Springfield, HK or FN and you cant go wrong... Springfield, HK or FN and you cant go wrong...What he said.....
I have Springfield M1A .308 and it is my favorite rifle. I didn’t put any ‘lectrics on it cuz she’s perfect just the way she is. great all around arm. Even a Caveman could easily be proficient to 300 yrds iron sights. little practice and some coaching can get you to 600 yrds and a couple more.
It is very reliable and puts up with a lot of abuse. like running 4,000 ends through it before cleaning with zero fail.
It will take any ammo. I have my fancy eexpensive rounds for when it counts. But, I shoot Russian steel casing. Orinoco crap. So. African and a bunch of other surplus.
She lovez me and love her.
Get one. they are worth every penny in performance and dependability.
Oh! Do not get the M1A in 16”. Erratic performance at distances over 100yrds. Go with 18 or longer. mine is 18 and is great at any distance.
As an aside, get cleaning kit that fits in the buttstock. convenient though not necessary if you have cleaning supplies.
Lastly, get a 1” wide sling made of webbing. lightweight, durAble and can easily adjust to .... Well, you probably know most of this.
If you want to mount toys and ‘lectrics make sure you order the right piccatiny config.
My 2 cents.
Marry the M1 with a Kimberly TAC II or Kimber Eclipse Target II chamberd I’m .45 and you can carry knowing both guns will continue to fire.....until you run out of those little leads thingies that make holes from long distance.
If you load JHP .230 grain use Hornady or S&W. my preference. everyone will have theirs.
Make sure you run 1000 rounds through to polish feed ramp.
If money is no object. If you are not enamored of brand envy, an AR framed .308 from DPMS, Fulton, LMT, or several other higher priced outfits will work fine, and probably have better accuracy than Springfield or FN.
The accuracy is in the barrel, and the type of platform's inherent accuracy. The M1A is a thing of beauty, but heavy and needs a high level armorer to bring it up to it's potential.
Anyone with decent hand skills can build an AR in .308 that does better than MOA, and is light with minimal recoil.
I learned USMC marksmanship with the M-14, but clearly see the alternatives these days.