Update:

My boss was wrong and promised me enough overtime and then changed his promise the next week when I was supposed to work the overtime for the extra money. So Im back to a bolt action. I decided on a Thompson Venture 25-06 and plan on using the 115gr loads. Found a freind of a freind of a freind who had one and i put a slipon limbsaver recoil pad on it and he let my son shoot it a few times and he did very good with it. He actually liked it more than the AR style , he said the recoil didn't hurt his arm at all.

Finding a venture in 25-06 has proved to be very challenging. Apperantly Thompson was bought out by Smith & Wesson around June of this year and that has halted all of thier 2011 production cycle untill October of this year (This is what Thompson themselves told me when I called them unable to find a single 25-06 venture). They said they only produced a total of 60 ventures from thier 2011 catalog in the 25-06 caliber but couldn't tell me where they shipped them to for security reasons???

They did however refer me to an online firearm broker/auction site where I found just one, still brand new and in the box. One darn venture 25-06 and I entered a bid for it and won it for $440.00.

I paid the auction people, the gun shop owner here faxed his ffl and the rifle is in the mail as I type this out.

It will be here sometime this week and as long as I pass my background check It should be in hand no later than friday. Can't imgaine that I wouldn't pass it as I have never been arrested and I haven't gotten a speeding ticket or been in a wreck since I was 18 and that was while stationed at Norfolk, Virginia.

I have to wait untill my next paycheck gets in to get the scope and mounts but after I get it all put together and me and the boy get some rounds down range I'll put up some pictures and such. Thanks again for everyone's help with this selection.