.30-06 Dilemma!

[taylorce1]

I traded off my old .30-06 M700 ADL with Leupold 2.5-8 VXIII scope for a old Savage 99 in .358 Win. I was kind of feeling lost without a .30-06 in the old safe so I was on a search for a new one. When I picked up my .358 from my FFL I noticed an old JC Higgins 06 in the rack at his shop. I looked it over and it needed a little work. What I was really looking for was a stainless synthetic rifle for the black bear hunt I'm planning for May 09 so I passed that day.

I went to the local Sportsman's Warehouse to look at stainless rifles and after comparing Ruger, Savage, and Remington the Rem SPS won out for smoothness of the action and handling when compared to the other two. The salesman said if I liked the SPS I should check out the XCR, well that rifle blew all the others away hands down. That rifle had the soothest action of any I tried that day. Well not wanting to be uniformed I said I'd be back to look at it again later as I'm sure they will not run out of 06 rifles anytime soon.

I then found a Win M70 Classic FTW in 06 for around $710, and I like Winchesters very much. Plus this was a new old stock rifle for less than I'd seen one for recently. Plus this was rifle I had been looking for but was wanting in .270.

So I had three rifle that would fit the bill and didn't know what to do. Anyway I asked several people and they all pushed me toward the Higgins just because I told them I could probably get it for around $300, and it did have a nice piece of wood for a stock. With the M70's being reintroduced I decided to hold out for the .270 Win. With my AK trip more than a year away I decided to hold off on it as well.

So I went back to my FFL hoping the Higgins was still in the rack. Luckily it was and I was able to walk out the door for $300 plus tax. I just thought I'd share a few pictures of my newest 06.








When I went to buy this rifle today I noticed that my future 06 had a nice little buddy sitting next to each other. I just couldn't bear to separate these two rifles, and while they weren't the same cartridge they were the same caliber. So I figured I already had the bullets on the reloading bench. Besides I didn't want to see these rifles go through the trauma of being separated forever. So I thought I'd share a few pictures of my nice new .30 caliber carbine as well.










I defiantly feel I made the right decision to go back and get the Higgins rifle. Now it and its buddy can live happily together in my safe! :grin:

 

[russ808]

Good buy. This should go into the best buy I ever made section. :grin:

 

[JD338]

Nice finds, congratulations.
Let us know how they shoot.

JD338

 

[taylorce1]

Good buy. This should go into the best buy I ever made section. :grin:

Yeah I've come a long ways since when I thought the best buy I ever made was a severly bubbaed Brit .303 with a bad safety for $75. I think my taste in rifles has matured, and I find better diamonds in the rough so to speak.

 

[Guy Miner]

The ol' JC Higgins rifle has a pretty nice stock! Is that based on a Mauser action? Looks like it from what I could see.

You like your carbine too eh? So would I! :grin:

 

[CZ]

For sure a nice deal, for extra 300 more I would add a nice finish, like cerrakote, metalife, etc a new stock,glassbedded and I would have a
extra dependable hunting rifle.
Good luck with your rifle, by the way here in Monterrey they are selling a .270 J.C. but for 1200 quite a dif.

 

[taylorce1]

The ol' JC Higgins rifle has a pretty nice stock! Is that based on a Mauser action? Looks like it from what I could see.

You like your carbine too eh? So would I! :grin:

Yep it is an FN Mauser action, so for that alone it was worth the price I got it for. I think the old Redfield will need repair as the cross hairs are a little canted and the scope is mounted level. I got a cheap old buckhorn Bushnell scope laying around that will allow me to shoot it in the mean time. The orginal trigger has been replaced already with a Timmney. I need to either find an orginal butt cap or put on a new recoil pad.

As far as the old Krag goes I've been wanting one for a few years. I just love the action and magazine design. A good condition un bubbaed rifle has been out of my price range and I wouldn't want to shoot it much. The sporters I've looked at were not nearly as nice as this one with the exception of the NRA ones. Whoever did the work on this one knew what they were doing and the best part is I can shoot this one to my hearts content.

 

[FOTIS]

Nice snag!