Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles I could use opinions, 30-06 vs 350 Rem Mag

I am considering a new gun for Christmas,(Yes its the season to start planting hints with the wife for the present you want.)

After a fair amount of research and guilty day dreaming about ether a Weatherby vanguard sporter 30-06 or... a Ruger Mark ll in 350 Rem Mag. I'm stuck. I can't have both. I need to get her something too and she doesn't shoot.

Price is not the issue as they are about the same price new in the box.
I hand load so ammo is not an issue either.
Both are walnut and blue so appearance isn't an issue. Although the fit, finish and smoothness of the action in the Weatherby is noticably better though the Ruger will smooth out with a little TLC. I have two others and know this to be true.
Both have adjustable triggers so that isn't an issue.
I have a spare scope that will work with either, so that isn't an issue.

You see my delema. What do you think? Roy or Ruger?

What's your intended purposes and what else do you have to run?

Dober

Either will probably be used at no more than 300yrds Max. Eyes are the limiting factor.
As for others I don't need either one of these guns. I just find both of them very attractive for different reasons. I have a 06 in a 7600 and I have a 35 Whelen too.
The biggest animule I would use them for would be maybe Moose or Bison. I don't think there is a big bear in my future, though I wouldn't turn down a hunt if I win the Lottery!

The availability of ammunition being found any where you are likely to travel too would dictate the 30-06. Unless you just want to be different, then the 350 Mag. Have fun with which ever you get...there's no bad choice.

It sounds like you should pick the rifle, and not the cartridge. Sounds as if you are flush with Rugers, maybe try a Howa (Vanguard).

Well if I could get a Vanguard Sporter in 350 rem mag, this thread would not have been started. Love them or hate them, Rugers, both Mark 11s and Hawkeyes are very rough right out of the box. And that is giving them the best of it. I have two bought new and both were initally very disappointing. The thing that sells me Rugers is that they sell so many interesting calibers at reasonable prices and the guns can be good shooters and they appear to be uncommonly rugged.

Conversely, unless you are interested in standard calibers and/or the 257 or 300 Roy, Weatherby makes it a little more difficult to say "Gimme!" The Vanguard Sporter is well made, beautiful, smooth and offers a 24" barrel and 5 shot capacity in most standard calibers. And based on everything I've read or heard, shoots all the calibers it's offered in, very, very well! It's just not offered in a 350 Rem Mag with a 22" barrel.

Pity, but that's what makes horse racing.

Guess of the two I'd be going with the spark plug 350 just to be a bit different.

Maybe even in a M7 CDL...grin

Dober

Well Dober, I'd just bet that a M7 CDL would be a very fine piece of work, but somewhat more expensive than the Ruger. I could be wrong. The Ruger can be had sub-$500. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

thanks,

Around here the Hawkeye's go for just under 600 now, not sure on the M7 CDL but it is most likely a bit more, but not much more I'd guess....I think

Dober

i believe as people age they begin to steer away from recoil. since you mentioned your eyes affect the limits of your shooting, and you already have a 35 for bison, i'd get the 06' who knows, it may end up being the most accurate rifle you own.

.350 mag is a hell of a package in a short action. You hand load, so ammo is not an issue. Brass can be easily purchased.



+1 Mark- a .350 Model 7 rocks. Especially a custom shop gun . You can pick them up used if you look around, at a big savings compared to the new ones.

I'm somewhat fond of the 350 rem mag. I'm sure you know the 350 pushes 225's as fast as the -06 pushes 180's.

For some reason the -06 has just never excited me enough to own one. I know what the round can do, and often extol it's virtues. But if I opt for a full length action 30 cal, it'll be a 300 win mag, and for -06 performance, I'll always go with the short action .308 win.

458- I like the way you think. I am VERY fond of the .308 and the 7-08 (which I load for my son).

The Hawkeye's trigger is not adjustable but very good. The Vanguard trigger is like a lottery. I have 3 Vanguards and 2 triggers cleaned up very well. My 257 is the Sporter model your looking at, it required a $110 Timney to get a decent trigger.

458: Thanks for the info on the 225 potential in the 350. I didn't know that. Good Info. My initial interest was in loading the 200grn to 3000fps to get 3800fpe! I'd probably try a Scirocco or Nosler Partition. Very big hammer. If that turned out to be accurate, then I wouldn't load anything else in that rifle. The load uses AA2520 if you want to look it up.

Hotsoup: Thanks for your concern, the problem with my eye is correctable but the problem is with my shooting eye so that even with glasses through a 9x power scope I'd probably not take a 300yrd shot unless it was a very big animule. As for the vanguard 30-06 accuracy, that was my thinking too and the source of my interest in that rifle. Based on what I've read that would seem to be a distinct possiblity too.

Sakoluvr: Very nice group. I'll check out the M7/350.

MagMarc: Right about the Hawkeye trigger, but the 350 I'm interested in is the Mark 11.

Thanks for all the good info so far.

Sorry Hawkeye I should have read more closely. The bad news is that the MarkII is not adjustable either. You have to go back to the plain 77 to get that. You can get a Timney but they are pain to install on the MarkII or change springs. I changed springs in mine and it improved but it is still not great.

Ok, based on the other rifles you have, you don't really NEED either of these guns to fill a hole in you battery. So I would go whith whichever rifle makes you happy.

-Mb

I'm with Dober, The Model 7 CDL 350 mag. is way cool. I've been having a lot of fun with Mine. Recoil?, shoot it on the bench all the time, one handed, and I'm a little Guy. It jumps, but no more than a lot of others.

I prefer the Ruger over the Remington and Vanguard rifles for hunting. The Ruger has control round feeding and a three position safety. In my view a superior design.

As for the cartridges I am a .35" fan. Get the 350. Your thinking about it so get it.

350 Remington Magnum.