I grew up in Louisiana, lived in New England for about 20 years and returned to Louisiana about 20 years ago. My first rifle was a Remington 700 30-06, purchased in about 1975. I learned to reload with that rifle and put about 8000 to 10,000 rounds through it before I let it go. It started out as a 0.5 MOA rifle and by the time I was done with it, it was a 1.5 MOA rifle. Had I known what I know now, I would have simply re-barreled it. That 700 is the rifle by which I judge all others. I didn't like the width of the rifle at the carry point, its weight and bulkiness. I liked everything else. My next rifle was a Ruger 77 Ultralight 308 Winchester, which was well set up, but had the worst accuracy I have ever seen in a centerfire- about 5 inches at 100 yards (5 MOA). Ruger couldn't fix it and replaced it with a standard weight model 77 30-06 (tang safety model), which again was a 1.5 MOA rifle. This was a great rifle, but it was destroyed in Katrina. I purchased a Tikka T3 30-06 as replacement for my Ruger 77, but I have found that the safety is poorly positioned and tends to come off safe without me knowing it. It is currently at Beretta to deal with this huge problem. Otherwise, it is the most consistently accurate rifle I have ever seen, less than 1 MOA with nearly anything I put through it. The safety problem is a deal killer for me, so after Beretta repairs it, it is going bye-bye. I purchased a Browning Micro Medallion 308 Winchester at LL Bean, Freeport Maine about 20 years ago. This little carbine came up perfectly and naturally, had a tang safety that I prefer and the barrel was free floated. For most of its life, it has been a 1.5 MOA rifle, until I discovered B(2)LC powder and it suddenly became a 0.5 MOA rifle. This carbine has become my go to hunting rifle. I'm not in love with the shiny stock, but it has aged well. Nor am I terribly in love with the swing out magazine. But I am in love with the quick action, quick to shoulder characteristic and natural pointing of this carbine. To date, no more than 1 shot has been required per animal harvested with this carbine. Perfect. I am in search of a similar Browning A-Bolt in 30-06 to complement the 308 Carbine. I want 2 guns with similar handling characteristics and manual of arms.
