Is the K31 the PERFECT modern hunting rifle platform?

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leadcounsel

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I've dwelled on the characteristics of the perfect bolt action hunting or long range target rifle.

The qualties I'd like are:

A top performing caliber for medium and large game
Renown accuracy
Excellent trigger
Fast and strong bolt action
High capacity with both detachable magazine and top-off ability
Inexpensive magazines
Value
Beautiful style

Seems like the K31 has all of these (heck the mags are high capacity and you can get new ones cheap, and you can get a whole rifle for only $200). The only drawbacks I can see with the K31 is that it may be on the heavy side but it seems that some excess wood could be removed on the front end of the rifle around the forearm area. The other drawback is the lack of easy scope mounting.

The K31 also has amazing history.


So - tell me why and off the shelf Ruger, Savage, or Browning or Remington or Tikka is a better choice at three times the money.
 
never hunted with my k31, but it is certainly plenty accurate enough to easily work for hunting, the cartridge should also be fine for all but the biggest couple of critters, and I do LOVE the straight-pull bolt. Very fast and smooth, and should be great for second or follow-up shots real fast if you need one.With a St.Marie no drill scope mount, they should REALLY do well. Since I dont hunt with mine, I haven't tried mounting a scope, and would really like to just for target shooting, but I'm kinda anal about my milsurps being as original as possible. If vintage scopes, or even a "correct" vintage repro were reasonable in price, I'd be all over it, but the fact is, they aren't even close to cheap, so....

And as you mention, they would be hard to beat for the price and durability/reliability, and would be great for deer rifle on a budget.
 
The hicap part is not needed in a modern hunting weapon, since just about every where has restrictions on the round count in a weapon. Infact in some areas having a gun with too much capcity will get you in trouble.
 
The current production rifles aren't better, just different. The last big buck I took was with my K-31, so I know the capabilities of the round.

For most hunting, mil surps of all types are just as good as any modern rifle within the capabilites of the sights. That is where the bolt-on scope mount for the K-31 shines, if the offset doesn't bother you. Some folks find it difficult to adjust to.

Where I would disagree would be using the K-31 as a long range target rifle. There many modern rifles will be superior. Comparing the K-31 to other mil surps for the same range may well put it ahead.

Devil's advocate time for your list!:D

A top performing caliber for medium and large game
Adequate-basically .308 level; the magnum boys laugh at it.

Renown accuracy
For a mil surp. Compared to the best rifles available pretty average.

Excellent trigger
For a mil surp. Probably as good as most off the shelf moderns. Better triggers aren't hard to find. Of course they will cost more than the rifle, but money is no object when it's your money.

Fast and strong bolt action
With minimal practice none faster. Strong enough; I wouldn't rechamber on to a magnum pressure cartridge.

High capacity with both detachable magazine and top-off ability

No arguement.

Inexpensive magazines
Compared to some modern rifles. As a % of the rifles price they seem a bit high to me. But then I'm cheap.

Value
The winner. Unless you luck into a deal on a upper end modern rifle, this is the best value I've ever found.

Beautiful style
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I would say "unique character" rather than beautful. My Swede 96 is beautiful.

I had to stretch a little to find much wrong with your assessment.
 
Compared to the best rifles available pretty average.
Click to expand...

I don't know about that. You can get some heavy barrel, benchrest style rifles that will outshoot a K-31 or S-R 1911, but for a HUNTING rifle they're above average.

With minimal practice none faster.
Click to expand...

Meh. I'm not so sure about this either. With equal practice on the platforms the K31 in particular is incredibly fast. And you don't need to break your weld to cycle it. It's on par with the SMLE in speed, and much faster than most modern hunting rifles which are based around the rather slow M98 design or a variation on that theme.

The biggest real world limitation on the K31 are its weight and the cartridge. The cartridge situation has improved dramatically since I first started shooting them around 2000. There are several varieties of 7.5x55 SP's available in the 170-180 grain weight. But you're still pretty restricted on that platform. If you handload much heavier or lighter, faster or slower, you will run into troubles. The K31 was built to shoot GP11 or something close to GP11. Unlike a modern .30'06 rifle you're not going to be able to find or chamber a wide array of load options from sabots to 220 grain bear slugs.

Weight is another drawback. You can reduce it somewhat by swapping to a sporter stock, but you lose some of the protection and all of the character of the full stock. It also throws balance off. The bottom line is it's heavy for a .308 class rifle.

That said, it's one of the very best platforms to hunt with among the surplus rifles.
 
So - tell me why and off the shelf Ruger, Savage, or Browning or Remington or Tikka is a better choice at three times the money.
Click to expand...

Although by most accounts they are great riflles,
1. Most people don't know how to buy mail-order guns/internet guns
2. Ammo ain't found at wally world
3. For some reason, people think they need scopes

I really don't care about the quick cycling, as it's either the first shot he's down or gone

Milsurps are good fun, but a conventional, modern hunting rifle is a lot less hassle for the average joe, but for gun enthusiasts they are a fine option



HB
 
Loaded short, a Berger LTB or other flatbase or Sierra Gameking does quite admirably.

Loaded short is the operative there, however!
 
I like my K31 a lot and if it was lighter it would be my hunting rifle.Weight is the only problem.

A few people said magazines are cheap for the K31.Where?Last time I tried to find extra magazines they were $50+ each!
 
I take my scoped K-31 to hunting camp as my backup rifle. Its a full pound heavier than the Remington 700 that I hunt with (and my 700 isn't one of the lightweight models either). 1 lb doesn't sound like much until you have to carry it a mile or more over rough terrain.

In comparison to the 700, the K31 shoots almost as good. The trigger on the k-31 isn't as good isn't as good as the Rem700 trigger, but its plenty good for hunting purposes. I do like the detachable magazine on the K-31 better than the blind magazine I have on my 700.

For the money Ihave stuck into the K-31, its a very hard rifle to beat:
$100 for the rifle
$75 for the mount
$25 for the rings
$200 for a Leupold Rifleman scope.

total:$300

You realy cant buy a comparable hunting rifle sans scope and mounts for that kind of money. The closest would probably be the Stevens 200.
 
"wood that can easily be removed" just made my tummy flipflop. Speak no more of doing evil.
 
I think they're great rifles for $200. I think some other options like the 700 are probably usually more accurate (insert guy with .25 moa k31 and 3 moa 700 here) and have more upgrade options if you want more accuracy. If you don't need those things though I'd save the money
 
For the money Ihave stuck into the K-31, its a very hard rifle to beat:
$100 for the rifle
$75 for the mount
$25 for the rings
$200 for a Leupold Rifleman scope.

total:$300
Click to expand...
Don't you mean $400.
 
I don't know about 'perfect', but most 'hunting rifles' don't hold more than five or six rounds.

I say skip the scope and mount a set of XS 'ghost ring' apertures.
 
Longrifleman, Cosmo, and others who may think the K-31's action isn't suitable for any of the longer magnum class cartridges or have limited projectile weights and distance capabilities. Yes, the 31 was designed to shoot GP-11. But the 31 is/was offered by Hammerli in 300WinMag. The 300's oal will not fit in the 31 mag, so the rifle in 300Win came only as a single shot. This was also true in their 30'06 K-31 rifle's too. Quite a few years ago Hammerli sold them for about $1000 per. Lord knows if one could find such a rifle today, what would it cost? 150 to 180 grained ammo is commercially available and I know of no reason why a handloader could not use sub 100 to over 200 grain bullets. How many WallyWorlds can you go into an find 130 grain varmit loads or 220 grain bear loads in 30'06? Most handloaders find troubles from cases not properly resized and/or bullets seated out to far. Unlike the earlier S-R's freebore, the K-31 has little to almost none. The Swiss must not think much of us shooting at mostly 100 yards with scopes, as they routinely shoot at 300 meters with open sights. The carbine sights go out to 1500 meters and the Germans did leave them alone in both WW1 and WW2. FWIW, I usually hunt with my Kimber Swede which wears a Leupold. enough said best-o-luck all
 
K31

I hunted axis deer with mine last year. It was
a drive and spot type hunt, so weight was not
a problem. For this kind of hunting and blind
hunting, they are excellent. I would pick something
else for a carry rifle.

Basically a K31 is a light target rifle disguised as a service rifle.

This is my K31 "hunter". Pillar bedded with a Weaver K4-1 in
Warne rings with an RSI mount. Also some typical 5 shot
targets shot with this rifle.

dxr



RSI-7.jpg

RSI-8.jpg

K31-dp86.jpg
 
Nice rifle, doc. Is that the original stock?

I love my K31, but it's not in mint shape. The metal is pristine, and the stock is far from beaver chewed, but its nowhere near that nice.
 
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