new gun for practice and fun

[colt.45]

Im getting a new gun within this year and i was hoping for some suggestions. I already own a ruger 10/22 and an M-1 garand, i love em both but the 30-06 is kinda expensive and the .22 is pretty whimpy. I need something to fill the gap, and for seerious practice.

it needs:
1. to be chambered in a dirt cheap round that would be good to 300 yards
2. cheaply avalible but quality mags
3. decently accurate. 2-3moa
4. to be fun (semi auto )
5. to be reliable
6. a straight wood stock
7. to be around $400
8. good peep sights or the option to buy them
9. not to heavy or light (5-8 lbs)

I have bouncing a few things around in my head for a while. one is the mini-14 (i recently fell in love with it) i like the accessories for it and i think it can be pretty accurate. Next in line is the m-1 carbine but im not so sure about how far that bullet will go. any suggestions would be appreciated thanks in advance. oh... and i will be going to a LOT of gunshows

 

[possum]

In my experience, the mini-14 and mini-30 rifles are great and alot of fun but they are only good out to about 150yds after that it is kind of sketchy.

I would recommend the sks, ammo is cheap, but again the accuracy isn't to good. I can keep groups inside 2 1/2" all day at 100 meters but past that it spreads out . I have only shot it at 200meters, they all hit the target but the groups weren't that impresive!

the m1 carbine is great as well but you most likely will not be able to reach out as far as you want to! all the above are great in the reliability and function department but i don't think they are what you are looking for as far as accuracy goes!

Not trying to discourage you but those are my experiences with the above weapons!

 

[lawson]

it sounds like you're going to sacrifice some of those features.

you could get a Springfield M1A in .308, but that's gonna cost you way more than $400

you could get a Mini-14, but it won't shoot to 300 yards, and reliable hi-cap mags aren't readily available, but the gun is inexpensive and cheap to shoot.

you could get an SKS like stated above, but it won't shoot a distance that far, but can be had for less than $200

 

[colt.45]

I already have an m-1a. well... not really but i get one when i graduate from high school from my papa. Why do you think the 5.56 wont go past 200 yards? I have shot to 500 yards with 62 grain green tip stuff from an ar-15, some people even shoot to the 1000 yard line with it. What do you mean by sketchy possum?

 

[MechAg94]

I was going to suggest .223, 7.62X39, or 5.45X39, but your price makes it tough for 300 yard accuracy in a semi-auto. Low end AK's might do it though probably not better than an SKS.

 

[MechAg94]

Why do you think the 5.56 wont go past 200 yards?

Its the money you want to spend that makes it tough IMHO.
I think the other poster is not confident in the Mini14's accuracy, not the .223 itself. An AR is generally more accurate.

 

[possum]

5.56 wont go past 200 yards?

Nobody said anything about .223 we were talking about the mini-14 which is in .223 caliber, not the rd but the weapn itself. I know from experience in the military that the 5.56 62gr green tip you speak of is just fine at 300meters and with an acog in the advanced marksmanship class I have shot all the way out to 600 meters and it did just great!

What do you mean by sketchy possum?
Today 08:58 PM

Again I am speaking of the accuracy out of a mini-14! not the .223/5.56 rd you can shoot the best match ammo in the world out of a pvc pipe and you still won't hit crap!

I already have an m-1a. well... not really but i get one when i graduate from high school

Oh yeah well i am gonna be a millionaire when I win the lottery!

 

[colt.45]

No, really, my papa IS buying all of his grand children m-1a's when they graduate from high school. I am one of those. most people congradulated me when i told them that, not try to contradict it with sarcasm.

I know the ar is more accurate, but is it around $400, no, it is twice that and it doesnt even have a straight stock.

I have total confidence in the mini-14's accuracy. I am just fine with 4moa, i can hit a standard man sised target with 4moa out to 400 yards easily with that.

 

[possum]

colt .45

i ain't trying to be a dick about it, but I just wish people would read a post all the way through, and reply with something that was actually said in it! hey you might be ok with 4 moa at 300meters but not me!

i can hit a standard man sised target with 4moa out to 400 yards easily with that.

because the enemy is always gonna present them selves standing straight up and not behind cover and perfectly still while you take aim and send sensing rds! (not in my experience)

i would save the money for now and use it for accessories for the m1a you are gonna get like a nice scope and bi-pod and good ammo, and maybe you will be able to do a little better than 4 moa!

I know the ar is more accurate, but is it around $400, no,

once again sir you need to read the post and understand it. i never advised or recommended an ar-15 I was talkiong about the .223 rd and it being used the above rifle as an example! thanks have a good one i am here all week!

 

[adaman04]

I have a Mini and you are going to hear a lot of comments on how they aren't as accurate as you want and how you can't get good mags, so I'm ready for that. You can get Promag 20s for 15 bucks or so. They have worked well for me. I stopped trying to get my Mini to drive tacks because that isn't what it was designed for. I am now converting it to a CQB/SD/HD rifle. They're fun guns and you can get a used one for well under 400.

 

[MechAg94]

Okay, then the .223 will do 300 yards accurately enough if the rifle will. You pick the rifle.

M1A's are great. Make sure you set aside some money for extra magazines and ammo. Armalite is selling off GI surplus 20 round mags. Look on their web site.

 

[MechAg94]

Where can you get a used mini for under $400?

I have been seeing new and used mini-14's for years in the Houston area and I have yet to see one under $400. Maybe those are all sold before I see them.

 

[possum]

Where can you get a used mini for under $400?

i would like to know as well! I will drive down and buy a few !

 

[adaman04]

As much as I don't like plugging other forums on here, perfectunion.com is my Mini-14 forum. I have seen several Mini's go for under 400 on there. Or, I have seen some go for more, but with a lot of accessories or mags. Right now there are a lot of 6-700 packages including GB Mini's with wood handguards, etc. Just check there often. When you have hundreds of Mini shooters on there, it isn't uncommon for someone to be selling ONE of their Mini's. Haha. Just keep your eyes peeled.

When I bought my Mini, there was one that I test fired to see if I liked it. Including the original owner and my test firing it, it had 20 rounds through it. He had $399 on the tag w/o haggling. There are a few on perfectunion for $400, $375, etc. Check there often, they go fast.

 

[middy]

Hmmm, I'd like a rifle like that, too. If such a thing existed... which it doesn't.

 

[colt.45]

i opologise possum

I guess i just took it the wrong way. friends? for you guys in houston, i dont remember the exact price but i think at academy you can get a ranch rifle for $420.

my plan with the m-1a is, i am going to keep the m-1a my papa gives me stock. i will probably get a national match later on.

I am not planning to go to war with the thing. i just wanted a gun with reasonable accuracy/distance and cheap ammo, so i can practice with a bigger gun.

hey you might be ok with 4 moa at 300meters but not me!

i dont think some of us know what moa actually is. 1moa is not just 1 inch goups, it is 1 inch at 100 yards. if your gun shoots 4moa it will always shoot 4moa at any range, this means 4moa is 8" at 200 12" at 300 16" at 400 ect.

 

[possum]

don't worry I know what a moa is! but i am sure some of the other people will find that useful! Thanks!

 

[losangeles]

An SKS with a good scope!