The Itch....Help me decide!!!

Rackmastr

Rackmastr

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Hey guys,
Just picked up a Rem 700 Stainless BDL in 30-06 of the EE. Planning on putting it in a McMillan or Wildcat and having a bit of work done in the future....
For now I have to decide what the new 30-06 is going to become!! I have a 7-08AI that I absolutely love and use as my primary rifle. I have owned a bunch of 30-06 in the past and they are unbeatable no doubt....but I have the itch for something different...

My options...

Keep it as a 30-06 and shoot the living heck outta it...

Have it reamed to 30-06AI and shoot the living heck outta it....

Buy a 338-06 barrel from somewhere (not sure which brand) and re-barrel it

Any opinions on those options or any others?? Gun will be used for anything from deer to moose and bears....and will most likely be used for heavier stuff and leave the 7-08AI for the antelope, deer, etc....

If I DO buy a new bbl...which brand?
 
I'd scope it up and shoot it as a .30-06 until it got boring then consider the options.... The conversion to the AI version would be easy enough, a rebarrel additional expense. It may just shoot so well as a straight .30-06 you won't want to go further than to enjoy it as is....;)
 
Thats most likely what I'll do for a while is shoot it as a 30-06.....there is just something so cool about the AI....heh.

Only reason I would go 338-06 is to have something a bit different and stretch the gap a bit between the 7-08AI for covering my bases a bit better....
 
The 7-08AI has it covered. Have you got a great 223 yet? :D

Cheap practice will be more fun and help your shooting a ton more than a 338-06 that gets fired 50 times a year.
 
Since you have a 7-08AI, you essentially have a 280, why would you buy a 30-06?

There is no significant difference between the two cartridges.

Sell the 30-06(boring) and get a 223 for practise.
 
Trev, I'm only kidding...sort of.

As you know I've got a 223AI, 280AI and 358 Norma. All great rifles...all customs. If I had to let one go, emotions aside, the Norma would be down the road in a second. The 7mm will handle coyotes and wolves to elk and moose.

The 223AI? I load for it by the hundreds. With bulk Hornady 55 grain SP's and WC735 from Higginsons, I can load for it for less than 25 cents a round. With a trajectory similar to my 280AI, the 223 would stay long after I let the 9 Norma go.
 
Heh ya I know what ya mean Rick...

Martin...I bought the 30-06 for a very good deal....with the idea that a guy can never have too many 'projects'. Hell I know the 7-08AI will do it all....but if we all made practical easy decisions it would be ZERO fun.....heh. Hell some guns are just too good to pass up...and really if it was all practical we'd all own 30-06's and just be boring...haha.

But ya....right now lookin at options at least. I also want the rifle as my wife hunts and its nice to have 2 guns to carry. She can carry the 7-08AI and I can carry the other one.....

I honestly bought it thinking of a 338-06 project....and hell if I dont end up pursuing the project I may just sell it and buy a little varmint gun....
 
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keep the 30 06 and buy more. by the time you get to about twelve rifles you will have most of the bases covered. more is better and don't worry about calibres overlapping. in 7mm i have a 7 08 ai, 280 ai, 7rsum and thinking of building another 7 stw.
 
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Rackmastr said:
Hey guys,
Just picked up a Rem 700 Stainless BDL in 30-06 of the EE. Planning on putting it in a McMillan or Wildcat and having a bit of work done in the future....
For now I have to decide what the new 30-06 is going to become!! I have a 7-08AI that I absolutely love and use as my primary rifle. I have owned a bunch of 30-06 in the past and they are unbeatable no doubt....but I have the itch for something different...

My options...

Keep it as a 30-06 and shoot the living heck outta it...

Have it reamed to 30-06AI and shoot the living heck outta it....

Buy a 338-06 barrel from somewhere (not sure which brand) and re-barrel it

Any opinions on those options or any others?? Gun will be used for anything from deer to moose and bears....and will most likely be used for heavier stuff and leave the 7-08AI for the antelope, deer, etc....

If I DO buy a new bbl...which brand?
Click to expand...


rack... sell me the 7mm 08 it will go to a good home ( i live neer u). lol

buckfever;)
 
Trev,

Keep it as an 30-06 for now and I'll sell you a box of 165 TSX's for cheap. Heck I'll even dump the RL 19 behind them to get'em doing 2900fps.:D
Ten we'll send it up to Ron Smith this winter and have him cut the barrel out to 338-06. He does a good job at that. Sound good?
 
thanks Trev, you just saved me a few bucks...I had that one in my radar for days....

leave it as an '06...restock it with either a B&C with the aluminium bedding block (have one on my stainless 700 Whelen)...or a Wildcat. The B&C is quicker...and it's a drop in.

Then when you get tired of it send it off to Ted Gaillard for a 338-06 tube....or a 35 Whelen.....:)
 
chappy said:
keep the 30 06 and buy more. by the time you get to about twelve rifles you will have most of the bases covered. more is better and don't worry about calibres overlapping. in 7mm i have a 7 08 ai, 280 ai, 7rsum and thinking of building another 7 stw.
Click to expand...

ha...another 284 bore lover.......I'm getting up there too...a 7-08, 280(2), 7SAUM and 7WSM.......should get another 7mm Rem Mag (probably the best of the 7's)and there's a Sako in 7RUM on the EE..........
 
I would have a McMillan over a Wildcat. The stock design on the Wildcat isn't nearly as comfortable or stiff as the McMillan. I have both in front of me right now, but that is MO.
 
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