.308 help?

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silverback57
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.308 help?

Post by silverback57 »

Ok i am moving away from the semi auto phase. i have been getting back to revolvers and lever guns. I have a nice swedish sporterized 1911 mauser but the ammo is pricey. I like to go to the range once a week so ammo costs have me looking for a decent .308 in a lever gun. i have been trying to trade my swed but it seems not much interest in the south west. I have about 3k .308 surplus i can have fun with.

i am trying to get as much info to make a decision on what rifle to pick up.

I am partial to 20 inch barrel length and iron sights.

What is everyones opinion on the browining BLR. Can it be topped off with the mag in it?

doens't anyone else make a lever gun in .308 thas not going to break the bank and be uber reliable.

i have also been considering a bolt in .308 and was looking at the thompson venture or icon.

i have been thinking about ruger scout as an option but would rather see what else is out there.

i would like to pick up a decent .308 20 inch barrel not to brutal on the recoil/can be topped off with ease, decent accuracy 100 and beyond with irons.

any and all suggestions.
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Tycer
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Re: .308 help?

Post by Tycer »

The BLR cannot be topped off. BLR 81 mags are not too pricey. Keep a few loaded on hand.

They are very accurate.
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stew71
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Re: .308 help?

Post by stew71 »

The only ".308" that I own is my M1A. I know, technically it's a 7.62x51..but anyways...

I have a Ruger 77 RSI in .243 Win, but they also chamber it in .308. Handy little rifle and plenty accurate out to 250yd for hunting work. I topped mine with a Redfield 2x7. Makes deer and hogs DRT if I do my part. I can't imagine it would be any different in .308.

You should be able to find scads of used Remington, Winchester, Savage, and Ruger .308 bolt guns out there for a reasonable price. Any of them in decent shape will do what you want.

Oh, and picking up a Savage M99 in .308 in good shape is never a mistake. Ever.
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silverback57
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Re: .308 help?

Post by silverback57 »

stew71 wrote:The only ".308" that I own is my M1A. I know, technically it's a 7.62x51..but anyways...

I have a Ruger 77 RSI in .243 Win, but they also chamber it in .308. Handy little rifle and plenty accurate out to 250yd for hunting work. I topped mine with a Redfield 2x7. Makes deer and hogs DRT if I do my part. I can't imagine it would be any different in .308.

You should be able to find scads of used Remington, Winchester, Savage, and Ruger .308 bolt guns out there for a reasonable price. Any of them in decent shape will do what you want.

Oh, and picking up a Savage M99 in .308 in good shape is never a mistake. Ever.

what a svage go for? any ideas?
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silverback57
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Re: .308 help?

Post by silverback57 »

Tycer wrote:The BLR cannot be topped off. BLR 81 mags are not too pricey. Keep a few loaded on hand.

They are very accurate.

so if i wanted a gun i could top off then a bolt action would be the way to go?
Of course i guess that would be one without a mag. or i would have to try to do some kind of mag mod to the follower to allow for topping off but lose a round in the process?
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Re: .308 help?

Post by Blaine »

It appears that my Ruger Scout might have the potential of being a multi-purpose, from tactical to everything else. Love the 10 round mags, and I have some 5s on order for easier hunting configuration. Comes with a very decent (almost) ghost ring, and built in rails for either scout scope, or traditional scope....If you don't want the capacity, an 88 in 308 would be sweet, but, mags are tough to find, and expensive. An 88 mag for my 284 cost 75 bucks and that was a good price :o :shock: :(
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silverback57
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Re: .308 help?

Post by silverback57 »

BlaineG wrote:It appears that my Ruger Scout might have the potential of being a multi-purpose, from tactical to everything else. Love the 10 round mags, and I have some 5s on order for easier hunting configuration. Comes with a very decent (almost) ghost ring, and built in rails for either scout scope, or traditional scope....If you don't want the capacity, an 88 in 308 would be sweet, but, mags are tough to find, and expensive. An 88 mag for my 284 cost 75 bucks and that was a good price :o :shock: :(

i have been doing research tell its coming out of my ears and thats why i figured i would start asking around.
i have been looking at the ruger scout but the price for that thing and the demand is so high. still i see where they have finally come out with an 18 inch barrel. that's about the minimum i would want to go.

geez!!! 75 per mag.

hell i should have stayed with the vepr.
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Re: .308 help?

Post by BigSky56 »

you can find a 99E in 308 400$ -500$ the mag can be topped of as its a rotatory spool non detachable less you find a 99C with detachable mag open sights or your favorite glass. danny
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Re: .308 help?

Post by gcburt »

silverback57 wrote: doens't anyone else make a lever gun in .308 thas not going to break the bank and be uber reliable.

Some other lever action 308's I am now interested in are: Winchester 88, Savage 99, Marlin 308MX

I have the BLR - what do you mean by topped off? Once you chamber a round you can remove the magazine and replace the 4th round making it 4+1. It that what topping off means?

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Re: .308 help?

Post by silverback57 »

gcburt wrote:
silverback57 wrote: doens't anyone else make a lever gun in .308 thas not going to break the bank and be uber reliable.

Some other lever action 308's I am now interested in are: Winchester 88, Savage 99, Marlin 308MX

I have the BLR - what do you mean by topped off? Once you chamber a round you can remove the magazine and replace the 4th round making it 4+1. It that what topping off means?

GCBurt
top off something like a shotgun ore m92 lever. if you needed a quick round then when you open the action you could place a round in close it and fire.
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silverback57
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Re: .308 help?

Post by silverback57 »

BigSky56 wrote:you can find a 99E in 308 400$ -500$ the mag can be topped of as its a rotatory spool non detachable less you find a 99C with detachable mag open sights or your favorite glass. danny

now thats what i am talking about. if one needs a quick round then toss it in close it and fire.

i will have to check them out. 20 inch barrels? what the accuracy like?

right just tried looking for one.....that might not happen in a while form the looks of it.
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Re: .308 help?

Post by tman »

Savage 99A has a 20" barrell and rotary magazine.
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Re: .308 help?

Post by silverback57 »

tman wrote:Savage 99A has a 20" barrell and rotary magazine.

its starting to sound like thats the rifle i have been looking for. wander what they do for accuracy? i have to get sleep before work. going to be difficult.
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Re: .308 help?

Post by 3leggedturtle »

I know you didn't ask, but I have a 308Win in a Hand-rifle. I had/kept a thousand GI brass since '84 and finally bought this rifle, it would tide you over till you find a lever.
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Re: .308 help?

Post by 2ndovc »

Ishapore Enfiled if you want something cheap. This one's a Gibbs fake Jungle Carbine I picked up for
$50. though they're running about $250 these days.

Image

Surprisingly accurate too.

jb 8)
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Re: .308 help?

Post by tman »

You can go the AMISH ASSUALT RIFLE route. A Remington carbine, 18.5" barreled 760 pump with a 10 round aftermarket magazine. :wink:
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Re: .308 help?

Post by Tumbleweeds II »

Mine is a 99F from about 1956. Well, it's a .300 Savage but they were made in .308 as well.

6.5 lbs, 22" pencil barrel, MOA accuracy for three shots (then the barrel heats up), factory d&t'd. With a light scope, 7# all up. Holds five rounds in the rotary mag, and you can open the bolt half way and slip another into the chamber if you want to. The "top off" feature is a good way to chamber a small game round, or a 6th round if you're going out to face a mob.

I think the 99 is one of the best sporting rifles ever made in America, but they don't make them any more and good used ones aren't cheap. A Remington pump is a good rifle too, and cheaper. Or, you can get a Stevens or Savage bolt for about $300 and shoot little bitty groups.

BTW with todays' ammo hoarding, you can probably swap that stash of .308 for a pretty decent lever rifle. Just saying.
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Re: .308 help?

Post by rimrock »

i like my Remington VTR in .308, but I'd like better if I could afford to add a new trigger guard with 10 round mags ( about $300). I' also wouldn't mind having the Remington police Patrol Pump in .308.
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Re: .308 help?

Post by Lastmohecken »

Get the BLR and a few extra mags. I usually carry two extras when hunting, and a few loose rounds. If you run the BLR dry, you can throw one in the chamber and close the action, but you can also change the mag out, very quickly, for a fresh loaded one. That's about as good as it gets.

You can't top off any bolt action with out having an empty chamber, except for the old 30-40 Krag Jorgenson, that I am aware of. Of course you can top off a tradition leveraction like a Winchester or Marlin, with a round left in the chamber.
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Re: .308 help?

Post by handirifle »

Lastmohecken wrote:Get the BLR and a few extra mags. I usually carry two extras when hunting, and a few loose rounds. If you run the BLR dry, you can throw one in the chamber and close the action, but you can also change the mag out, very quickly, for a fresh loaded one. That's about as good as it gets.

You can't top off any bolt action with out having an empty chamber, except for the old 30-40 Krag Jorgenson, that I am aware of. Of course you can top off a tradition leveraction like a Winchester or Marlin, with a round left in the chamber.
If by that you mean, cause it would extract the round as you pull the bolt back, I agree, but otherwise I have to disagree.

My Savage 30-06 (works the same in 308) has a detachable mag. I can eject a fired round, slide a loaded round into the chamber, and top off the magazine without removing it from the rifle. I do not see why any bolt gun, detachable mag or otherwise could not be loaded this way.

But if one wants a lever in 308, my choice would be the BLR. I never owned either, but have held the Savage 99, and the BLR, and prefer the length of the BLR. It is a much handier gun to carry and aim, for me.
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Re: .308 help?

Post by M. M. Wright »

I have a dozen BLRs and have owned several 99s. The BLR is much shorter overall with it's 20 inch barrel, just as accurate and I manage to find them for less than $650. I much prefer the BLR, it just handles better for me, almost as handy as a 94 and still shoots a cartridge, (308) that is good to 300 yards without hold-over. I use 2.5X scopes on most of mine and the old Belgian that I shoot has a post reticle in a Redfield.

Another thing, I had a problem with some rounds that I had loaded with Ball C-2 in some LC Match cases. I worked up to the load in my old BLR and they extracted easily and gave exceptional accuracy. Fired one of them in a 99 and had to put a brass rod down the barrel and hammer the case out. Swelled chamber and probably stretched action. The 99 is just not as strong as the BLR.
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Re: .308 help?

Post by silverback57 »

tman wrote:You can go the AMISH ASSUALT RIFLE route. A Remington carbine, 18.5" barreled 760 pump with a 10 round aftermarket magazine. :wink:
I have looked at those as well I heard they had some issues with cold?
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Re: .308 help?

Post by silverback57 »

handirifle wrote:
Lastmohecken wrote:Get the BLR and a few extra mags. I usually carry two extras when hunting, and a few loose rounds. If you run the BLR dry, you can throw one in the chamber and close the action, but you can also change the mag out, very quickly, for a fresh loaded one. That's about as good as it gets.

You can't top off any bolt action with out having an empty chamber, except for the old 30-40 Krag Jorgenson, that I am aware of. Of course you can top off a tradition leveraction like a Winchester or Marlin, with a round left in the chamber.
If by that you mean, cause it would extract the round as you pull the bolt back, I agree, but otherwise I have to disagree.

My Savage 30-06 (works the same in 308) has a detachable mag. I can eject a fired round, slide a loaded round into the chamber, and top off the magazine without removing it from the rifle. I do not see why any bolt gun, detachable mag or otherwise could not be loaded this way.
Ok. I must not be.making myself clear. by top off or tactical load I mean ifyou run dry one could open the action toss a round in close the bolt and fire. yes a Spence would need to be ejected prior. all this while not having to remove mag or placethe round exactly in the chamber. like a shotgun
But if one wants a lever in 308, my choice would be the BLR. I never owned either, but have held the Savage 99, and the BLR, and prefer the length of the BLR. It is a much handier gun to carry and aim, for me.
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Re: .308 help?

Post by Les Staley »

Run to Wally World and pick up a Ruger American in 308.. around $350... I don't even need one, and have been thinking about one...
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Re: .308 help?

Post by silverback57 »

last post is what you get when you try to respond using the phone and that T9 stuff.

anyway:

Ok. I must not be.making myself clear. by top off or tactical load I mean if you run dry one could open the action toss a round in close the bolt and fire. yes a Spent case would need to be ejected prior. all this while not having to remove mag or place the round exactly in the chamber. like a shotgun

I just think that would be a nice value added feature along with the speed of the lever or pump in a 20 inch rilfe.. Now with all the good recomendations I am still as clear as mud regarding which rifle can do that. Call me slow...

now from what i have gathered from everyones responses is:
BLR easy handling accurate and you can work the action drop a round in and fire without having to remove the empty mag.


Ok if that is the consensus then i am good to go except i need to find one.
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Re: .308 help?

Post by handirifle »

Silverback
You can stuff more rounds down in the magazine of my bolt guns, empty chamber or not, but the bolt DOES have to be open, if that was what you were referring to? If that was the case then I agree with you. Short of a detachable magazine that you pop out and refill.
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Re: .308 help?

Post by silverback57 »

Ok no have you ever run shotgun dry? Then open the action drop.a round in ejection port.chammbered and.fired. that's what am asking kind like thre sass guys doing quick load on.their shotguns
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Re: .308 help?

Post by BigSky56 »

57 what you described will work with some guns and not others. Most controlled round feed rifles wont chamber and fire less they pick up the round from a mag you would have to check the specs on a rifle. A BLR is not a CRF its a push feed so you can drop one in the chamber and fire a 99 is a CRF rifle but you can drop one in the chamber and fire it an exemption to the rule. Initially I thought you were referring to if you had fired a shot but wanted to top off the mag before going into action again with a 99 you just top off the rounds to the mag from the top and slide another into the chamber hold down the top cartridge in the mag with a finger close the action and continue or top off the mag and close the action . danny
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Re: .308 help?

Post by silverback57 »

BigSky56 wrote:57 what you described will work with some guns and not others. Most controlled round feed rifles wont chamber and fire less they pick up the round from a mag you would have to check the specs on a rifle. A BLR is not a CRF its a push feed so you can drop one in the chamber and fire a 99 is a CRF rifle but you can drop one in the chamber and fire it an exemption to the rule. Initially I thought you were referring to if you had fired a shot but wanted to top off the mag before going into action again with a 99 you just top off the rounds to the mag from the top and slide another into the chamber hold down the top cartridge in the mag with a finger close the action and continue or top off the mag and close the action . danny

WOW!!! thanks for giving me the proper terminology to ask the right question. I think i would have a better chance of finding a browing blr before i find a savage 99e. that said, i had the chance to handle a ruger scout and it looks like it would work as well. ruger's web page shows an 18.5 in barrel. that would be the shortest length i would want to go with and it has all the stuf i would ever consider mounting on a rilfe. still finding one of those is going to be tough and i am still partial to the lever action.

now what would be practiacal accuracy for the BLR ? i figure it would do well aout to 200 and scoped about 500. 300-500 i am not talking about 1/4 moa but minute of pie plate would work for me.
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Re: .308 help?

Post by BigSky56 »

you can find a 99e easier than a old steel frame 81 and cheaper too. Out of the box I'd say the BLR's are the most accurate lever made some need a trigger job Japan figured out how to hang a forearm on those rifles. I have no idea how the new 81 are with the alum receivers. the 99 can be just as accurate with a forearm fix, float the barrel and a rubber washer on the bbl stud. I dont like detachable mag rifles as I hunt brush and timber mostly. the 99s are the best lever made IMO I use my 99 300 sav for hunting and long distance predator shooting a 150 fmc works fine for me on yip dogs as I save the fur. danny
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Re: .308 help?

Post by tman »

silverback57 wrote:
tman wrote:You can go the AMISH ASSUALT RIFLE route. A Remington carbine, 18.5" barreled 760 pump with a 10 round aftermarket magazine. :wink:
I have looked at those as well I heard they had some issues with cold?
I hunt with mine in PA. , so it gets cold here. I use a Rem 870 shotgun almost exclusely for small game,41 years, and special reg deer season which is mostly in Janurary.The 870 pretty much is the same type of action as the 760. SO far no issuses with the cold. If I hunt in sub zero temperatures, I wipe the guns clean of oil and use lubricants that dry to a lubricating silicone based film. Hope this helps.
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