Which .308 semi-auto platform in .7.62X51 (308) for hunting?

[Nature Boy]

First post here.

I have to echo the folks who are fans of the M1A/M14.



I've only had it less than a year but it's my favorite by far. Just started reloading for it (it's why I'm here) and am now sub MOA....and it's just a standard grade SAI with a trigger job.

If you do scope it, I recommend the Bassett low mount and a cheek riser.

Yesterday morning, 100 yards with 155g A-Max

 

[Frostbite]

I vote for the BAR, it is a very good hunting rifle. Mine is in .270 Winchester, but I am sure it is as good in .308 Winchester!

 

[d2wing]

I have gne around this issue a couple times. If you are shooting from a fixed position pretty much any rifle will do. If you are doing much stalking a military rifle is not only heavy but awkward because of the bulk and balance. A standard hunting rifle like a BAR or Remington 750 or 7400 is slim and you can change positions easier than a pistol grip stock. For instance if you are in a tree stand and have to switch from left to right handed firing the pistol grip gets in the way. And anybody that does a lot of hunting knows that weight is best kept minimal. I have actually gone back to a bolt action for hunting.
As attractive as it is for a one rifle do all like an AR-10 type I prefer hunting rifles for hunting and military style rifles for range blasting and defense. If I had to pick just one all purpose it would be a lightweight AR-10 style or get by with a AR-15. I understand that others may choose something else. I think the FNAR is good but heavy and bulky compared to the BAR or SXR versions.

 

[Fremmer]

Careful d2, you're about to be told to work out (and ignore all of the practical reasons for choosing the BAR).

 

[Grunt]

WORK OUT!!! Well, now that's out of the way! LOL

I guess the reason I have never had any time for a Remington autoloader is that I've had friends that had them. Once they got dirty, they got VERY finicky. The solution is to keep them clean but that brings up the next part in that taking them apart for a proper cleaning. The barrel nut needs a special wrench to take it off (and they were put on by King Kong apparently) in order to get the bolt out which is why I won't have one.

 

[agtman]

As attractive as it is for a one rifle do all like an AR-10 type I prefer hunting rifles for hunting and military style rifles for range blasting and defense. If I had to pick just one all purpose it would be a lightweight AR-10 style or get by with a AR-15. I understand that others may choose something else. I think the FNAR is good but heavy and bulky compared to the BAR or SXR versions.

Agree with Grunt.

For a very small round-count of shooting, like taking one or two shots on deer from a tree stand, the hunting rifles you mentioned, plus the Remington autoloaders, are fine.

However, for sustained firing, or firing a lot of rounds intermittently over time, one of two things inevitably happens with these 30-cal "hunting" semis. Either the initial zero goes bye-bye as the barrel heats up or they go t.u. altogether because they jam up from powder residue, oil, et al., and are extremely hard or impossible to fix in the field.

True, the 30-cal ARs and other mil-type platforms aren't as sleek, slender or light as their more traditional hunting counterparts, ... so what it really comes down to is what the OP envisions the rifle's primary use to be.

 

[Nature Boy]

Another point in favor of service rifles is their simplicity. By design, they take down easily, clean easily, break less....all the features inherent in a rifle that was built as though your life might depend on it, because it does.

As far as weight is concerned, my M1A is heavy, however, I have a 3 point sling that I rig for combat carry, weight is distributed across my shoulder, weapon in front of me at the ready and I can walk the countryside all day long.

I love FN/Brownings, I own 4 shotty's and one rifle....but they aren't as sexy as an M14.

 

[amprecon]

PTR -91, cheap mags but tough to scope

Not if you have the PTR-91A3S model, welded on picatinny, not a problem anymore. It has an 18" barrel, not a good choice if you reload, but the action is bullet-proof and it is hunting accurate.
It weighs out at 13.4lbs as pictured with a fully loaded 20-round magazine.

 

[Bexar]

Not if you have the PTR-91A3S model, welded on picatinny, not a problem anymore. It has an 18" barrel, not a good choice if you reload, but the action is bullet-proof and it is hunting accurate.
It weighs out at 13.4lbs as pictured with a fully loaded 20-round magazine.

I've owned one similar in the H$K version and didn't care for it. Thanks for the suggestion, however. I keep going back and forth
Over the forged receiver M-25 and the AR-10
manifestations with an occasional look again at the FNAR. The only thing keeping me from deciding on the M-14/A/25 build is the one I want for her would cost about the same as an AR-10 and a H$K 45C AND a closet full of ammo! Plus...her Momma ain't stupid. She'd be on the Internet pronto quick checking the price for the M-25 and the scope riding it then after the screech died down she'd be checking cruise prices to Alaska. This cowboys saddle bags ain't stuffed that full anymore. Thanks again.

 

[amprecon]

Any military pattern semi-auto .308 rifle is going to be on the heavy side. Of the civilian variants out there I haven't heard many bad things about the Browning BAR series of hunting rifles. Remington, on the other hand, it's been hit or miss.

 

[ranger56528]

Never mind..........

 

[Cal-gun Fan]

You guys have some super heavy rifles...never on earth would I want to hunt with those! Great rifles, but waaay too heavy for hunting. Granted, I'm talking hunting w/lots of hiking, not truck hunting or tree-stand stuff.

My M&P 10 with a Serpent 10 inch Keymod rail and a Redfield Revolution scope is super light. Probably around 9 lb. Love it. Weighs less than my Mini-14 with a scope/etc. And it shoots sub-MOA with FGMM or handloads.

 

[Nature Boy]

You guys have some super heavy rifles...Great rifles, but waaay too heavy for hunting.

 

[Welding Rod]

A proper 2 point sling makes a huge difference. I love them.

 

[barnbwt]

For a very small round-count of shooting, like taking one or two shots on deer from a tree stand, the hunting rifles you mentioned, plus the Remington autoloaders, are fine.

However, for sustained firing, or firing a lot of rounds intermittently over time, one of two things inevitably happens with these 30-cal "hunting" semis. Either the initial zero goes bye-bye as the barrel heats up or they go t.u. altogether because they jam up from powder residue, oil, et al., and are extremely hard or impossible to fix in the field.

Not sure what kind of hunting you have in mind, but sustained volume fire doesn't really figure in to the needs of most . You're also exaggerating a lot if your comments are directed at the BAR/FNAR/SXAR family of guns, which have an extremely strong pedigree of performance. An older pedigree than most of the "military-style" rifles being offered as more expensive alternatives.

As far as accuracy, nothing short of a straight-up machine gun barrel (not "machine gun" as defined by NFA; a real-deal true-blue +20lb heavy machinegun barrel) will maintain accuracy as it is heated by many rounds, and the only reason it may be less noticeable in a battle rifle is because those are typically less accurate to begin with. Again, not sure how that figures into hunting.

The primary --take that back; only-- advantage military platforms consistently have over other designs is easier takedown/stripping. This is because military platforms require that as a basic criteria, and civilian-marketed weapons are typically not expected to require such frequent maintenance outside a dedicated workspace (not simply because they are used less, but because they are far less abused by irresponsible users who can't clean/maintain/use the gun as intended). A thorough cleaning of the gas system every 1000 rounds won't kill an FNAR, nor an AR10; but while it's expected in the case of the former, it's a case of needless neglect in the latter that results in a very messy rifle.

TCB

 

[Cal-gun Fan]

M1A is one thing (and beautiful, btw)...a 14lb AR 10 or HK91 is another, in my book at least. ymmv.

 

[fragout]

According to FN, the fnar should be sent to them for "Servicing" every 1000rds at the owners expense. ( Sounds more like a pampered range toy to me)

Spare mags at 66 bucks each? ( ridiculous)

Rifle weighs out at just under 8 lbs without mag or optic. No iron sights, so optic is a must have item . ( As grunt mentioned, you better be in shape 1st.)....Lol. Regardless, mine weighs a half pound more with a sling, arms mount, and iron sights.
The issue I had with the FNAR was that it felt awkward, front heavy, and unbalanced when firing it from various offhand positions. It just Didnt shoulder as well as I had hoped either. ( Seems better for the benchrest and prone position crowd, but not as a hunting rifle where moving and snap shooting come into play.....for me at least.)
The example I was shooting was finicky when it came to ammo. ( Especially steel cased FMJ, as well as a few off shelf hunting loads resulted in an average of 40% failure to feed, fire, or eject using 3 different mags.
It only achieved 1moa using fed 168gr gmm . All other match loads used thru this rifle Didnt make the guaranteed mark.

Fwiw...... A rifle with ability to handle a large rd count has nothing much to do with sustained fire concerning hunting. I want to know exactly what the difference in POI between several different hunting loads are, and a rifle capable of this is worth it to me. Not too mention target shooting from various positions I see in the field while hunting.( I can't guarantee that I can consistently shoot 1moa from all field positions, so I need more practice. ....lol)
I also want a rifle I can properly maintain myself, and built with parts that were orgionally intended to handle sustained automatic fire. ( Something the FNAR was never designed for) Call it overkill, but I want it to be as reliable as possible for hunting.
I seriously doubt that this same rifle ( fnar)would handle extreme weather on a hunt of a lifetime either, and am simply not interested in one enough to find out.
No iron sights= no way to accurately shoot the rifle if optic fails. ( I like to have a backup.) Also like to hunt with iron sights on occasion.

I wouldn't hunt with a Rem semiauto if it was given to me.

 

[agtman]

M1A is one thing (and beautiful, btw)...a 14lb AR 10 or HK91 is another, in my book at least. ymmv.

NatureBoy: Nice harvest there.

But since I own M1As, including one that's set up just like yours, with mount, scope and bipod, I'll ask: what's the weight on that set-up?

 

[rbernie]

I can't understand the lack of interest in the DPMS G2. My AP4 version weighs in at 8.5lb with an optic and balances on the leading edge of the magazine - pretty good weight and balance for a rifle that is likely to be shot from an offhand position.

I've got nothing but good things to say about the G2.

 

[Nature Boy]

NatureBoy: Nice harvest there.

But since I own M1As, including one that's set up just like yours, with mount, scope and bipod, I'll ask: what's the weight on that set-up?

Thanks

I've never weighed it, but my answer is, it's heavy. I'd say if you want to traipse across the woods and fields comfortably, a good sling is a must