What rifle should I buy? | GTAMotorcycle.com

What rifle should I buy?

Motorcycle Mike

Motorcycle Mike

Well-known member
First off, I intended to post this in the "We know you ride, but do you shoot" thread, but I think that thread is gone.

I'm planning to get my PAL soon and am trying to sort out what rifle to get. I am not new to shooting as I am ex-infantry and I grew up around rifles, but I never bothered to learn much technical info about them (I just shot them) and I haven't touched one in nearly 20 years.
I am looking for a semi-auto but I don't want to spend a fortune on ammo (or I at least want to spend as little as possible with a center-fire rifle non-.22LR caliber) so I was considering getting a military caliber like 5.56 or 7.62.
I don't intend to hunt, but I want to leave that option open, and if I did so I would only hunt in an area that allowed rifles (I might get a shotgun later, but I want a rifle for the range which is where I plan to do must of my shooting). Can 5.56 (or .223) be used to hunt deer -- or would I need 7.62 for that and larger game?

First I was considering an AR-15 as I am already familiar with it until I found out it is restricted, and I would prefer unrestricted just for simplicity sake. So I then considered a Mini-14 or Mini-30 until I read they are not all that accurate and at least used to have over heating issues.

Should I just get an SKS? Or what non-restricted semi-automatic 5.56 or 7.62 should I consider?
Suggestions please.
 
You could probably take a deer with .223 if you're a good shot. I bowhunt deer, so it's not about the caliber really. I use a Winchester .30-30 lever to take anything bigger than deer, including Moose, Bear and Caribou.

SKS and SVT-40 are excellent choices. SVT ammo (surplus) runs stupid cheap and it fires 7.62x54

Got mine here: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...Rounds-of-Surplus-SALE-and-a-few-other-things
 
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Macs said:
You could probably take a deer with .223 if you're a good shot. I bowhunt deer, so it's not about the caliber really. I use a Winchester .30-30 lever to take anything bigger than deer, including Moose, Bear and Caribou.

SKS and SVT-40 are excellent choices. SVT ammo (surplus) runs stupid cheap and it fires 7.62x54

Got mine here: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...Rounds-of-Surplus-SALE-and-a-few-other-things
Click to expand...

Thanks for that link... the company that ad came from, theammosource.com has some great deals. Like an SKS with 720 rounds for $315! I can definitely live with that price.
 
What's your budget for the rifle, and how much do you plan on shooting?

A SKS is cheap and so is the ammo, a mosin nagant is a cheap bolt action but the 7.62x59r ammo packs more punch and AFAIK is a bit more $$. If you want to go 7.62 NATO there's the Norinco M305(M14 clone) but the ammo again is even more.

I'm in the same boat, did the PAL/RPAL courses last weekend. Currently looking at a SKS,SVT-40, M305 for a rifle, 22 of some sort and a Tokarev t-33 for a pistol.
 
I would go with M14 replica. Feels more soli and you can hunt with it too. Just a bit on the heavy side if you have to carry it all the time for hunting.
 
If your after a non restricted .223, I've heard good things about the kel-tec SU16, reasonably priced, takes AR mags.

I love my sks, I picked mine up for $375 with a 1440 round case of ammo from marstar.ca
 
I recently bought an sks from canadaammo.com with 1200 rounds of non-corrosive 7.62x39 for 420+tax, free shipping.

Rifle is brand spanking new, military issue.

I think that's the best bang for your buck with a center fire rifle
 
The KelTec and the Tavor are the best Non-R rifles probably...

The KT is 7.62 Nato so around $1 a round if you aren't reloading but better range/deer gun .
The Tavor is 5.56 so $320 for 1000.



7.62X39 is in that good price range as well.

http://www.theammosource.com/ is in Ontario. They restock constantly and have decent bulk pricing.

I ran 600 of these through my 5.56 with no issues this fall. $299 for 1K
http://www.theammosource.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_108_109&products_id=607



IMGP1031.jpg
 
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D23 said:
The KelTec and the Tavor are the best Non-R rifles probably...

The KT is 7.62 Nato so around $1 a round if you aren't reloading but better range/deer gun .
The Tavor is 5.56 so $320 for 1000.



7.62X39 is in that good price range as well.

http://www.theammosource.com/ is in Ontario. They restock constantly and have decent bulk pricing.

I ran 600 of these through my 5.56 with no issues this fall. $299 for 1K
http://www.theammosource.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_108_109&products_id=607



IMGP1031.jpg
Click to expand...

Those are worth more than some people spend on their bikes ...

To the OP, I'd recommend an SKS for centre fire and a 715T or S&W 22LR tactical in rim fire to start out with. Inexpensive firearms and a lot of fun.
 
An SKS is great for plinking or SHTF gun....its NOT good for hunting. No good, easy way to mount optics for longer range shots, cant hunt with the surplus ammo as its steel core and the ballistics of the 7.62x39 are not that good past 200 yards.

The KelTec are rare as hens teeth and used ones are MORE than buying brand new...The KelTec Su16 is an all polymer gun and there have been instances of the receiver blowing the back out destroying the rifle. One reason i haven't bought one.

223 is NOT legal for bigger game hunting. Cant hunt Deer with it legally in Ontario, Varmint only.

Whats your budget....and dont worry too much about this "one" rifle thing....cuz thats what i said...and now i own eight guns 6 months later.

Semi auto hunting and plinking? M305. the Chinese copy of the M14. $400, lots of aftermarket parts and optic attachments, 308 is not an overall expensive round and surplus can be bought for cheap.

I'd suggest you start off with a Bolt action first though...
 
sircastic said:
Those are worth more than some people spend on their bikes ...
Click to expand...
And less than some people spend on a set of wheels.... They are a good example of Non-R semi auto black rifles that would probably appeal to ex infantry coming from an AR platform in 5.56 and 7.62 NATO.

Buy a war relic was covered.
 
Red_Liner740 said:
The KelTec are rare as hens teeth and used ones are MORE than buying brand new...The KelTec Su16 is an all polymer gun and there have been instances of the receiver blowing the back out destroying the rifle. One reason i haven't bought one.
Click to expand...

KelTec are easy to find in Canada.

BTW it's an RFB in the picture, Not an Su16.
 
I never said it was the SU16 you pictured, i was talking about Kel Tec in general.

go find an RFB at a retailer....or a KSG shotgun or an SU16F....i cant find them anywhere...all sold out. CGN EE section has em popping up here and there at more than retail and dozens of WTB threads.....
 
If you're gonna hunt deer and maybe gamebirds and/or waterfowl, you cant beat a 3-barrel combo shotgun. Cheap, reliable, and versatile. You can put down anything from game hens to a deer, and you can have hours of fun shooting clays.

Rifles are boring. Shooting paper targets is only interesting for so long....
 
The OP is on a budget, hunting isn't a primary concern, so I'd go with an SKS. 223/5.56 is great if you wanna be hunting poodles, but it would be cruel to go after deer with it. 7.62x39 is dirt-cheap and a very versatile caliber. For fun at the range, you can get a crate of 1360 surplus rounds for $200+tax. For hunting softpoints will run a few more bucks and you will have to sight in your rifle for those rounds but it's all easy enough. It's good enough for deer and pigs. You can have a good, solid scope mount solution in the $30-80 range - something that mounts to the receiver so no amount of recoil will make it lose its zero. Stay away from receiver COVER mounts. There's also a good peep sight solution in the $80-90 range.

If you want more punch, you can go with a Mosin Nagant but the ammo costs more and its a hassle to clean corrosive surplus. With SKS it's 5min on top of a regular cleaning.
 
Red_Liner740 said:
I never said it was the SU16 you pictured, i was talking about Kel Tec in general.
Click to expand...

You were talking about an Su16 that explodes if you fire cranked up bolt gun loads through what is obviously a light load rifle. A flaw of a cheap polymer rifle that the steel RFB isn't.

Kinda like saying the Acura NSX is a POS because Civic....

Wolverine amongst other Canadian shops can order them. Expensive so not flooding the shelves.

Just sayin, if I wanted a Semi Non R gun those are it.

If I was looking to hunt it would be neither.
 
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