"Tactical" rifle choice

[gozanryu]

If you are going to buy 1 (one) .308 rifle, what do you get?
Needs are
Decent accuracy
portability
value
reliability.

So, choices are like, but not limited to Savage Police, Springfield M1A, Howa Varmit or similar, Ruger M77 Stainless etc. Ideas appreciated, real world experience a plus.

 

[ipscshooter]

I've got an M1A and I love it. Never had a problem with reliability, and was making 100 yard A-Zone hits with open sites right out of the box at a IPSC 3-gun matches. For a "tactical rifle", you might look at the carbine version of it.

 

[Tgace]

If you are going to buy 1 (one) .308 rifle, what do you get?
Needs are
Decent accuracy
portability
value
reliability.

So, choices are like, but not limited to Savage Police, Springfield M1A, Howa Varmit or similar, Ruger M77 Stainless etc. Ideas appreciated, real world experience a plus.

Well...its expensive but, as Homer would say, Hmmmmmm...HK. (HK G3)

 

[Rynocerous]

I personally like the M-4... I used this weapon(a smaller more compact version of the M-16 A2, desinged for close quarters) while I was in the US Army. I find the acuracy is fairly good considering the smaller barrel, but like the M-16 it lacked stopping power. If they could make a weapon with the size of the M-4, in a 7.62mm caliber that would be ideal in my mind.


Cheers,

Ryan

 

[gozanryu]

Thanks guys, Had the G-3, to heavy, not legal in CA. M-4 in that new caliber is cool (.280) but a wierd round. .308 is where Im headed. That shorty M1A is kinda cool, but you can get a very posh bolt gun for the same 1800 bucks.

 

[dearnis.com]

CMP M-1 Garand for under $500.00; rebarrel to 7.62; add spacer block. "Tactical" fiberglass stock optional.

 

[DoxN4cer]

5.56 is too small, just a suped-up .22. HK is VERY expensive. The G3 is a damn nice weapon though, and is the standard issue for the German Army.

I'm partial to 7.62 myself, and am a fan of the M14. The Ruger Mini Thirty is a nice compromise. It has basically the same operating system as the M14 but in a smaller, lighter package. Aftermarket accessories and ammo are also easy to come by.

Chad's choice of the M1 Garand is a nice choice too... it's the M14's older sister so to speak and a damn fine rifle.

Tm Kashino

 

[KenpoTex]

If an "evil assault-rifle" is not an option, I'd probably go with the Ruger M77. The Ruger is built on a Mauser style action (one of the best). Ruger's firearms (with the possible exception of their DA autos) are of excellent quality and they have a great cust. service policy.

If semi's are an option I'd go with either an M1-A, a G-3 or Cetme (Spanish version of the G-3), or a FAL.

 

[TonyM.]

I'm a big fan of the FN.

 

[dearnis.com]

Not clear from the comments above, but does this have to be CA legal? I'll stress the garand again; major caliber, fast follow-up shots, internal 8 round feed, no hi-cap mag issues, far more accurate than most users can exploit, and did I mention under $500 if you do it right???

If you go with the FAL or the CETME the biggest issue seems to be the quality of the build or re-build; the less expensive examples seem to be hit or miss.

The other, very real question, is what do you want the rifle for? Wall hanger that will be shot once in a while; moderate shooter, heavy shooter, competition gun? defensive weapon? will you hunt with it? What kind of ammo budget are you looking at?

 

[Escrima Demon]

You might want to look at a Remington model 700 varmint rifle with synthetic stock on .308 most will group under 1" at 100 yards according to my dad.

He says they are accurate and legal in all states

Most of the army and marine precision rifles are built on this gun.

 

[Vanilla Heath-Bar Crunch]

I agree with the reply asking what the weapon is going to be used for.
A good old bolt action can be "tactical" it just depends on the "tactics" are...

Personally I would go with the M-4.
I am familliar with it.
I actually like the little round. I dont know about the lack of stopping power because in my opinion, If I am going to be zapping someone from a distance, stopping them isnt an issue. If it was within a few yards I would worry about stopping power (.12 gague, or a .45 to 10mm)

THough the HK suggestion was an excellent one as well.

 

[gozanryu]

Well, I am not going .223. .308 it is. Ammo budget is not a concern. Rifle will be for accuracy work, paper punching, occasional pig hunting, long range target etc. The only M1A that makes sense is the national match, or better. The Ruger M77 and Rem 700 are good choices as well. Probably go bolt gun, Savage, Remington, or Ruger. Thanks for all opinions.

 

[still learning]

Hello, Not a gun person. Have done target shooting in High School ROTC rifle team (four years), and former National Guard Man. Having to shoot the M16,M79 rocket luncher, and the M60 machine gun, found them easy and very accurate to use. I thought the effective killing range was important for long distance. But up close something easy to use,reload, and can go automatic too, with effective killing power at least at 300 yards or more.

Not familar with the rifles of today and will keep in mind what most of you perfer. Mahalo and Aloha

 

[te75uo]

I like the Remington model 700 bolt action.

 

[gozanryu]

UPDATE:

Found a Remington 700 PDL (Tactical) , had the barrell cut to 20" and recrowned, put a Zeiss fixed 6X on it. Thing is a drill, easy sub MOA with most ammo, relatively small and portable. Nixed the springfield shorty M1A as it has a cast reciever (my SF buddies say "no gucci")

 

[gozanryu]

PS- i just figured out the "Reputation Points" thing. On this thread it says my reputation is "somewhat negative" on this post. Huh? Who did I piss off by asking a question?

LOL

 

[Cruentus]

You would have to have gotten other negative reps from other places then this thread to put you in the red...

Are you sure someone dinged you for something you said here?

If you think you are being "stalked" unjustly, then contact an administrator and they can help you...

Paul

 

[gozanryu]

nah, im not that thin skinned. Used to beef with Don Roley, thats probably it.

 

[dearnis.com]

What, if anything, did you end up getting?

To kind of bring this thread back to life, when saying "tactical" rifle folks nominated weapons from a number of different categories. What were you envisioning?