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View Full Version : looking into buying a rifle. what would you suggest?



huskymill
05-23-2011, 12:38 AM
hey everyone, its been awhile since i posted anything. so recently a bunch of friends of mine got together and bought a case(20) of 1945 mosin nagants. basically a group of like 15 guys all chipped in to pay for it. i didn't ask for one and ever since I've been kicking myself for not doing it. I'm not a huge fan of bolt action rifles and that is the main reason i didn't do it. but anyway to my question. does anyone know about the browning blr .308? i love lever actions and that one is one of the only levers that can shoot pointed bullets. i was also looking at a used Remington semi auto 30-06 at cabelas. I'm looking for something thats not too expensive, but still powerful enough and accurate enough to do everything i will ever need it to do. what do you guys think?
also i really don't know a ton about rifles and the different calibers. I've always been more into archery. I'm doing my best to really research this stuff before i go and spend a bunch of money and thats why any advice you more experienced people can give me would be great. thanks in advance.

SARKY
05-23-2011, 01:40 AM
Both the BLR and the Remington auto are good guns. Had a BLR in .308 they also make/made a takedown version that might be worth looking into. If I were to get the Rem auto loader, I would get it in .308.

Alaskan Survivalist
05-23-2011, 04:23 AM
I haved loved the Remington auto's I've had but I've had problems with them rusting but I use them in a harsh environment. I love the way they shoot and carry and were reliable. Just that rust thing.

crashdive123
05-23-2011, 06:13 AM
Not to derail the thread - AS - I've read (not tried) good things about a product call Eezox to prevent rust.

mosquitomountainman
05-23-2011, 08:30 AM
A friend has a Browning semi-auto in 300 win. Mag. that he absolutely loves. Pretty hard to go wrong with a 308 or 30/06. Both Remington and Browning make good rifles.

rwc1969
05-23-2011, 11:14 AM
If I ever get another it will be a .308 or .270 bolt. But, I use mine strictly for hunting and only on whitetail deer or smaller game.

SARKY
05-24-2011, 12:15 AM
Then again, the AR platform is the Barbie doll of rifles. You can have it your way from .22lr, .204 Ruger, .223, 6.5Grendel, 6.8SPC, .45 Socom, .50Beowulf. Not to mention a lot of others. Just something else to think about.

pugslee
05-24-2011, 10:56 AM
The browning blr is a wonderful gun i have one that is a Belgian made gun. The new blr's have a weird safety built into the hammer, i have heard that these guns are fired accidentally because of the hammer/safety. if you are looking for a lever gun in .308 my suggestion would be to look for a savage model 99, in my opinion they are a better gun than the browning, they can be found pretty easy for about $400. My model 99 will cut bullet holes threw three shots, then the barrel starts getting hot and they will pull about a inch off high and to the right. The Remington semi autos (models 742, 7400, and 750) all have problems with jamming, especially if they get wet, a slight mist of rain will cause it no matter how clean your gun is. I own a model 7400 it is a delight to shoot and really accurate, but it is a fair weather gun, we only use it if the weather is nice. if a semi auto is what you want the Winchester sxr is a very nice rifle they are pricey but worth the money i think. The browning bar is nice rifle as well they have a flawless reputation, and can be had in just about any caliber you might want.

hunter63
05-24-2011, 05:19 PM
IMHO
Either one would be a good addition.
I'm kinda a bolt gun guy my self, but have a 742 in 30-06, shoots just fine, I don't use it much simply because when something need to die...The Ruger 7mm mag or Handi .270 are what I'm gonna carry.

AR platforms are an alternative, but pricey, your talking $1000 bucks w/ another 5 to 8 hundred for a conversion, plus the additions.
I don't need a 30 round mag for a hunting rifle...generally one shot does the deed. Any thing after that, is mostly expensive noise.

Camp10
05-24-2011, 09:21 PM
Out of the two you listed, I'd go with a Japan made BLR. I had a Belgian made and I didnt like the way it felt. I agree with Pugslee about the Rem Autos however, the Rem pumps are my favorite and a good choice for non-bolt shooters.

mosquitomountainman
05-24-2011, 10:13 PM
My son has a Savage model 99 in 308. Great firearm. He's killed deer and elk with it. Never had a bit of trouble at any time. They have great balance when you're carrying them and are quick to get to your shoulder, lined up and fired. Around here it's getting hard to find them in 308. Wish they still made them.

BH51
05-26-2011, 09:45 AM
Had a 742 in .308 when I was younger...bet I harvested a hun'erd deer with it.
I really liked it, but must admit', had trouble with the bolt on it...Took to bolt
Ruger 77's in '06 & 22lr, both extremely accurate with good scopes & steady
hand...They ain't semi-auto's tho...the 742 was a great brush gun...........BH51

SARKY
05-27-2011, 01:21 AM
If you're talking one shot, one kill, then my Thompson TCR handles that everytime.

Alaskan Survivalist
05-27-2011, 01:30 AM
How much do you want to spend?

kyratshooter
05-28-2011, 12:44 AM
How much do you want to spend?

Yes, in the OP you went from the cheapest surplus rifle available to a very expensive .308 BLR sporting rifle. Everyone has sugested everything in between and so far it has turned into one on those "What's your favorite rifle?" threads.

Winter
05-28-2011, 02:05 PM
so true kyrat! It's a common internet occurrence.

How much do you want to spend?

What's the intended purpose?

What caliber, depending on game and engagement ranges, is most suiting to your environment?

hunter63
05-28-2011, 08:31 PM
so true kyrat! It's a common internet occurrence.

How much do you want to spend?

What's the intended purpose?

What caliber, depending on game and engagement ranges, is most suiting to your environment?

Yeah, funny how that happens.....But what are ya gonna do?

That kinda like asking "I need a new GF, what do you (us) suggest?

I can't remember ever "asking" that kind of question,..... I may have asked, I gonna go turkey hunting, do you really need 3-1/2 Nitro heavy shot?
Or does cast lead bullets foul Mirco grooving.........?

Winter
05-28-2011, 08:43 PM
That kinda like asking "I need a new GF, what do you (us) suggest?



Shoot Hunter, that's an easy one. Find a girl with a canning and reloading fetish. It's a plus if she looks good, smells good, and can bowl.

carbean
05-29-2011, 05:42 AM
You can't go wrong with a Browning, and .308 is a pretty versatile, inherantly accurate cartridge.

huskymill
05-30-2011, 12:53 AM
ok mostly i mentioned those two because i found a few of each used at cabelas. the remington was like $330 and the blr was around $500 both had scopes already mounted on them. the blr had a nikon scope and i dont know what the one on the remington was. but to answer your question on price, im thinking anything under 500. i was also thinking .308 or 30-06 because i want something that will easily drop a deer, and is a common caliber that will be easy to find ammo for. id prefer a lever action as well. the thing i liked best about the blr was that because of the box magazine you arent limited to rounded bullets.

glockcop
06-22-2011, 09:39 AM
You can get a really good .308 for cheap if you go used. A Rem 700 (highly recommended) off the used rack will not break the bank in most situations. The browning BLR is great. A good buddy of mine (ex chief) bought one a couple of years ago and it is reliable, accurate, and expensive IMO. You can also look into the new Mossberg or Marlin bolt actions that give great performance considering their modest "new gun" cost. Like I said though, I think your best bet to get a truely great gun for a good price will come from the used rack. If you are not a "gun guy" just bring somebody in-the-know with you to check it out for proper function and or damage. By the way, the .308 is a fantastic chambering for just about anything from coyotes to caribou. Good luck.

kyratshooter
06-25-2011, 03:22 PM
ok mostly i mentioned those two because i found a few of each used at cabelas. the remington was like $330 and the blr was around $500 both had scopes already mounted on them. the blr had a nikon scope and i dont know what the one on the remington was. but to answer your question on price, im thinking anything under 500.

I will guarentee you the BLR is gone!

If I found a BLR in '06 or .308 with a Nikon scope on it for $500 I would spray plastic confetti from my credit card ripping it out of my wallet!

The cheapest Savage or Mosburg at Wallmart is going to go $300 and scope and mounts $100 more for the cheapist rifle on the rack.

vahtryn
06-28-2011, 12:16 AM
While the ammo isn't the cheapest in the world I got a honey of a deal on an m1 carbine. The thing shoots straight and is very accurate. Very light weight for what it is and can easily take down game. I'm very happy with this purchase and am considering making it my survival rifle. Sure I could blow apart a squirrel with it but I have a dog and the ability to snare for game that size.

For the 250 I spent I got a great carbine, an amazing stock with it and 500 rounds of ammo with 10 10 round mags. How can someone not turn that down once the FFL went through?

In a survival situation you really don't need too much to kill an animal. In north america you're mostly going to come across deer and pigs and .30 calibre can handle both. As a defensive weapon it also works very well because it is semi automatic.

For legal purposes because it's a WWII gun there's not too many worries about it.

I've had a Mosin before, unfortunately the barrel warped with some bad ammo and then cracked. It was an old gun but a hell of a lot of fun to shoot. For now my two go to rifles are my m1 and my 1903 so I can have the option of .30-06.

MaineBear
06-29-2011, 07:43 PM
I'm looking for something that's not too expensive, but still powerful enough and accurate enough to do everything i will ever need it to do. what do you guys think?

You're asking a lot from a single rifle; huge difference in a squirrel gun and a big game (moose) rifle. For simplicity you really can't beat a simple bolt action - easy to operate and anyone can maintain. No real complex parts and not much you can do to screw it up. As for size, anything in the .30 caliber would be a safe bet (think .30-.30, .30-'06, and .308). This family of cartridges are also abundant and easily available at many stores (I love the Lapua, but can never find it in stock, and that's just as important as stopping power).

At the end of the day, you didn't miss out on much with the Mosin-Nagant purchase. I've refurbished 3 and built 4 custom off the action. All are good guns, but they need lots of work once they come out of storage, and you're never assured the barrel wont be Swiss cheese or the action too loose and unsafe.

Frankly, I would find a local gun shop that employs a competent staff, including a gun smith, and get to know them. Let them know what you're looking for. A good quality, lightly used .30-'06 or .308 bolt action will run you around $300-$450 (posibly less if you are buying off season, or from a shop in a more urban area away from hunting).

Good luck,

Maine Bear

Shalako
07-14-2011, 08:42 PM
Both are of excellent quality. A plain old Marlin 30-30 is also a good choice. You don't have to go top dollar to get a good gun for survival purposes. The 30-30 is not long range, but if you kill all of the game within it's reach you'll do OK.

Bushman
07-18-2011, 03:40 PM
you "like Lever actions??"

get yourself a Marlin, or a Winchester and get some Hornady 'flex tips', these new bullets will outstrip the old flat nosed projectiles by a good 200 fps in your standard lever action of whatever brand. Tube fed lever guns have always had to have flat nosed bullets as it was thought that pointed projectiles would cause a 'chain fire' in the magazine when the rifle is fired. Flat nosed bullets are 'less ballistically efficient' than pointed nosed bulets.........and hence 'slower'............however.........

Hornady is producing 'Leverevolution' ammo with a flex tip in all std lever calibres, 30-30, 45-70 etc, plus a few 'newies' .........i.e. souped up versions of these, have a look at the Hornady website 'www.hornady.com'

have a squizz and talk to your local gunshop fella...........

Harry

Mad Cow
08-26-2011, 01:34 PM
I have my Dads BLR. I lusted after that rifle for years.