Expensive decisions

[American123]

AR10 is the obvious choice. Get it while you can before Oregon's gun restrictions get as retarded as Washington's.

Brother lives in Montana and has taken more than one buck with his. You can hunt with it if you really want to.

 

[lucusloc]

Just to mention, the mini 30 really isn't a "heavy caliber" rifle. 7.63x39 is still solidly an intermediate cartridge just like the .223. It just trades velocity for mass. The .308 is truly a full power cartridge, so if you are looking for expanded capability that is the only real choice you have presented. the only thing the mini 30 gets you is a new cartridge that starts with a "3" (or a "7" in mm, if you are being pedantic), but still has broadly similar capability to the other rifles you already have.

As for the M1A or the Rem700? Skip the M1A, it is heavy and not well suited to most real world tasks, at least not when compared to modern rifles. Yes, you can do real stuff with it, and it has earned it's veneration, but that does stop it being old, designed with a paradigm from a bygone age. If you like that kind of thing then, you know, do that. But if you want capability instead of just cool factor, you really want to look at something else. The Rem700 really is not in the same category as the M1A, what with being a bolt action and all, but it will still be a far more functional firearm for what most people want to do than the M1A. It is easier to pack, easier to shoot off hand, has a lot more options and costs half as much (in most configurations. I bet you could build one for quite a bit more if you wanted to).

Of course this brings up why you are comparing an M1A to a Rem700. What is your use case? Just a basic hunting rig, or do you want one that can do that and serve as some kind of bug out rifle? If you are looking for a semi in 308 (or similar) there are tons of great modern examples at many price points. The AR-10 was already mentioned, then there are Rem 740 (and 7400) series rifles, there are a number of good bullpups out there, though they can cost more than a modern M1A, even if they are lighter and more compact.

Or you can just stick with your AR-15 and get an upper in a different cartridge. That platform has stuff all the way up to .50 BEO, which can take anything in NA and quite a bit bigger elsewhere if you want. Or (again!) if you are content with bolt actions, you can get AR-15 uppers that eat .50 BMG (for about the same price as that M1A you were looking at to boot).

Intended use case is important. If you could clarify that we can probably point you in a better direction. But if intended use case is "it's cool and I want it" then, you know, just get what looks pretty to you.

 

[orygun]

If the OP intends on hunting, almost any bolt action would be a better choice than the M1A , AR10 or Mini 30.
And there is a huge amount of bolt action guns to choose from, it all depends on the budget.

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

Get a Tikka T3 Hunter in 308.

Tikka T3 in 338 wm !

 

[NeoBlackdog]

If the OP intends on hunting, almost any bolt action would be a better choice than the M1A , AR10 or Mini 30.
And there is a huge amount of bolt action guns to choose from, it all depends on the budget.

^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^
If the primary job of the firearm is hunting then M1A's of any flavor, M-14/30's, and AR-15/10's are not ideal tools for the job. I'd rather pack a Ruger No. 1 single shot in an appropriate caliber to hunt with than any of the rapid fire and heavy semi's.

 

[oremike]

For longer range open country hunting like for Antelope I'd recommend going with a bolt gun in a caliber like 30-06, 270 or my favorite 25-06. Any name brand rifle will shoot way better than you can in those calibers with the right ammo. Generally a 1" group off a bench at 100 yds but you've got to do your part.

 

[MikeInOr]

If you really want to blow the budget you might check out a Sig Spear in 308 (not Sig Spear LT in .223)... That the military is adopting in 6.8. It has fixed a lot of the the AR inconviences like: a side charging handle, ambexdrious slide release, no buffer tube on the stock so you can use a folding stock.

I love my Sig Spear LT and then big brother Sig Spear looks even better. But it is very expensive!

 

[2ndtimer]

AR10 is the obvious choice. Get it while you can before Oregon's gun restrictions get as retarded as Washington's.

Brother lives in Montana and has taken more than one buck with his. You can hunt with it if you really want to.

Spot on! Palmetto State Armory has a good selection of .308 Win AR-10's at affordable prices. I have an older Gen 2 from them that has worked quite well, not a tack driver but certainly deer/antelope capable out past 200 yards. (Mine is the cheapest basic model I got for under $600). The current models come Keith an adjustable gas block and free floating hand guard and are probably more accurate.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-gen3-pa10-18-mid-length-308-win-1-10-stainless-steel-15-lightweight-m-lok-moe-ept-rifle6.html

 

[bumpus]

Well, Lots of great advice here. I think I am leaning heavily on a Remington 700 in .308. If they were good enough for the snipers in Nam, then they should be good enough for me.

 

[CO136]

I'm thinkin' Remington 700 in .308. Got one. Got the Springfield SOCOM as well. If ya wanna have fun, SOCOM. If you wanna get work done, Rem 700. This is my ADL (wish I would have bought a BDL).

 

[clanhanson]

Modern Remingtons are dumpster fires. Shame.

 

[Tlock]

Look at the ruger m77, they are a little spendy these days but worth it in my opinion.(red butt pad, tang safety)

 

[gmerkt]

Modern Remingtons are dumpster fires. Shame.

I've had an older BDL in .308, and later I had one of the 700 Classics (in 8x57). Both of those were decent rifles. Later, I had one of the "tactical" 700's in .223. Short, heavy barrel. It was made in the era just prior to bankruptcy. I had insoluble issues with it chambering cartridges. Also, the black finish (I'm not sure it would be considered bluing) wasn't all that good, it flaked off pretty easily. So I wasn't impressed with that last 700.

 

[clanhanson]

I've had an older BDL in .308, and later I had one of the 700 Classics (in 8x57). Both of those were decent rifles. Later, I had one of the "tactical" 700's in .223. Short, heavy barrel. It was made in the era just prior to bankruptcy. I had insoluble issues with it chambering cartridges. Also, the black finish (I'm not sure it would be considered bluing) wasn't all that good, it flaked off pretty easily. So I wasn't impressed with that last 700.

I have a collection of 60s Wingmasters. They're stunning shotguns. It's a shame that modern Remington is owned by a corporation with such poor respect for quality, QC, and customer service.

 

[gmerkt]

It's a shame that modern Remington is owned by a corporation with such poor respect for quality, QC, and customer service.

So, which makes me wonder, has production of the 870 resumed under the legacy firm that bought this fragment in the course of the bankruptcy sale?

 

[clanhanson]

So, which makes me wonder, has production of the 870 resumed under the legacy firm that bought this fragment in the course of the bankruptcy sale?

Good question. I'm rooting for Remington... they're an American icon. But I don't wear rose tinted glasses.

 

[bumpus]

I had a Laminated Scoped Ruger m77 IN .243 and that thing was great.
I sold it to a state trooper in W Va.
I regret selling it now.
Kids, If you are reading this take note. In life, you will part with things that you should have kept on with but you let go for some reason or another. Don't do that.

 

[NeoBlackdog]

I think I am leaning heavily on a Remington 700 in .308. If they were good enough for the snipers in Nam, then they should be good enough for me.

I believe Carlos Hathcock's preferred weapon was a Winchester Model 70 in .30-06.
Chuck Mahwhinney preferred the M-40, a modified Remington 700.

 

[orygun]

Look at the ruger m77, they are a little spendy these days but worth it in my opinion.(red butt pad, tang safety)

My preference is the MKII. I like the three position safety and controlled round feed. My wife shoots a Compact and mine is a stainless one that originally came in the Zytel stock. The Hawkeye is the same basic thing.
I like the Ruger even more than the Pre-64 Model 70, which is a close 2nd place for me.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

If hunting use, the Remington 700 or savage axis II or 110 seem like good choices Imo (or ruger American) to me. Also if not hunting anything bigger than deer or antelope 6.5 Creedmoor is a good option.

If multipurpose I would go with an AR10. The modularity gives you lots of options including ability to change calibers and barrel lengths very easily.

Who knows maybe some day you want to turn it into a shorty thumper (be prepared to laugh your arse off after a mag dump!)

FullSizeRender.MOV

• ilikegunspdx
• Nov 23, 2023