Wanting a Plinker

[RainDownmyBlues]

I'm wanting a Plinker of sorts, without the .22 lead. I already have a very nice, old Remington that suites that bill.

Basicly what I want is accurate as possible at the furthest distance possible.

But here's the catch. I don't want a .22, and I don't want something that the recoil is going to take off my arm.

I'm looking for something that the Ammo isn't horribly expensive. Now I know I wont get .22 cost effectivness from another caliber, but I'm willing to plunk down a few extra bucks for ammo.

I'm wanting a relativly cheap rifle as well. I don't want to pay a grand for something without a scope.

Mentioning that, I want it scopeless with Iron sights. I will probably scope it later, but I like to shoot with the Iron while my eyes are still good

Any possibility of getting a rifle like this for maybe 450 or below?

Either bolt or auto-loader. No levers or singleshots please.

Thanks!

 

[possum]

welcome to THR!

Have you though about an sks.That is what i would reccomend and is what i ended up buying when i was in the same situation as you some time ago. Not .22 caliber and meets all the requirements that you stated. definetly meets the inexpensive factor! I have one for sale right now for $125. Where are you located? I have an add on the traiding post portion of THR. Just a few clicks away!

pro's

1).30 cal
2)ammo is pretty inexpensive more than .22 of course but still not bad.
3)handy little rifle
4)10 rd fixed magazine
5)inexpensive rifle way below the limit you posted
6)iron sights, but you could mount a scope if you wanted in the future
7)reliable as you will find.
8)definetly a great plinker
9)accuracy, i shoot mine out to 150 meters, but can hit copenhagen cans all day long at 100meters with wolf 154gr sp ammo.

con's
there are none for what you want it for!

 

[Anteater1717]

ruger pc4 or pc9
they take pistol ammo 9mm or 40 s&w about 14 cents a round
cost around 400 new 300 used in good shape
you can get a scope mount so no worries there
detachable mags 10 roud mags in ca 30s 20s are also avalible depending on location
semi auto
light wieght
little recoil
two varietys of iron sights are availbe
prety accurate
lots of accseories avaliebel from ruger
takes pistol mags so you can get a pistol to match
i looking at one

 

[RainDownmyBlues]

Another stipulation I forgot.

No pistol ammo.

Rifle cartriges please

 

[MatthewVanitas]

When I think "max range for min $", I think .223 round.

Glancing around, it appears that Stevens (a branch of Savage) has their Model 200 in .223 for $250ish these days.

http://www.savagearms.com/st_200short.htm

That would be without sights, and since you want accurate iron sights, you'd need to purchase some sort of aperture sight and get it installed.


Check out the Stevens 200 in .223 (or a used Savage in same caliber), see if it's what you want, and then maybe post a new topic: "Aftermarket aperture sights for Stevens/Savage?"

Should be able to pull this off, rifle and sights, for under $350, brand new.

Good call on the iron sights, provided you have good eyes. Don't forget, every Marine recruit learns how to hit a man-sized target at 500m using the peep sights on the M16. Your Stevens/Savage should be easily capable of that.

Let us know what you end up picking, -MV

 

[possum]

raindownmyblues,
when you said you don't want .22 does that mean .22lr or .22 caliber all together? thanks.

 

[RainDownmyBlues]

Lr.

But I have no experience with other .22's.

I'd want something that can put someone down if it ever had to come to that, god forbid.

 

[ugaarguy]

Maybe a Swiss K-31 or Persian Mauser from these guys if you wanna shoot irons. http://www.samcoglobal.com/rifles.html

Edit to add: M-1 Garands also have great iron sights, and pricing from the CMP is very good. http://www.odcmp.com/Services/Rifles/m1garand.htm

Ammo too; http://ammunitiontogo.com/catalog/index.php?manufacturers_id=12

 

[ugaarguy]

Lr.

But I have no experience with other .22's.

I'd want something that can put someone down if it ever had to come to that, god forbid.

The M-16 fires the 5.56 NATO round, subtle differences, but it's pretty much the same thing as .223. I'm with ya, hope you never need to use one for it, but yeah .223 will put a man down if it comes to it.

I like the Stevens M-200 for the money too. I've fired many Savages and those things will shoot as good or better than rifles that cost twice that. I think the M-200 is the best value going on a new bolt rifle.

 

[rangerruck]

if you wanna scope it, id go with a Savage or cz, hands down. i think Remmy is the only maker out there right now , making centerifires with a fully adjustable, factory rear site, and front site. Get either in 223, 308, 3006, 763.39, or 6.5 swedish.

right now, at the Gander Mountian stores here in houston, they are doing a clearance on their rifles. take an additional 50 bucks off any rifle new or used, sale priced or not, that is at least 250 dollars. they had a Savage package rifle in 3006 for 329, this would put your cost at 279 plus tax!! wow.
Don'tknow if they are doing this deal at stores in other states, though.
cz's do come with a fine front site, but the rear site is a dovetail, v notch type, you would have to go to their site, to see if they have rifles with better stock sights.

 

[Vibe]

Well there's also the 17 rimfires - but they aren't much for "putting someone down" if it came to it. I would imagine that they would at close range, but I'd hate to depend on it. There is the hornet, I know that Ruger, Savage, and CZ all make bolt guns for it. The SKS has already been mentioned, but 7.62x39 ammo has been in limited supply around here for a while. The gunshop I go to has been in an "allotment" situation, and usually sells out on the first day the stuff comes in.

 

[RainDownmyBlues]

I"m going to bed, I'll check this in the morning.

 

[dfaugh]

Well, since you don't want a pistol caliber (my favorite plinker is a 9mm Hi-Point carbine) then you gotta go SKS...Cheap to buy ($100 or $160 for an "unissued" one), and even withe the current ammo shortages, and price increases, still about the cheapest centerfire rifle to feed.

 

[Brian Williams]

Even though you said no pistol ammo, I am going to recommend a Marlin 1894 or Rossi 1892 in 357, 44mag or 45 colt. These are cheaper than rifle ammo and still pack a good punch.

barring that , just about any AR or anything that shoots 7.62x39(AK or SKS)

b
<><

 

[Cueball]

Either an SKS (semi-auto), if you want an old rifle or a Savage (bolt action) like the Model 12 would be great choices. Depending on your preference, either will fit the bill.

 

[jmcraven]

You could probably find a Ruger Mini-14 in .223 cal for $450 (used). That would be a great plinking gun, based on your wants.

My problem with the SKS is that they are 1) Heavy, 2) they are bulky, & 3) they kick. The kick isn't like a 7mm Mag, but it's close to a 30-30- not what I want in a "plinker."

.223 ammo is cheap, kicks very little, and the Mini-14 is a great gun. It's definitley not as cheap upfront to buy as an SKS, but I think it would make you a lot happier in the long run.

 

[22-rimfire]

Centerfire plinker.... what to choose?

It depends on how you envision "plinking". Define plinking from your perspective? Are you doing this activity at a range or out in the woods/country? Do you want to carry this rifle hiking or hunting?

You need to decide on action type. Are you thinking military type firearm or traditional sporter design?

Semi-Auto: My 22 centerfire plinker is a Ruger Mini-14 (223 caliber). Mine does not have a scope on it, but a low powered scope works well with them. If you are thinking about a military type rifle, I would look at AR-15's, Bushmasters, SKS, or AK-47 semi-auto clones.

Lever Action: Fun guns. I like the Marlins like the 1894 in 357 for general use. They are available in 41 and 44 mag too.

Bolt Action: CZ, Savage, or Remington would be my choice in 223.

Pump Action: I wouldn't go there. Not many choices and the Remington 760 or 7600 is the dominant choice. Primarily a hunting rifle.

 

[Dark Helmet]

Savage/Stevens in 243 or 7-08, ammo can be had for 243 cheap on sale at the marts.

 

[EvisceratorSrB]

I'm straying from the crowd

and I'm going to recommend an old surplus rifle. Mausers and Mosins are fun! If you're looking to reload your ammunition, these are great choices. The Mauser style rifles have EXCELLENT sights. Yugo M48's are cheaper than the normal German 98k's, but more accurate too. I buy my 15 round boxes for $3.00 flat. As for Mosins, they have great actions and great accuracy. I have a .223 SU-16, a 7.62x39 SKS, a Yugo M48 Mauser, and a Remington 870 pump. By far my favorite is the Mauser.

If looking for a self loading rifle, the SKS is the way to go. It doesn't kick much at all. 7.62x39 is still at ok prices over here, however, everyone else on THR complains about availability and price. Check to see.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

Eviscerator brings up a good point about milsurp (military surplus) Mausers. You can also upgrade the sights of milsurps, without making any permanent changes to a historical gun, by checking out Mojo Sights (www.mojosights.com)



A milsurp Mauser will set you back maybe $150 or so these days, right? 8mm milsurp ammo is still sold in bulk, not sure when that will run out.



I think part of the reason that you're getting such a variety of responses is that folks aren't totally clear on your intended purpose and key priorities. Will you be mainly shooting this rifle at the range, carrying it hunting through the hills, keeping it next to your bedside for defense?

I still vote Stevens/Savage in .223 for the best combo of the following:

-affordable/available ammo, 15c a shot with bulk .223
-long-range accuracy (if it's anything like the Savage I've shot)
-ability to accept iron sights (check out Williams Gun Sights), and to later accept a scope.
-sufficiently powerful for self-defense (according to most world militaries)
-quality rifle for $250, just a simplified version of the nicer Savages

Not exactly a rifle for tactically clearing a building, or hunting bear, but covers most other situations nicely. Plus you'll have no problem upgrading or selling it later if your priorities change.

-MV

 

[RainDownmyBlues]

I think part of the reason that you're getting such a variety of responses is that folks aren't totally clear on your intended purpose and key priorities. Will you be mainly shooting this rifle at the range, carrying it hunting through the hills, keeping it next to your bedside for defense?

My main priority lies within the most pinpoint long range accuracy I can get.

I can't legally hunt anything but a varmint in Illinois with a rifle. A shame really, I prefer a rifle to anything else.

Not a gun I'd keep at my bedside, I have a pistol for that. But I'd like the ammunition to have addequate power to "stop" a person if they were an agressor.

Umm. I also want the recoil to be manageable as well. Since it will be a "range gun" of sorts I don't want the heavy recoil of a traditional service marksmen's gun. I want to go through a few boxes of ammo at a time and still have feeling left in my shoulder.

Also It'll see time at a designated range. But most of the shooting done by the rifle will be in a field shot into a hill on some land of mine.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

Oh yeah, I'd say that a .223 boltgun would suit you best in that case. The word "pinpoint" pretty much rules out Mini-14, Saiga, AK, SKS, etc.

Affordable ammo + long range + low recoil = .223

You could conceivably get an AR-15 put together for a bit over $450, but that would be using a hodge-podge of generic and used parts. That's not necessarily bad, but is probably not conducive to long-range accuracy such as you appear to be seeking. If your future budgets are higher, a nice "varminter" style AR with 24" barrel, flattop with scope, and bipod would be an really fun piece of gear. But a Stevens would do essentially the same thing as well or better for half the price, just at a lower rate of fire. *shrug*


-MV

 

[lycanthrope]

AR kit gun for $515.

 

[TexAg]

Saiga

Saiga in .223. Low cost gun, low cost ammo, still a man-stopper if needed.

Originally Posted by Correia
Janos, my regular price on the new .223s is $290, and I'm doing a labor day sale that will probably knock another $25-$30 off of them.

 

[dfaugh]

My problem with the SKS is that they are 1) Heavy, 2) they are bulky, & 3) they kick. The kick isn't like a 7mm Mag, but it's close to a 30-30- not what I want in a "plinker."

Recoil in an SKS? See 1 and 2 above. My SKSs recoil about the same as my 9mm Hipoint carbine---pretty much not at all. Certainly less than any other centerfire rifle I've ever shot (excpet maybe .223, which I've never shot).