Suggestions for a sub-$600 lever-action rifle in .308 Win

[rjc149]

Hey guys,

I'm looking for a .308 Win lever rifle for big game hunting, and a SHTF rifle that can fire the vast stocks of surplus 7.62mm NATO in the event that municipal, state, or national governance temporarily collapses either due to a natural disaster, social or political upheaval, or some other catastrophic event which changes our immediate priorities in daily life. I am not focused on accuracy. The rifle does not neet to shoot MOA groups. As long as it can hit a whitetail or moose in the kill zone from up to 200 yards, that's fine. The gun will wear aperture sights. Reliability, durability, and ease of maintenence are my primary concerns. I would prefer a rifle that is USA-made but that's not a primary concern. It just has to work and it has to be easy to keep running in the event that local gunsmiths are unavailable.

I've been looking at the Browning BLR, and used Savage 99s and Winchester 88s in .308. I don't want to spend more than $600. I'm willing to buy a beater. I've heard that these rifles have complex mechanisms, which turns me off a little. I'm open to any insight, opinions, or suggestions. I might even consider getting a bolt rifle if it makes more sense, cost and reliability-wise, but I would really prefer a lever-action rifle. Thanks for reading.

 

[Robert]

Just as a note, we do not do SHTF threads. There is nothing wrong with be prepared for the future, whatever that may be, but SHTF threads never stay on topic or realistic for very long.

Marlin makes a lever gun, the XLS?, in .308 but if it were me I'd look for a bolt action like a Savage, Winchester or Remington.

 

[HOOfan_1]

That is .308 Marlin though...not the same as .308 Winchester.

If you want simple and .308 Winchester...bolt action is what you want

 

[newfalguy101]

A decent .308 levergun under $600 is going to take some looking.

Savage 99's are good guns and not overly complex ( just dont take the internal rotary mag apart!!! )


Seems to me there is a Winny for sale in the marketplace, but, it may be a semi, I cant recall right off hand

 

[Robert]

Thanks HOOfan, I retract the XLS... That's what I get for not looking it up to verify first.

 

[greyling22]

I think you only have 4 options. Savage 99, winchester 88, sako finnwolf, and browning blr. Only the blr is still being made today if that tells you anything. I don't know pricing on any of them.

The 308 marlin is actually 308 marlin express, and is not the same as the 308win.

lever action 308 is an odd duck, if you want one, go for it, but I'd look for a bolt gun or semi auto myself.


edit: sorry about posting the same info as the other guys about the 308, that's what I get for wandering off midpost, then coming back......

 

[rjc149]

I appreciate the quick replies.

Personally I would want a Savage 99 since they are the most classic, but good ones seem to be the most expensive of the three. Are they easy to re-barrel? I haven't looked at the Sako, I'll look into that. But I would prefer USA-made if possible.

 

[mdauben]

Personally I would want a Savage 99 since they are the most classic, but good ones seem to be the most expensive of the three. Are they easy to re-barrel? I haven't looked at the Sako, I'll look into that. But I would prefer USA-made if possible.

I agree tha the Savage 99 is a great, classic rifle and its on my own long-term want list.

If you are not totally committed to a .308 Win rifle, you might look at the Savage 99 in .300 Savage. The performance of the cartridge is very close to the .308 Win, and the Savage 99 in .300 Savage is much more common (and thus less expensive) than the .308 model. THe only drawback is somewhat less choice of ammo in .300 savage, and its not as widely available.

Of course, if you go that route you could also consider the Marlin XLR in .308 Marlin Express, another close copy of the .308 Win.

 

[X-Rap]

The Savages come with both internal and detachable mags but I can't say I have seen a 308 internal. Mine is a 99c and I have quite a few spare mags. I also have an old BLR by FN but I have heard that magazines for the older brownings are around $200, if that is true I would look at one of the newer models that still are in production. I think the Winchester lever probably has the same issues of being out of production.
Another good alternative is the Remington pump, if you can find one of the police carbines in 308 it has everything you are asking for except the lever.

 

[BluegrassDan]

Would you consider a pump action for the same reasons? Remington 760 or 7600 for example? Many law enforcement agencies have used them for decades with reliability.

 

[bantam9]

family member has the Browning 308 lever

Works pretty well for him. Was with him when he smoked his last deer. Dropped it where it stood at 80-100yds through some thick stuff.

 

[rjc149]

Thanks for all the great advice!

I prefer the .308 because of its versatility on different game species and the wide-spread availability of both .308 and 7.62 NATO ammo.

Even though I prefer a lever, I didn't think about a pump-action. That's something I would definitely consider.

 

[dprice3844444]

http://www.gunsinternational.com/Savage-99-Rifles.cfm?cat_id=356

 

[jmr40]

Reliability, durability, and ease of maintenence are my primary concerns.

What you want is a bolt rifle then. Levers are among the most complex rifles ever devised and the most difficult to maintain. They are much more expensive, less reliable, less accurate and not any faster for "aimed" repeat shots. There is a reason they are not seen very often.

There are lots of sub-$600 bolt guns that will come much closer to meeting your needs.