All around rifle...PEASE HELP

[readyme]

Thank you for bringing to the forefront the most expensive part of owning a gun...rounds.
I am looking at starting to do reloading, so that should help a little, but rounds still cost a fortune. I have not put in enough research into the cost of the different calibers....looks like a field trip to the shop to price rounds, and see what it will really cost to get the practice I need.
I have been shooting pistols for a little while, so I am hoping that some of that will carry over (steady hands and hand eye coordination).
To be honest, I do not have $1000 set aside for a rifle...I simply figured that is what it would cost, so I threw out that number to get the most options as possible.
My wife has no qualms about saying that I am cheap, so getting the most bang for the buck is my biggest priority.
What I talked about uses, I should have been clearer. I will say that 98% non-competative shooting paper, 1.9% shooting deer, and the 0.1% chance that it will get used for defense (that is what pistols are for).
Again, thanks for the input.

 

[H2O MAN]

My gut says I should find a .308 rifle.

My gut said the same thing back in 1999 - I dumped my .223 rifles in favor of the 7.62x51 M14 type rifle.
The 18.0" barrel is my all around favorite configuration. I have two of these in SAGE EBR stocks.
I'm hoping for a drop in synthetic E2 stock to hit the market soon (I hate bedding).

I recently sold my AR-10A4 to fund another M14 build, but I ended up buying a Colt LE6920...full circle

 

[Bearhands]

Another vote for a 336 or 1894 Lever from Marlin

 

[elmerfudd]

For hunting and use on paper I'd get a Remington 700. For defensive use I'd get an AK and you can get them both for less than the M1A and be better equipped. A stock 700 will easily outshoot a stock M1A on the range and it will weigh less, balance better, have a better trigger and much better optics mounts. And I'll go out on a limb here, but in Western Washington I think the AK is a better defensive rifle than the M1A. It's shorter, handier, has more capacity and all the accuracy you need given the limited distances we have to shoot at in this area. When I go out to shoot in the woods around here I sometimes have to struggle to find places where I can shoot at even 100 yards, (the vegetation is just so thick and pervasive), and most of our rifle ranges have a maximum range of 200 yards and some only go to 100.

 

[HOLY DIVER]

ready,to shot paper for fun, i enjoy that myself......you are a tight wad ok....
think about a newengland arms handy rifle you can get them in all popular calibers used for around $215 man-o-man they are very accurate!jam-up firearm

 

[paintballdude902]

is this gonna be like a truck gun?

when i finish school i plan on keeping a saiga in 7.62x39 in my truck

they have them in .308 too

 

[Bazooka Joe71]

If only 1.9% will be for deer, get an AR 15 in .223...A solid AR 15 can be had for ~$600 then you can spend the rest on your optics of choice and ammo...And save up for a dear rifle.

What I talked about uses, I should have been clearer. I will say that 98% non-competative shooting paper, 1.9% shooting deer, and the 0.1% chance that it will get used for defense (that is what pistols are for).Again, thanks for the input.

Unless you are talking about when you are away from home, this is simply not true...A rifle round(even the measly .223) is a much more effective man stopper than a .45ACP...But thats for a different thread.

 

[HOLY DIVER]

bazooka i disagree in your home somebody is trying to harm you or your family you want to stop them makes no difference if they live or die stop them and GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!the 45 ACP will knock a criminal flat on his rearend nomatter if he/she is wearing a vest or what ever giving you time to get out. .223 ......the criminal may be shot fot 15sec or before any effects take place....this is my opion we all have them lol

 

[Jaenak]

I would recommend the ever loved 30-06. That gun has rounds that can take out deer, elk/grizzly and even something as small as varmints. If you go with anything larger than a 30-06 ammo prices start to become WAY too high.

 

[CrawdaddyJim]

Browning BLR takedown in 308. Light, handy, easy to transport. Uses a magazine.

 

[Uncle Chan]

I agree, a 30-30 would be a perfect beginner gun. Ammo is cheap. Will take many, if not most N. American game. Fun. Good for 100+ yards. Inherently accurate.

JMHO

 

[Bazooka Joe71]

bazooka i disagree in your home somebody is trying to harm you or your family you want to stop them makes no difference if they live or die stop them and GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!the 45 ACP will knock a criminal flat on his rearend nomatter if he/she is wearing a vest or what ever giving you time to get out. .223 ......the criminal may be shot fot 15sec or before any effects take place....this is my opion we all have them lol

Yes, we do.

But the .223 being a better man stopper is not my opinion, it is a fact...You really should read through that link I posted; there is some really good stuff in there. Guys/gals much, much more knowledgeable than I will ever be break it down for you...I have not done the tests myself, but there are certain people on here that when they talk, I listen.

 

[zinj]

he 45 ACP will knock a criminal flat on his rearend nomatter if he/she is wearing a vest or what ever giving you time to get out.

Sorry, but that is a myth. If it were so the gun would torque out of your hands when you fired it (Newton's Third Law - For every force there is an equal force working in the opposite direction). No shoulder fired round I know of generates enough energy to knock someone off their feet. People will fall over when shot due to the shock, but not from the bullet transferring its energy to them.

I am looking at starting to do reloading, so that should help a little, but rounds still cost a fortune. I have not put in enough research into the cost of the different calibers....looks like a field trip to the shop to price rounds, and see what it will really cost to get the practice I need.

If cost is of any concern to you .308 isn't an option (unless you reload). You are looking at spending around 75c a shot.

 

[browningguy]

AR15 lower with a 6.5 Grendel upper should fit the bill pretty well. Excellent ballistics, cheaper Wolf ammo available now, and pretty easy to reload.

 

[JG2000]

Ruger 10/22, Marlin 1894 in .44mag, and Remington 870 in 12 gauge. If you look around you should be able to get them for what you want to spend and a box of ammo for each. You could substitute the Marlin for an SKS since there still is some 7.62 surplus out there to be had. Good luck and i'm sure whatever you get you will enjoy.

 

[TimboKhan]

If cost is a major consideration, I would look to the surplus market. A good Mosin Nagant 91/30 is under $200.00 bucks, and you can lay in quite a few round for another $100.00. The round is ballistically similar to the .30-06, and is thus capable of taking down just about anything on this continent. If you require a semi-auto, then I would look to the SKS. Some have detachable mags, but feeding from stripper clips isn't anywhere near as difficult as you might think.

As mentioned, another rifle that you might seriously consider is a lever action .30-30. That is an excellent all around caliber, not particularly expensive in terms of either rifle or rounds (provided you can find a good used example). Even with round-nose softpoints, you can reach out to 200 yards or so, and with the new Leverevolution rounds, further still. Do what you feel is best obviously, but the more I think about it, the more I think this might be the best choice... For what it's worth, at Walmart today, I saw boxes of .30-30 for as low as $8.95 on up to $21.95 or so.

Also, please pay attention to Zinj when he talks about the .45. He is completely correct in what he says.

 

[CajunBass]

Best all around rifle?

30/06 Bolt action.

 

[Snapping Twig]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest a...Ruger Mini 30.

Love them or hate them, one thing remains a fact, they shoot a 7.62X39 reliably and are capable of reasonable accuracy through proper gas block torquing.

If you don't reload, 7.62X39 can be had cheaply and hits HARD. Good for paper, good for SD and good for deer/pig.

Short in length, they swing well in tight spaces and the recoil is minimal.

They are legendary in their reliability and easy to maintain.

Typically they shoot a 125g round, but if you buy an older model it will have a .308 bore and a 1 in 10 twist which is really nice for 150g bullets.

The 150g 7.62X39 is basically a 30-30 with a pointed tip, so it carries further and hits harder when it gets there.

Newer Mini 30's have a .310 bore, so my advice is to find a used one with .308 bore for @ $500 and shoot the crap out of it.

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[HM2PAC]

doc2rn wrote:

Go to a pawn shop and acquire a Marlin 60, usually $65-75, and buy two bulk packs (550 count) at Wallie World then practice. Once you feel good with the .22 lr then move up to a Rem 700 or CZ in .308. You will learn life long skills with the .22, like squeezing the trigger evenly, not putting to much finger on the trigger, and breathing. You can easily acquire both rifles, and they will give you diversity in game choice for under $1000.

Can't agree more. If you don't go this way now, you most assuredly will once you see how much you are spending on ammo to shoot any centerfire regularly.

"A handgun is to be used to fight your way back to your rifle."
-BTP

 

[Slugless]

I did an SKS search on gunsamerica & several detachable mags versions showed up.

I and two friends own one each (One SKS D, 2 SKS M Norinco Sportster). The SKS D is a great carbine. I put an aftermarket stock on my M and have been pleased with it although one time very early on I got it out & a retaining pin in the bolt had disappeared. . The second M is a POS.

So I'd want to inspect it thoroughly in person. The machining on the inside of the receiver of the POS is terrible & that's what I'd look for. (The machining on the inside of the good ones is very rough, the POS was really bad)

 

[Evenflo76]

www.classicarms.us There are cheap excellent SKS and other surplus rifles that should fit you needs here.

 

[45 nut]

you gotta 1000 bucks to spend. how about a CMP service garand and 1500 rds of 30-06 that ought to be about a 1000 bucks.

 

[H2O MAN]

Find yourself a slightly used IDE side stamped Poly Tech M14s.
They are selling for around $750 +/-, this will leave you $ for CMI mags and ammo.

 

[FabGuru]

If you are going to hunt deer with it I personally wouldn't go any smaller than a .243 win.
I just bought a Weatherby Vanguard for $500 in 7mm rem mag. The action is very smooth and I had the trigger worked over by my local smith for $50, turned out very crisp at 2.5lbs. It shoots sub MOA groups at 100 yards with average/cheap ammo.
I suggest that you look over some ballistics charts and then price the ammo online that catches your eye . 6mm, 243, 25-06, 270, 7mm or any 30cal is a good choice, just take into account how much kick you want to put up with while target shooting.

 

[Omaney]

Spend less than $300 on an SKS. Spend another $150 on a case of ammo. Have alot of fun! Oh, and by the way...stripper clips are easy after about a couple of dozen mag charges.