Defensive rifle, not AR

Any shooting in the name of personal defense is going to have to take place within shouting distance at the furthest to be credible - call that 50 feet and in. If I'm that close, and a manual-action long gun is the required play, I'm skipping right over the rifles and going to a shotgun.

400 yard shots and self-defense don't mix, and it requires speculation on WROL scenarios just to find a situation where they might.

Mosin Bubba said:

400 yard shots and self-defense don't mix,

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(Sorry, not to pick on just you...)

I think some are reading into the Original Post just a bit far, yet also not far enough.

nickn10 said:

What would be a good mid to 400 yd range rifle for home, property and hunting that is not a semi automatic action? All I own are 9mm pistols and 22lr rifles. Thank you, Nick

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If one owns a nine millimeter pistol could it be safe to say that “Home, Property and Hunting” means a good knock around, field gun where a rifle would be appropriate?

I might not respond back either, if the posts think I’m going to be snipering humans.
He could be at work, too, though.

mokin said:

Here is a copy of Feinstein's "Assault Weapon" bill.

https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/pu...DFC5F9841B0C4.assault-weapons-ban-of-2021.pdf

I get the feeling if the gun is on the list, it can be considered acceptable as a militia weapon.

It would also make a nice wish list.

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Quoting some of the most ignorant people on the planet when it comes to firearms and the Constitution doesn't rise to the level of "authoritative" in my book.

It does make a nice shopping list, though!

A Browning BLR, perhaps? Before I owned an AR15*, this might have been pressed into service as my lightweight fightin’ rifle, if things had gone that far downhill. Detachable box magazines, though only holding four rounds of .308 Winchester, each, would enable continuity of fire, if carried in quantity. (The .223 BLR mags hold five, and some of the BLR mags made for larger cartridges hold three.)

I would stand in a line, in the rain, to get a Tikka Arctic Ranger, with a left-hand action.

I see the OP’s requirements as being a rifle usable for several tasks, including hunting AND defense. “Mid to 400 yd” does not seem to be an unreasonable requirement for hunting, in the OP’s location, Colorado.

*I did not buy an AR15, until I was allowed to carry one as a police patrol rifle, in early 2002, when I was age 40. (Yes, September Eleventh, 2001, was a day that opened some eyes, and got some policies changed, regarding patrol rifles, in departments and agencies across the USA.)

I have four firearms at the present time.
A Ruger 10/22
A CVA Optima muzzle loader
Winchester 94 30-30
Remington 700 30-06

my close quarters, in house defense gun is my 94, and if I need to reach out I’m comfortable with my 700 out to 400 yards.
In my limited knowledge, my opinion is to pick the right weapon for the job.
Be it self defense, hunting, or what have you.
Just establishes itself to a gun being a tool for a users intent.

Kleanbore said:

I cannot imagine why a 400 yard rifle would be generally appropriate for lawful defensive use unless there is absolutely no access to cover or concealment to routes for egress.

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I agree, regarding normal personal defense distances, but I think the OP is wanting an all-‘round rifle, for both hunting and defensive purposes. I remember how much trouble it was to tote, care for, and feed two daily-carried long weapons, when I was a “patrol carbine” unit, but did not want to forego having my duty shotgun. I owned my duty firearms, so had to commute with them. After a few years, the shotgun won the debate. I sold my Colt AR15A2 Govt Carbine to a colleague with younger eyes. (We could not use optics, on our patrol rifles, at the time.) So, yes, one long weapon, to do it all, makes sense. In my area, things grow fast, if not kept cut-down, so, in retirement, I still like toting my former duty Benelli M2, which has a mechanism that makes it very easy to load a slug, as needed, or, if the mag tube is loaded with slugs, to select-load a shot shell. I live in a short-range world.

I observed, however, that the OP’s location is rural, open country, and that the population demographic is VERY interesting. I might well want to keep a longer-range weapon, quite close, too, in Fremont County, CO. If hunting, there, I would want my hunting weapon to have some defensive capability.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremont_County,_Colorado

Ill have what she's having

So your thinking is a BLM mob moving across your property burning and pillaging?
Is that a probibility in your area?
Henry makes a .223 lever gun also in .308.
The long hunter I believe its called.

How about a old Savage 99 in 250-3000 Savage caliber?
.300 Savage was another round.
Seen lots in gun shops in Cheyenne WY.

Kleanbore said:

I cannot imagine why a 400 yard rifle would be generally appropriate for lawful defensive use unless there is absolutely no access to cover or concealment to routes for egress.

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Property defense is not limited to humans. There are threats, to say pets or livestock, for which a 400 yard rifle would be approptiate.

Sidestepping the whole "defensive" part and looking at the body of the OP, put me down as yet another vote for as Ruger Scout in .308 Win.

I actually bought one because I wanted a short and fairly light, scoped bolt action rifle with detachable magazines, in a common rifle cartridge larger than 5.56. Something capable out to 400 yards, and still fairly fast on to target. And being left handed, there aren't too many other options. But I haven't been disappointed.

Mine wears a 2.5x Leupold scout scope with quick-detach rings so I can still use the irons if I have scope issues. I have a biothane rohdesian shooting sling on it, and prefer the 5 round (can hold 6) magpul magazines but carry a 10 rounder in addition when out wandering.

With the scout scope, I can get 4"-4.5" at 200 yards off a bench and front bag, and that's plenty good enough for me with factory ammo. Though I'm sure a better shooter could improve on that a bit.

I almost would say an Ishapore Enfield 2A1 in 7.62x51, and quite possibly the jungle carbine version although I've heard the recoil is a little brutal. Practically indestructible, 12 shot detachable magazine, takes stripper clips, common military caliber, can use .308 in a pinch, and there are even synthetic stocks available that fit with a little whittling or filing. I've had two full sized ones and I liked them (still have one), but I'd like to try a carbine as described above and see if recoil is really as bad as they say.

30-30 lever with LeverEvolution ammo will reach 400 meters (although it is a stretch, and you need to know your hold-over). A 30-30 levergun is one of the most versatile rifles available, and is restriction-free everywhere.

When you said not a semi-auto, that put serious limitations on things. There are a lot of good rifles that can be of use, it's just that for me, I prefer a semi-auto in a defensive role due to their quicker firing, and the fact that they generally feed from removable box magazines for faster reloading.

That said... Lever gun or bolt gun is what you have left. I have a few options I have that can be pressed into defensive roles. In fact a couple of them, are just that, defensive rifles, in non-semi-auto form.

1. Lever action. My combat cowboy carbine is a Rossi 92 with a 17" heavy octagon barrel, red dot, and light. It's in .44 magnum because I only had it done up as a home defense / camp gun, but you could do one in 30/30 if you need the longer range capability. Mine is plenty powerful for the 100 yds or so I intend to use it, and the shorter rounds allow for more magazine capacity. My most fun gun to shoot anyway... Nothing within 100 yds survives this gun.



2. In the bolt gun category there are so may to chose from it's not even funny...

Maybe a lightweight little .223 like this 16.5" Weatherby Vanguard series II. I could carry this thing forever, and not get tired. It's very accurate.



A scout rifle is a good all round choice. This one is a 100+ year old Spanish Mauser carbine in 7x57. Had the barrel cut to 18" so it sits just in front of the barrel band to give it that Mannlicher look. The 7mm Mauser is a very capable, yet pretty soft shooting cartridge.



Probably (OK, without a doubt) my most effective non-semi-auto (if not my most effective overall) defensive / combat rifle is my Lee Enfield No4 Mk1. The .303 British is a very potent round, and this rifle holds 10 of them (stripper clip fed) in the fastest bolt action ever devised. I shortened it to 16.5" making it just a bit lighter (still pretty hefty) and somewhat handier. It's the red dot, however, that makes the difference. Like the one on the Rossi, the red dot makes it SO MUCH faster for target acquisition. (still has irons for back up)



Yes... I like taking photos of guns on that bolder. It's the nicest looking spot.
It's called "Princess Rock". It's where my favorite dog was buried 8 yeas ago.
She helped raise my kids for 16 years.