Remington 700

[GunBlast]

Most of my shooting has been 12 gauge shotguns. Recently, I have taken an interest in .30-06 rifles and have been looking around for a good starter rifle.

My first lesson - and surprise - was that most of these rifles have no sights and the norm seems to use a scope. Is this because the .30-06 is used for long distances where magnification is necessary?

I did find a .30-06 for sale now that advertises: "iron sights" - a Remington Model 700, 30-06, Stainless / Synthetic, includes Iron Sights for $700.00.

Is this a good "entry level" .30-06 rifle? Will I regret not shopping around for one with a scope? Does anyone just use iron or am I expected to "build"? I'm also concerned that I know very little about scopes and don't want to buy a piece of crap that turns out to be an old pop bottle painted to look like a scope. I also have no idea if a scope needs to be adjusted for aim apart from optical focus or how to do that.

I saw a package for a Savage Axis XP Rifle Package - .30-06 for $370.00, but the reviews I read complained that the scope was crappy and inaccurate.

It would be appreciated if anyone has some basic information or starter suggestions for me?

Thanks!! ...

 

[redshooter]

This is precison rifles, no offence but if your looking for a hunting rifle better inquire in the right section.

That out of the way if it's for punching paper most of the time forget the 30-06. Nothing wrong with the cartridge, but 308 Win will serve you better if you plan to hunt with it (and shoot paper). If you just plan to punch paper then you might want to consider 223 Rem. Factory ammo for both these cartridges is varied and plentiful, you won't find that kind of selection in any other cartridges.

As far as iron sights go, if your looking for a rifle to shoot at the range and hunt with and can carry a bit of weight you'd be hard pressed to beat a Norinco M-305 (M-14 clone).

If your looking for a bolt gun for the range you need to consider what you plan on doing with it long term. If the goal is to just have fun then I'd consider a bolt gun in .223 Rem. How much do you have to spend? Spending around $500 for a rifle and glass will almost for certain leave you dissatisfied with the scope (and the rifle depending on your expectaions). $1500 will get you something half decent all the way round. If you want serious quality from the start your looking at $2500 to $3000.

 

[sunray]

"...Is this because..." Most Rem 700's are used for hunting. Few hunters use iron sights these days. And the few rifles that do come with iron sights, said sights are poor.
"...that the scope was..." The scopes that come on the Savage packages(it's very hard to beat a Savage rifle for out of the box accuracy) are indeed low end scope. Not complete crap, just low end entry level scopes. That just means they won't, as a rule, last as long as higher end stuff. Perfect for your purpose. You do need to learn how to use a scope.