Thinking of a new rifle

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xplag

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I'm currently looking through rifles in .308 Win (mainly for availability and cost), and I want a multipurpose rifle that can handle a variety of tasks. I'd like it to be multipurpose in that it could be used for target shooting, hunting, and any potential situations that may arise.

Price is not a huge factor since I'm planning on saving up and I don't have an immediate need for the rifle.

I'm very open to suggestions now as I'm still looking around. I have yet to decide on bolt vs semi-auto, but I am leaning more toward semi-auto.

I was browsing through Buds and saw the AR-10 which caught my eye. Does anyone have experience with this rifle?

Suggestions and comments are welcomed.
 
AR-10s are great rifles. Keep in mind though that each different manufacturer usually use proprietary parts for them though. That might make it a tad more expensive or difficult for parts/repairs.

There are plenty of great options for you;

-M1A offers great resilience, great accuracy and a lot of room for attachments and modifications for a reasonable price.

-H&K 41/91 offer a very unique but pricey option. Their roller lock system is more complex than most semi-autos, but it is reliable if fitted propperly. They're really fun rifles as well. Upgrades, modifications and attachments will be more difficult (for most) to pursue though.

-FN FAL is another great choice. Save up and get the real deal and you won't regret it. They're extremely robust and simple to operate, clean and maintain. Mags aren't too expensive either. Certain options and mods may be difficult but you can install a railed forearm to accomodate optics/attachments.

-Saiga .308 Not the flashiest .308 but they're simple, inexpensive and robust. Conversion to make them more "tactical" looking are simple and cheap as well.

As far as bolt actions go there are way too many great choices to list, but if you're willing to only eat rice and save money for a few years then you can get a stealth recon scout lol. It's a bullpup (magazine is located aft of the grip) to reduce overall length dramatically. It's barrels are interchangeable and you can swap them out in just a couple minutes by swapping bolts, magazines and the barrel. They come in .308, 300 win mag and the 338 lapua magnum. I think they retail around 5,000 US dollars. Worth it? Not sure, but it's a sweet setup.
 
One drawback I saw on the HK at a competition was the heat that comes off the barrel & gas tube can literally blur your sight picture. (Granted I am talking about running several magazines through in quick order).

I'm not sure if optics would change this... but it's something I witnessed.

I've never seen someone running an AR-10 complain about that.
 
Well, i'm not sure what the "any potential situations that may arise" phrase might mean. But for sure a bolt action in .308 would have the hunting and target shooting aspects covered extremely well. Yeah, I do realize that it's possible to get a semi-auto to shoot pretty well. But it's way easier and cheaper to get a bolt action .308 to shoot tiny groups. Go buy a Savage or Weatherby or Tikka or.... etc bolt action rifle, put on a reasonably good scope, learn to reload, and then you will also be shooting ragged one-hole groups with ease.
 
"Thinking of a New Rifle", last time I thought that out loud my wife got kinda angry with me, :D

I have a DPMS LR308, I like it a lot, its a bit heavy, I am thinking of building a shorter barreled upper based on the 16" Bushmaster ORC.

Armalites are nice, but they are pricey and the mags aren't cheap either. Any SR-25 style .308 AR will accommodate PMAGs which are nice and cheap. If cost isn't a factor and your saving up look at the Larue OBR, its mad expensive but its really nice too, that or the LMT MWS .308 which the Brits adopted as their new DMR rifle.

Someone mentioned the M1A, FAL and Hk91 not bad choices either all are gonna have pluses and minuses. Everyone is gonna have opinion over which is better, I would say go shoulder some at your local gun store and see which one you like best or find a buddy who owns them and go test fire. Thats the best way to get what you really want.
 
xplag, when you start talking "all around" rifle, I sort of tend to think bolt action.

Don't get me wrong, I like AR10s. They are fun to shoot and for the most part, pretty accurate. The downside is that they are relatively heavy and expensive for what they are, which is a .308 rifle that really has nothing special about it, except the ability to lay down fire at a pretty high rate.

For example, a run of the mill AR10 (if I remember right) will run you in excess of $1200. I'm talking about a very run of the mill AR10, flat top with plastic handguards.

Now, compare that to picking up a Steven Model 200 (I believe it is) for around $200 to $300 or so. Get a good trigger for it for about another $100. Add a nice barrel for around $300 and a good stock for another $200 or so. For under $1K, you'll have a rifle that will be lighter and easier to carry than the AR and will likely be more accurate, although the differences in accuracy from a practical stand point may be moot, depending on what you want.

If an AR is just what you want and cost is really not a concern, give Larue Tactical or Les Baer a call. ARs tend to be more finicky about ammunition, but they shoot what they like very well.
 
I personally went with M1A's and FAL's
I love both of them, but cost for me is an issue.
So I'm dumping 308 and going back to 7.62x39/5.45x39
 
The RRA rifles are nice. The only real drawback that stuck in my mind is that they take FAL and L1A1 mags. Some see that as a plus and others a negative. A plus because there was a time when the mags were plentiful and cheap. Now a days, you can still get them, but their realiability is questionable. The DPMS pattern rifles will accept that Magpul PMags that work and are only around $20 a piece. In my mind, that's enough to stick with a DPMS pattern rifle.
 
i just bought the new savage axis and i love it shoots great u can get it in 308 out the door $323 with a 3x9x40 bushnell scope with base and rings
 
Now, compare that to picking up a Steven Model 200 (I believe it is) for around $200 to $300 or so. Get a good trigger for it for about another $100. Add a nice barrel for around $300 and a good stock for another $200 or so. For under $1K, you'll have a rifle that will be lighter and easier to carry than the AR and will likely be more accurate, although the differences in accuracy from a practical stand point may be moot, depending on what you want.
Click to expand...
Or just pick up a stock Savage Model 11 Hunter for a bit over $500 and you will likely have a fine, bolt-action rifle that's probably more accurate than most people are.
 
So you are definitely wanting a semi auto over a bolt action?

The M1A is definitely a great choice for a .308 rifle. What is your price point as M1As are pretty pricey?
 
Item #: 7123
Description: RUG M77 HE BA 308 SS SYN
Manufacturer: Ruger
Model #: M77 Hawkeye All Weather
Type: Rifle
Finish: Hawkeye Matte Stainless Steel
Receiver: Matte Stainless Steel, Integral Optics Base
Stock: Black Synthetic
Sights: No Sights
Barrel Length: 22"
Overall Length: 42"
Weight: 7 lbs
Butt Plate Recoil Pad: Recoil Pad
Additional Features 1: 1" Scope Rings, Steel Floorplate with Ruger Logo
Additional Features 2: Rifling: 1-10" RH, LC6 Trigger
bought 800 retail from davidsons

here's a good one,stainless/synthetic no rust,no wood scratches.light.last forever
 
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