Budget .308 - Page 2

MarkCO · January 2, 2019, 11:22 AM

Bamashooter · January 3, 2019, 01:39 AM

My T/C Venture is a 30-06 but it has an excellent barrel and trigger and easily shoots under moa. I went with the Venture because it has a 24" barrel which I think 30-06's should have and the 5R barrel. The trigger was a pleasant surprise and the stock is better than the Ruger American stock.

Mobuck · January 3, 2019, 08:05 AM

IIRC
The Mossberg action is sort of a revamp of the long gone "RAPTOR" action which was a melded knock off combination of Rem 700, Savage 110, and maybe a bit of Mauser. Coarsely finished and a little crude seems to be a fitting beginning for a Mossberg.

jaysouth · January 3, 2019, 11:27 PM

I went through the same decision process a couple of years ago. I sprang for putting $500 into a Weatherby Vanguard S-2 in .308.

The box mag and hinged floor plate alone are worth the extra money. Plus it has a 1MOA accuracy guarantee. It is sub-MOA with cast loads for hunting and range fun.

RC20 · January 4, 2019, 03:20 PM

Always find out what the condition for MOA are, whose ammo, number of shots.

Reloads don't qualify

Backwood · January 6, 2019, 02:19 AM

How set are you on the 308 Win?

For range giggles - defense - and cheap prep, i'd say look into either the 223, 300 blackout, 7.62x39 & 6.5 Grendel. The lower recoil will make it more fun for extended range sessions.

Ruger American in either the 223 or 300 blk. Both use AR style magazines.

Howa 1500 Mini comes in the 7.62x39 & 6.5 Grendel & both have detachable magazines.

I own a Howa Mini in 7.62x39 & really like it, shoots steel cased ammo easily & there are brass ammo out there if you want better accuracy. But the steel ammo is really cheap to shoot & have fun with while your learning. Hornady even makes SST steel ammo for it.

The Ruger American in 300 blk would be a fun toy since you can buy sub sonic ammo at a decent price & still buy ammo for self defense pretty cheap as well. It also comes threaded in case you ever buy a suppressor.

sdbirddog · January 7, 2019, 10:51 AM

I second anyone suggesting the TC Compass. I have a couple of them and they are all cheap tack drivers!

Tallest · January 8, 2019, 01:19 PM

I whole heartedly offer another vote for the RAP. I have two, and I love them. I'm thinking about selling some other guns and getting a few more RAPs... one for the truck, one for the in-laws' farm, one for the other truck, one for the tree house... you get the drift. These guns are affordable and eerily accurate for the price. They are, of course, utility/casual rifles. They aren't show pieces, but they are fun and practical!

1500shooter · January 8, 2019, 02:09 PM

Have you looked at the Howa 1500? They are very reasonably priced and, in my very unprofessional opinion, a great buy for the money. I would put mine up against most factory Rem 700's any day.

GarandTd · January 8, 2019, 05:45 PM

What is a RAP? Is that the Ruger American Predator?

kenny53 · January 8, 2019, 11:04 PM

I bought a Savage Axis II in .308. Love the gun. I was dead on out of box. It came with a scope. The scope died after a while, I contacted the scope company and they sent me a new one. If I was in the market for a budget rifle I would look hard at Savage.

Mobuck · January 9, 2019, 07:57 AM

"Have you looked at the Howa 1500? They are very reasonably priced and, in my very unprofessional opinion, a great buy for the money. I would put mine up against most factory Rem 700's any day."

AGREE, for looks and performance the HOWA is hard to beat. Why buy a rifle that looks like a 10 year old whittled it out of a 2x4?

Tallest · January 9, 2019, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GarandTd

What is a RAP? Is that the Ruger American Predator?

Yes... Ruger American Predator. I probably should have used the full moniker at least once... but all that typing...

SCgman · February 26, 2019, 03:59 PM

Don't know how this was resolved but in my opinion, the howa suggestions were the best of the bunch.

jfruser · February 27, 2019, 11:23 AM

Cheap & accurate .308Win?

Ruger American Rifle or Compact American Rifle plus a Boyd's laminated stock is your ticket.

The Ruger American is the best of the budget rifle bunch and once you trash the factory stock and replace it with something rigid, it is super consistent.

Pathfinder45 · February 27, 2019, 03:35 PM

About this:

Quote:

Looking for a cheap .308. Just for range giggles, defense, and a cheap prep.

You could look at the used rifles at gun-shows and pawn shops to save some money. The 308 has more power and recoil than needed for punching holes in paper. But if you want that kind of power, there are a heck of a lot of used 30-'06 rifles to choose from and a lot less used 308's, though you might find some of those also.

lordmorgul · March 2, 2019, 03:45 PM

The TC Compass is really hard to beat for the price you can get them. For your purposes stated in OP it makes a lot of sense to get the basic rifle as cheap as possible, put a mid grade scope on it ($250-350) and shoot it a lot.

Andrew - Lancaster, CA
NRA Life Member, CRPA member, Calguns.net contributor, CGF / SAF / FPC / CCRKBA / GOA / NAGR / NRA-ILA contributor, USCCA member - Support your defenders!

Siggy-06 · March 3, 2019, 08:49 AM

You can still find the TC Ventures floating around online, some with the weather shield. They're good solid rifles for the price. Next choice, is another vote for the Ruger American Predator. There are a few different model Savages for under $500, the accutriggers are usually the best stock triggers you can get for the price range.

Don Fischer · March 3, 2019, 11:04 AM

Love these thing's. Get the thread over and the OP hasn't a clue to what the best is! What he hears instead is what everyone favorite is and maybe hasn't heard a thing about another equally inexpensive rifle because no one has one! Then again with those that love one rifle there's a good chance they've never tried another. Then to maybe they have and as luck would have it, got a Friday rifle! You know, slapped together on Friday to quick to get home for the weekend. Should have got a Wednesday rifle, every manufacturer of any product world wide let's something slip by now and then. In the end the OP has to go look at them all and decide for himself which one he like's best!

January 2, 2019, 11:22 AM	#26
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,307	__________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

January 4, 2019, 03:20 PM	#30
RC20 Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 7,014	Always find out what the condition for MOA are, whose ammo, number of shots. Reloads don't qualify __________________ Science and Facts are True whether you believe it or not

January 6, 2019, 02:19 AM	#31
Backwood Junior Member Join Date: January 5, 2019 Posts: 13	How set are you on the 308 Win? For range giggles - defense - and cheap prep, i'd say look into either the 223, 300 blackout, 7.62x39 & 6.5 Grendel. The lower recoil will make it more fun for extended range sessions. Ruger American in either the 223 or 300 blk. Both use AR style magazines. Howa 1500 Mini comes in the 7.62x39 & 6.5 Grendel & both have detachable magazines. I own a Howa Mini in 7.62x39 & really like it, shoots steel cased ammo easily & there are brass ammo out there if you want better accuracy. But the steel ammo is really cheap to shoot & have fun with while your learning. Hornady even makes SST steel ammo for it. The Ruger American in 300 blk would be a fun toy since you can buy sub sonic ammo at a decent price & still buy ammo for self defense pretty cheap as well. It also comes threaded in case you ever buy a suppressor. Last edited by Backwood; January 6, 2019 at 02:25 AM.

January 8, 2019, 01:19 PM	#33
Tallest Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2016 Location: West of the Atlantic Posts: 418	I whole heartedly offer another vote for the RAP. I have two, and I love them. I'm thinking about selling some other guns and getting a few more RAPs... one for the truck, one for the in-laws' farm, one for the other truck, one for the tree house... you get the drift. These guns are affordable and eerily accurate for the price. They are, of course, utility/casual rifles. They aren't show pieces, but they are fun and practical! __________________ Matthew "All men are ignorant. The topics of our ignorance may vary, but the nature of the world is that no man may know everything." ~ R Jordan

January 8, 2019, 05:45 PM	#35
GarandTd Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2016 Location: Rural PA Posts: 1,639	What is a RAP? Is that the Ruger American Predator? __________________ 22lr, 20 gauge, 8mm Mauser, 35 Remington, 30-06, 5.56x45/223, 9mm, 380acp

January 3, 2019, 01:39 AM	#27
Bamashooter Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2010 Posts: 1,860	My T/C Venture is a 30-06 but it has an excellent barrel and trigger and easily shoots under moa. I went with the Venture because it has a 24" barrel which I think 30-06's should have and the 5R barrel. The trigger was a pleasant surprise and the stock is better than the Ruger American stock.

January 3, 2019, 08:05 AM	#28
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	IIRC The Mossberg action is sort of a revamp of the long gone "RAPTOR" action which was a melded knock off combination of Rem 700, Savage 110, and maybe a bit of Mauser. Coarsely finished and a little crude seems to be a fitting beginning for a Mossberg.

January 3, 2019, 11:27 PM	#29
jaysouth Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2001 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 787	I went through the same decision process a couple of years ago. I sprang for putting $500 into a Weatherby Vanguard S-2 in .308. The box mag and hinged floor plate alone are worth the extra money. Plus it has a 1MOA accuracy guarantee. It is sub-MOA with cast loads for hunting and range fun.

January 7, 2019, 10:51 AM	#32
sdbirddog Member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Posts: 32	I second anyone suggesting the TC Compass. I have a couple of them and they are all cheap tack drivers!

January 8, 2019, 02:09 PM	#34
1500shooter Junior Member Join Date: December 30, 2018 Posts: 1	Have you looked at the Howa 1500? They are very reasonably priced and, in my very unprofessional opinion, a great buy for the money. I would put mine up against most factory Rem 700's any day.

January 8, 2019, 11:04 PM	#36
kenny53 Senior Member Join Date: December 30, 2015 Location: My back yard Posts: 971	I bought a Savage Axis II in .308. Love the gun. I was dead on out of box. It came with a scope. The scope died after a while, I contacted the scope company and they sent me a new one. If I was in the market for a budget rifle I would look hard at Savage.

January 9, 2019, 07:57 AM	#37
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	"Have you looked at the Howa 1500? They are very reasonably priced and, in my very unprofessional opinion, a great buy for the money. I would put mine up against most factory Rem 700's any day." AGREE, for looks and performance the HOWA is hard to beat. Why buy a rifle that looks like a 10 year old whittled it out of a 2x4?

February 26, 2019, 03:59 PM	#39
SCgman Member Join Date: March 6, 2013 Posts: 67	Don't know how this was resolved but in my opinion, the howa suggestions were the best of the bunch.

February 27, 2019, 11:23 AM	#40
jfruser Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 350	Cheap & accurate .308Win? Ruger American Rifle or Compact American Rifle plus a Boyd's laminated stock is your ticket. The Ruger American is the best of the budget rifle bunch and once you trash the factory stock and replace it with something rigid, it is super consistent. __________________ Regards, jfruser "Books and bullets have their own destinies."----Bob Ross

March 2, 2019, 03:45 PM	#42
lordmorgul Senior Member Join Date: August 18, 2016 Posts: 206	The TC Compass is really hard to beat for the price you can get them. For your purposes stated in OP it makes a lot of sense to get the basic rifle as cheap as possible, put a mid grade scope on it ($250-350) and shoot it a lot. Andrew - Lancaster, CA NRA Life Member, CRPA member, Calguns.net contributor, CGF / SAF / FPC / CCRKBA / GOA / NAGR / NRA-ILA contributor, USCCA member - Support your defenders!

March 3, 2019, 08:49 AM	#43
Siggy-06 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 1,148	You can still find the TC Ventures floating around online, some with the weather shield. They're good solid rifles for the price. Next choice, is another vote for the Ruger American Predator. There are a few different model Savages for under $500, the accutriggers are usually the best stock triggers you can get for the price range. __________________ Flicks just like a lighter, just a different kind of fire.

March 3, 2019, 11:04 AM	#44
Don Fischer Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2017 Posts: 1,868	Love these thing's. Get the thread over and the OP hasn't a clue to what the best is! What he hears instead is what everyone favorite is and maybe hasn't heard a thing about another equally inexpensive rifle because no one has one! Then again with those that love one rifle there's a good chance they've never tried another. Then to maybe they have and as luck would have it, got a Friday rifle! You know, slapped together on Friday to quick to get home for the weekend. Should have got a Wednesday rifle, every manufacturer of any product world wide let's something slip by now and then. In the end the OP has to go look at them all and decide for himself which one he like's best!