A bolt-action.30-06 for under six hundred dollars is hard to beat as a first deer rifle. The Savage Axis 2 comes in.30-06 Springfield with a flat dark earth finish, which looks good on a stand or in a truck gun rack.

The.30-06 has been taking deer, bear and elk in America for well over a century. It works for almost anything in North Carolina, and factory ammo is sold in nearly every store. Recoil is noticeable but manageable with a good pad. Savage's AccuTrigger lets you adjust pull weight, which many hunters appreciate.

Add a decent scope and sight it in at one hundred yards. A rifle like this gives a hunter all the performance he needs for a fair price. A few hours at the range with it will tell you more than any review.

Keep the bore clean and lightly oil the metal after wet days. The flat dark earth coat is a synthetic stock finish that handles weather well. This rifle is new. It ships to a North Carolina FFL dealer of your choice for the background check and transfer.