inexpensive workhorse rifles?

[bhhacker]

I have been doing a lot of research into having reliable weapons that are good for different purposes and have somewhat cheap ammo.

So far I have seen that the mosin nagant is the best that i have seen for that, however, a HR Member mentioned that while its not a bad rifle, more up to date rifles dont seem to follow in the mosins footsteps. I think theres something to be said about that.

I am pretty much looking for a rifle that is inexpensive to buy and shoot (it always helps when you can actually afford to practice shooting ) That can be used for hunting, plinking, and maybe even a defense situation...I know that its main role wouldnt be that but it just seems the mosin is a jack of all trades.

Are there other rifles out there like the mosin so I could compare and make an informed decision?

The Scout m6 seems to be an awesome rifle with the O/U .22 and 410 and ability to be broken down.

 

[jobu07]

Time was you were able to pick up crates of unissued Yugo SKS rifles on the cheap. They were the ideal workhorse carbine at the time. 10 round mag, reloads from chargers, short handy and fast pointing rifle. But they've dried up.

Don't get me wrong, Mosin's of all flavors are great. The M38 is an especially fast handling and pointing rifle. However, I think today (now that prices have begun to sink again) a SAR-1 is going to be the ideal workhorse rifle. Well, WASR-10 I suppose in any event. 20, 30, and 40 round mags readily available. Lots of surplus eastern bloc web gear available for them. Short, handy, fast pointing, and very customizable (from an ergo standpoint). Sights are very serviceable and red dots are out there if that's your thing. Plus, ammo isn't too terribly expensive. x54r is cheaper, but x39 is not corrisive.

 

[markallen]

You can always hunt for a Ishapore 2A1 Enfield. SMLE MK III. Bolt action twelve round capacity magazine.They are getting harder to find, but still available.

It's chambered in 7.62 NATO, but if you have the head space checked and it is ok, you can shoot .308 out of it, just stay away from the hot commercial stuff.

I know .308 is not the cheapest to shoot, but it is available every where.

 

[Abel]

A Mosin can be hit or miss on quality. You could end up with a Mosin that patterns like buckshot at 50 yards. To me, that is not acceptable accuracy. A true workhorse gun is one that is dependable to put food on the table and defend your family. I trust these tasks to a couple of Marlin 336 lever actions. They are the definition of workhorse rifles in my opinion.

 

[22-rimfire]

+1 Abel. I can think of many other ones that fit into the Marlin 336 catagory. Start visiting gunshops and gunshops and famaliarize yourself with what is available and the price ranges. You could do a lot worse than a Stevens bolt action rifle.

 

[fireman 9731]

Another vote for an M-38.

Very good handling, cheap ammo, durable and tough.

 

[swoter]

I bought a Marlin 336 about two years ago used, for around $200. 30-30 ammo is almost as cheap as surplus 54r.

 

[bhhacker]

My price range right now would be about 300$ for a rifle itself, if i could get it used with a scope, that would be ideal.

I see that i can get a marlin 336 for under that with a scope. What else do you suggest?

 

[aka108]

Bought a sewer pipe barreled 98K mauser with a cracked stock for 30 bucks. Bought a near new 8mm barrel with sights from Paragon Sales for 18 dollars. Repaired the stock, screwed in the new barrel, headspaced well. About 20 dollars in shipping. Maybe a total of 70 dollars tied up and she turned into a pretty good shooter.

 

[spartanpride]

AK for sure! Reliable, dependable, rugged, and no matter what other people say, an AK is pretty accurate for it's purpose. It's somewhat cheap, ammo goes for $200 for 1000 rounds. It WILL go bang every time you pull the trigger. Plus it's fun to be able to dump 30 rounds in a couple seconds!
SKS would fit the bill also.

 

[Abel]

Marlin made 336's under the Glenfield brand name for years. They usually go cheaper than a Marlin brand carbine.

Example:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=159346459

 

[janobles14]

i would have to say the sks and the generic 336's could both have a place for you. for me it would depend upon whichever i could find the best deal on. ammo might be a bit cheaper for the sks but its hard to beat a good lever gun!

 

[caddysts]

I have a lott of rifles.ar,ak,bolt action.Imo the best one is the ak wasr-2.Also the funnest to shoot and very easy to clean;]

 

[rangerruck]

if you need an all around rifle, with cheap ammo, then get a saiga semi auto, 16 inch bbl, firing any one of the big 3; 223, 762.39, or 308 ammo.
if not that, then get a cz, or a ruger or a remington/zastava/baikal single shot rifle or bolt action firing the762.39. To me, that round is way underrated for a rifle , all the way out to 200 yds on game.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

30/30 Model 94 or a Marlin!

 

[cyclopsshooter]

my two at hand rifles are an iron sighted 336 30-30 and a 3-9 savage 110 30-06

 

[nathan]

SKS and any Mosin rifles. Both capable of 3-4 inch grps at 100 yds if you are doing your part.

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // Since the 336 lever has been mentioned ...

I'll put out a vote for the Remington 760 Gamemaster Pump.

Mine is chambered in .30-06, it was $225.00 out the door and is sweet, I have see through rings because I mostly hunt SC brush.

760s chambered in .30-06 and .308 were the FBI's choice in 1965.

They are close to the Rem. 870 Wingmaster shotgun in fit, feel and action.(nice for muscle memory if you have an 870)
Offers quick return to target too.

Chambered in .30-06 ; .308 ; .280 ; .270 ; .35 Welen ; .35 Remiington; .300 Savage; .257 Roberts ; 6mm Remington ; .243 Winchester ; .223 Remington.

Just get one Caliber each year for 11 years and you will always feel like you are using the same rifle.

I'm looking for a 760 in .223 next, thinking about using it for Turkey. But I'm cheap and the seasons getting close.

 

[OrangePwrx9]

7.62x39 Saiga...or .223 if you prefer. If you look around you can find them new for a little over $300. They'll take a beating and shoot about any ammo.

 

[GPWASR10]

All around rifles in that price range would be a Used Marlin 336, Yugo 24/47, Yugo M48, Mosin...

 

[Smith357]

Older savage bolt action rifles are cheap rugged and dead nutz accurate.

 

[sarduy]

Saiga 7.62x39 or wasr-10 from classicarms.us

 

[Cosmoline]

Scoped or iron?

If you're after something scoped in that price range, look for a used Savage or Ruger bolt action.

There are some very nice and tough surplus rifles around but few will mount modern optics very easily. Plus they tend to require a little more research and knowledge on the part of the buyer than the more modern rifles.

 

[cyclopsshooter]

Older savage bolt action rifles are cheap rugged and dead nutz accurate.

So true! My dad's 30 year old 110CL in .270 does sub quarter inch groups at 100 yards from a bench. My very basic 110L 30-06 is just under 1" both using old Redfield 3x9s

I really do not understand why these rifles dont get higher prices

 

[Ignition Override]

GPWASR10 beat me to it.

1) Have you looked at Yugo or 'RC' (Russian-Capture, German) Mausers?
The Yugo 24/47 bolt is straight, and the 48s are partially bent. My Yugo 48's previous owner killed a deer at 200 yards with the iron sights
(found out two weeks after the purchase).

The Yugos often cost less than $300 and much of the surplus ammo 8mm, similar to x54R prices, is the best deal around for old "battle rifle" caliber.

Huge heaps are listed at .25/round for Yugo 8mm ammo, and about .30/round for Romanian.
'Ammoman' just sold me 900 rds. for $229, includes shipping.

2) A nice SKS which has no (useless weight and fwd c.g.) grenade launcher sticking out. A rear peep sight can be bought from Tech Sights for $45, giving a much longer sight distance. For me the SKS' ergonomics are better than those of any AK clone, and a recoil pad gives the stock a normal feel.