Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Going Old School

i might be going on a African plains game hunt next summer 2022 and i plan on just taking a bolt rifle 30-06 ,its simple and ammo is easy to find too if i need more. but it won`t be a Ruger #1 because i don`t want my #1`s wreck or lost on a plane or in Africa.

Bob:

I envy you!

My "old school" rifle is a Ruger M77 30-06 tang safety model with a Leupold M8 6x scope. The only modernizing I've done is to swap the stock for a full-length bedded B&C synthetic to get the weight down and make it a bit more comfortable to shoot, and sprayed some matte black Duracoat on the metal to make sure it will never rust.

My "new school" rifle is a Tikka stainless T3X in 7mm-08 with a Leupold 4-12 with long-range dots. As much as I love the Ruger, this one is lighter, more comfortable to shoot (I've had a torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder twice) and is accurate with everything I put through it.

I'm looking forward to pics from the hunt!

If all I had was a 30-06, I'd use exactly that load.

OTOH, if I already owned a 375 I'd definitely use it for grizzly instead.

Whatever one you shoot best. A perfect shot with a 30-06 beats a marginal shot with a .375.

I don't know anything but old school

An old friend of mine used a Remington Pump in 30/06 all over the globe.He was a taxidermist and used all his hunts as write-offs.He hunted Canada,Alaska,Mexico,Africa and all over CONTUS.His scope was an old B&L Balvar 4X with the tapered X hairs.He figured minute of pie plate at 100 yards was good enough.He could put them all close to the center of the pie plate off hand at 100 yards.His wife told me his first trip to Africa(for plains game)his PH took a look at Jimmys rifle and muttered(Sweet Jesus) .The PH paced off 100 yards and tacked a piece of cardboard to a tree and told Jimmy to sit down a shoot from a rest.Jimmy shot standing and put all rounds to the center of the target.The PH just stared at Jimmy and said holy chit.That rifle had no kind of blueing left on the barrel or any finish on the wood,but Jimmy kept it oiled and cleaned the barrel one a year if it needed it or not.

I like that !!


Jerry

Thats awesome!

Seems to me that 30-06 guys either go full circle and wonder why they bothered with anything else or were smart enough to get it right the first time.

There's a lot of wisdom in this statement!

I'm headed to AK on Monday. Hunt starts on Wednesday June 8th. Jake says the brown bears are tearing up the site. He says there are 2 that are 9' +. Several more that mature 8'ers. Some have perfect fur, others are rubbed. There are also a couple of black bears hitting also. I've been checking the long range weather forecast----it's looking good. Partly cloudy with sunshine. Needless to say--I'm getting excited. Bob

Best of luck and can’t wait to hear the details!!

PennDog

Best a luck colorado bob put them 220npt's to work. Mb

Personally, I'd choose a CRF rifle for a Grizz.

Sometimes it's the rifle and sometimes it's the hunter.

I wish I knew the story behind this photo.

https://vilda.alaska.edu/digital/collection/cdmg21/id/99/rec/105

Bruce

Well crap...there goes my access to cheapish older rifles.

Look at the prices on gloss Leupolds. They's not getting cheaper.

This is true. I just bought a gloss Vari X II 3-9 for $200. They are going quite a bit higher than that on Ebay

You guys are going to get in trouble if word gets out that you like the 30-06, cup and core bullets and employ common sense.

"The 30-06 is never a mistake." So said the good Col. T. Whelen.
Paul B.