Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats What to do with a 30-06....

Just recently purchased a Rem 700 SPS DM in 30-06. I have no need for it, but it was a good deal I couldnt pass up.

Now I have this rifle and I dont know what to do with it.

I'll definately rebarrel it and throw on a nicer stock.

Here is a quick list of chamberings I already own.

204 Ruger
22-250
243 Win
240wby
257wby x2
6.5x47 lapua
6.5 Creedmoor
260 Rem
7-08
7mm Rum
280ai
30-06 x2
300wsm
338 lapua
338 win
338 edge
35 Whelen
375 Ruger

6mm-06 and 6.5-06 are both pretty cool but kind of have them covered already.
25-06ai would be neat but the 257wy covers that.

Any suggestions for cartridges?

Looks like you have your bases covered.

I�d sell it, especially considering the DBM aspect, which is a negative in my book.

Clearly, there is a .277 inch gap in that lineup!

A 9-inch twist would be interesting.

OR a 400 Whelen?

There is a .277 gap intentionally. Just a calibre I cant seem to love.

400 Whelen did come to mind actually.

The big Whelen might make for a fun thumper. I know every time I see a 1917 bad thoughts roll thru my brain.

1917's are capable for more than that, my good friend. I am negotiating to get one in 585 Hubel Express! 700gr bullets, baby! My own 1917 is a wildcat 338/8mm RemMag.

Agreed that a 35 Whelen would be a good, fun thumper. But in a 1917 I would be inclined to go 358STA.

To the OP and original question, my suggestion is that since you got it at a great price, sell it and put the money into something you do not have and need like a micro varmint caliber a la 22Hornet or 222. At the other end there are lots of true big bores to play with, and you don't have any powerful over .40's. The list of probabilities there is long and varied.

284WIN
7mm-375Ruger

If I had that many guns I'd start worrying that I was a hoarder.

Another idea, and maybe already thought of.

Sell this gun and at least 1/2 of the others, use the money to go on a great HUNT somewhere. That much money might even get you to Africa.

I was up to 43 guns at one time. Started making decent money and decided that I was going to use part of my wages that had been going to new toys - discresionary income - and put it with money raised from selling off all but the really needed guns, and went after the big Two in Africa. One of the best things or decisions I ever made. I ended going back to Africa almost every year after that for a long time.

Which is your favorite for deer hunting?

I would take them out and shoot them.

Personally, I really don't like detachable mags on bolt guns. I'd flip it and spend the money on pretty girls.

8�68s

Pieter

9.3x62

The Whelen and Ruger cover it, but what hell. With that run of calibers, ain't exactly like you're trying to "simplify".

Sell it and buy an AR....

Other than tossing a 270 takeoff on it there is no reason to drop a dime but I detest the 700 dm stuff. Anything you do other than the 473 bolt face your working backwards. Something along the lines of a 26 Nosler would fill a void

Trip it and snag an early mag action and have at it....

W

What no .280 Rem? Huge gap there between the 7-08 and 280AI ;-)

maybe neck down some extra 280AI cases for a 6.5-280AI
Would you have enough room in the mag to seat 140's long?

Cheers from CL

I sold off three in the last two weeks plus one 243 which was the ghayest of the bunch.

Sell all the others and hunt it...

Sorry but I can't go on a hunt without my trusty 30/06.

8mm-06 or 9.3x62

416 Taylor, Keep going up. You have the bottom end pretty well covered.

Mad_Mikee,
With a line up like that, you simply have to have a 30-06 AI. You have gotten the bug with your .280AI and for those 1/4 % of 1% of the times you ABSOLUTELY need an extra 25 fps from your 200 or 220 grain bullets over your standard anemic 30-06's; you MUST AI this one!

Sell that rifle at a profit and look at better designs in chamberings that interest you more.

I don't see a .270Win...Grin ScottyO.

That's my vote, too.

Actually, the argument to sell off a pile of them and go on an exotic hunt somewhere is the best advise I've heard.....JMO tho.....

Im more of a shooter than a hunter. I do go out and shoot my one or two deer a year but I'd much rather spend time at the shooting and loading bench or in the shop working on my rifles.

I enjoy playing around with all the different cartridges and various types of rifles.

I'd say that most of the rifles I own have custom barrels on them, quite a few I installed myself.

To me, building guns is a learning experience and something I enjoy doing. I've mainly worked on the Rem 700 platform but I'm slowly starting to install barrels on other brands/models as well.

So far everything has been bolt action, but I might look into doing a Ruger #1 at some point.

There is a sense of accomplishment when you can get out and shoot something you've worked on.

Mad Mikee,

Compare the machinery, the CRF and decent trigger and safety on say a M70 or mauser to the 700. The 700 has a brazed on handle, a brazed on locking lug bolt section, troublesome trigger, cheap snap on extractor, plunger ejector etc.

Pick a well designed action to work on.

The just sell that 700 30-06 and move on to anything better. That's easy!

I don't see any Normas on there, how about a 375 Norma or 358 Norma. Open the bolt face install sako/M16 and you're good.

Adam

Lots of bases covered but you are determined to play,so....

How about a fast twist 22 on the 6mm Rem or 257 Roberts case and shoot those 75 gr Amax?

Today this idea is known as the 224 Texas Trophy Hunter or something like that...but years back it used to be known as the 224 Clark, a wildcat sort of ahead of the bullets available at the time.

It should give that bullet more velocity than the 22-250 case would and I hear from reliable sources the 75 Amax is a really good bullet.

Can't be a bad thing if it beats a 22-250 by a couple hundred feet per second, no?

The 7saum has always intrigued me...

a 26 nosler would be fun...until it burns out at 1000 rounds! lol

338 federal.

Also an interesting one to me, but I'd keep it on a short action.

The long action will be better suited for 250gr or longer bullets, which would be my pick. Makes a great bush thumper. Any smaller, I would just use a .308.

7x57

I was actually looking at the 338 Federal not too long ago. Might be handy to build it on a long action for the heavier bullets.

I was hoping to one day build a 338-300wsm on a Sako 75 platform. Just waiting to see how a friend likes the one he's currently building on a Kimber

You gotta build a .308. It's a travesty that you don't own at least one!

9.3x62mm

Laffin. Had Bobby Hart tell me years ago that bore scoped one of the first Sendero 7 STW's with aprox 800 rds down the tube and said that the first 4 inches of rifling were barely visible.

22TTH or 9.3x62 or 370 Sako (aka 9.3x66)

I was just talking to a buddy who loves wildcats. He suggested the 338-.280ai. Said it was balistically similar to the 338-300wsm he's currently building.

Something to think about for sure.

[bleep] ALL the Fluff and pass the Montucky 223.

Hell...you might even shoot it a smidge.

257 Roberts.........