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7mm-08 Rem. or .308 in 16.5" barrel?
- Thread starter Xak
- Start date
J
Jose
Pay up, load your own, or do without.
Any kind of ammo you would use this rifle for is going to be $20 + a box in most places, but at least you would be able to find it in most places. 7-08 would be a difficult find in some small towns.
For the price of a couple of boxes of premium ammo you can get set up with a halfway decent reloading rig.
B
For the price of a couple of boxes of premium ammo you can get set up with a halfway decent reloading rig.
B
That rifle is 7mm-08 might be a bit uncomfortable to shoot. The rifle is under 7lbs.
.308 if anything, but what purpose do you want the rifle for? If it's just punching paper, there are probably better rifles around.
If it's truly purpose driven - hunting for example, or predator control, which is what the rifle is intended for, the .243 is a better choice.
.308 if anything, but what purpose do you want the rifle for? If it's just punching paper, there are probably better rifles around.
If it's truly purpose driven - hunting for example, or predator control, which is what the rifle is intended for, the .243 is a better choice.
Hmmm... Now I'm thinking of "scouting" an old military rifle (that is functional but has no hope of restoration or historical value of course) like a Mosin, Mauser, or Enfield. Mostly for punching paper and the cheap ammo. I already have a Mosin (that has a nice laminate stock) that I want to keep as is and know the ammo is plentiful and cheap. I don't know much about the 8mm Mauser (is that what they mostly come in?) or the Enfield .303.
Any suggestions?
Any suggestions?
I think you would be very dissatisfied with that rifle as a paper puncher. It is meant to be carried in the woods. It will thump you pretty good. The forward mounted scope is meant to facilitate carrying; and is not in the best place for accuracy and the barrel is very lightweight. I have one built on a Mauser and I like it for it's purpose but it's not accurate or enjoyable at the range for an extended session.
YMMV
B
Xak - what do you want to do with the rifle?
If this is a purely fun gun for going to the range to shoot targets out to 100 yards, get a .22. The rifles aren't horribly expensive, and the ammo is cheap.
If you're looking for more range look at something in a .223. Rifles are more expensive than a .22, but you can get decent deals for a bolt gun. Ammo is still cheap and plentiful. This is good for some small game too.
If this is a purely fun gun for going to the range to shoot targets out to 100 yards, get a .22. The rifles aren't horribly expensive, and the ammo is cheap.
If you're looking for more range look at something in a .223. Rifles are more expensive than a .22, but you can get decent deals for a bolt gun. Ammo is still cheap and plentiful. This is good for some small game too.
Just a fun gun, but I want it to be useful for the woods too. I think the project itself is something I look forward to as well. I want to see how much bang I can get for my buck. You can find these old millitary rifles for under $100 sometimes and I want it in a hard hitting, common, hopefully inexpensive caliber.
What caliber do the mausers generally come in? 8mm? 8x? Would this be more accurate than the 7.62x54r? Keep in mind I may cut the barrel to somewhere around 18".
Other than the Mauser and Mosin variant (Enfield may be out if ammo is hard to find and expensive) any other suggestions?
I have great respect for the old guns and refuse to cut up anything that is in good enough shape to be considered historically valuable. I love my 91/30 and may even mount it in a display case someday (that will be another project, though).
What Firtree said. In fact, many of the Swedish Mausers are available already sporterized. I like the full sized barrels myself, but to each their own. The 6.5 x 55 is one of the best all around cartridges ever! Low recoil, flat shooting, and very accurate.
I love the SKS too 7.62 x 39, but they're a fairly heavy rifle. My Yugoslavian is around 9lbs. It's a good shooter too.
I love the SKS too 7.62 x 39, but they're a fairly heavy rifle. My Yugoslavian is around 9lbs. It's a good shooter too.
Actually, if we bring in sporterized milsurps there are so many options.
I have a very cool sporterized 1903A3 with a hand carved manlicher stock
that I picked up for less than a comparable new rifle, and it is truly unique.
Actually, a converted, non-collectible, Springfield might be a good option for you
since 30/06 is still pretty cheap,both milsurp and hunting ammo.
I have a very cool sporterized 1903A3 with a hand carved manlicher stock
that I picked up for less than a comparable new rifle, and it is truly unique.
Actually, a converted, non-collectible, Springfield might be a good option for you
since 30/06 is still pretty cheap,both milsurp and hunting ammo.
The cheap way out is to buy an inexpensive Mosin M44.
Take the folding bayonet off and shoot it for a bit with the open sights to see if the recoil is excessive for you.
I shoot my Mosin carbine with no complaint about the recoil.
If you like it, scout scope mounts are readily available that simply bolt on in place of the rear sight.
The 7.62x54mm is arguably close to the .308 in power and ammo is still dirt cheap. I found ammo for $50/can at the local gun shop yesterday. That works out to about 12 cents per round.
If the gun works out for you, there are synthetic sporter stocks to dress it up a little.
Take the folding bayonet off and shoot it for a bit with the open sights to see if the recoil is excessive for you.
I shoot my Mosin carbine with no complaint about the recoil.
If you like it, scout scope mounts are readily available that simply bolt on in place of the rear sight.
The 7.62x54mm is arguably close to the .308 in power and ammo is still dirt cheap. I found ammo for $50/can at the local gun shop yesterday. That works out to about 12 cents per round.
If the gun works out for you, there are synthetic sporter stocks to dress it up a little.
Yeah, I went to 4 seasons yesterday and picked up a couple boxes of 7.62X54r for $6 each. I didn't notice them selling by the crate. Collectors Gallery in Stoneham had several different brands for similar prices.
Stupid question: How many rounds are in a crate?
