Is this still the classic American big game rifle?

Only if it is chambered 6.5 Creedmoor.

If that's what you want it to be..

It’s one of many.

I believe it is for older generation that grew up with them but not for younger generation, there are way too many choices now. I have few of them and they are truly classics.

Depends on who you ask I suppose.

To me it darn sure is, and always will be.

Until now I n ver thought of a M70 06 as perhaps a generational rifle. As someone pointed out it may no longer be for the younger shooters. I wonder if we will see a swing away from the current crop of rifle styles and chambering anytime soon?

The epitome of the "Rifleman's rifle". Nuff said..

I’ve got a Kimber Classic Select and a Higgins 51, they are really close. But maybe I need a Super Grade, just for America ya know?

I think it’s still the classic American rifle. I’ve used one to shoot moose and caribou. Mine is more modern though, it’s an extreme weather. I got it about 8 years ago and have used it a lot

I think that the going rifle for this generation is one of two: 1) Tikka T3 Superlite in 6.5 Creedmoor or 2) Ruger American in 6.5 Creedmoor. People who can afford it go with choice 1 and those just starting go for 2. In third, though would be some variety of 45-70 probably Marlin but could be Henry.

If I walk into Cabelas today - there might be 3 of them on the shelf, along with 75-100 other options easily. That's the problem. I can't even tell you the last time I saw a Hawkeye on the shelf.

Would I consider it "the classic American Rifle" - yeah, probably but understanding that "classic" doesn't necessarily mean "often chosen, popular and used in great numbers" - the same way a 67 Mustang is a "classic" - there just aren't a ton of them out there and if buying a new car today for the wife as a daily, it's unlikely to be selected.

I like where your heads at..

Yepper!

It’s the only thing on the rack I would purchase now everything else looks plastic they have class plastic doesn’t

Pure speculation on my part...but if we had accurate numbers, I'd bet the Mauser in it's various iterations is the most common rifle in the US (or world)...by quite a margin.

Was thinking the same thing. Gotta have a wool Filson coat and a marbles knife the go with it.

For sure..

In its various forms it still is. The '06 might be slipping a bit in some circles but not mine. We have pre-wars, pre-64 FW's, XTR's and Stainless Classics.

A Model 70 SS All-Terrain FW '06 in its steel bedded Tupperware stock is my favorite. I added iron sights, changed to steel bottom metal and a 2.5-8x36 Leupold to finish it off.

It is being chased pretty hard by my 84L '06 Montana but is still winning.

I may get a lightweight Bansner for it with no bottom metal and lose a few more ounces. That would settle it.
.

You might be onto something......in Canada in the last couple decades we've been flooded with a plethora of Husqvarna mauser rifles. M96, m98's,1600's and etc. I know more people with mauser's or similar variations than Enfields.

I don't consider the Portuguese ones to be an American rifle. I sold all my Portuguese rifles, only 1 out 4 shot acceptable. A 30-06 Alaskan which on average would shoot 1-1.5" at 100 yards, my two supergrade's and a EW were shooting poorly (2.5-4" groups)

I ended up buying a new in the box stainless/walnut m70 in 270 win, USA made, and turned out to be a better rifle than the ones from the above.

Nope. Model 700. 😆

I worked briefly out on Vancouver Isl. as an illegal immigrant, LOL, back in the 70's...I never met a man that didn't own some kind of .303 Enfield...must have been genetic.

Someone has to use em…. Knew I’d find the person eventually

A Winchester 70 in 30-06 would be my personal choice for the perfect classic North American big game rifle. But I'd bet the same rifle in 270 would get more votes and I wouldn't argue with anyone voted 270 over 30-06.

I knew that'd get a rise lol.
30-06 sprg. has got to be the greatest cartridge of all time.
110s to 220s. A model 70 pre 64 in 30 gov't with a 3.5x10x40 leupold......nothing that rifle can't do. I actually like the Baco models. The Alaskan model with open sights looks like a good do all to me.

At that time, yes. (It was based more off affordability/cheap surplus). Today while many still own one, they aren't used as much as one would think. Especially with cost of 303 Brit ammo. On average your looking at 50-70$ a box compared to 243/30-30/308/270/30-06 which run around 35-40$ a box. It's the same case with the Swede's and the 6.5x55. At one time most people owned/used them, I've read most of them are using 308 win/30-06/9.3x62 these days.

tough to beat a Winchester model 70 with a claw 30-06 i own a few ,but in my heated one man deer stand kinda tuff to maneuver a bolt rifle with a 22-24 inch barrel but my Ruger #1 works better then its 4-5 inches shorter . but in general hunting in all weather conditions the model 70 30-06 is to many of us the best to take any place in the world ,30-06 ammo is easy to fine ,has a 3 position safety, i never have had a model 70 freeze up but some brands do , the bolt on a model 70 comes apart easy enough to clean quickly , extraction with the claw is a benefit , model 70`s with the claw hold their value well, probably are more features that make a model 70 a reason to own one.

They do play…. Even for a 30-06

Yes!!!!
That rifle will do anything.

Nice bull. Jealous!

It’s a good one. I haven’t shot it since that bull!

In its various forms it still is. The '06 might be slipping a bit in some circles but not mine. We have pre-wars, pre-64 FW's, XTR's and Stainless Classics.

A Model 70 SS All-Terrain FW '06 in its steel bedded Tupperware stock is my favorite. I added iron sights, changed to steel bottom metal and a 2.5-8x36 Leupold to finish it off.

It is being chased pretty hard by my 84L '06 Montana but is still winning.

I may get a lightweight Bansner for my favorite M70 with no bottom metal and lose a few more ounces. That would settle it.
.

Might be.. It certainly is one of the most versatile re: bullet weight selection..

My uncle had one, he called it his "throw away gun".. Whatever that meant.. wink wink...

Because you got too many got dang rifles, to chose from!! ha ha..

Said no American ever….

I have a post 64 M70 in 30-06, a 1969 model if memory serves me correctly, that was my late father in laws. Those early push feeds were supposed to be junk by some standards, not this one. Still a standard bearer for accuracy, the rifle just shoots, always has. And that action in slick, slick, slick. I'd rather have a pre-64 for the cool factor, but that post 64 has never given me a single reason to fault it.

Well said

Everyone I’ve ever shot they were excellent.

My elk hunting partner has a 69 300 Win. Many many bug hole groups.

They might not have been as pretty as a Pre 64 but they sure shoot great.

I just got my M70 LH Classic back from Chad Dixon at LRI. Blueprinted and largely rebuilt. Got a factory barrel copied from Douglas. Thinking to finish this one at 23”. Decent stock from factory being reworked and trimmed and slimmed by Matt Roberts then some irons and a good blue ready for the fall stoked with NP 180s.
BTW, is the 180 grain the classic load in the classic rifle?

That's been my "go to" for a while. Shooting good old 165gr interlock.

My EW .308 is accurate and runs very smooth. Good trigger too, though I prefer the old one’s simplicity. Very nicely finished. My sons each had SS Classic .270s that were lesser rifles, with poorly fitted Tupperware®️ stocks. Luck of the draw I suppose.

I also don’t care about where they’re made, as long as they’re well made. Been shooting Brownings from Belgium, then Japan, all my life, with zero complaints. Not sure where the actions are manufactured now, but the stock on my .308 is American, the barrel a Spanish Bergara.

Don’t own any, but I think the 700 might be the most popular hunting rifle, .30/06 or not. My favorites are 98s, but mostly I carry lighter rifles now, chambered for smaller cartridges.

Shade tree, I’m in your camp. I’ve owned several Win model 70’s, the first was a Win M70 Western in 30/06. Didn’t keep it too long as it was heavy and had a long barrel. Found my favorite, 1984 M-70 Carbine push feed in 30/06. Perfect for my type hunting, climbing stand and slowww stalking. Got a second one for my youngest son. The 20” barrel is about perfect and the rifle just suits me. It’s my go to rifle. I love the 30/06 having grown up with the caliber. Was a recon scout way back when we still used M-14s and 30 caliber Browning machine guns. Settled on handloads 4350powder -57 grains and 165 grain bullets. Something about blue steel ,walnut and simplicity of design. A classic like my other rifle, Ruger M-77 RSI in 308 ( didn’t make it in 30/06). The only fault is it’s a flamethrower in lowlight conditions.

Sure thing Carrollco. That's my exact load also with 165 gr bullets. Also like the old load of 52 gr's IMR 4064 with 150's, and I often use 56.2 of IMR 4350 with 180's. That M70 likes them all. All generic loads and there's powders and loads that will get more out of an -06 but they all work.

I like lots of cartridges but it would be hard for me to give up having a good 30-06 around. It's a do all cartridge that's an easy button in rifles that shoot. I believe I'm currently at 5. A little ridiculous really, but such is the life of a rifle looney.

I just have the one now, an FN with a Lyman 57 I lucked into on GI. Made the year I was born, so I couldn’t resist. Nice stock, but short and uncheckered, so I use a slip-on pad. I load 150gr NPs, which I’m well supplied with, over 46gr of H4895, my standard ‘06 load for some time. Used to load 165gr Sierra HPs over 56.5gr of I4350, but that bullet grinds your burger for you……

'USRAC' > .300 Winchester Magnum "Tried and Tested": 'None better' > Long Distance.

Long distance sure but most game is shot under 200 yards. Not comparing but just the question itself; an image of the American hunter toting a rifle. I suggest it is a M70 in 06 guise.

I picked up a left hand model 70 30-06 for what would be considered a good price a couple years ago ($750). I found an old box of Winchester 180 grain silver tip bullets and loaded them up. It took me a couple years to big game hunt but this year I shot my first mule deer in 38 years (actually two). I alway kind of resisted the 30-06 as a kid because everybody had one. But I gotta say I really-really like the rifle and cartridge combo. I just wish I could find another left hand Model 70 for that price

Good price indeed! Mine is smooth as a jeweled ruby.

If you ask professional hunters in various countries about what to bring hunting, you are going to hear 30-06 in a bolt action. And 9 times out of 10 they are talking about a controlled feed bolt action, Mauser or Pre 64 style 70, including the 70 Classic. They are not usually big fans of push feed guns.

I once had a Mod 70 Super Express (African), 375 H&H that did not want to feed right. I sent it off to now long deceased Gary Stiles. He said something wasn't done right at the factory, he welded something up in there, ha, bedded the rifle/floated, adjusted trigger to 3#. When I got it back, it fed so slick/easy and smooth that I often had to check it and see if it fed at all! He was a fine man and a great gunsmith. He also did my first rebarrel job, back around '94. I had a Mod 70 FWT PF in 7x57 that just was not a shooter. He put a blued Match Grade #3 Douglas (even matched the blue action!) 30-06 23" on it. Bedded it right/floated, adjusted trigger down to 2 1/2#. It shot the Hornady Light Magnum 180SP 2910fps. That's old 300 H&H factory speeds. Shot my first cow elk with it too. ( It later shot the Federal High Energy 180 NP at 2970fps! I gave that rifle and 100rds of that ammo to a Missionary friend of mine in South Africa. He has killed gobs of PG, including Cape Eland! I have always liked the Classic Featherweights, has a more open wrist for my big hands, slim/trim, like a good stalking rifle! I love many makes of rifles, but the FWT is my favorite Mod 70. The Classic Sporters are fine rifles too. I even had a beautiful Super Grade 30-06 one time that was too pretty to hunt with ( and too heavy!) just gorgeous.

Thanks for the mention. Gary was a close friend. R.I.P. He was a great gunsmith and made lots of beautiful guns; a member of the American Custom Gunsmiths Guild.

The 30-06 and Model 70 are peas and carrots. The 30-06 is the Every Man's Elk Cartridge, and even more so in a Model 70. Can't see the necessity for that much power on whitetail, but there's no law against it either (other than good manners lol).

Can't argue with any of that.

But in regards to whitetail it also behaves very well tamed down. My whitetail load this yr was 48 gr's of H4895 with a 150. Peach of a load....easy on brass, rifle, and shoulder, and accurate with consistency. Runs around 2825 IIRC in a 22" barrel.

As has been said a few times above. “The Rifleman’s Rifle.” True for me, and others. But then we grew up reading Jack O’Conner. To have one meant you were part of the club. The early Remington 700’s are also a Classic Rifle to me. The early Remington Mountain Rifle is a hard one to beat in looks and feel.

Today’s younger shooters and hunters have grown up with Stainless Steel and black plastic. There’s nothing wrong with that.

However, if you give me the choice of a ‘69 SS Camaro with a 396, or a Subaru WRX, I’m going with the 1969 Camaro. Both are pretty nice, but one is an American classic.

Speaking for myself, yes, my M-70 Classic Super Grade New Haven made .30-06 is my favorite. I do have and also use a Remington M-700 SPS and a Ruger Hawkeye Alaskan in other calibers for other special purposes, but there is just something special about the "Rifleman's Rifle". Like a Peterbilt truck, it just oozes class.

Might want to edit that to Cerakote and black plastic. SS is getting harder to find as gunmakers trim back to save money. Still a few here and there.

Tough luck for them. I'll bring a push feed

Yeah, I wonder for those who have experience with em, what they think of say a Tikka/Sako rifle.


On the topic of the Winchester 70 and 30-06, had a 2005-6 ish made Classic in 30-06. Sold it to my best friend after owning it for years. Cause I'm a dumb [bleep]. I dunno that one just seemed perfect out of the box. It was replaced eventually with a pre-64 but I still miss it

My complaint is the straight stock. I much prefer the general layout of the featherweight Classic stocks.

I think this is as American Fudd as it gets. NH M70 Classic 30-06, Leupold VX-II 3-9x40, Leupold Redfield-style mounts, 180gr Nosler Partition and 56gr of H4350.

Yup, that’s goodn’fudd.

Yours truly many years ago - M70 30-06 Fwt / 2-7x33 / 180 Partition over 57.5 H4350

Yes, as far as I'm concerned. America's original sweeheart.

I reckon us more mature citizens are probably considered Fudds by the younger, black rifle generation.

May explain why the Pre-64 market has softened a bit. Fewer of us still around to chase after those treasures, or even know what they are. The Fudd generation is steadily decreasing.

It’s a changing world and, IMO, not for the better.

I’ll enjoy my Fudd guns while I can.

DF

Me too.

Absolutely!

Likewise.

Speaking of Fudds. Here's ole Elmer himself, wabbit hunter extraordinaire, slipping up on an unsuspecting victim.

Wonder if he had a wabbit recipe. Doubt he was much of a Cajun; they'd for sure know how to cook'em real good.

DF

Huh, Fudd hunted with a single shot!

I reckon ole Elmer didn’t need but one shot.

DF

I think Bugs and Daffy may differ!

Smart ducks and wabbits should know better than to mess with ole Elmer.

DF

Would Fudd say a 180 grainer is the all round bullet in the 06?

You could bet on that.

But he ain’t wrong, it works.

DF

True dat!

I’m slowly turning into Fudd not even fighting it. 180 round nose all the way.

A term of endearment for us seasoned citizens. Gotta wear it with pride.

How about “Fudd Pride”…..

Maybe we starting something. May as well…

DF

Best stock up.

Maybe when making decisions about anything hunting we should consider what would Fudd do

I got around 500 of the Hornady 180 RN that were picked up back when nobody wanted them yet. I like that ultra cheap stuff nobody wants.

They shoot well, and jug tested well. Will work dandy for deer.

There needs to be a “Fudd” card for us genuine cases.

I’ll carry mine with honor.

DF

I was thinking how I came about those bullets. 2 boxes were purchased off a second hand table for $10 a box. Then when you couldn't buy anything, I traded a can of old powder a guy gave me, for a box of bullets, and the man threw in 2 boxes of those old 180 Hornady RN he didn't care about, to sweeten the deal. Ya! Then a guy gave me 5 or 6 boxes of old reloads that I broke down for the components. They are the 180 Hornady RN. $20 into 5 boxes of bullets. I don't mind being called a fudd.

I don't think a deer in the state will give 2 flips that they're not plastic tipped or carry a high BC.

Definite Fudd thinking. Those old bullets have a great shelf life; they not gonna deteriorate.

I like the way you think, must be a Fudd thing. Yeah, those deer will end up in the skinning shed, won’t know the difference.

Thanks for sharing. Good stuff.

DF

Looking forward to my Fudd card everything thing I did today was Fuddish.

We need a Fudd patch club here on the fire. To qualify you must kill a deer with your 06 lobbing rn bullets of 180 grains but I will offer that a NP in that weight will get you in as well mainly cuz that’s what I got. However if the group says trad rn bullets then that shall they be. Who’s game? C’mon Fuddy Duddies speak up and be heard!

Ha!

Love it...

DF

Here's another from my Fudd collection




And for the big bore Fudds.

Fudds only hunt wabbits...

Ha! I'm in! I try to kill a deer every yr with something different be it rifle or bullet. That 180 RN was on the list anyways.

I will be 40 this year. Not all of us younger folks are $#*+birds. I would take a Pre-64 .30-06 over anything “manbun” any day of the week!

Man I can’t believe LittleStick isn’t on here telling everyone how “f….up” we all are🤣. Roundnosed bullets, wood stocks, blued metal…….can’t hunt anything with those!

I wanted a Pre-64 Model 70 featherweight for years only in .270 - never did get one but picked up one in .30-06 about a year ago. Nobody else wanted it at the local gun store (they carry all the vogue items but these kind of rifles languish on the shelves!). Anyway finally got one and didn’t get a chance to hunt it this hunting season but will next season if at all possible - and yes with roundnose bullets (count me as a Fudd!).

PennDog

IF i had to pick 2 big game rifles to keep and sell the rest one would be my pet model 70 FWt in 280 rem, the other a New production 700BDL in 30-06

Well, I’m reassured to see younger guys like you who make good sense. Must be a few of you out there.

DF

Dang rabbit!

I’m starting a Fudd thread and we can follow this through to next year. Fudds rejoice! We are an exclusive, eccentric lot by modern standards. Will only blue/walnut be allowed in the club?

Real Fudds would vote blue steel and walnut. We can hide our stainless, synthetic rifles. Got an image to maintain, don’t ya know.

DF

New thread up.

Yep, blued steel/walnut.


I'm not terrible far ahead of you, I'm 53. I own plenty of rifles. Exactly 1 is synthetic stocked and that's a old war time FN M98 in 30-06 that I picked up a plastic stock for because the wood stock has a crack in it I need to repair.

I don’t apologize for plastic stocks, just don’t flaunt them. A genuine Fudd keeps them under the radar. Will not confirm or deny how many, if any, I have. My safe stays locked.

Disregard any photographic evidence posted here in the past.

Dems have their narrative, guess we could maintain our image.

DF

I have two older brown precision stocked rifles both are really cool custom guns from some Fudds who have passed on one is a 1903 30-06 put together by CT Huston very accurate the other is a 1950 model 70 270 stainless barrel and parkerized built in anchorage even Fudd hunts on rainy days?

New Fudd thread.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...ociety-arises-from-the-fire#Post19116492

DF

Yes

I've done it. Remington 760 30-06 with 180 CL RN. It was my very first buck

Good credential for Fuddhood.

DF

New Fudd thread taking off. Lots of contenders.

DF