When I was about 12, I rode my Sting Ray bike with ape hanger bars down to Sears and bought a Mosin Nagant for $12. That was my deer rifle until it was stolen about 7 years later. It was accurate, but kicked like a mule with a steel butt plate. I rode home on the main drag in Texas City Texas with a rifle slung over my shoulder. Try to imagine a 12 yo with a rifle riding a bike down Main Street today. At the Army Navy store I could have bought a M1 Garand for $20-$30, depending on condition. 7mm Jap and Carcano’s were as low as $5. German 8mm were more money, but the American 30.06 was what sold the most. If I could go back with a little more money, the Garands and 30.40 Krags would get my money. I have a Garand for $600 about 20 years back, but have never found a good specimen of the Krag for a decent price. I’ve always loved the action of the Krag, but most have been cut up and cut off. The ones that haven’t been are just waaaay too much money.
A friend of mine bought himself a Japanese Arisaka reamed out to 30-06. Years ago I saw a man at the Red Castle Gun Club near Tulsa knocking down targets at 600 yards with one of these.