I'm in the process of saving up to get my first "battle rifle", and have settled on either a m1 garand or an m1A. The primary purpose is to get into competition. The local outdoor range I'm a member of holds regular high-power competitions and I've been dying to start ... butbutbut, I have no weapon to compete with.. :banghead:
I already handload for my tikka t3 in .308, am a fair shot and i like the calibre. Also, I don't care much for the AR aesthetics, so it's wood & blue in a 30 cal for now.. Quality is important to me, and I'm willing to save for a few months to get something that would last a few lifetimes.
My question is: assuming a serious shooter looking to practice lots and get into competition, would you recommend the garand, or one of the SA M1A options? I'm personally leaning towards the M1A, but am not sure if the higher grade national and super match is worth the extra cost. Do the SA M1A's need a lot of aftermarket gunsmithing to get them up to potential? Are there other manufacturers I should take a look at?
Thanks for all the help...
I already handload for my tikka t3 in .308, am a fair shot and i like the calibre. Also, I don't care much for the AR aesthetics, so it's wood & blue in a 30 cal for now.. Quality is important to me, and I'm willing to save for a few months to get something that would last a few lifetimes.
My question is: assuming a serious shooter looking to practice lots and get into competition, would you recommend the garand, or one of the SA M1A options? I'm personally leaning towards the M1A, but am not sure if the higher grade national and super match is worth the extra cost. Do the SA M1A's need a lot of aftermarket gunsmithing to get them up to potential? Are there other manufacturers I should take a look at?
Thanks for all the help...