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Wyosmith · November 8, 2011, 11:40 AM

In a "non-military" auto loading hunting rifle the best choices available today are as follows;

#1 Browning BAR (2 versions --- both of which are excellent. Available in both left and right hand versions in every caliber offered) This is the same basic action as the FNAR offered by FN USA , but the FNAR is more of the "military style" you are trying to avoid. The FNAR uses 10 and 20 round detachable magazines and is offered in 308 only)

If you don't think it's too "military" then #2 would be the FNAR I just mentioned.

#3 Benelli R1. Can be finicky about ammo, but when fed what they like are quite accurate. I own one of these and I like it, but if I could I would still trade it for the Browning. My R1 is a 270 WSM and it jams if I don't give it the powder it likes and it is not forgiving about bullets either. But with Hornady Innerbond 130 gr. and with Nosler Partitions in 160 grain it will shoot 1 1/4" on demand, and with H1000 powder and with IMR 4831 (loaded down about 100 FPS) it works perfectly.

#4 Remington 740/ 742/ 7400 et al. The Remingtons are fairly good in accuracy moist of the time, but now and then you get one that you can't get to shoot better then 4-5 MOA. Also they have a tendency to either work right out of the box, or give trouble for ever. That is on an individual gun basis. As a gunsmith I have seen dozens of them that came into the shop with function problems and many were returned to Remington for "repair" most of when came back working no better then they left. However I must also say I do see these rifles in hands of friends and shooters I know that have never had a single problem. So it depends on if you get a good one or not. If you get a bad one even Remington (or maybe especially Remington) can't make them work right. My friend Jeff has one in 308 that has never jammed one time and it shoots about 1.5" with several different loads. It’s one of the good ones. I have a friend named Josh who had one in 243 that could not get it to shoot better then 4" with anything and he said that it had NEVER fired 8 rounds in a row without a jam, and most times it would jam at least one time per mag (4 rounds) It had been to Remington 3 time. He sold it to a man at a gun show with the understanding it was only a "parts gun" for $150

So.
My advice is to get a Browning if you don't want to get a military rifle.

November 8, 2011, 11:40 AM	#16
Wyosmith Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2010 Location: Shoshoni Wyoming Posts: 2,713	In a "non-military" auto loading hunting rifle the best choices available today are as follows; #1 Browning BAR (2 versions --- both of which are excellent. Available in both left and right hand versions in every caliber offered) This is the same basic action as the FNAR offered by FN USA , but the FNAR is more of the "military style" you are trying to avoid. The FNAR uses 10 and 20 round detachable magazines and is offered in 308 only) If you don't think it's too "military" then #2 would be the FNAR I just mentioned. #3 Benelli R1. Can be finicky about ammo, but when fed what they like are quite accurate. I own one of these and I like it, but if I could I would still trade it for the Browning. My R1 is a 270 WSM and it jams if I don't give it the powder it likes and it is not forgiving about bullets either. But with Hornady Innerbond 130 gr. and with Nosler Partitions in 160 grain it will shoot 1 1/4" on demand, and with H1000 powder and with IMR 4831 (loaded down about 100 FPS) it works perfectly. #4 Remington 740/ 742/ 7400 et al. The Remingtons are fairly good in accuracy moist of the time, but now and then you get one that you can't get to shoot better then 4-5 MOA. Also they have a tendency to either work right out of the box, or give trouble for ever. That is on an individual gun basis. As a gunsmith I have seen dozens of them that came into the shop with function problems and many were returned to Remington for "repair" most of when came back working no better then they left. However I must also say I do see these rifles in hands of friends and shooters I know that have never had a single problem. So it depends on if you get a good one or not. If you get a bad one even Remington (or maybe especially Remington) can't make them work right. My friend Jeff has one in 308 that has never jammed one time and it shoots about 1.5" with several different loads. It’s one of the good ones. I have a friend named Josh who had one in 243 that could not get it to shoot better then 4" with anything and he said that it had NEVER fired 8 rounds in a row without a jam, and most times it would jam at least one time per mag (4 rounds) It had been to Remington 3 time. He sold it to a man at a gun show with the understanding it was only a "parts gun" for $150 So. My advice is to get a Browning if you don't want to get a military rifle.