Inexpensive rifle recommendations?

[papahepcat]

I know there's been a couple of threads about rifles on a budget, but my thinking is a little different.

I'm in the market for a rifle. I've been wanting an AR or an AK or something along those lines. I've especially been wanting an AR for some time, but I've haven't been able to justify it in my budget.

Lately, I've been looking at some Mosin-Nagants, but I'd really like to get a semi-auto with interchangable magazines. (Either way, I wouldn't mind having a Mosin!)

Here's my thinking: I want to be able to use it for hunting AND in case there's someday some sort of SHTF situation. Yes, I understand folks will say you should have separate tools for separate jobs. I don't disagree, but I'm trying to maximize my budget at this point. I'm going to say my budget for this would be.... around $200 or less. I might be able to get away with more for an AK or AR (like that'd happen). I can get more mags, a scope and ammo later. The budget will be much better as soon as I'm done with grad school. Right now, I'm mostly interested in the rifle itself.

So, any suggestions?


PS: I'm going to post in the WTB section if anyone has something specific they'd like to suggest.

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[Mookie]

Find a used bolt gun. You might be able to get an SKS but not an AK that is any good shape. No way on an AR for only $200.

Find an older Mauser in good shape or a 1917 Springfield/Remington/Winchester.

 

[MSol]

Remington 788 in 223 or 308. Just as acurate, if not more so, then a Rem 700, and I have seen them for $200 - $500 ($200 is still usually a very servicable gun). They have 3-round magazines, with 9 solid locking lugs. Not beautiful guns, but a great "sleeper" rifle.

 

[raftman]

An SKS for under $200 would be pretty feasible, I got mine for $180 just a few months ago and it's pretty dang nice. There was a guy selling an Albanian SKS in this forum for $200, dunno if it's sold yet. Of course, these have fixed mags rather than detachable, but stripper clips can be used with decent speed if you do it right, and the clips are dirt cheap, so you can get a ton of them for very little money.

Nothing wrong with the Mosin, for $200, you can get not only a durable, dependable rifle, but a tin of 440 rounds of ammo for it, which would go a long way in developing your proficiency with it.

If you save a bit more, maybe $350, you could get a brand new Saiga AK, they're pretty well-made and would fit your purpose quite nicely.

 

[motohead185]

save your money and buy a ar they are only 750 what every you do do not buyild one because it will become an addiction, i should know.... (looks at 1400+ ar and crys) but you will get exactly what you want out of the rifle.

 

[unionguy]

First, is $200 your true limit? Or, if you really saved like crazy could you get to $400 to 500 in another month or two?

If $200 is real: I'd suggest finding a good used lever-action gun. It will have the range for most hunting in Western Oregon and they are actually better than a bolt as a poor man's shtf weapon. SKS would be another good option, ammo is cheap too.

If you can get to the higher range, I'd recommend an AK-style. They are back to 2005 prices right now, mags and ammo much cheaper than an AR. Better hunting cartridge too.

 

[The Quiet Man]

Find a used bolt gun. You might be able to get an SKS but not an AK that is any good shape. No way on an AR for only $200.

Find an older Mauser in good shape or a 1917 Springfield/Remington/Winchester.

+1. Good advice. A friend and I got our fathers (we were in our teens) to buy rifles for deer hunting in the middle 1960's at a Target store. That should tell how things have changed over the years The rifles were in big barrels out in the sporting goods department and you just picked what you wanted and took it to the counter for your Father to pay for. I believe they were selling for under $15 each. I got a war-time K-98 Mauser and my friend got an old 303 Brit. Both of us still have our rifles after all those years and both have taken many a deer. The old military bolt guns last forever and shoot just fine!!! Have fun.

 

[bugeye]

I have Mosin's, I'd shy away from them as unless your lucky they lack accuracy, great fun anyway though. I have an SKS and it probably covers more of your bases than anything else, as it is cheap, it could hunt deer, and makes a pretty good defensive - anti zombie weapon, and also has cheap ammo. Make sure you're going to be happy with the metal sights, as scoping an SKS is either quick - dirty and inaccurate, or expensive requiring a gunsmith or mechanical skills and tools.

I just read something online that indicated that a Hi-Point carbine in 40 cal was suitable for hunting whitetails (if that is the hunting your thinking about?), that seems to me like pushing it, but the author claimed that the 40 cal at the higher velocity from the 16 inch barrel would equal the force of handguns that are used to hunt deer. It would be more compact than an SKS, easier to store, not 40 years old, and might be better for the nomadic lifestyle of a student. Someone has one for sale in the classifieds for less than your price.

 

[MountainBear]

I have to agree with finding a used lever action. I think I'd cruise the pawn shops and find a used Marlin or Winchester in .30-30, .357 mag, .44 Mag, or even .45 Colt. They are all good cartridges (obviously some better than others) for hunting and some reputable training schools have touted the use of lever action carbines for defensive use. They are fast and agile to use in both hunting and defensive situation.

If you search most reputable schools, they list lever action rifles as acceptable for their defensive carbine courses. And while they are probably outnumbered by AR's and AK's (good guns in their own right), they will do the job, and for a bunch less money...

 

[darkminstrel]

A Mosin-Nagant M44 makes a great hunting rifle. With a tiny bit of work(trigger smoothing, bedding the action, corking the barrel) you can get 1MOA out of most run-of-the-mill examples. The short barrel means a lighter rifle, plus you can scout scope them pretty easily. Not to mention you can graduate up to the PSL when you want a semi-auto and won't even have to change ammo type.

 

[Ravenous]

<broken link removed>

with a couple cases of:

http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=A54539R&groupid=33

$650 with 2160 rounds of ammo and it's semiauto. Hard to beat that!

 

[onearmedswordsman]

If you are REALLY on a very tight budget, be careful with what you pick. Over time, ammo cost will surpass any rifle's costs. With some calibers, the crossover point happen s rather quickly. Why I say that? Because I suspect you will be doing more plinking that hunting. And, though I may get a lot of flack for this suggestion, you can shoot a lot with a ~ $200 10/22 from Bi-Mart. You can even hunt small game. A 500 round brick still can go for less than $20, although it is not as common as it used to be in this area.

Just my $0.022 (adjusted for inflation)

 

[goneshooting]

the mosin is the best budget rifle there is

the 7.62x54r packs quite the wallop with hunting ammo can drop a elk
with mil ammo will crack engine blocks

not the most accurate beast but will get er done

got to always consider cost of ammo as well cheaper than 7.62x39 and half the price of decent .223

hunting ammo (SP) will cost you a little more like $15-20 a box but thats what .308 and 30.06 is going for and you only need that for hunting

and as darkminstrel state you can always graduate to a PSL and still use the same ammo (provided its light ball not heavy ball)

you can usually get a complete mosin scoped and ready to go for under $200

 

[Rix]

Mosin.
99 bucks at big5 (inspect bore and chamber)
ammo is still cheap.
They are plenty accurate for most real life stuff.
and the make a good club or boat paddle or tent pole, and come with a kick *** cruciform bayonet

 

[HahnsXD]

If you save a bit more, maybe $350, you could get a brand new Saiga AK, they're pretty well-made and would fit your purpose quite nicely.

I agree, and you can get one in .308, IMO it would be a much better hunting round than 7.62x39..

 

[raftman]

... Mosin's, I'd shy away from them as unless your lucky they lack accuracy...

Do they?

Ivan Sidorenko - 542 confirmed kills, 781 if also including unconfirmed.

Mikhail Budenkov - 437

Fedor Okhlopov- 429 confirmed kills, 516 including unconfirmed

Fedor Dyachenko - 425

Vasili Golosov - 422

Stepan Petrenko - 422

Petr Goncharov - 380

Lyuda Pavlichenko - 309 confirmed kills (though she did use the SVT-40 often times), by the way, most successful female sniper in military history.

Vasili Zaitsev - 242

Roza Shanina - 54

 

[dario541]

Although they are not the most desirable firearms made, the local Bi-Mart is selling the 770 Remington rifle with a scope - Brand New! - for less than $300. They have them in .243, .270 and 30-06. These rifles seem to be a bit crude, certainly no worse than the Moisen-Nagant, but I believe that they are a completely functional rifle.

 

[bugeye]

Do they?

Ivan Sidorenko - 542 confirmed kills, 781 if also including unconfirmed.

Mikhail Budenkov - 437

Fedor Okhlopov- 429 confirmed kills, 516 including unconfirmed

Fedor Dyachenko - 425

Vasili Golosov - 422

Stepan Petrenko - 422

Petr Goncharov - 380

Lyuda Pavlichenko - 309 confirmed kills (though she did use the SVT-40 often times), by the way, most successful female sniper in military history.

Vasili Zaitsev - 242

Roza Shanina - 54

Yeah, and these cats were shooting 70 year old Big 5' $99 specials?

Any comment I made about Mosin accuracy was based on the 3 I personally own, I never got to shoot one in 1943, honest.

 

[darkminstrel]

Yeah, and these cats were shooting 70 year old Big 5' $99 specials?

Any comment I made about Mosin accuracy was based on the 3 I personally own, I never got to shoot one in 1943, honest.

Forgetting Simo Haya? Though he was using a Finn M39 it's still the same rifle: 500+ kills. Most with open sights.

 

[Bubba Rogowski]

<broken link removed>

with a couple cases of:

http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=A54539R&groupid=33

$650 with 2160 rounds of ammo and it's semiauto. Hard to beat that!

Hey, these are the cheapest prices I have seen yet on an ak74 set-up, thanks!