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308 rifle decisions

8K views 101 replies 47 participants last post by  jeremy1 
#1 ·
So I have been wanting a rifle that's larger than my ARs in 5.56. I have a lever action 30-30 but I'm looking for something a little more "range friendly" than that. I don't hunt much but if I do it's deer and I know a 308 will take a deer no problem as will the 30-30.

So I can't really decide between a bolt action platform or a semi auto platform like an AR10. It will be getting a scope either way and will be used for longer range shooting.

I guess downside of the AR would be couldn't use that to hunt since right now large game in PA you can't use semi auto.

Anyone have some talking points to go either way?
 
#41 ·
Not sure I'd feel comfortable seeing some dude walking in the deer woods with an AR type rifle. If it's deer hunting,just about any bolt action 308 will do. If you want to beat the brush with it,get a cheap Savage.If you want to look at it and admire the wood,get a Remington 700 BDL Classic. I had one in 300 mag. but ended up leaving it in the safe and took the beater through the briers.
 
#42 ·
I took a trip to my local gun shop to see what they had.

He had a few AR10s in stock, ranging from $1k to $3k. Then I looked at som3 bolt action guns. He showed me a savage with the heavy profile barrel. Price was right, felt good, and had a great trigger. It has a digital camo stock, which I'm not huge on, but I also sort of like the scheme.

I also bought a vortex optic and some Nikon rings.

Will post more details and pics of course after I set it all up and get to the range. Pretty stoked about it so far though. And I think I did good budget wise. Out the door with 3 boxes of ammo was a little shy of $1200.
 
#47 ·
I took a trip to my local gun shop to see what they had.

He had a few AR10s in stock, ranging from $1k to $3k. Then I looked at som3 bolt action guns. He showed me a savage with the heavy profile barrel. Price was right, felt good, and had a great trigger. It has a digital camo stock, which I'm not huge on, but I also sort of like the scheme.

I also bought a vortex optic and some Nikon rings.

Will post more details and pics of course after I set it all up and get to the range. Pretty stoked about it so far though. And I think I did good budget wise. Out the door with 3 boxes of ammo was a little shy of $1200.
Good choice! Years ago, Remington used to be the best out-of-the-box bolt action rifle but not anymore. Savage makes some very accurate rifles that are better quality and have better customer service than the new manufactured Remingtons.

Vortex is also makes the best scopes for the money.
 
#43 ·
My nephew bought a mid range Savage in .308, put a decent scope on it, and stayed at $1000. Has killed a buck on opening day in Pa. ever since. 4 years I think. Longest shot was 350yds. Last summer I was up for groundhogs and we were fooling with the .308. Figured out where to adjust scope out to 600yds. Hitting consistently. Good rifle for the money and I think the scope was a $400 Nikon. It works so why spend a pile of cash to kill a few deer.
 
#52 ·
19, Hitting a quarter at 100 yds 3X. Excellent (Did you zero for 100 or 2 or 3?)

Next time, tape a quarter to your target and make yourself a bragging keychain fobpiece with one shot.

Those Savages are something else, aren't they? Good glass helps. Vortex gets good reviews.

Bench is one thing. Ya gotta do it, but kinda boring.

Paper plate (with small orange stickie) at 100yds, sitting, standing, kneeling, prone... opens up groups but takes you to another level of getting dialed in and in tune with your rifle. Doing it under time constraints... a PITA (so I don't, but should)

Snap shots and moving targets complete or round out your confidence. 1 shot 1 kill for meat. Groups and competition for pressure. It's all good

I kinda like that digi camo look.
 
#53 · (Edited)
Right now I have it zeroed at 100 yards.

It shot really nicely overall. Took about 8 shots to get the optic zeroed. That was just resting the rifle on my range bag. I want to get a bipod for it. I'm likely heading back to the range tomorrow so I'll try some different shooting then and see how the group's are.

Edit: I was also just using some pmc bronze ammo. Eventually I may try some of the higher quality ammo. But I figured for 100 yards, there wasn't much of a point I spending over $1 per round to pole holes in paper haha
 
#54 ·
I'll say bolt... own both.

Think of semi pow, pow, pow as nearly $3... with a bolt you only sacrifice some speed. And gain a lot.

But hey, I guess the best answer is one of each!
 
#56 ·
So I have been wanting a rifle that's larger than my ARs in 5.56. I have a lever action 30-30 but I'm looking for something a little more "range friendly" than that. I don't hunt much but if I do it's deer and I know a 308 will take a deer no problem as will the 30-30.

So I can't really decide between a bolt action platform or a semi auto platform like an AR10. It will be getting a scope either way and will be used for longer range shooting.

I guess downside of the AR would be couldn't use that to hunt since right now large game in PA you can't use semi auto.

Anyone have some talking points to go either way?
I jumped on the 7.62 wagon a few months ago. There was something about the 5.56 that I felt was lacking. I ended up with an M1A NM and a Sig 716 Patrol.

The 308/7.62 is a great general round.
 
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#58 ·
Have you ever had a malfunction on account of the mag?
I remember people talking about how the cheap plastic frames on Glocks wouldn't hold up.
It has nothing to dso with the gun having a synthetic stock and/or a synthetic magazine. And there is no comparison between the way that the magazine is held into place in a Glock and the way the magazine is held into place in my Ruger American 223. In the Glock, the release latch that snaps into the recess in the magazine is quite large and the magazine itself is metal lined.

On the Ruger American it's a tiny little 'nub" in the rear that fits into a teeny-weeny recess in the rear of the magazine and there's a THIN plastic latch in the front.

It's just like the trigger guards on a Glock. they never break but they're very thick.

And have I had any malfunctions with it? Hell, yes. the magazine itself that came with the gun didn't function at all and I returned it to Ruger and at the time they were having a LOT of trouble with their magazines.

Since then I haven't fired the rifle much and plan on selling it. It's a shame that the magazines are so poorly thought out because the gun itself is very nice.

I haven't looked at the mags on one of the 450 Bushmasters but they look a lot more substantial just from looking at the pictures and I wouldn't buy one of the centerfires unless they had a better magazine system than what is in the 223's.

In the .223, would have preferred either a blind magazine to save money or adapt the 223 rifle to use AR15 mags and adapt the larger calibers to use 308win AR pattern removable mags for all 308 cartridges and offer a better removable magazine for the centerfires as an extra cost option to a entry level blind magazine.

We live in an age of disposable products. But firearms have always been something that you could pass down from one generation to the next. My Glocks meet this standard. The Ruger American in it's current configuration, does not.
 
#61 ·
Everyone wants a 1moa rifle. Not going to get it with a relic like a lever action. Why buy a bolt action when you can triple your fire power with a semi automatic.

Semiautomatics rule in video games and they rule in real world.
Firepower when shooting at distance or hunting?

"Semiautomatics' rifles in video games? You click the mouse for every shot?

Crap, just realized I'm debating a 14 year old...
 
#82 · (Edited)
When I have something that requires more than a 308, I use my 300Weatherby. You don't gain much by going from 308 to 30-06. Except maybe being able to shoot heavier bullets. Problem with using different weight bullets is the rifle usually handles one weight the best.
 
#63 ·
My 308s include a Winchester 70 bolt action which is what I primarily hunt with, a Savage 99c in 308 which I also hunt with but is no longer made. A Saiga 308 which is surprising accurate but kind of junky in comparison to the others. It is pretty much a blaster. I also have an M1a which I use in service rifle shooting and a Ruger SR762 (which I won). It is accurate and very soft shooting. I've hunted with it a few time and enjoy shooting more than any of the others.

I also had both a FN/FAL, an HK91 and a CETME. I sold them during the AWB for big money and don't regret it. They were big, heavy and clunky.

If I was looking for a 308 today, I would likely grab a Ruger American or Savage and then spend the savings on a good scope.
 
#64 · (Edited)
Can you shoot commercial 308 or is it like the M1 Garand where you have to shoot military loads.
Yes, and that's sort of the irony between the two cartridges.

In .308/7.62 you can shoot most commercial and mil-spec ball loads. With the '06, the "M1 experts" will tell you to stick to shooting only ammo whose velocity and pressure curve is within the original M2 mil FMJ specs; otherwise, you risk trashing the op rod, which renders the weapon unusable other than as a club. :confused:

For my M1 Garand, I got an adjustable port so I could shoot commercial. I bought a couple hundreds rounds of 30-06 I was going to shoot before someone told me I had to get military pressure 30-06 or lose an op rod.
No, that's exactly the point of adjustable gas plugs, like the ones from Schuster Mfg. that I have. They allow you to shoot the full range of commercial 30.06 ammo without damaging the op rod - provided you tune the gas plug to the particular ammo, or re-tune it every time you switch to shooting a different load or bullet-weight. That's why a lot of M1 shooters think adj. gas plugs are a PITA, unless you shoot only one particular load, like a pet handload.

Where the adj plugs are mandatory even with mil-spec .30.06 or .308 ball ammo is on the 16" Mini-Gs that Shuff's makes. Some folks, out of caution, use them in 18" "Tanker" Garands as well. Both the Tankers and Mini-Gs not only have (obviously) shorter barrels, but shorter op rods and op-rod springs too. The Mini-Gs in particular require the use of Wolff's XP Tanker-size op-rod springs which, along with Schuster's adj gas plug, allow you to tame the gas system and, hence, restrict the violence imparted to the op rod and it's reciprocation during firing. Again, you start with the plug fully open (single-shot results), and then simply turn the hex screw in the plug until you achieve reliable cycling of cartridges and the correct ejection pattern, which is spent brass landing at about the 1:30-2:00 location.

All that said, ... with a full-size .30.06 M1 Garand, as long as you stick to mil-spec loads, you're GTG with the normal M1 (non-adj) plug, and a number of ammo-makers (like Federal & PPU/Privy) now make a line of "Garand-safe" FMJ '06 ammo for M1 owners who either don't reload and can't find mil surplus '06. This "commercial" mil-spec ammo allows them to shoot safely in CMP and local Service Rifle matches.

Now it is open all the way so it is a single shot no matter what I shoot.
You can fix that by tuning the plug down to the point where your brass is being consistently ejected out to about the 1:30-2:00 position. That's considered "correct."

HTH. :cool:
 
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#70 ·
Not sure I'd feel comfortable seeing some dude walking in the deer woods with an AR type rifle. If it's deer hunting,just about any bolt action 308 will do. If you want to beat the brush with it,get a cheap Savage.If you want to look at it and admire the wood,get a Remington 700 BDL Classic. I had one in 300 mag. but ended up leaving it in the safe and took the beater through the briers.
Why would you not feel comfortable? People do it all the time and it's pretty commonplace now.

Sent from my 2PQ93 using Tapatalk
 
#71 ·
some thoughts for the OP:

The AR 308 rifles are great option if you need a semi auto. as usual I would vote for getting an upper-lower set and building your own. if wanting a complete rifle I would go with a CMMG Mk3 or aero precision but there are many other good options out there. personally i won't dick around with a 308 AR system unless it's got an adjustable gas block. this is an upgrade i consider essential and it's one of the many reasons to build your own rather than purchasing complete rifle.

for longer range shooting I wouldn't bother with a semi auto. IMO a bolt action has more to offer there. i previously had a ruger precision 308 which was a good rifle but I sold it and upgraded to a Bergara LRP elite 308. couldn't be happier. pay close attention to which magazines the rifles use. i would try to stick with something that uses SR25 or AICS pattern mags. for example the tikka CTR mentioned above is a great rifle, but you cannot find mags for it (and if mags are found they're well over $150 for a square piece of metal).

don't skimp on the glass. to me it's a waste of time shooting beyond ~600 yards unless my glass is top notch.
 
#81 ·
The Sig and LWRC offer adjustable gas blocks on their 7.62's (they are piston). I have a REPR and a Sig 716 Patrol. Of the two, I find the Patrol with its 16" a lot more adaptable with a barrel that is 4" shorter.
 
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#72 ·
I kind of lean towards a diversified collection, so I'd go with a 308 bolt gun and not another AR. But if you're more towards sharing accessories and familiarity of platform...then I can see how an AR10 type rifle would be attractive.

Savage bolt guns are my absolute favorite. The barrel nut design makes headspacing nearly idiot proof. Everyone has copied their accutrigger and now others are looking into their accustock. That said, I've been blown away with my Rem 783 (also a barrel nut rifle). I've heard a lot of good things about the Ruger American series.

If you want a more elegant (read expensive) bolt gun, I think the maple stocked Brownings are stunning.
 
#73 ·
Bench rest shooters annoy me... guys that bring home meat impress me.

That simple.

Try putting a sling on many of the guns here, and trekking to the game-- End of story on many. Hate cheese grater front ends . One scope, and a shooting stick are what I like on a 308. Yes, I do have. Harris bipod on one (7mm Mag), prefer a telescoping shooting stick.

Oh and don't get me stated on over scoping, any scope that starts over 3-4 X has no field of view. And try one of those 24 X scopes at dawn or dusk when game is mostly taken... optics laws are set, not negotiable without a HUGE weight gain.

See here: http://www.chuckhawks.com/under-scoped.htm
 
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#74 ·
Was at Cabelas a few weeks ago, been looking for a bolt 308. Just happened to look and saw a Remington 700 Varmint 26 inch barrel for 430.00 bucks. haven't put it thru enough range time yet but am happy so far. Think around fathers day and they had a sale going on.
 
#75 ·
Canadian Rangers went Tikka T3 Artic



Add a decent scope and if you actullay hunt it won't rough you up and will deliver.

Nope, don't own own... maybe soon.
 
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#79 ·
Canadian Rangers went Tikka T3 Artic
Add a decent scope and if you actullay hunt it won't rough you up and will deliver.
Nope, don't own own... maybe soon.
Yeah, I would agree ... IF the OP chooses to go with a bolt gun, especially for use in cold weather environs.

Top that Tikka with a low-power scope (e.g., 1-4x, 1-6x), and it would be real hard to beat.
 
#77 ·
So I have been wanting a rifle that's larger than my ARs in 5.56. I have a lever action 30-30 but I'm looking for something a little more "range friendly" than that. I don't hunt much but if I do it's deer and I know a 308 will take a deer no problem as will the 30-30.

So I can't really decide between a bolt action platform or a semi auto platform like an AR10. It will be getting a scope either way and will be used for longer range shooting.

I guess downside of the AR would be couldn't use that to hunt since right now large game in PA you can't use semi auto.

Anyone have some talking points to go either way?
I am trying to help and have humor with it. I have a Marlin 336; your .30-.30. I also have a Henry .44 Mag/.44 Special BIG BOY. At 125 yards and sights only it made its target and hit the levy that was packed hard ground, 20 more yards further. It left a great noticeable impression. That was a .44 mag 225 grain hole.
 
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