Mathews Inc.
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Connecticut
Contributors to this thread:
GBears9 18-Feb-17
N8tureBoy 18-Feb-17
notme 18-Feb-17
spike78 18-Feb-17
bemanhawk 18-Feb-17
STM 18-Feb-17
SILVERADO 18-Feb-17
Wild Bill 18-Feb-17
Paul 18-Feb-17
Ace 18-Feb-17
GBears9 18-Feb-17
bemanhawk 20-Feb-17
Ace 20-Feb-17
SILVERADO 20-Feb-17
bigbuckbob 20-Feb-17
SILVERADO 20-Feb-17
spike78 20-Feb-17
Ace 20-Feb-17
bigbuckbob 20-Feb-17
From: GBears9
18-Feb-17
Hey guys, looking for some input.

Not bowhunting related but still hunting related. I'm in the market for a 30-06...want to stay somewhat budget friendly and also want to go with a rifle/scope combo. Just looking for opinions on brands/models and what guys have had luck with. I've been doing a lot of research and right now the rifle sitting at the top for me is the Savage 10/110 Trophy Hunter XP.

Thanks in advance

From: N8tureBoy
18-Feb-17
Check out the Ruger American rifle. Good reviews and economical with scope combos offered time to time. Light weight, so easy to carry... but potentially more recoil than a heavier rifle. I do not own one, but have been looking into getting something myself. I use my grandfathers 30-06 once or twice a season for sentimental reasons, but it would be nice to get something more modern.

From: notme
18-Feb-17
2x ruger american 30.06....i got one when they first came out..put on a Redfield revolution 3x9..because of the synthetic stock hardly any recoil, light gun I think 6 lbs..dead center out of the box at 100 yrds..for the money a great gun..

From: spike78
18-Feb-17
A lot of good budget rifles out there. Savage is very accurate for the price and the Axis is a very affordable model but personally I would not go cheap on the scope. I have a TC Venture with a Nikon Monarch scope and it is a great gun. It is in 308 though. The Nikon scope is the lowest price I would go on a rifle with recoil.

From: bemanhawk
18-Feb-17
mossberg patriot outshot them all with factory loads and had the best price for the bang ,just saying savage axis 2 combos pretty nice guns for the price ,read about them ,they had a shooting comparison in the Scout news on this website.

From: STM
18-Feb-17
I have been shooting the Savage 110 30-06 with the Sommons scope that came with it for about 18 years and have no complaints, very accurate and solid rifle. Stephen.

From: SILVERADO
18-Feb-17

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I have a friend selling a 30.06 setup. Rifle/scope combo used very very little. I think he's asking $300

From: Wild Bill
18-Feb-17
If you are sensitive to recoil, pick a heavier gun and shoot a lighter bullet. I've got a 1903 Springfield sporterized, with only open iron sights. A one-hundred eighty grain bullet kicks my butt. I loaned it out to my son and shoot a .308 Remington model seven instead.

From: Paul
18-Feb-17
Savage make a good comb scope and rifle

From: Ace
18-Feb-17
What Spike said.

Every "combo" rifle and scope package I have seen had a crap scope.

A really good scope will cost you at least $800- $1000, a decent one will cost as much as those rifles mentioned.

If you're on a budget, go cheap on the rifle and spend your money on a good scope.

A $400 rifle with a $800 scope will outshoot a 1000 rifle with a $200 scope every time.

From: GBears9
18-Feb-17
Thanks for all the input guys, much appreciated

From: bemanhawk
20-Feb-17
axis 2 comes with Nikon scope

From: Ace
20-Feb-17
That rifle Dave's friend has for sale may be an excellent deal. If the bore is clean and it shoots well, I'd suggest that maybe you buy that, save up and when you can upgrade the scope. That way you have something to shoot now, and later you'll have a real tack-driver. Or maybe that scope will be good enough, and you'll spend the difference on a hunt or taxidermy.

Until you have used top quality optics, it's hard to understand or appreciate how much of a difference they make. For general viewing in daylight, even cheap glass can be acceptable, but early or late, or when glassing for hours, (or at the edges of the field of view), top quality optics run circles around low cost stuff. You do reach the point of diminishing returns however; a $1500 scope is better than an $800 scope, Only you can decide if it's worth that extra cost. Some say no way, some decide that it is. That's up to you.

My theory is to buy what you can afford now, and then as you use it and figure out what it lacks, and hopefully earn and save more money, you can upgrade. I had a lot of cheap binoculars when I was younger and poorer, now I let the kids borrow those, or bring them to the ball games, or keep a set on the boat or in the truck. The good ones I guard like they're my prized possession.

From: SILVERADO
20-Feb-17
The Rifle has less than 50 rounds through it. I'd buy it myself except for the fact that I have too many rifles that I already don't use. Lol

From: bigbuckbob
20-Feb-17
Does he see a lot of game while doing the laundry? :)

From: SILVERADO
20-Feb-17
Lol. No he used to hunt a lot then moved and got re-married. Now barely hunts if ever. I don't think he's been out in the last 4 years.

From: spike78
20-Feb-17
Ace I bought a used NEF 22 hornet for coyote and it has a cheap scope on it that I will upgrade in the near future. This scope has the worst field of view I ever seen. I called in a bobcat and had to search left and right for it. A quality scope is the difference between bagged game and not. I also had a wide rack buck come in during muzzle loader and due to the cheap scope that came with it I had to keep looking up to find the deer. He finally pegged me after my third look. Never get a cheap scope.

From: Ace
20-Feb-17
I hear ya Spike, some scopes are such crap that I'd use the iron sights before I used them. That said there are a couple of cheaper ones that are at least decent. Nothing worse than losing an opportunity due to inferior equipment.

One way to save money on glass is to get a fixed power scope, not ideal but certainly a lot cheaper than a variable. Look around for close outs and used.

From: bigbuckbob
20-Feb-17
Pat, I tried the same speech with my wife,.....And it didn't work??.

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