I will be looking at buying a semi auto rifle by the end of this summer. I am thinking a good sized round that is fairly accurate and hopefully has a decent after market(scopes rails grips etc.?) but I am not really sure whats in my price range? Ak 47 ak 74? Ar15's are a little out there usually. I also have never built a gun but I've been kinda keeping that in the back of my mind as a possibility. How realistic is that? And my most importan question.. What do you guys think I should look into? Thanks for helping a young guy and probably future gun enthusiast out!!!
Up to 700$ gun what are your suggestions?
- Thread starter Maso157
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ColtPythonElite
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What do you plan to do with it?
The_Next_Generation
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You seem to have described an AR15, unless you want to hunt larger game like elk. AR15's can be built relatively easily, and there are PLENTY of people who will be more than willing to offer their advice/opinions 
I'd go with a manufactured upper from Rock River Arms (or similar quality) and then build the lower receiver. A basic build capable of 1 MOA (1" @ 100yds, 2" @ 200yds...5" @ 500yds, etc.) usually runs about 800 bucks. If you want to go farther than what the 5.56/.223 has to offer, you might want to go with a nice 30 caliber bolt gun from Savage or Tikka. These rifles are capable from the bench to the field. However, they will require scopes. You can pick up a lightly used Savage or Tikka for about 500 bucks, then buy a mid-level scope (like a Redfield, Bushnell, SWFA..) for 300-400. This kind of setup in .308 should get you to about 800yds if you are a capable shooter. Many people get out to 1,000yds with this kind of setup.
Note: An AK47/74 will not offer much for accuracy (in your price range).
If this is your first firearm, I HIGHLY recommend a Savage or CZ bolt gun in .22LR. Ammo is cheap, allowing you to shoot for an entire day for a little less than a movie ticket or two.
I'd go with a manufactured upper from Rock River Arms (or similar quality) and then build the lower receiver. A basic build capable of 1 MOA (1" @ 100yds, 2" @ 200yds...5" @ 500yds, etc.) usually runs about 800 bucks. If you want to go farther than what the 5.56/.223 has to offer, you might want to go with a nice 30 caliber bolt gun from Savage or Tikka. These rifles are capable from the bench to the field. However, they will require scopes. You can pick up a lightly used Savage or Tikka for about 500 bucks, then buy a mid-level scope (like a Redfield, Bushnell, SWFA..) for 300-400. This kind of setup in .308 should get you to about 800yds if you are a capable shooter. Many people get out to 1,000yds with this kind of setup.
Note: An AK47/74 will not offer much for accuracy (in your price range).
If this is your first firearm, I HIGHLY recommend a Savage or CZ bolt gun in .22LR. Ammo is cheap, allowing you to shoot for an entire day for a little less than a movie ticket or two.
Lloyd Smale
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local gander mountain had bushmaster ars for under 700 bucks on sale a while back. Keep your eyes open and you can find deals.
az_imuth
Member
A service grade M1 Garand from CMP would easily fall within your price range.
The S&W M&P Sport falls in your price range and has been getting excellent reviews. You give up very little in relation to more expensive AR's and it is a good solid platform as delivered that can be set up nearly anyway you would want. The Ruger Mini 14 is also available in that price range and is a nice handy rifle. Either of those two sould serve you very well.
dprice3844444
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1st of all,where are you?if your in pa,no semi's allowed hunting,check out remington 7600 pump.they have a carbine verion in 308/3006 18 inch bbl.10 shot mags available.
tundraotto
Member
the PSA is the AR to fit the AR bill - which is what you described as someone mentioned above.
Bolt action allows for larger calibers and you would be well suited with a Tikka T3 in your choice of caliber.
Bolt action allows for larger calibers and you would be well suited with a Tikka T3 in your choice of caliber.
Decent AKs or SKSs are a good value and cheap to feed. Accuracy means different things to different people. I'm happy center massing a D target at 500 yards over open sights while other folks are puttng their second shots through the hole in the paper their first ones made through optics. I've been happy with my Century CETME and am thinking about a C93 so I can shoot cheap 5.56 ammo. Might go with a FAL because I like .308 and I like the way it looks.
Keep in mind where my opinions are coming from-I carried an M16A2 in the USMC so an AR doesn't do it for me since they are sooooooo common. I also don't really care about attachments because how much stuff do you really need to bolt ona rifle? Pick something you like,you can afford, and can afford to shoot a lot. Guns are like tools, you can always sell or trade them if you don't like them.
Keep in mind where my opinions are coming from-I carried an M16A2 in the USMC so an AR doesn't do it for me since they are sooooooo common. I also don't really care about attachments because how much stuff do you really need to bolt ona rifle? Pick something you like,you can afford, and can afford to shoot a lot. Guns are like tools, you can always sell or trade them if you don't like them.
mastiffhound
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If you are mechanically inclined the you can buy all the parts for an ar-15 and put it together yourself in whatever caliber you want. You may also be able to find an ar-15 in 5.56 nato for that price. I haven't seen them in larger calibers for that price though. It is America's rifle and the most accurate for the price. That does not mean it's the best option.
Used Ruger Mini-14/30's can be found for that price but stay away from the old ones, they have horrible accuracy, the newer mini's with thicker barrels are much better. You can't complain when you get three inch moa when mini-14's have a 5.56 nato/wylde/or their own concoction of a chamber that shoots 5.56 well (1.5 moa) and .223 ( wolf, pmc, herter's, or any other cheapo crap ammo) not so well with 3 moa or worse and then complain about horrible acuracy. Yes PMC is crap ammo.
I know that I will get flamed for suggesting the WASR-10 but I don't care. Look it over for bent front sight (the pin not the sight block). Use only new magazines. From my experience the problem that most people have is jaming issues. This is because they watched a youtube video that shows some moron or hillbilly with a WASR that has never been cleaned and they are using surplus mags with worn out springs (soldiers load magazines and leave them that way for a long time, loading mags while the enemy is shooting at you kind of sucks). Mine came with tapco mags and they have been flawless. My friend has the same WASR and was trying to use surplus mags (they were cheaper by $1 than the tapco mags) and had feeding and jaming issues. He got his tapco mags out and the problems vanished, go figure.
Best of all the WASR is easy to field strip and clean (wondering why these hillbillys can't clean them, but I know why they use the surplus mags) than either the ar-15 (hardest to clean but still easy to field strip) or the mini-14 (quicker than the ar, harder to strip than the WASR because you need something to put in the hole in the trigger guard to pop it off). All in all get what you are comfortable with and I hope this has been helpful. Yes I have a copy of each, I like them all. Let the flaming begin!
Used Ruger Mini-14/30's can be found for that price but stay away from the old ones, they have horrible accuracy, the newer mini's with thicker barrels are much better. You can't complain when you get three inch moa when mini-14's have a 5.56 nato/wylde/or their own concoction of a chamber that shoots 5.56 well (1.5 moa) and .223 ( wolf, pmc, herter's, or any other cheapo crap ammo) not so well with 3 moa or worse and then complain about horrible acuracy. Yes PMC is crap ammo.
I know that I will get flamed for suggesting the WASR-10 but I don't care. Look it over for bent front sight (the pin not the sight block). Use only new magazines. From my experience the problem that most people have is jaming issues. This is because they watched a youtube video that shows some moron or hillbilly with a WASR that has never been cleaned and they are using surplus mags with worn out springs (soldiers load magazines and leave them that way for a long time, loading mags while the enemy is shooting at you kind of sucks). Mine came with tapco mags and they have been flawless. My friend has the same WASR and was trying to use surplus mags (they were cheaper by $1 than the tapco mags) and had feeding and jaming issues. He got his tapco mags out and the problems vanished, go figure.
Best of all the WASR is easy to field strip and clean (wondering why these hillbillys can't clean them, but I know why they use the surplus mags) than either the ar-15 (hardest to clean but still easy to field strip) or the mini-14 (quicker than the ar, harder to strip than the WASR because you need something to put in the hole in the trigger guard to pop it off). All in all get what you are comfortable with and I hope this has been helpful. Yes I have a copy of each, I like them all. Let the flaming begin!
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