New to the gun world.
 

Okay i know i'm going to recieve some criticism for my choice of a weapon. I bought a Remington 710 rifle in 30.06. Before you bash me for buying it :) I am only 19, don't have a lot of money, don't think i will ever hunt and just like to go to outdoor range and shoot targets. My brother has a ruger 22 and it was like shooting a BB gun so i wanted something w/ more power, and this was cheap and came with a scope. Again i'm not a hunter so don't tell me the scope is bad quality and wont' give me accuracy if i wanted to hit a running dear through brush at 300 yards... I don't think i have it in me to kill a deer anyways. But i just wanted to know for someone like me (i know its too late to ask) is this a good starter rifle? (well it wouldn't be my first rifle cause i shoot my brothers all the time)

I haven't actually got the gun yet, i bought it today so i'll get it the 4th, i joined the forum just in case i had any questions (i know NOTHING about guns) about how to calibrate the scope. And if my dad or older brother ever wanted to, find a place not too far away to hunt.

RE: New to the gun world.
 

Welcome. Well, we all start somewhere! My first high power was a military surplus bolt action rifle (British;) what you have will probably be much more suitable for sporting purposes! The 30 06 is really the grand standard for hunting in America, so you are in good company. Shooters on the board here have typically good decorum, so don't hesitate to ask!

Cheers!

RE: New to the gun world.
 

Okay, first question. what does 30-06 actually mean? like some other ones are pretty clear 7.62x39 etc... ( i'm guessing its width x length)

RE: New to the gun world.
 

It was formally known as cartridge, 30 06, as it had a .30 caliber bullet and it was officially issued in 1906. It started out in life as a 30 03, which was a slightly longer case, but it was scaled back a bit before being issued in its final form. It was used extensively in service arms from world war I on through Korea. It had a sporting life as well, and is the most commonly available high power round in the US. You can get bulk ammo for a reasonable cost through Cabelas if you can save some sheckels!

RE: New to the gun world.
 

The .30-06 designation means .30 caliber, year of 1906. It is an ex-military cartridge adopted in that year. It is the successor to a similar cartridge, the .30-03, from - - guess which year?- - 1903! You will NOT go far wrong with the .30-06. Good choice in caliber. Cartridge designations are confusing. Don't wory, you're young, you've got plenty of time to learn.

Don't be too hard on yourself for the 710. True, it would not be the choice of many, but it will more than likely be a very accurate rifle. When you decide to go out and get yourself another rifle that your peers will envy you for, you may find that you still want the 710 for a field gun.

My first centerfire rifle was an ex-molitary M1903-A3 Springfield rifle, also a .30-06. My dad carried one similar to this in WWII. I bought it when I was a senior in high school at the local shopping mall, for $55. This was in 1976, when a young man could walk through a mall and out the door carrying a rifle in a plastic bag without drawing fire from the police. I still have this rifle and it is dear to my heart.

Welcome to the shootiong sports, young man! Shoot safe, vote freedom first, and set a good example for thos who will follow you.

RE: New to the gun world.
 

As I am pretty new, let me give you a little advice I have learned...

By the way the 30-06 is by far the most universal round, good choice.

Problem, it will provide substantial kick and could lead to poor shooting habits, I am assuming that you do not reload. I would look for the lightest loads you can buy. This will keep you from bad habits such as flinching.

I personally think dry firing the rifle is fine, some might disagree... Whatever you decide, dry fire it or pick up some dummy rounds... Do this a bunch, aim it at something on the wall and try to stay steady.

Become familiar with your gun, make sure you clean the greasy stuff off of it when you first get it before you shoot it (this is called cosmolene). Always protect it with some product, I think most people would recommend Rem-Oil.

By the way don't become discouraged... It will take a lot of practice to get as good as you may want... Actually you said you will just be target shooting which you say you don't need a good gun for not hunting... In reality it is the other way around, most any rifle will be accurate enough to hunt with, very few non-modified guns are good enough to be competitive with.

All-in-all a good choice with your first gun... I personally don't care for the Remington rifles, but that is some weird quirk I have... You might want to see if there is a drop in trigger someone might recommend for the 710... It shouldn't be that expensive and will dramatically improve your gun for target purposes.

most of all... HAVE FUN!!!

RE: New to the gun world.
 

Not a bad choice for sure, though its going to be fairly expensive to shoot for a first rifle.
You might also consider saving for a .22 to practice with- you can shoot all daylong on $10 worth of ammo with a .22, making learning to shoot much cheaper.


Have fun with it, and be safe.:)

RE: New to the gun world.
 

My brother has a .22 and i know how cheap those are it's like 1.75 for a box of 50 at the range i goto (angeles range in sylmar)...

When i say target shooting, i don't mean as a sport, i just go to the range and see if i can hit those metal things that are like 50,100,200 yards away... i don't know of any ranges in my area that let you put up targets so u can actually see how accurate you really are (any suggestions?).

I have to clean the gun before i use it? they never told me that with my shotgun... I would think something that's brand new is clean but i'm guessing it is clean just all greased up...

what about all that stuff about getting a bullet with different grain in it (right word?) like 150 or 180 don't know if the numbers are right...

Can i buy ammo online or is that not legal?

RE: New to the gun world.
 

You want to clean the rifle before you shoot it, any grease, preservative, or oil left in the barrel can severely damage the rifle if its fired.

Buy a 1 piece steel cleaning rod- stay away from the brass, aluminum, or jointed rods. Buy a bottle of Hoppes #9 (this stuff smells great) a .30 cleaning jag and bag full of cloth cleaning patches. Soak a patch in the solvent, stick it on the jag on the end of the cleaning rod, and from the bolt end of the rifle (refer to the owners manual on how to remove the bolt for cleaning) push the patch through the barrel. Then Push 3 or 4 more patches through until they come out clean and dry. Your barrel is now clean. Next, wipe down the bolt with a rag to remove any grease or crud. Dampen a cloth with a preservative (people prefer different products like CLP, RemOil, or Birchwood Casey Sheath, I prefer the latter because not only does it work, but once again it smells really good in a gun kind of way:D) and wipe down all of the metal parts. If you are going to store the gun, run a patch soaked with preservative through the barrel followed by 1 clean patch.

For putting up targets, the nest month or so will be a good time to get some target holders. Those political signs in peoples yards make good target stands to put tape targets to. Don't steal them from people, just ask them if you can have the signs after the election is over.:)

Ammunition comes with bullets of different weights. lighter bullets recoil less. 30-06 is typically commonly found in 147, 165,168,180 gr loads. stick with 168gr or less. If you sight in and then change your brand of ammo or bullet weight, your point of impact will change, sometimes drastically.


Its perfectly legal to buy ammunition over the internet or from catalog sources such as cabelas as long as you are 18 or over.

RE: New to the gun world.
 

Ok cool, this isn't a hard process is it? cause i don't want to get my gun and take it apart and screw it up in the process... And can i buy all of this stuff at any gun store? and how much will this stuff run me? One last question I found Olympic FMJ ammo for like 22.95 for 100 rounds, is that bad ammo for what i'd be doing? and what's the difference between fmj, sp, tracers, and the other types of ammo? which do i need?

sorry for all the questions but thanks in advance

RE: New to the gun world.
 

don't be sorry. This is a place to exchange information and learn.

Removing the bolt from a rifle is pretty easy, every model is different. Remingtons usually have a little tab or button inside the trigger guard that you push to release the bolt so you can pull the bolt out of the receiver, some rifles have the bolt release button (the internal part that holds the bolt into the receiver is actually called a "bolt Stop" as it stops the bolt from exiting the receiver when you pull it back) in different places, some you hold the trigger back, others you push on the safety- every model of rifle is different.

Cleaning equipment can be bought at any gun shop or sporting goods store. Don't go cheap on a cleaning rod though- a cheap cleaning rod will ruin your rifle fasher than anything else- Coated 1 piece rods are good too- a good cleaning rod will run you about $20-30. Solvent is about $5, oil/preservative is $5-10, patches are a couple of dollars at most. Youcan also order this stuff from places like midwayusa.com

Olympic ammo is cheap, but I hear of alot of problems with it- some of the cases are split, and they don't always go off when you pull the trigger.
For $22 for 100, it might be worth trying though as this price is incredibly cheap for 30-06.

For plinking/target shooting use FMJs, hollow points, or soft points.

RE: New to the gun world.
 

Cooper, depending on the store, you may find a rifle cleaning kit with starter ingredients and a rod for $12 - $15 depending on their markup. Many chain stores with a sporting goods section carry supplies. Your rifle, if new, will come with instructions. Be sure to read them. It should not be complicated. Looks like you don't have an "Elmer" to get you into shooting. It is always good to start with a clean rifle; don't oil your cartridges as it will increase chamber pressure. Similarly, you don't want the rifle chamber or barrel dripping with oil. Don't store you rifle in a rifle case constantly as it may encourage rust. If you keep it in a closet, store it muzzle upside down, especially if it leans against an outside wall. Clean your rifle thoroughly at least twice a year even if you do not shoot it. Tracers look cool but they are for "weapons" and not "sporting arms" like you have. If you must try a few, be sure to clean your barrel right away and thoroughly. They are corrosive. Maximum range of the cartridge 30 06 is over 4,000 meters, and it will hurt anything it falls down on. So remember when shooting, have a back stop like a hill or large old tree stump. When hunting, expect it to over penetrate, so you have to be 100% sure of both your target, and what is behind it. If you have been firing a 12 gauge shotgun, then you know what recoil is about. Otherwise, if you have not fired high powers, then the noise of the muzzle blast and the recoil of rifle will be significant. Use earplugs (or at least wadded up kleenex or something in your ears) when shooting. If new to a rifle, it is common to be unsteady the first few shots. Even if not zeroed, I encourage you to fire a few rounds from the stand position at close range to a safe target. Just to warm up to it. Place the butt of the stock firmly in the "cup" area between your shoulder bone and collar bone. (Not directly on the should or upper arm bicep.) Don't let anyone talk you into holding it an inch or so from your shoulder, shooting it off your hip bone or have your shoulder up against a tree. Those may cure you of wanting to shoot! Be sure to read instructions for your rifle scope. It will tell you how much to adjust your scope. Remington says they boresight these, but you may wish to start zeroing at 50 yards to get on paper before you get to 100. If you don't have an established rifle range, before going out, go to a football field. Walk a normal, deliberate pace. Start with your left foot and count the number of times it hits the ground until you hit 100 yards. Do this 3 times or so until you are sure what your count is. Right it down and put it in with your cleaning kit forever. My count today at age 55 is the same as it was in the Marines at age 25! more:

RE: New to the gun world.
 

It is best to zero your rifle from a bench or small table for a rest, but you will notice alot more recoil at this time as there is less "give" compared to the stand position. This bothers some people. If it does, you can put extra padding between the buttstock and your shoulder.... firm padding, though! Be careful how close the scope is to your eye. It will bruise or cut you if too close!

I don't know about Olympic bulk ammo. Hopefully some other board member will report in on it. FMJ means full metal jacket; sp means soft point; hp means hollow point. Also, ammo makers may have their own special mix of abbreviations but they should have something saying what they are. Other than tracers, any bullet build should be ok for target work. But I would start with lighter weight bullets (150 -168 grain) while you are getting used to the rifle.

Remember to keep your muzzle pointed safely. And a buddy who points his muzzle at you is not your buddy. Anyone.... but anyone.... can make a mistake and leave a round chambered.

RE: New to the gun world.
 

You can bore sight the rifle from the bench and at least get the first round on the paper, before you begin getting the scope zeroed in.
Do not allow anyone to put you down, concerning the Remington Model 710. From all reports that I have read, the action is smooth and the rifle with the "package" scope is accurate enough for any hunting situation, for which one would use a 30-06 chambered rifle. Certainly Remington cut some corners to get the price down and be competitive with Savage and some imported rifles, but the barrel and action are still Remington, which for years has been the brand against which others are judged. You may still find some new made full metal jacket ammo that is not expensive. At gunshows there are still tables selling fmj 30-06 for around 30 cents a round, or a little more. Save the brass cases, because if they are Boxer primed, you may want to later reload.
You may have put the cart before the horse, in terms of buying a rifle/scope combination before learning a lot more about firearms, but heck, now that you have the rifle, you will just have to learn a lot more quickly. Welcome to great fraternity of gunsports folk!

RE: New to the gun world.
 

Welcome to the club. Hope you enjoy shooting your Remington. It is great fun.

RE: New to the gun world.
 

Thanks... how do i calibrate my scope if i can't see what i'm shooting... the range i goto has metal targets at different ranges and you can't put up your own, so how will i know how to fix the scope? any ranges in my area (818 area code) that you guys can think of?

RE: New to the gun world.
 

Man... Biscuit Jake gave you a lot of good info.. I would listen to your elders... Like my father they have been doing it for a long time and know a lot more than I do...

One thing he said was to store your gun barrel down, Like the older people I hang around with... This was once the only way to keep all the crud out of your action, the new teflon lubricants don't require nearly the volume the old protectants do, you will only need a light coat. It is not a bad idea to store your gun "upside down" but there can be some side affects if you are not carefull. Make sure that you put a pad on the ground. Otherwise you might damage your crown (the tip of the barrel). If the crown becomes damaged it could affect the accuracy of the gun.

I personally store my guns upright, as do some of my younger friends... Everytime one of the old fella's come over the curse up and down at me and call me a moron... I, however, have never had a problem with any of these guns. I do take all of them out about every month to wipe them down though.

Again, Biscuit Jake, knows a lot more than I do, so if you end up storing it upside down, just make sure you protect the crown.

RE: New to the gun world.
 

Coop, you live not far from where I live. A range that would be VERY good for you is the San Gabriel Valley Gun Club, just off the 57 freeway in Duarte. The nearest offramp is Irwindale Avenue. They are a very organized range where you can do serious target shooting, out to 200 yards for non-members (forget "joining" the club, won't happen, but almost all of the range is open to non-members.) They are open every day but Mondays; wekends are of course busy.

Yes, by all means clean your gun before you shoot it! Lots of crap from the manufacturing process and handling afterwards winds up in barrels. Clean it from the rear, never the front. If you nick the front of your barrel where the bullet exits (this is called the crown) your gun will shoot poorly. Each time you bring it to the range, run a clean dry pacth down the bore before your first shot; if a bug crawled into your barrel and you fired a bullet through it your barrel will be ruined, and may evenb rupture and injure someone. This is important. Spend 30 bucks and get a one piece cleaning rod specific for your caliber. The 3 piece aluminum cheapies break and can damage your bore; besides, they just plain suck. Use a one piece rod once and you'll see what I mean.

Since you probably don't reload (yet,) buy yourself one box each of several different types and brands of ammunition. Buy different bullet weights. Take these to the range, and see which brand and bullet weight groups the best with your rifle. Each rifle is different, and some rifles shoot one type of ammo best. This has to do with the total harmonics of the rifle and ammunition and is not indicative of the "quality" of a particular maker's ammo. I've got four rifles in .30-06, and none of them like Winchester factory ammo. Some of them like Remington 165 grain bullets, another likes Remington 180 grain bullets better. None of them shoot as well with 150 grain bullets as they do with 165 grain bullets. I can develop handloads around any bullet weight that give the best groupings for that bullet weight in that particular gun, but the specifics (how much and what type of powder, bullet seating depth, etc.) will vary from rifle to rifle. Again, it is not hard to find the brand that your rifle likes best. It just takes a bit of time and money.

It is perfectly legal to order ammo off the internet. Try www.MidwayUSA.com, www.cheaperthandirt.com, among others. Walmart is hard to beat on price also. Big 5 is so so on price and selection; Turners is also so-so on price but very good on selection. These are all stores in our area. I would stay clear of Wolf brand ammo; I have heard reports that this has left rust in barrels despite claiming to be non-corrosive. Also be careful of old military surplus ammo, as this may be corrosive, and most ordinary bore cleaners won't clean the corrosive salts out of your barrel. If you stick with Remington, Winchester, PMC, AMerican Eagle (Federal) you need not worry.

Last piece of advice - - buy yourself a strap-on recoil shield. I am not joking; the cumulative effects of recoil will not only leave you with bruises and discomfort, they can damage your rotator cuff, requiring surgery. I know someone that this has happened to. A few rounds is no problem, but if you sit down and shoot 50 or 100 rounds in a day you will wish you had one. These can be had at better gun stores or fromMidway. Look for a PAST recoil shield. They come in different thicknesses, from field grade to Magnum. I use a field grade and it's all I need for .30-06, but if I was shooting anything heavier I would but a thicker version. It may set you back about 30 bucks.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

RE: New to the gun world.
 

A guy next to me was shooting 8mm Mauser Olympic ammo. He had some experiences that have discouraged my from using this brand. Several of these rounds exhibited abnormally high pressure; the primers backed out of the primer pockets, he had to hammer the bolt to open it, and he could feel substantially more recoil than on his other rounds. He basically quit shooting that brand on the spot and switched over to surplus Turkish 8mm, which is corrosive but much more consitent in its loading.

I've read other posts about Olympic ammo that seemed negative, but can't remember specifics. I'd be cautious with it, just my 2 cents worth.

RE: New to the gun world.
 

Good thing i didn't order it, so what's a good ammo to buy that isnt too expensive found pmc online for like 7.50 a box

RE: New to the gun world.
 

You'll want to try different brands and see which shoots best in your particular rifle. PMC is a fine place to start. I used PMC 150 grain Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) to sight in two of my .30-06 rifles. One was a brand new Remington 700 BDL, the other was a Remington 742 SemiAuto rifle that I bought new 20 years ago and was re-mounting the scope with better mounts. It did not group particularly well in either rifle, nor did it group all that well in my old Springfield 1903-A3. This doesn't mean that it won't do great in your particular rifle; they're all different.

The best factory load in my 700 BDL is the Remington Express 165 grain CoreLokts. These are pretty cheap at Walmart, under 12 bucks.