- Recon Number 54
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- Master Forum Ninja
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Well, here we are. I guess that it was destined to come to this.
If you are going with a .30 cal family, then I would recommend starting with the -06. It's such a known, standard and familiar cartridge, you can't go wrong.
Plus, it could/would allow you to look for a well-tended used rifle and save a bundle. As long as the seller allows you to take it to a smith for a impartial 3rd party evaluation (and since you are relatively new to hunting/firearms, you should find one that your friends (and you) trust) then you can find an excellent rifle for a far better price than paying new/retail.
If you are starting, depending on the surrounding terrain and your intended use/preferences, you will most likely be well served by either a bolt or a lever action. The nice thing is that the .06 allows both actions (some cartridges with more "pointed" tips risk detonation when the tip of one cartridge impacts the primer of another cartridge in the magazine).
Any solid maker with a known reputation is a good start and then it is a matter of making sure that the action and the rifle itself suit you, fit you and are deemed "worth the asking price" by the smith whose opinion you should seek.