried to bring my thoughts to life through a good science fiction story. Check it out on Amazon or at Tate Publishing if you are interested. Thanks again
GW-Customs
 
GW-Customs said:
Thank you for all of the advice. I was looking for a 30-06 when I was told it was on its way out. I didn’t want another rifle sitting around like my others. After talking with this guy again, I came to the conclusion that he is a blow-hard and if he owns all of the guns he says he has he would need an armory. I want a bolt action that can be fitted with a quality scope, (my eyes aren’t quite like they were 40 years ago) and have decided on getting either a 30-06 or a .308. My 30-30 is still by far one of the best brush guns around and will never let it go. I have taken many deer with it here in California and I don’t hunt bear. I don’t have a scope mounted on it and don’t trust its knock down at a great distance using the iron sights. During civil unrest, (which I believe we may see sometime in the future) any weapon will be useful. My book, Future Warning, is a science fiction novel out on the market now that is my vision of the country in the future. (A cheap plug for my book) I wrote this book to express my thoughts about the slippery slope our country is on and tried to bring my thoughts to life through a good science fiction story. Check it out on Amazon or at Tate Publishing if you are interested. Thanks again
GW-Customs
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Either will suit you fine for what you say you wish to do. Just don't skimp on the optics. I've seen great optics on a good firearm do amazing things, but I've seen good optics on a great firearm only do good things.
 
.30-06 SPG is not going anywhere. There are too many guns out there that shoot it. Anything from single shots, bolt actions, semi-autos, to full autos have been chambered in that round. It is still in use in some militaries around the world. Some famous US military guns that used it are the 1903(A3)(A4), M1 Garand, and the BAR. Military still shoots the M1 Garand in competition and the services still use them as drill rifles too. M1 Garands ( Navy ) are also chambered in 7.62 NATO ( .308 ) so that is a second round that won't be going anywhere in that gun. Military uses the 7.62X51 in the AR-10 platform. .270 WIN could also be found in the 1903 line ( got one ) so again there is little to fear about it going away as it is a common round.

Your .30 Remington is also known as .30 Remington Express and can still be bought. Just expect to pay about $29.95- $49.95 for a box of 20.
 
canislupus said:
30-06 period. every mom and pop store around the country carrys 06. and it will take any big game animal on the north american continent.
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i own a 243, a 7mm mag and a 06. all have good optics. if i had to grab one and take on whatever, it would be the 06.
the 243 is great, little recoil but a little one the light side. the 7mm (284 cal) is a "long driver" and will reach way out and touch something,
but kicks like hell. the 06 just nestles in and feels good. and like i said, it's been here forever and will stay here forever.
and with ton's of reload data, you can have any load you wish, can handle, or you find most accurate. the first two are bolts, and the
06 is a pump, and i still wouldn't take anything for it.
 
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