Help with a Gun Choice

[billmartin727]

I need advice. I am absolutely torn with my next choice of rifles. I have recently become very active in bench shooting and am now beginning to learn position shooting. I shoot a CZ 452 "special" which I have become very good at 50 and 100yards. The range I shoot at is maxed out at 100 yards. I can't decide between a Mini 14 (new tactical model) for $750 or a NIB M1A Loaded for about $1900. Do I go all the way to the M1A? Will the M1A be woth another $1,100 or will I enjoy a Mini more. I have been shooting a friends Garand and M1A and I think they are fantastic. Heavy shooting standing however. What about the future investment issue? I do not want to go with a bolt but I do want semi auto. I do not want AR. Everybody has an AR. Boring!! I want to keep things fairly traditional. Then there is the cost of 223 versus 308. I figure I will shoot about 100 rounds per month. I am not into crazy accesories. What do you all think.

 

[kingpin008]

From what I've always heard, Mini-14's are not the rifle of choice amongst the precision crowd. I've consistently heard that they're not fantastically accurate out-of-the-box, and that aftermarket accurizing treatments are both expensive and not always very effective.

Of course, this is all hearsay. I've got no practical experience with either, but I'd go all the way and pick up the M1A Loaded. To me, it seems to have way more potential and potential to hold value.