I've been looking for a 30-06 heavy barrel target rifle and have not had any luck. Do you guys know where one could be found. All of the major manufactures only make target/varmint rifles with short actions. Far as I'm concerned the .308 is a compromise cartridge and gives up too much to the '06. I plan on using this gun for 800 and 1000 yd target shooting and the unsuspecting p-dog or rock chuck.

You might try

national match .US

This is a high power site and has several 1000 yard bolt gunners on it.

Oh your going down this road too!

Next gun after the M1A (will be a while after) I want a heavy barrel match 30-06 as well.

I do not believe any of the "Regular" companies make one, your looking at a semi-custom build for it, some of the military sniper rifle clones may have it (or atleast they used to) or companies like HS Precision will make one for you (they garrentee 1/2 MOA at 100 yards or under on 30 calibers).

By the way just a little warning, don't get too upset if when asking around target shooting forums if they don't add much additional help for your rifle, it seemed to me when I asked around more replies were related to the 30-06Spring supposedly being inadequate as a target shooting round because they are not "accurate" enough or some other junk, or they tell you to just use a 308Win or if you really want more power get a 300Win Mag.

Dimitri

Minerfile, It is fairly easy to change barrels on a Savage bolt action rifle. You can have a Select Match grade stainless steel barrel made by Shilen to your specs for about $270. So, the easiest and probably cheapest way to go is to buy a Savage in 30-06. Change the stock, barrel to a varmint/tactical weight barrel, and maybe the trigger to a competition grade. Cost should be less than $1000 for a match grade 30-06. That is hard to beat!
204

Just came back from the gun shop and looks like Savage might have something worth looking into. I must addmit that I overlooked them ealrier. We'll see what they have to offer tonight. Thanks for the help.

I have a Savage Mod. 12FV, not exactly a made as a target rifle, but it's made for long range shooting. It has a 26" heavy varmint contour barrel and mine is chambered in the compromise .308. 204Shooter is steering you in the right direction in regards to the barrels being made by Shilen. They are a pretty simple screw on deal, but you'll need a set of go/no-go gauges to set headspace and a barrel nut wrench at the least. They are pretty much available in almost any chambering with some really good long range choices. I believe Midway is carrying them now. A gent by the name of Jim Briggs also sells Shilen barrels and even has some new take off barrels from Savage. You might want to ask him about it. His E-mail is briggs.j-b @ comcast.net You can also reach him at 763/420-7163 Phone or 763/420-7610 Fax. Another consideration might be a better stock than the synthetic that comes with Savage rifles. My mod. 12FV wears a B+C Medalist, but there are several being offered from others that are quite good. One consideration is that the newer Savage rifles are using an center feed setup that is fairly new and many of the stock makers haven't caught up to them yet. Some aren't willing to go through the expense of retooling, waiting to see if Savage actually stays with this new setup. Savage also has their mod. 10 heavy barreled rifles available in .300WM with McMillan stocks which should avoid any compromise at all.
Here's a photo of my rifle.
Don

Though I've never really owned an '06 designated specifically as a "target" rifle I can certainly see no reason why a heavy-barreled rifle properly set up wouldn't do all you might ask of it. Every 30-06 I have ever owned or shot has been more than adequately accurate.

Dimitri nailed it right on the head about the supposed "experts" trying to talk you out of the '06 as a target rifle. OK, the 30-06 is not an exciting new cartridge capable of warp speeds and laser-like trajectories while crushing the shooter’s shoulder. It is simply an extremely efficient cartridge that can always be relied upon to be there through thick and thin. It’s like the girl next door; may not be the prettiest or sexiest thing around when compared to the captain of the cheer leading squad, but has all of the necessary attributes, is always faithfully there, is far less high maintenance and much more predictable. There is no real need to search out “better” cartridges within the class as being superior to the ’06. It is what it is, and generations of shooters are grateful to the point of faithfulness.

The best recommendation in my mind would be that while so many gun writers and "experts" extol the virtues of the latest flavor of the month...guess which cartridge is always used for comparison?

After a search of the Savage web site it would appear that they too are prejudiced against heavy barreled 30-06s as well. How ever they do make a long action heavy barrel in25-06 and 300WM. I may have to pick one up in 25-06 and have it rebarreled. I will keep poking around and see if one turns up at the next gun show or the local gun shops. The '06 is no slouch, tossing 165gr slugs right at 3000 fps is something. Tried and true always seems to appeal to me instead of chasing the latest fad cartridge that comes along. Look what the WSMs did to Winchester.

Just a couple little notes for you 30-06 guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Winchester made medium and heavy weight barreled 30-06's.

All pre 64 model 70's:
NATIONAL MATCH
TARGET
BULL GUN

Should you find one, expect to pay alot more than a standard pre 64.


As for the 308, keep this in mind about the so called "experts" way of thinking(not that I'm trying to defend them)
The difference between the two cartidges is about 200FPS
Most of their barrels are in the 28" to 30" length.
Factor in the added velocity gain from a standard 24" barrel and your right at 30-06 velocities.

A less expensive alternative is to buy the much cheaper Stevens 200, same receiver as the Savage 110, and build what you want off of that. You could always sell the take off barrel, stock and even trigger group to get back a good portion of your expense. Howa receivers are also very widely used for rifle builds.
Don

I'd go with a Stevens I must admit, I do not like the Accu-trigger. And if your going to tear down the rifle you may as well start on a cheaper rifle.

As for Pre-64 Winchesters and K98 Mauser actions, they have their fans but remember, the US military had in "stock" M1903's with similar actions but in the end they went to the Remington Push Feed M700 action after using Winchester M70s in Vietnam and refined the M700 sporter hunting rifle into the M24, M40 & the newer XM3 sniper rifles. As well as a HUGE list of civilian/LE precision rifles that are avalible today.

And yes the majority of the Stevens/Savage Actions are push feed actions as well as far as I know.

Dimitri

Dimitri

I think it's well known that the military does not allways do something because its better.

Its more about politics and who's who. Do you really think Halliburton would be in Iraq if it wasn't for our well known shotgunner of a vise president??????????????????


I'm not knocking the model 700, I own them and love them, but to compare them to the M24 and M40, thats not a apples to apples comparison.
You can turn any rifle into a long range sniper with the right knowledge and know how!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From what I've been reading ,guys here do it all the time with a Savage.

I was just pointing out that Winchester once made what the 30-06 fans are looking for.

One of the advantages of the Mod 70 is the flat bottomed receiver. When you're shooting heavy bullets at high velocity there is a great deal of torque generated and transferred to the barrel and action. The theory being that the solid flat bottomed receiver with the molded in recoil lug, of the Mod 70, handles the recoil forces better than the Remington round receiver with the recoil lug as a separate component.

When the riflesmith builds a rifle on a Remington action it is common for them to compensate for the shortcomings of the Remington design by substituting a Tubb recoil lug and pinning it to the action. The replacement lug is 0.5" thick and machined true.

chambered221,

Yes you can make any rifle shoot, sometimes its more trouble then its wroth though. The Savage as I said before is a FINE (I'd use one of theirs as fast as a M700 if its their push feed action for a "custom" rifle) rifle to use as a base of a precision rifle just myself I'd go with a Stevens because its pre-accu-trigger. Tried the accu-trigger and it didn't "feel" right to me thats all.

As for push feeds verse control round feed actions check out this thread:

www.thefiringline.com/...hp?t=13813

Dimitri

Just find a long action used Remington 700 and have a bull barrel put on it and have the bolt face and lugs trued. Install a Timney trigger and you have the makings of a fine target rifle. All you need is a stock and a scope.
I built a 358 Win. (on a short action) and it shoots sub caliber groups. It isn't a target rifle but it only cost me a bit over $800 and it shoots well.