i want a rifle for $300, help please!

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moecomputer

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Gun show coming up at the end of the month and it's a great opportunity to buy a nice rifle, but my budget is about $300, so please help suggest a good and reliable centerfire rifle in that price range. Primary purposes will be home protection and target practice. So far i've been looking at Hi-Point carbines, SKS, and Saiga sporters. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! :D
 
SKS. $300 will get you a decent gun, some ammo, stripper clips and a chest pouch.

The SKS is a battle proven, very solid, fun gun.

Chris
 
Having both an SKS and a Saiga in 7.62x39, I would heartily recommend either of them.

Do you mind using stripper clips? Or would you prefer using magazines? I think your choice would be heavily affected by that.

Would you want to someday convert a saiga if you bought one, or would you leave it stock?
 
i like stripper clips, so that's no problem.
i also like the look of standard AKs over the saiga's, but i don't have the skills or $$$ to bother with changing the stocks and trigger and mags etc etc so i'm fine with saiga sporters depending on how much they cost.
 
You can't go wrong with an SKS. You could pick up a K-31 for less than $300 as well, but ammo is much more expensive for it and it's not as good for home protection (being a bolt gun). Keep your eyes open and you could walk away with an AK variant. I just sold a beautiful MAK-90 at a show for $325. Deals are out there.

Personally, I'd go with an SKS and some ammo. Depending on local prices, you should be able to get a NIB SKS, 500 rounds of ammo, a case, and a few other goodies for $300.
 
SKS sounds good! hopefully i'll get lucky enough to find a reasonably priced one, and any additional info concerning AKs is appreciated, thanks everyone!
 
I agree SKS, is a good investment. I own 4, solid, reliable and fun to shoot.
Tapco sells that new conversion stock and you can get the removable AK style mags if you like more than 10 rounds at a time.
 
Saiga is simply a modified single action AK. Very simple, few parts to go wrong. In the low price market it is hard to beat. Accuracy is mediocre and a SKS may have a slight edge in that market. More parts however.
 
no bolties? if so , you can find new savages or stevens, or mossbergs for that price. used, well, there will be a bunch of crap, and a few diamonds in the rough.
 
Definitely go with the SKS. Then when you can drop the $60 on the TS200 techsights and $5 for the techsight frontsight post. Did that and it almost cured my desire to get yet another rifle and any desire to bubbafy the thing.
 
moecomputer said:
i also like the look of standard AKs over the saiga's, but i don't have the skills or $$$ to bother with changing the stocks and trigger and mags etc etc so i'm fine with saiga sporters depending on how much they cost.
Click to expand...

You can pick up a 7.62x39 Saiga for about $250 (R&R Arms: $247 + $19 S/H, www.rrarms.com) - with shipping and FFL it will probably eat up most of your $300 budget. But....

...the conversion to the AK is well worth it. There's nothing wrong with the stock Saiga - it's an excellent rifle. You can save up ($100-$150 depending) and do the conversion down the road. It takes a hand drill, a Dremel and about 2 hours.

Saiga_before_after.png

Even if you never convert, I think you'll be happy with the Saiga. It's a quality rifle.

Jim
 
SKS

I too vote for the SKS. Especially the chinese para version with shorter barell appeals to me. It is also a better choice for home security, as I think it would be much more handy with bayonet fixed ;) !!!
 
SKS $179 + shipping and transfer, figure $50 so $230 bucks or so.
http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/SKS_Yugo__Yugoslavian_M59_66_SKS_7_62x39_Rifle.html

SKS chest pouch, strippers etc. $30.00
http://froogle.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=75830721

1000 rounds of Golden tiger 7.62x39 $179 delivered from Ammoman.

So for around $440 you can have the rifle, the clips and gear and a lot of ammo.

To stick to around your $300 point you can pick up around 200 or so rounds of ammo from a local gun shop or Academy Sports. Enough to fill that chest pouch.
 
Saiga or SKS, either will do the job. My Saiga is slightly more accurate than my SKS and I like the fact that it uses a clip.
RJ
 
Thanks for all the suggestions and advice, and that's an amazing weapon there navyguy!
I might be able to stretch my budget depending on how much i get when my paycheck comes, so if that works out are there any decent AK's about $300-$400ish where i don't have to do that saiga conversion mod considering my almost non-existent mechanist skills? thanks!
 
Another vote for a Stevens or Savage, in .308 or .223. They'd be somewhere right around $300. Of course, you'll need a scope and rings...

The SKS would be hard to beat... As would the Saiga. Either one shoots less expensive ammo that the .308.

I'm not a fan of high point's products. I know lots of people say their carbine is OK, but it's just so ugly, I couldn't bring myself to own one.
 
Shop for a used Bolt Gun and embelish as time goes on. I think SKS's are great but you may find yourself outshooting it in rather short order. Have a great time, whatever you choose...Essex
 
www.aimsurplus.com

Yugo SKS's = $189,
500 rounds of ammunition = $85
FFL fees (est) = $20
Shipping (est) = $30
TOTAL ============== $330

Cut back on ammo if that's too far over budget.
 
For serious use you can snag a Stevens bolt action in just about any caliber you want. They are not pretty to look at, but they will bag your deer/elk/moose/bear every time.
 
Sinlge Shot H&R, Any Caliber you want... Get different barrels for $60... Can't go wrong...
 
Plinking and self-defense? Get an SKS or a AK-47 clone like a Romanian SAR-1.

Hunting? Get a Stevens or Mossberg rifle in 30-06. You will need a scope, but you can start with a cheap Tasco or the scope package they offer.

Willing to save a little more and invest in something you can use for self-defense, plinking, hunting and competitive rifle shooting? Get an M1 Garand. I have still seen them for under $600 at gun shows, but they are going up now that the CMP is running out.

A .22 should eventually be in your mix somewhere. Good cheap ammo and no recoil for quality trigger time.:)
 
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