All Purpose Rifle

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HoosierQ

HoosierQ

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I am looking for some nominations of rifle and caliber.

I want a handy, medium sized rifle for use in the desert and mountains. Something that I can have handy for plinking, self defense, varmint control, and some hunting. The problem I see is the calibers I think would be perfect (7.62x39 for example) come in the wrong configurations for what I want (can't see dusting off a coyote at 100 yds with and AK). How great would a lever action 7.62x39 be...I know, I know, I am delirious.

Anyway, what have you folks got for an everyday gun?

My current gun in this role is a Savage 24 over-under my dad had...22 magnum on top, 20 gauge on the bottom. I love that thing but a repeater would be nice.
 
Why can't you imagine "dusting" a coyote at 100 yards with an AK?

You must have VERY small coyotes down where you live.

An accurate AK, say a Saiga, would fit the role nicely. Optic-ready as well.
 
Or a 30-30 Winchester or Marlin!

They are a 7.62 in a lever-action, only a whole lot better hunting ammo selection.

Unlike the 7.62x39, you can buy good hunting ammo at the Quick-Trip gas station in DeerScat Montana!

rcmodel
 
Probably the best All Purpose Repeating Rifle deal going these days is the M14 type rifle.

Find a nice slightly used Chinese Norinco or Poly Tech, look for a deal on a Springfield, Fulton or LRB safe queen.
 
Why not a Marlin 30-30?
Already lever action, ballistics actually put a little more thump on the target than a 7.62x39, light, handy, and been around for a long time.
And ammo is domesically produced by just about every manufacturer.
Also ready for a scope.

BTW - nothing wrong with an AK if that works for you. I've just never been satisfied with them for one reason or another.
 
CZ 527 Carbine in 7.62x39

5 round magazine
37" long
5.9 lbs


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AK of some sort, probably a Saiga.


By all- purpose, I assume that it is meant to serve every purpose. Does every purpose not include scaring the crap out of every anti that hates a black, foreign- made, communist gun?
 
I was just fingering the CZ today in a store but tossed it back on the rack.

This is certainally a sweet little rifle but to get the full benifit of the bolt action you need to put away the wolf and surplus ammo and reach for the expensive stuff that nobody stocks because everybody uses the cheep stuff.
You might as well buy a sks and put your effort into carveing some weight off it and fixing up the trigger and sights.

How about a leightweight CZ in 223 (I believe they make one). You can still use wolf and ball ammo for plinking away (with decent balistics) and better grade stuff is around along with any reloading components you could desire. Real choice with 223 is only a heavy barrel true varmit gun or one of the light weight handy sporters

Savage used to make a bolt gun in 30-30 but it was pretty chunky.

There is lots to be said for a regular 30-30 win with upgraded peep sights. No gost rings for me,true target peep like Lyman or Marbles. Not exactly a varmint gun but a Coyote at 100 yards is a very doable shot.
The Marlin guns are real solid and now much cheeper than the Winchesters but they are downright chunky alongside a Winchester. The 30-30 is a great round that can be had for just a little more than 223 . The 30-30 is easy to reload and makes a darn nice cast bullet gun as well.

A lever gun in 44mag is a great tool but to my thinking the ammo cost is to high unless you reload, then it fits your needs pretty well.

The next gun I am trying to find a good deal on a used is a 357 lever gun . This could work well for you as the 38 loads are real cheep and the 357 would give you some pretty good power . The real problem is there are few of these guns around
 
but to get the full benifit of the bolt action you need to put away the wolf and surplus ammo and reach for the expensive stuff that nobody stocks because everybody uses the cheep stuff.
Click to expand...

Don't underestimate what the cheap stuff can do from a CZ. The "expensive" crap shoots nowhere near as well

HPIM1148.jpg
 
I'll ad another vote for the 30-30 Levergun. Simple reliable and inexpensive. GOOD ammo is available for less $ than most other centerfire cartridges and if you reload, you can make it even more versatile. As a group they are more accurate than the commy guns for about the same money. Leverguns are about as easy to carry as a rifle can be, typically narrow and light. With practice very lethal on gongs at long range.

I like the CZ 527. I didn't like the 7.62x39 cartridge in it. The accuracy was no where near what my other CZ's can produce, even with handloads.
 
I like the CZ 527. I didn't like the 7.62x39 cartridge in it. The accuracy was no where near what my other CZ's can produce, even with handloads.
Click to expand...

My example is more accurate than either my 550 varmint laminated or the CZ527FS. I get 1.5 to .75 MOA from just about any handload I feed my 7.62x39 cz. The poor preformance you witnessed bust have been from the rifle itself as the chambering has almost NOTHING to do with a rifles accuracy
 
Great Ideas Here

Well I certainly have some good ideas. Because you can't hunt with a rifle here in Indiana, you don't see a lot of rifle caliber lever guns. I do like them.

The CZ bolt carbine is nice.

Wow..that Steyr Scout is really something!
 
Wow..that Steyr Scout is really something!
Click to expand...

It is. The weight, handling, sling, eye relief, and accuracy are all simply excellent. I have no use for the back up irons or bipod.

The pinnacle of the scout rifle concept already exists. The Steyr Scout.
 
I have a CZ 527 Lux in .223 – very accurate and I consider it my ‘all purpose’ rifle. No, .223 is not the least expensive round but the 527 is great for hunting or the target range. 527s can also chamber 5.56 NATO rounds as well.
 
I think I would have to side with a 30-30 lever gun.

They are almost as common as dirt. Ammo for them is as common as dirt. It's easy to handload. The rifles generally work well with cast bullets. It takes the common .308 caliber bullet, of which there are lots of different types. You can load it down for plinking or small game and load it up for bigger game. You can even load spitzer or boat tail bullets as long as you use the rifle as a single shot. The rifles are easy to carry and easy to handle. For self defense levers are not as capable as a semi-auto, but they are a far cry more capable than a bolt gun.
 
This is in 7mm08; 120gr light loads for two and four legged varmints, 140gr for deer, 160gr for bigger thin-skinned game, and 175gr RN for Da Big Stuff

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all around rifle,,,,,,,,

colt sp1 selective fire m16.


no, really though, maybe a nice 308 bolt gun.

or maybe the already mentioned 30-30 lever gun.

maybe a nice mini 14 ranch rifle in stainless steel.

its killing me not to say bushmaster so i will stop here.(m4a3 with a holosight)
 
I know they arent cheap, but what the the new ruger mini in 6.8. I have a mini 30. Its no tack driver by any means but its light and handy. I think the 6.8 should work good.
 
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