M1A .308 as a Hunting Rifle?

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HMMurdock

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I am considering getting a Springfield M1A .308 semi auto. I have fired them extensively at short to medium distances with great success. I am curious, however, if it would fare well as a hunting rifle?

I had never had a non-magazine related malfunction, so could it hold up to the harsh conditions of the north?

Can it be tweaked for greater "sniper" accuracy down the road? I see these National Matches and Super Match M1As and I am curious if they become too tight and therefore lose reliability?

Are there suitable .308 rounds for large game? Extreme Shock USA replied to me in an e-mail that they have .308 rounds they can suggest for use against Grizzly Bears, although I wouldn't intend on testing such a theory out on purpose...

Anyone have an insight to any of this? What is the best MOA accuracy I can expect from a tuned M1A?

Thanks in advance.
 
Yes but...

.308 is a round that can & will kill any large game animal you are hunting. I have a Springfield M1A and get 6" groups @ 400-500 yards. The problem with using it as a hunting rifle is it's a little heavy. mine weigh's in @ around 12 lbs with scope & bipod. So I got a Remington 700 CDL in .30-06for hunting it's around half the weight and is the basis for military sniper rifles. The accuracy is terrific and I find it much more condusive for hunting than the 308. Also in California you can't hunt with an auto that holds more than 5 rounds.

So...Yes you can but I wouldn't for a number of reasons. I'd still get the M1A it's a great rifle.
 
In MS, we have to use a 5 round magazine in any rifle used in hunting. I have a modified stock Saiga AK magazine that holds 5 rounds for hunting with my Saiga 308.

I'll second the heavy issue. In my configuration, my Saiga AK is hovering around the 10 pound mark. But since I use it primarily in still hunting, its no biggie.


What distance are you needing for hunting? Around here, our MAX shot will be less than 300 yards if deer hunting. Out west, that is probably an average shot. Military semiautos aren't known to hold tightest groups in general--but I'd probably do alright with a stock M1A for any distance that I'd be shooting for deer hunting.


IIRC, US military service rifles were expected to hold 2 MOA. At 2 MOA, I wouldn't feel too bad going out about 200 and maybe 250 yards (4" to 6" group) on a deer. With a 1 MOA rifle, I would feel comfortable going out theoretically to 500 and MAYBE 600 yards. Of course, that depends on the caliber we are talking about as well. Beyond 600, I wouldn't even try it unless the rifle was doing sub-MOA.

What I am getting at is this: If you are taking a shoulder/heart/lung shot on a whitetail, your vitals area for a clean kill is going to be roughly 5 inches diameter. If I don't think my rifle can do that, I can't take the shot with it.

I realize I am writing this using an American Whitetail as an example-- and that this may not hold for other animals. However, I think the principle remains intact, and since I only hunt whitetails these days, its my best frame of reference.


Good luck!

John
 
Quote: Glockman19
"Also in California you can't hunt with an auto that holds more than 5 rounds."


Could you please provide the basis for this statement?
 
"Also in California you can't hunt with an auto that holds more than 5 rounds."
Click to expand...

Wouldn't be surprised.

In PA, I can't use any semi-auto rifle for deer hunting. So I can't take the M1A out. I have to use a bolt action rifle. Not a big deal- 8mm Mauser still packs a punch.
 
theres a gent here in the Brooks Range that uses his yr in an yr out. shooting either moose or grizz/blacks and carries it on the trap line in the winter. he does very well with it.
 
My M1A "Loaded" is heavy, and accurate. Mine weighs in at a beefy 15 pounds plus some ounces with a hunting-quality scope. That's not a stalking rifle...that's a plant your butt in the middle of the field and wait.

I have been advised to never exceed a 168 grain bullet, and to always use a fast-burning powder. It is alleged that the slower burning powders, of the factory-loaded hunting loads, can damage the operating road due to excessive sustained pressure. I do not know if that is true.

The one and only short coming of the M1A as a hunting rifle is the difficulty reloading those stubby, short, disgusting, reprehensible little 5-round magazines. If you don't happen to miss with those first six rounds (5 +1), you're fine. try to change the 5-round magazine in a hurry. Do I recommend an M1A as a hunting rifle? With reservation. It is reliable, accurate, nostalgic, etc.

But, if using an M1A, I suggest the "Loaded" model. It is the best of all worlds...national match trigger, national match front and rear sights, and a national match barrel. Mine is MOA accurate. The action is no tighter on mine, than on any standard model that I have examined. The Super Match may be. That I do not know.
 
I can't find it now but if I remember correctly in my hunter safety class one of the sujects was the 5 round limit in semi auto rifles for hunting. My Remington 700 CDL only holds 4 rounds.

If you can't kill your prey with 2 shots or less then I don't think it was a clean shot to take in the first place. ONE good heart/lung shot should do the trick with the correct caliber at the right distance every time.

If you're just shooting many ground hog or multiple small varmint from a fixed position I guess an M1A would suffice but they were made for 2 legged varmints IMHO not 4. Also I'd rather use a smaller round .223 from my mini-14. more ammo less weight for smaller prey.

Once again I love my M1A loaded bit It's a bit heavy to lug around all day. Use the right tool for the job, you wouldn't try to gut a fish with a sword would you? I wouldn't use the M1A to hunt even with a 5 round Mag. Better hinting rifles in the safe for me to choose from. Remington 700 .30-06, or Winchester 70 7mm mag, Remington 870 w/ slugs in shotgun or a .357 or .44 mag in handgun for me.

Finally what are you hunting? Either way use the right tool for the job.
 
What are you hunting is an important question.

Using the right tool for the job is one thing. Another is being sporting. Sorry, but shooting a hog/deer/coyote at 100 yards with a scoped bolt gun is about as fun as taking out the trash.

Shooting multiple coyotes at 100 yards with an iron sighted service rifle is a challenge. Wading into the brush with a pile of hogs and knowing you have 20 on tap is fun.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, once getting the job done becomes boring, one must handicap one's self. Getting the job done with one hand tied behind your back is great.
 
I had a loaded NM M1A that I used for hunting,made some amazing shots with that rifle.I wont say how far the old mulie was but the 308 will do the job way out there.The sun has to be just right for open sights otherwise you will get a glare on them and cant see your target very well,that was on national match sights,I could not shoot a big buck in a group of does because of the sun glare.Weight of the rifle was an issue on some long hikes but I just cut down on my other gear to compensate.I regret selling it.
 
An M1A will do everything you want it to do. With ammo tuned for the rifle a NM barreled and bedded M1a will commonly hold 1" to 1.5" groups. A Super Match will do better.

Is it perfect, no.
The first drawback is the weight of the rifle. Frankly I like the weight because that helps me hold better, but that is not everyone's choice. The second drawback may be the national match rear sight. It is a bit too fine for hunting. Have you ever tried to pickup a running coyote in a stubble field? A scope solves that problem. Third, in Colorado we have a five round magazine limit for semi-autos. Taking those little mags out is a real effort.
If necessary, I just top off single rounds as needed.

For me the M1A works really well.
 
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As was said before, it depends on what you're hunting. I got mine mainly for target shooting and/or defense. I don't hunt too much, but thats just me. I find it a superb rifle in all repects; as long as you have good quality magazines. I've done some deep woods 'black ops' with it for training, and as long as you have a good sling and a light pack it's weight is not much more noticeable than any other hunting rifle I've used.


I've put an E2 stock on mine and a red dot scope. In my neck of the woods you don't need magnification for hunting, and I prefer a true pistol grip over conventional gun stocks as far as ergonomics go.
 
Can you use an M1a to hunt, yes ... I have many times, I have a m1a Scount and standard(full length) and typically with an M1a stock rifle you will get about 2moa you have to spend some serious money to get it down to 1 moa.

I am a big fan of the M1a that being said If I were going to buy a gun for what you want I would buy the DPMS LR 308, this gun gives you less than .5 moa with hand loads and less than 1 moa with factory loads, all for the price that you would spend on a stock m1a. The ar system is one I was very critical on in the past, but the .308 version gives you accuracy and power because the design of an AR is more accurate by design than the M1a.
 
They can be very accurate

An M1a with a good barrel, good bedding, match conditioned is a very accurate beastie. I do not think this is the best M1a target around, but I was very happy to shoot this in a 100 yard reduced Highpower match. 10 rounds rapid fire prone, with a reload, 70 seconds from standing
 

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SlamFire1,

Nice Shooting.

I have a loaded M1A and get 1"-2" MOA at 100 yards. Was hitting 18" plates @ 400 yards last weekend. Love the rifle. I'll be getting another soon. Possibly a National Match with factory bedded barrel.
 
too heavy. I put a scope on my FAL for hunting, never took it out once... simply too heavy.

atek3
 
It would work but it would be heavy.
I have found the lighter and handier a rifle is, the more useful for hunting it is.
 
I love mine .......great for deer and a badboy on hogs . Heavy enough to tame the recoil for my wife and daughter . One of the most accurate rifles I own .
 
I have a M1 Garand that I wouldn’t be worried about hunting with.

However…. In my military rifle collection I also have a 1903 Springfield, which I would choose over the Garand for hunting.
 
10-X; Barrel is Douglas heavy 1:10 twist, installed at Camp Perry by Springfield Armory. Rifle is a Super Match. Previous barrel was worn out by too much use. Current barrel is reaching the end of its service life because user shoots way too much ammunition through it, and wants to shoot more.

Life is tough for a match barrel.
 
So, assuming one were to go hunting with their M1A or M14 in a standard Service Rifle configuration, which scope mount would be best, the Smith Enterprises mount or something else?
 
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