Originally Posted by
thepopeis1
ya riffals are only leagle in northern Minnesota witch is only 2 hours away. idk im kina on the fence if I get the slug barrel its probaly going to run me about $250-$300. if I get the 30-06 Its going to run me about $450-$500 with scope. cabela's had used Mossberg 100 atr 30-06 camo stock that was never fired for $309 (witch may be gone so I want to decide asap) that or a barrel witch will run me $175 then I got to buy a scope with ether one
and amo is cheaper for the 30-06
You'll be able to take that '06 to lots more places, like out West! Should you ever get the itch to take bigger critters, that's the way to go. However, I have heard some not-so-wonderful things 'bout the Mossberg: like anything else, you'll do well to shop around. If you're dead-set on buying new, the Savages & Marlin XL7's seem to have largely positive feedback, and Weaver, Bushnell, and Pentax can put you into a serviceable scope for $100 to $125.
I've also found that 'tis not always a bad thing to consider used firearms - it seems there are plenty of looneys out there who buy a new rifle, work up a fabulously accurate load for it, then get bored with it & sell it to go try the same thing again with another.
A case in point (and on-topic for this discussion) is the 870 slug barrel I bought from my buddy for $150. I bought 5 brands o' slugs, & took them to the range. At 75 yards, most were printing at about 3". Actually, the fanciest, highest powered slugs were over 4", and they were awfully damned hard on my shoulder, too! Luckily, the cheapest 2 3/4" Winchester sabots were printing one on top of the other. So I found my load, & it's cheap. I'd be comfortable with them out to about 125 yards or so.
I had been looking at a Bushnell Banner 4x scope to put on it, but then I found a ridiculously good close-out price on a Pentax Lightseeker 2.5x, and it's awfully close to perfect sitting up on that slug barrel.
For me, the slug barrel was the only way to hunt whitetails in my state & the adjoining state. I had laid off the deer hunting for 20+ years, choosing instead to pursue big game out west. So there was no need for a slug barrel. If you think you'll be making the 2+ hour trip often, then get the '06. If you'll be spending your time 'round locally, go with the slug. Just budget some $ for a decent scope (and don't go crazy with the magnification!), then budget some time and $ to see which slugs your barrel likes best.
FC