New Gun
 

Well Im not new to hunting but I am getting a new toy in 2 weeks and am very excited. I am looking to get a little advice. There is so much I dont know and am willing and wanting to learn so I am going to go ahead and ask away.

First off the new toy is a Remington 700 SPS 30-06 :D I plan on using it for squirrel hunting...just kidding. Im using it mainly for white tail but it may see its way to bears and such.

Q's
1) When it comes to rounds is it worth the money to get something like Winchester Ballistic Silvertips or am I just as well of saving some money and using Remington/other rounds?

2) I know "grain" is a weight measurement but what is best practice with what to use? I know some people pick the medium grain so they still get a good speed and knock down power without sacrificing to much of either.

3) Are lower grain rounds better at one thing where higher might be better used on other things?

4) I know I should spend between $300-$500 on a good scope, any recommendations as far as brands or even specific models?

5) Is it best to still stick with a 100yd zero when dialing in the scope or should it be zeroed in higher?

In case I haven't made it completely obvious this is my first rifle (other than my Ruger 10/22) so I have a lot to learn. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Much

1. Try different brands of cartridges. Your rifle will show a preference (very small groups) for a particular brand or several brands. When you find what works, buy those.

2-3. Practice with the loads you'll hunt with. For deer or bear, 150 grain to 165 gr. loads will be all you need. They'll be lower recoil, flatter trajectory and won't tear up so much meat. If you go after elk, switch to 180's. You may be surprised, 30-06 has a reputation for putting several different weight bullets in the same spot at 100 yd.

4. Stay away from lower priced scopes. Just about any brand in the $200-$400 price range will do right by you.

5. I'd recommend sighting in 2 in. high at 100 yd. That'll put you close to right on out to 200 yd. or so.

6. Welcome to the forum.

Thank you very much for your input. As far as the rounds go is it safe to say that since it is as Remington firearm that I may want to consider using THEIR ammo as one of my choices to test out?

I've got several Model 700's, and for deer hunting, I use Remington Core-Lokt ammo in all of them, except the .30-06. In that one, I use Winchester Power Points, simply because they happened to be on sale when I was on my way to the range to sight in the scope. For whitetails, you don't need anything bigger than the 150 gr, and you don't really need "premium" bullets. The heavier bullets are more suitable for larger species. The 150's are faster, shoot flatter than the heavier bullets, and recoil less, but pack plenty of punch to take down a whitetail at ranges beyond the skill set of most casual hunters.

If you feel like experimenting, I'd pick up a box of the Remington Express Core Lokt's (green box), a box of Winchester Power Points (white box) and a box of Federal Fusions. Shoot them all and opt for the one that your gun likes best.

Welcome aboard, and happy hunting!

Each rifle is a law onto itself. Your rifle may indeed shoot very well with Remington loads. They are a good place to start. But there is no magic component that Remington adds to make their guns shoot well with only Remington rounds. Experiment with other brands as well. It may shoot better.

i also think core lokts are a great choice. my rifle loves them. i think core lokts have killed way more deer than many other brands. like you said you dont need "premium bullets". high powered rifles are expensive enough to shoot. but just find a bullet your gun likes!

Thank you guys so much. I will experiment and see what works best. Looking forward to shooting this gun. I have heard so much about it, have done my research and it has a long good history to go with it. Im sure it will be a lot of fun for a life time. :)

Like others have said, whitetails don't need premium ammo and try different brands. My Remington 700 30-06 prefers Winchester 150 grain power points, groups are half the size of core-lokts. My Marlin 336 30-30 just loves the $11 a box 170 grain Federals from Wally World, I've shot many groups under 1/2" at 100 yards using them.

Scope for Rem. 700
 

I don't shoot factory ammo so I can't help you there.
As far as a scope goes you will find a multitude of varying opinions.
IMHO the best bang for your buck is NIKON. I'm not fool enough to say "best scope" however I do say "best scope for dollar spent".
Again, this is one of those varying opinions.
Nikon Monarch 3X9X42 is my suggestion for your Rem. 30/06.
GOOD LUCK and GOOD SHOOTING!!!

Crazy8: here is my 2 cents.
Q's
1) When it comes to rounds is it worth the money to get something like Winchester Ballistic Silvertips or am I just as well of saving some money and using Remington/other rounds?
For whitetail and black bear, if the good old Rem Core Lokts shoot good for you that is all you will need. The "premium" bullets do have advantages on bigger game like elk and the bigger bears but not for your purposes.

2) I know "grain" is a weight measurement but what is best practice with what to use? I know some people pick the medium grain so they still get a good speed and knock down power without sacrificing to much of either.
For the most part the bigger the game the heaviere the bullet. If I were you I would try bullets in the 150 - 180 grain range and see what shoot the best out of your rifle and sight in with them.

3) Are lower grain rounds better at one thing where higher might be better used on other things?
See 2 above

4) I know I should spend between $300-$500 on a good scope, any recommendations as far as brands or even specific models?
I have had excellent results with the Burris Fullfield II scopes with the BDC reticle.

5) Is it best to still stick with a 100yd zero when dialing in the scope or should it be zeroed in higher?
If you are not using a scope with a ballistic reticle, you should sight in about 2"-3" high at 100 yds. That would allow you to pretty much hold right on out to around 300 yds. (but you need to shoot at this distance to verify before shooting at game)