Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Scope for 30-06

I have decided I need a 30-06, to not have one is almost un-American. I believe, as do many others, it is perhaps the best all-around cartridge for North America, or at least a contender, but being a rifle looney, I have always gone for specialty rounds. It's way past time to correct this.

To me, the appropriate rifle to go with this classic cartridge, to my way of thinking, is the model 70 Super America. I'm not sure about the scope, though. I'm inclined to the 2 1/2 - 8 Leupold, but will entertain suggestions. Your thoughts?

To add: It would mostly be just to have one, a safe queen, but I would have to take at least one critter with it, and if I could manage another Africa trip it would likely be my PG rifle.

Super America is Kimber, super grade is Winchester. I wouldn’t be without a .30-06, owned them in Winchester super grade, Kimber Montana, Colt light rifle, tikka 695, Steyr MIII, REM 700, REM 742, Browning A-Bolt medallion and gold medallion, valmet 412, and probably more I can’t remember.

I’d go Kimber Montana before Winchester super grade.
And a 2.5-8 only if it was Vari-X and well proven.
Mine wears an SHV 3-10.

Can’t complete the circle without a good 06👍

Thanks, brain fart on the Super America, i was thinking super grade. More of a classic, (due to length of production, mostly) acceptable accuracy, not necessarily for a full time hunter.

I am having my M70 06 put back together as we speak. A darned fine round with a darned fine history in the game fields of the world. I prefer straight tubed low power scopes on mine.

Yep. Every hunter should have a 30-06. I’m down to 4.


I like 4.5x14 Leupolds on mine.

I have Leupy VX3 3.5-10 on mine and happy with them. A NF SHV would work as well nicely.

The 3.5-10X Leupold worked fine on my FN 30-06.

The 2.5-8 Leupold is a darn good chouce…..or at least it once was. memtb

Damn good choices too

For something like this, being at least partly for nostalgia, I miss the old 2-7 Redfield. The one I had was great; damn the bastard who stole it and the rifle!

Thanks for the various suggestions.

I’d probably go with a 3-9 or 3.5-10 range of scope. Never took an 06 to Africa but have taken a 308 a couple of times. Same load each time. 168TSX at 2700fps. Worked perfectly on impala to zebra. I had a Kimber 84L deluxe that I planned to take over eventually but let it go in a moment of weakness. It shot 168TTSX incredibly well…. Probably shoulda kept that one….

It’s hard to beat a 30-06 for a “do everything “ hunting rifle. I’ve owned several over the years and currently own a Weatherby vanguard s2. I’ll use it to kill whitetails this fall and for elk in December. I started with a leupold 4x on my first 06, a tang ruger 77 back in 1976. Probably 20 years later I switched to a leupy 3-9x40. Gave that rifle to a friend and bought a Mark 2, also in 30-06. Probably killed over 28 elk with it until last year when I gave that one to a son. A reasonably accurate 30-06 shooting 180 partitions easily handles anything in North America. YMMV

For a 30-06, or long action rifle, I’d lean toward the 3-9x40, 2.5-10x40 or 3.5-10x40 over a 2.5-8 Leupold. Mainly because that scope has a short tube/mounting length. A good 3-9x40 is much more forgiving, in that regard.

I put a Kahles 6x42 scope with a #4 reticle on my Steyr M Professional.30-06 and it is perfect for any shot from 3 feet to 400+ yards. The scope is no longer made but a used one would be great or a used Meopta 6x42 or the Leupold 6x42. These are the only 6x42 scopes I have tried and they are all great and I consider them the perfect all around scope

6x Leupold

I have a ruger tanger in 30-06. It wears a VX3 3.5-10x40. It has been an excellent rifle and caliber. Likely all I ever needed. But you know not all I wanted. To me its a classic all around set up. Shoots Remington Green box 165s first two shots touching and the third 3/4 inches high and to the left. I shot it as my primary rifle for twenty years.

I Also have a Browning ABolt hunter in 30-06. It was taken in as boot on a car deal when my family owned a Ford Dealership.
My brother just set in my office one afternoon. It wears a VX-R 1.25-4x20 illuminated reticle. I used it when I hunted in Florida to jump shoot hogs. An ATV rifle. It shoots great and handles very well. I could get on those hogs quick with that scope and get if a shot quick with the tang safety on the browning. I never warmed up to the BOSS system. Even tried the solid non-break end. Just never got used to it. More rifles came along and the browning sits in the safe. I gave up the hog lease in Florida and took up killing whitetails in Alabama.

My son just put a 3.5-10 Leupold on his FN and it is a very nice combination.

Obviously all of the scopes mentioned above will work fine depending on your wants but there is a considerable difference in weights. For versatility I prefer a low powered variable as light as possible and have settled on the 2.5-8 Leupold. Good for you getting a 30-06.

This is a classic combo with the 30-06. I've got the M8-4X on mine.

06 just screams for an fx3 6x42

I've always scoped my .30-06 rifles with Leupold Vari-XII, either 2-7x or 3-9x. Both work fine for me for whitetail hunting within 100yd. range give or take. Been shooting Leupold for nearly 50 years without a problem of any kind, can't say that about any other brand.

I really like this Leupold 5HD in 2.5-10x42 on my 30-06

I don't think Leupold makes a 6X anymore. Mine went south and they said they could not replace it. They sent me a 3-9 much to my disgust.

I had an old Weaver V-7, 2.5-7 X on my .O6 for years. It did everything I needed to do. It has a Leupold 2.5-8 on it now

My Kimber 84L currently wears a 2.5-8 Leupold. Had a Bushnell 4200 3-9 on it for while. I also have a 270 that has had Leupold 6x on it since 1977. Would not hesitate to put a similar scope on the 30-06

Dale

30-06? Yes please. I too consider myself a gun looney. Of all my guns in the corral, the aut six gets the call almost every time. It's a little over kill for bunny's and Javelina. For the longest time mine wore a 3-9x40 SFP duplex reticle and it took deer, Elk, yotes, etc. I have since changed to a Vortex Diamondback Tactical not for the higher magnification but for the FFP feature. I can use either MOA or MIL / SFP or FFP but my preference is MOA FFP. With my drop chart taped to the stock, I can range and shoot quickly. I keep my power set at 5x as those critters can pop-up at any time and I don't want to be overpowered.

Mine wears a NF NXS 2.5x10x40mm Compact. I would not change a thing.

I have a fixed 6x leupold on M77 30-06 and a Burris 2.5-10 on my Tikka T3X 30-06

I put a 3-9 Burris on mine because that is what I had lying around. About anything is good enough for an 06.

Barska 6-24x50MM, no just kidding. Leupold 2-7 or 3-9

Currently have 5. Everything from the old Leupold Vari X II, to a Burris, to a cheap Simmons. They all work. 1 of the 5 is not scoped and I shoot a Skinner peep on it.

I’m old school. My go to rifle is a Winchester M-70 Carbine 1984 model push feed with and older Redfield 2X- 7X a cousin sold me for $25. It’s worked all these years. Unlike me, it’s not wore out just some character scratches. Great for climbing stands or stalking.

3x9 or thereabouts that is reliable.

I’ve always felt a good 3x9 is perfect. Have Leupold’s I’ve used for years. Recently have been using Burris and I like them as well.

I just looked at Leupold's website and they no longer have a FX-6 listed. Damned shame.

And they apparently don't repair the fixed powers anymore. My son has a Leupold 3X with them at the moment and they said they don't have the parts to fix it. Instead they're giving him a VX-1 1-4 or 1.5-5 or something like that. He knows a guy who just went through the same thing with them when he sent his 4x28 in

Burris FFII 6x on on the Rem 760, The Rem 700 Leupold 3x9 Var-XII , left on 6x all the time. Works for me.

I’ve got a Leupy 6x on my pre-64 Model 70 Standard. 1951. All my other ‘06s wear irons.

I haven't seen a wrong answer yet.


Okie John

That's a damn shame, no more fixed 6x from them. I have several hope they don't break. I think if they did I'd insist on a VX3 2.5-8 in its place.

6X Leupold, I honestly have never adjusted the power ring in a hunting situation.

I'll probably put an athelon 2-12 on the ein 70 stainless fluted I recently picked up. The reticle is a bit bigger than I prefer but it's ok for a big game only rifle like a 30-06.

Bb

It makes this confusing.
One or two brands here I hadn't heard of, looking up specs on several. Thank you all for the comments.

Exactly!

The 30-06 is so versatile that I'd match the optic to the use and not the cartridge. With the fixed 4x off the table, anything roughly 3-9 should be fine.


Okie John

With M70 .30-06s I prefer Featherweights or Rangers.

The 2.5-8x36 Leupold is also my favorite.

That's the beauty in the good ol 30-06. Just about anything works well.

Burris FFII 3-9x40 with ballistic plex reticle:





Leupold 3.5-10x40:


Older Leupold 3.5-10x40:


Bausch and Lomb Elite 4200 2.5-10x40:


Nikon UCC 3-9x40:


Just a few examples, on a few different 30-06 rifles I have, or had...

About 1978 I got my first rifle of my own, instead of using Dad's model 14 in 30 Rem. It was a Win 670 in 30-06.

I put a steel tube Weaver V7 2-7x32 on it and killed tons of stuff from gophers to deer and an elk.

I later thought I "needed" more X's. So I bought a Burris FF 4-12x40, and killed a bunch more stuff. But the rifle was actually much better balanced with that little Weaver on top.

I have an old Redfield 3-9 Wideview accu-trac coming in. Probably built prior to 1984 that would be a perfect fit on a nostalgic sporter '06 project. But I do not intend to turn loose of it soon.

My T3x SL wears a 4.5-14x50 VX3-HD and my Remington 700 AWR wears a Z5 3.5-18x44.

Most of my rifles run scopes in 3x9X and that includes the 30-06s. My M70 Featherweight has a 2x7 compact with works nicely ffor that 7x57 although rankly I'd prefer a bit more powder in the upper range of that scope. Most of the time I do sight ins and load work ups at 9X and hunt with the scope set at 3X. I also practice off the bench set at 3X.

I did pick up a Minox 22.5x10X for half price but haven't decided which rifle to mount it on. I do have a commercial FN Mauser 30-06 (Not a J.C. Higgins m50 of which I have several) that has a barrel of unknown twist rate that is fair with 150 gr. bullets and a disaster with 180 gr. bullets. Never tried 200 but it did shoot 220 gr. round nose fairly well. The 180 gr. regardless of round or spitzer type just plain didn't shoot worth a damn. (3" to 4") Think t's be a waste of time I did a work p with the 165 gr. Accubonds and damned if they didn't shoot MOA and less. They seemed to prefer being at 2800 FPS so that's where I use them. Took down a nice cow elk with that load and rifle. I have some Sierra 165 gr. Game King HPs and Speer 165 gr. Hot Cores so will be giving them a try to see if they work as soon as it gets a bit warmer. I< think I might still hav a few Partitions as well and if so will try them as well.
PJ

One of mine has a leupold 2.5-8x36, the other has a nightforce shv 3-10.