Want a large semi auto

$700 is tough to get to in that type of rifle unless you find a used bargain.

PTR91 is around a grand. Magazines are 3 bucks each.

Saiga 308 is probably closer to 700 but magazines of higher capacity are extremely difficult to find so that might weigh into the decision.

ETA: I assumed "EBR" style or whatever you want to call it, not hunting style.

Maybe a Remington 750? .35 Whelen is large, and it's offered in that!

A hunting rifle?

A Remington 7400 is the only semi sporting rifle that I have any experience with; now replaced with the 750. For hunting rifles, I think the price goes up from there. But something like a Saiga would be well under $700.

So what would it be used for?

A hunting rifle might be doable, but if you're looking for a EBR, it's gonna be tough. You could look real hard and find a Century FAL for about that price. However, they can have some issues, and you may have to spend some more money to get it to run well. A CETME is going to be about the same, but you can forget reloading for a CETME, they're too rough on the brass.

Romanian PSL? They go for under $600, and are very nice large-caliber semis. The mags are also very easily plugged to 4 or 5 rounds for hunting simply by placing a bolt through the mag body, with the nuts internal.

If it's a "hunting style" semi you're after, I recommend three models- BAR, BAR, and BAR. You can keep it under 700 on the used market. Even my local Cabela's has them under that price on their insanely overpriced used gun rack. The Rem 750 handles well, but I've never shot one next to the BAR. I just don't think they can be beat.

There are a few,
.308/7.62x51 options
PTR-91, Cetme, Saiga 308

7.62x54
PSL

30-06
M1 Garand

Do you want to scope it? Do you intend to hunt with it? Do you want detatchable magazines?

Honestly, in the price range, the PSL is hard to beat. You can scope it (with any scope you want by using a BP-02 adapter), it has iron sights, it has a detachable magazine, it has a muzzle brake, it's lightweight, and it fires a round comparable to .30-06. Recoil is very mild and comfortable. The ammunition also isn't that expensive. It's basically a complete package. There's lots of options out there, but for the value, it's a good choice.

For that price range, I would consider a Garand (as already mentioned). CMP has a special or something that has a new barrel and new stock for around $1000, and other grades that are lower cost.

A $150 "scout mount" can be used for an optic, which could be anything from a LER scope to an Eotech, depending on what you want to do with it.

An adjustable gas plug is an inexpensive option to allow you to shoot typical commercial hunting ammo, then readjust it to shoot military surplus for target work.

My understanding of the M1A's is that you can do the same thing as described above, but for more like $1500-1800 instead of $700-900.

Romak PSL

I believe that you can get your Garand in .308 as well. Not sure what all goes in the conversion though. A new barrel... about 400 from Kreiger (there are others, but these are supposedly the best). I hear that this is all that was required, but that sounds fishy to me.

good luck finding one, I dont think one exists fitting your description but a DPMS, Rock River (if you can find one) Armalite (the best) but you are looking at twice what you are willing to spend, again, good luck.....

saiga, or maybe a saiga, and then there is a converted saiga, and you could look at trying to find a saiga with a 16 or 21 inch bbl, with the hogsback stock.
Oh you know what? you could get the 21 inch bbl saiga, with the thumbhole stock, that one is allready converted, and you could get a extra set of ninja cool tactical furniture for it...

But anyway,... you may wanna think about a Saiga.

If you are not looking for a military rifle, the Remington 740/742/7400 (308, 30-06, 270) are a dime a dozen (at least around here in WA) for about $250-300 used in good conditions. If you pick one that doesn't have the receiver bolt rails beaten up it is a very good rifle, fairly accurate, light and handy, reliable.

Slap in an extended 10 round magazine and you have a "politically correct" semi auto battle rifle

Military semi-auto rifles in full power calibers have left the earth orbit recently price wise.....I'm myself on the prowl for one but I'm not going to pay insane prices for one....$700 in my target as well and I will patiently wait for a good deal to come my way...hopefully...

PSL fits there but it is 7.62x54

Whats wrong with 7.62x54? I bought 880 rounds (2 tins in a crate) for $170

The 7.62x54 is a pretty good round. The PSL can only shoot the light ball, but that is still a cartridge that is similar to the .308 and 30-06. I've known of people who wanted to squeeze more accuaracy out of them, so they pulled the bullets, dumped all of the powder, and remeasured the powder so as to have better accuracy and consistency.

This may be a good way to "reload", without actually using the expensive brass. The PSL is very rough on the casing, and at the price of the brass, I don't know that I would do a proper reload.

I've been in the market for a .308 pig hunting gun and just bought a Browning BAR. Everything I've read said hands-down great gun... accurate, reliable, etc. Close runner-up was the Saiga. Saigas can be found for under $500 brand new, have reasonable accuracy and are very reliable. In the end I decided to spend a bit more for something nicer.

dmazur and scythefwd beat me to it.

A friend really likes his SVT, but the old surplus 7.62x54R will require some disassembly to clean corrosive primer residue.

Another friend (retired Navy Marksmanship Team) who is highly-experienced, indicated that the 30-06 ammo sold by the CMP is not corrosive, and you won't do better than a Garand from the CMP. One of his Garands is .308, but the 30-06 version is 'The' US WW2 Battle Rifle, if that appeals to you.

It could be well worth the long wait from the CMP after the required club papers are mailed (or you drive to pick your rifle from a large selection). You could easily exchange the standard GI -06 ammo with most other M-1 owners.

I'd have to side with rangerruck and those who like the Garand (not that there are 'sides'). I just happen to have and enjoy both a Saiga 308-21 thumbhole-stock and a fine-shootin' Garand I picked out with help from the fantastic folks at the south CMP.

A $15 mount and a $50 scope and that Saiga's been a remarkably consistent performer. The Garand is easily the best iron-sighted rifle I have to boot. I would take either, or my SKS, to battle if it came to it (but I know that's another can of worms...)

I'd get a Garand, (from the CMP), or a Saiga. I've got a PSL and 2 Saiga .308's and I find the Saigas to be much better rifles.

The PSL is Romanian and I've found Romanian workmanship to be rather poor. Both my Romanian rifles have misaligned scope rails for example.

For many months, "Guns And Ammo" in Memphis had something very similar, if not an actual PSL, in 8 mm.
Maybe it is still there.

OK, but you get to carry it, if your really looking for something large, it don't get much larger than a Barret, unless you can find the Scandinavian 20mm antitank, and like I said, you can carry it.