Next Purchase

Which for hunting/target shooting?

  • Mosin 91/30

    Votes: 12 15.0%

  • Mauser (which?)

    Votes: 12 15.0%

  • Enfield No. 4

    Votes: 8 10.0%

  • Mossberg 100 ATR

    Votes: 1 1.3%

  • Savage Axis

    Votes: 14 17.5%

  • Remington 770

    Votes: 4 5.0%

  • Something Not Listed

    Votes: 29 36.3%
  • Total voters
    80
  • Poll closed .
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T

The_Armed_Therapist

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Oct 30, 2006
Messages
1,138
Location
Obsession, Guntopia, USA
I have an M1 Garand, a Norinco SKS, a Ruger 10/22, and a Marlin 1894. I want my next rifle to be a bolt gun, good for hunting, and good for range time. Nothing fancy need apply! Price range is not very high, which is why I am trying to decide between these older military rifles and the newer, low-end models.

So, should I pick up a surplus rifle or buy a newer, low-end rifle? Next, which one in those categories would fulfill my needs the best?

As for ammunition, if it's a modern rifle, I'd prefer .308 or .30-06. If it's not one of those, then I'd prefer the ammo to be as common/plentiful as possible. I'm really not familiar with the availability/pricing of ammo like 8mm, .303, etc.

I would also prefer a longer barrel...

Thanks for the help! There is so much out there that it's overwhelming.
 
I've seen lots of 30-06 bolt action rifles going for 200-300 lately. Guns that normally cost 500-600 in any other caliber and dirt cheap in '06. I just bought a savage 110 '06 for 230$ with a scope setup and a box of ammo.

If your really strapped for cash and can't afford anything modern a mosin will work fine but you really need to know what your doing when you buy one. There are alot of variables that will make the difference between a moa gun and a "it hits paper @25yrds gun.

Mosins are the best bang for the buck but money equals quality. So, if your looking at doing long range your going to need something better. Recently I was shooting at over a 1000 yrds uphill with iron sights on a mosin and grouping within 2-3ft. But if I had a decently accurate '06(almost any bolt gun will do 1moa) And a decent scope and base I would have been hitting the plate every time.
 
The K31 looks very interesting. I do have a concern about the availability of the 7.5x55 ammo, as well as about the action. It's simply a matter of never having used the straight-pull bolt. I'll check it out, though!

I don't plan on any long-range shooting with it. 300 yards, tops... 2-3MOA.
 
depending on which version of the Lee Enfield you are looking at, they can be quite pricey. However, a SMLE Mk. IV is possibly the best bolt action rifle ever built. If you can, just work the bolt on one, and you know why almost anyone who has one, loves it!
 
Id just look for a used '06 and if you don't find one go to http://7.62x54r.net/ and read up for a while on nagants. If your gonna range shoot in any quantity your gonna spend more on ammo than the gun, seeing as how you have a m1 garand you probably understand how spendy '06 is. 7.62x54r in bulk is pretty inaccurate ammo but will let you bruise your shoulder and have fun.
Id go with the mosin, if you get a nice one they are pretty, fairly accurate, durable, and cheap. The downfall is they are heavy and if you have bad eyes or aren't used to iron's you might have trouble taking longer shots. Especially seeing as how the sights are fairly crude and will cover up the deers entire shoulder with the post and eclipse alot of it with the pin protector. Buy a single box of hunting loads(soft point) for the 20-30$ they cost and you could hunt with them. I got a dear 2 years ago from 100yrds in the heart and it dropped 5 yrds from where I shot it. So, anyways hope this helps you make a decision.
 
I'd say go for a 91/30 and use the rest of the cash to go towards a small ammo cache of cheaper surplus stuff and have fun shooting a centerfire rifle in higher volume. The K31 is laso a nice rifle but a bit high IMO when you consider that for not much more you could have a Savage 111 or 110.
 
Marlin XL7 is a nice budget gun. I dont know what your price range is but gun shows down here are filled up with good Rugers, Remingtons and Winchesters for $400 and under.
 
if i were in the market for a budget hunting rifle, i would take a long hard look at the ruger american rifle. got a chance to fondle one recently and it was surprisingly light and felt more solid than i had expected. you can get it in your choice of .243, .270, .308, and .30-06. the one i was looking at was a .30-06 and the price was right around $350 brand new.
 
I'm currently leaning toward the Enfield No. 4 as far as the rifle is concerned. The .303 isn't my preferred round by any means, but I really like what the Enfield offers. But, as I indicated, I'm open to whatever else might be a good fit for me.

I'm a young grad student (26) with my 4th kid on the way and had to save for quite a while to purchase the M1. I'm thinking $300 or under. Since I like the Enfield and Mosins, I really don't want to spend much more on a cheap modern rifle.
 
You've got an M1 and an SKS so you've already got a couple milsurps. For a serious rifle hunting rifle, I'd buy one made for hunting. You should have no trouble finding a good used Winchester, Remington (NO 710 or 770), or Savage for $350 chambered in 30-06, .308, or .270. I don't think I've seen an Enfield go for that cheap around here and .303 British ammo is hard to find and more expensive than the big 3 popular hunting calibers.

If you are leaning toward the Enfield then more power to you, but it leads me to believe that you are more collecting guns than looking for a hunting rifle.
 
One of my problems with the newer rifles is that they're made for scopes and don't even have factory iron sights. I'm not really interested in using a scope. The peep sights on the Enfield are what I really like... Also, the Garand. I put them on my Ruger 10/22 as well and will probably do the same with the SKS and even the Marlin if I can find some good ones.

Do they make a lot of after-market sight options for the newer, cheap, modern rifles that are made for scopes?
 
Swedish or Persian Mauser. Pretty sure SAMCO still has them. Of the two, I'd prefere the Swedish because the 6.5x55 is, for my preferences, the better cartridge.
 
You forgot the best of them all: Swiss K31 Carbine 7.5x55 (GP11 Round).

Just bought a Christensen Carbon One Ranger .50, haven't seen it yet so it will be new for me when I return to USA.
 
If you like irons, it is hard to beat the feel of a lever gun. They might be a little higher than you are looking for, but there is just something magical about levers and iron sights. Other than the sight issue, I would say the Ruger American is a good option. I have held a couple, just not received mine yet.
 
Something else. Lover Savages but the Axis has a super flimsy stock, and heavy trigger. The Rem 770 should be avoided at ALL COSTS. The Mosin is fun but heavy, bulky and not up to par in the accuracy department, the Mausers are great but by time you get a good one and restore/retrofit it you are deep in the $$$$.
On a tight budget your best bet is a T3 or Savage 110, both are top notch and are easy on the wallet. If you are on a super tight budget and have to be less then $350 scope and all I would go with the Mossberg ATR though I have never regretted spending the extra $30 on my Savage 110.
 
Why anyone would buy a M/N is beyond me... I gave away a 91/30 at the range because it was a piece of crap, still own a M44 and I don't even keep it in my safe in case of a burglary they can have the damn thing...
 
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