New rifle set up
 

just bought a remington 700 BDL 30.06. i' m deciding between getting a leupold VX-II 3-9X40m matte and Nikon Buckmaster 3-9x40m and was wondering what sized rings to get. i was going to get the 2 piece mount base, but am not sure about the rings since the 700 bdl has the fixed hooded sight up front. how high should i get for the rings , low,med high? and also, going to sight it in once the scope is on. looking at 150 grain bullets for whitetail. what brand of ammo works best with this rifle in this grain? any advice is much appreciated in regards to scope choice, mounts, rings and ammo!!! thanks!!

RE: New rifle set up
 

Once the scope is mounted you won' t be able to see the sights unless you use see through mounts.By using see through mounts the scope will be too high for proper cheek support on the stock and the flimsy mounts will be easily knocked off zero.

RE: New rifle set up
 

i got the same leupold byt mines older and a " vari-x" i love it.....i have a big military front sight and cant see it.....maybe on 3x if i look really hard i can see part of it but it doesnt effect you at all....you have to look at an angle youd never shoot from to see it if at all.i think it was my old scope i could see it.....i ahve leupold rings and bases too....not sure on the height....there not high at all...i thikn there low or mediums....i hunt close range and me and dad both shoot a 3006 and both like devistating bullets......we used federal nosler ballistic tips or a good hollowpoint boattail both 165 grs.. i hand loaded those......we havent had a deer go 20 yards...the only one that went anywehre was my buck and he didnt go 20 yards....the other...5 deer we shot with them all hit the ground imediatly....the buck only went off because i was REALLY trying to break the shoulder bone and i did....only i barely hit the lungs if at all i cant remember....i think the cavity(cant remember the name for the part where the lungs and heart are in) filled with blood and he basically drowned...but with 2 broken legs he couldnt go anywhere....ill never try to " break down" a deer like that again....

RE: New rifle set up
 

I bought a VX II for my 30.06 last year and I can' t say enough good things about it. It is an excellent choice for a scope! You want it mounted so that it is as close to the barrel as possible without touching. This will give you the best accuracy. As far as ammo, I have always used Remington 180 grain with the rounded tips. I' ve never been dissapointed with them, so never did try any of the other brands. When my rifle is on the money I can put every shot in the same bullet hole at 100 yards. I believe these results are mostly due to my custom gun...never shot another one quite like it.

RE: New rifle set up
 

Where did you buy the Rifle? If from a reputable dealer with a shop, I suggest you get the Scope from the same source and have it mounted by the dealer. The mounting (in my area) is free if done by the dealer you bought it from and they have all of the tools and experience required to do it right. Most good shops/gunsmiths stand by their work and if there is ever any problem at all will fix it for you. They can also show you the advantages/disadvantages of a particular mount with your rifle and scope combination. You are making a major investment in a rifle/scope combination and spending a couple of more bucks to have it done right the first time can save you major grief.

RE: New rifle set up
 

Get the Leupold, it' s a step above the buckmaster for sure.
As far as the mounts and rings go, buy a quality set (like leupold, etc).... and it doesn' t matter whether you get a 1pc or 2pc base. Ring height, you should be ok with low, as long as you don' t go with bigger than a 40mm bell. I would double check at your dealer for your particualr rifle and scope combo. You can take off the front sight if you want, though I doubt it will be in the way. If you do mount it yourself, I' d put (blue) locktite in the base screws, and DO NOT turn the rings in with the scope....use a dowel rod or something similar.
Ammo....you' re just going to have to try some and see what shoots well out of your gun...I' d suggest a premium bullet of some type (nosler, hornady, etc). Most folks I know shoot 165' s out of a .30-06, but lighter would be fine as well. what type of hunting ground you are primarily on will dictate somewhat as well(fields, thick woods, etc). The key is finding the ammo that shoots and performs best out of your rifle, for your hunting situation. Good luck:)

RE: New rifle set up
 

I' d go with the Leupold over the Nikon Buckmaster - IMO far superior scope. Also go with the Leupold dual dovetail bases and medium rings. As to ammo the brand and bullet weight will depend on your particular rifle. Some rifles like Federal, some Remington, etc. Also your rifle may shoot 150 gr. more accurate that 165 gr., or 180 gr. more accurate than the other two etc. It' s a case of trial and error. I personally would start of with the 165 gr. loads in a couple of different brands - maybe Federal, Remington and Winchester to start, and go from there.

RE: New rifle set up
 

Sav you should always mount the scope as close to the barrel as possible (without touching of course). Medium rings should do ok for that scope (try low rings first, if they work so much the better!). Do yourself a favor and simply remove the ironsights. They only give the rifle something to snag on when in brush, removing from a guncase or pulling up a tree on a haul line. They wont interfere with the scopes use, but since you cant use them anyway, why leave them on?

Federal Premium 165gn XLC Barnes is one load you can shoot at anything on this continent as well.

Good luck,
RA

RE: New rifle set up
 

I say stick with the standard sized mounts and if you can see the front sight or it gets in the way, simply remove it and get the shop to put some filler screws in the holes.

As too ammo that is pretty tough to say, I would try 165 Federal Premium Seirra Gamekings or similar. I have had good experience with Federal Premium offerings and Hornady for factory ammo out of a number of cartridges.