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Get the Springfield Armory M-14 clone. Best battle rifle to date.
While there are the known downsides to the AR15/10 platforms, the amount of things available to dress up, change, alter, and be creative with those rifles is so far above and beyond anything else available with other platforms that it makes it crazy not to consider them first.
You can have a single rifle, with many spare pieces of furniture and different barrel, sight, optics, lighting systems that you would really be able to have any rifle you want with one lower.
It is hard to beat the AR-15 derivatives in .308. The M1A is a fantastic rifle and I own two - one standard and another a custom built match rifle. The Match rifle is very accurate and can shoot in the upper 190's at six hundred. However it is heavy and bulky. The AR derivatives are much more inherently accurate and any of them with a free floated barrel will shoot great. They are also more ergonomic than the M1A and since you own an AR they will be easy to adapt to.
I'll tell you, that Springfield M1A Scout is an absolute cherry. I about had a heart attack when I saw in on the cover of American Rifleman. I've always had a very soft spot for the M1 and the M1A. If I didn't live in freaking Illinois where we're always 3 hours away from having semi-autos banned, this would ABSOLUTELY be my EBR of choice.
Fulton Armory M14 clone is supposed to be the finest
semiauto long arm in 7.62x51.
H&K 91 ,I've owned mine since 1980 and it has never malfuncioned.It will shoot about 1&1/2 inch MOA.
a lot depends on comfort. I personally like the AR platform, and I found the FAL feels very similar. it seems very natural to me, where the M1A felt awkward.
sold my M1A shortly after and never looked back.
Personally, I love and own a Springfield Armory M1A1 National Match rifle. I've topped it with a 2nd Generation Springfield Rangefinding scope. It's rugged, reliable, and waaaay more accurate than I'll ever be with it at my age.
I can personally hit what I'm aiming at out to 600 yards nearly every time but the rifle is capable of 1,000 yard performance I'm sure.
It's a great battle rifle, but it does have some drawbacks. It's very heavy. It's also very expensive these days. I figure it would set you back nearly 3 grand to set one up the way I have mine. Heck, a 'basic' National Match M1A is nearly 2 grand these days. That's a lot of money.
More than a few folks around here would recommend one of the FN-FAL clones and I certainly couldn't disagree. They are also rugged, reliable, and accurate in the 300 yard envelope you mentioned.
They are also a good deal less expensive than an M1A. Also spare parts are really easy to come by, and mags for them are selling somewhere in the single digit range last time I checked.
Now my advice is biased right from the start so take it for what it's worth. If you have the resources, by all means plunk down the cash and order an M1A from Springfield or Fulton Armory. Believe me, you'll never regret making that purchase.
If you aren't made of money and just want a really good battle rifle chambered in 7.62, then buy yourself one of those FN clones that are available. More than a few folks here own one and they can give you better advice than I can regarding make, model and price.
Suffice it to say that you can most likely buy yourself two decent FN clones for the price of a single M1A Match model.
This is just my two cents, and your mileage may vary.
L
Never fired.
Only dropped once.
What about a Cetme?
You know what -I'd- like to see on this thread? A Freeper discussion of the viability of 223/556 vs. 308/762 from the perspective of:
- long term viability, specifically gun ban scenarios
- SHTF scenarios
Absolutely NOT interested in 223/308 effectiveness arguments. Just kind of interested in freeper opinions on the 'broad' practicalities of the two calibers.
BUMPmark
Tack-driving accurate, easy to operate, easy to strip and clean.
Only drawback is that rascal is HEAVY. Only took it into the woods once . . . fell back on my Ruger M-77 w/ a 4x Leupold for deer. You can hike all day up and down hill with that and not feel it.
FN-FAL...Wasn't nicknamed "The Free World's Right Arm" for nothin'! Mags are cheap, parts (shoushould you ever need them, which is unlikely, are easy to find. Dependable, easy to field strip & service. Did I mention that mags are cheap? ;>)
M1As are nice but not as easily serviced in the field, mags are more expensive, accuracy on stock model not as good as a top quality Belgian FN, match model is much better but at a higher $.
AR10s...current crop not battle tested like the above and mags are big money. (Except the new Bushmaster variant which uses inexpensive FAL mags.)
I got to fondle, but not shoot, the M1A Scout. It will be my next expensive purchase, after filling out my want/need list of a few more less expensive pieces.
Springfield M1A. You will never regret it.
Springfield Armory M1A. Absolutely the finest shoulder weapon available today on the commercial market.