looking for utility rifle

[Tirod]

Let's see, small, lightweight, handy, good at close range. Specifically NOT a pistol grip semi auto with magazine feed - no AR. Therefore, no AK.

Try the .30-30 lever action, Marlin or Winchester. You can get light loads for varmints, carry heavier for bipeds. The .30-30 is ballistically the same as 7.62 x 39, enjoys more widespread availability, and ammo is about the cheapest non-military round you can get aside from .22. You can reload and use spitzers if there is one in the chamber and one in the tube. Fitting a small LED light with 120 Lumens for night use is relatively cheap, the Eveready sells at Target for less than $40, a clamp mount is available somewhere. Set it up so you can thumb the base button with the off hand, and you can put light on the varmint just when you need it.

You won't spend nearly $800 doing that.

As for not wanting to use the AR, I didn't either for 22 years in the Reserves. A few things changed my mind: I finally realized what I had been taught about care and upkeep in the military was dead wrong, I realized the light weight was a lot easier to carry compared to my .30 cal hunting rifles, and the 6.8 SPC came on the market, making it 50% more powerful. Food for thought.

Enough so that I sold the .30 battle rifle and I'm building an AR. After all, I carried it enough I am very familiar with the operation, why throw away the training when I see so many paying $$$ at carbine courses to learn it?

 

[gascon]

Lots of ideas. I have 2 Berettas, 2 Ithacas and a couple of old doubles. So I do have shotguns, granted nothing short. I have no personal issue with the 1894 except it doesn't fit me at all. The wrist puts my wrist in a painful position, sold my BLR for the same reason.
Tirod, I chuckle inside when I go shooting with friends and their AR's and they get mad when I can do better off-hand than them. Or when they tell me about some house clearing thing they saw on tv and I roll my eyes. So I fully get the why waste the training thing.
I love target shooting with the AR and recommend it to anyone looking to build a tactical rifle.
I have tried to avoid buying a Marlin 336 for years. I want one in .35 Remington. I almost gave in when Marlin started in with the deluxe 336 but only in 30-30. A great round but if only a .35! No, for this I'm sticking with lower power, lower noise but otherwise the Marlin is a beautiful rifle.
I have never handled a modern 1892, but have handled an original. Does anyone have experience with the Browning/Winchester offering. I am very fond of my little BL-22 and a 92 in .44 would be close.
I'm sorry if I'm a gun snob but I saw a wasr at a gunshop and thought about buying it just to put it out of its misery. I grew up bird hunting and like a lively quick gun, thats got clean lines and no odd parts poking out here and there. I have a Colt heavy barrel in .223, the old full size job, I'm a dinosaur.
If I needed a combat gun I'd use that.
I think I'll try and locate a 92 to handle. Anybody have, shot the NEW production 77/44?

 

[kludge]

Wow... if only everyones first two posts were this well done.

I'm with you on the .30-30/.35 Rem thing. How could I ever love a .30-30 knowing I should have/could have had a .35? At any rate the .30-30 is perfectly adequate for your needs.

However I don't know how I could spend that much money (Marlin) on a ranch/farm/truck gun, knowing the life it would have. For the same reason I'm going to retract my .30 Carbine recommendation. Even the beater rack grade guns are getting up there. (If only Kel-Tec would make one.)

The Kel-Tec SU-16A or B carries and handles much differently than an AR, so I'll stick with that recommendation, and it won't increase the number of ammo types you have to keep on hand. The SKS handles about the same as the Kel-Tec (or maybe it's the other way around), but the SKS is just a more solid gun with more potent ballistics. So those are two guns I wouldn't have a issue with getting bumped around on the farm. Both of mine are minute of beer can accurate at 100 yards, the Kel-Tec a bit more so, maybe 1/2 MOBC.

The 92 has the advantage of using the same ammo as the gun on your hip, and it does feel different in your shoulder than the Marlin.

For small predators don't forget the .22 Mag, .17 HMR, and .22 Hornet. They are completely adequate, out to, oh, 125 to 150 yards for the rimfires, and 200 or so for the Hornet. Since you reload, the Hornet would be my choice. 35gr bullets @ 3000fps? Smokes the rimfires, but if you want, download them to .22 Mag level. Savage Model 40 runs about $450. In the same size gun, Savage also makes the Model 25 in .223 Rem, and it is easily downloaded to Hornet levels.

The Hornet's noise level is about the same as the .22 Mag, and is quite a bit lower than the .223.

 

[doc2rn]

For all my farm needs I would go with a 30-30 but you specifically said no 1894 so I believe you dont like levers for some reason. I have both a Marlin 1894 and a Winchester 30-30, but you might want to look at a SU 2000 carbine or for a High Point 9,40,45 pick your flavor carbine for $250.

 

[ElToro]

levergun in the same pistol cal as your sidearm... .357 or .44. barring that, 30-30 or 32 spec or 35 rem

you could buy 2 (used) with your proposed budget

 

[oldfool]

"I think I'll try and locate a 92 to handle."

yes, strikes me as meeting all your criteria, in 38/357 (which you already reload for)
ample power for your described purposes, slimmer, trimmer than the 1894 Marlin
good companion choice for your BL-22
surprised not more posters suggested that
try one, Rossi/LSI '92 easily within your price range, easy soft shooting carbines, not so pricey as to worry about "around the farm", 357 plenty good enough for any whitetail within 75 yards.. suggest the stainless models
they handle 38sp, 38+, and 357 just fine (just avoid wadcutters, re: feeding)

30-30s, love 'em, but really more gun than you need, per your listed criteria
243 bolt carbines, nice, but none I have seen hold that many rounds

 

[Badlander]

16" 30-30 would do what you want.

 

[exdetsgt]

Mini-14 (new models only with heavier barrel). Light and points well. Iron sights good out to 100-125 yards, shot a jack rabbit at that range. .223 ammo is cheap.

 

[Jonny V]

The remington 870 offering is right on the money, but there is one other contestant for the job you're offering, the Marlin Camp 9 or Camp 45. It has all the handling qualities you want, is FAR BELOW your top price point, and is just plain fun to boot.

 

[mshootnit]

a weapon mounted light is real nice if you're trying to shoot coons at night. I would look at something with a forward rail so you can screw a nice surefire or streamlight on there. I killed two coons with one shot at 50 yards with my 223, but I was shooting a 22 inch barrel and my max handloads. Same rifle blew up a couple deer too.

 

[eye5600]

I think the OP is over-thinking himself into a box. I do the same thing all the time, so I recognize the symptoms. You keep eliminating perfectly suitable choices for the sake of the perfect choice until there's nothing left.

If you like the Ruger in 44 Magnum, but want more speed, then a Marlin levergun in that caliber is the obvious choice.

 

[Jubjub]

The 336 in .35 Rem, and a set of dies.

You can load just about any bullet made for the .357, and have whatever power level you want. I shoot a 158 grain cast bullet over 10 grains of Unique for a fun plinking load. A 158 JHP pushed to 2000 fps is a load that has a reputation for being explosive on varmints, or you can load a JSP for a bit more penetration. A full load with a 200 grain rifle bullet is one of the premier close range deer rounds.

Mine doesn't have a bit of trouble feeding rounds loaded with stubby little pistol bullets, though they do look a little funny. Brass life is great, and at close range, point of impact is close enough for government work.

 

[Pony Express]

+1 for the 870

 

[sprice]

M1 carbine, sks, ak47/74, rugers, marlin 336, kelt tec su-16 (even though it is .223) other lever guns in pistol calibers.