Looking for a new rifle.....

[bortle]

A Garand and a Ruger 10/22. With some money left for ammo. The 10/22 for plinking range fun and the Garand because everybody should have one. Garands are my favorite rifle to shoot. Not the most accurate and damn sure not the lightest but it's the most fun.

[Smilez226]

9mm AR's would be pretty cheap to shoot and are a blast. There's the CZ scorpion I've been eyeing up. Those are around $900 and look like fun as well and are getting popular. Those are good suggestions I think for plinking around.

[Hawk]

+1 on a AR. When you get bored with it you can always start modifying/dressing it up. You can plink with it, you can run and gun with it, you can compete with it, you can shoot it from the bench or the ground or off-hand. You can add a scope and shoot it accurately out to and beyond 300 yards. You can buy various uppers for it, stocks, and even a .22 conversion kit. They are comfortable to shoot (recoil and grip angle), easy to maintain, and reliable as hell.

[IrocGuns]

yes, keep an eye on the classifieds here, at rennug.com and armslist. You'll find a garand for 800 or under. ammo isn't cheap though. Another option in your price range for a military style semi auto is a springfield M1A...used they can be had for 1000 to 1200 and the 308 ammo is a tad cheaper than 3006.

[aubie515]

Good advice to me. Having at least two of the same firearm is always a great idea. Don't buy one of multiple firearms as the manual of arms will be different on each firearm. Beside the manual of arms, it's smart to share mags and ammo. You also have a backup firearm in case something happens to your primary firearm.

From what I think I'm hearing, you'd be better off with 2 - AR15s or 2 - AK47s, ammo is cheap for both platforms, so plenty of range time. And, being completely familiar with your rifle's manual of arms has distinct advantages. Remember, 2 is 1, and 1 is none. You can also find bolt action rifles in .223 Rem. and 7.62x39 so a semi and a bolt + glass is an option.

[Captain Hook]

I think I may have found something. A friend of a friend is looking to sell an FR8 in .308.
I don't know much about these but I am gonna meet him to check it out this week-end. I'm super stoked!!! I saw pics & the rifle looks great.
The guy is asking $500 for it, I don't know if that's good or not but definitely in my budget.
What do you guys think?

[bamboomaster]

I think I may have found something. A friend of a friend is looking to sell an FR8 in .308.
I don't know much about these but I am gonna meet him to check it out this week-end. I'm super stoked!!! I saw pics & the rifle looks great.
The guy is asking $500 for it, I don't know if that's good or not but definitely in my budget.
What do you guys think?

Pictures would be nice. Otherwise, no real way to evaluate it...

As other forum members here noted, is the cost of ammo important to you?

Are you more interested in paying .10 cents per round, .20 cents per round, ..... 40 cents per round....60 cents per round, .70 cents per round, etc?

There's generally a rough linear relationship between the caliber of the cartridge and its cost per box.

Possibly consider lower cost cartridges for "plinking" rounds and everything else for a bit more recoil. Over the long term (especially if you're more than a periodic range guy), the cost of the rounds will usually exceed by a significant multiple your original cost of the firearm.

Just a thought..

[IrocGuns]

I think I may have found something. A friend of a friend is looking to sell an FR8 in .308.
I don't know much about these but I am gonna meet him to check it out this week-end. I'm super stoked!!! I saw pics & the rifle looks great.
The guy is asking $500 for it, I don't know if that's good or not but definitely in my budget.
What do you guys think?

$500 seems on the high end for a FR8 but if it is really nice I suppose that's fair. It's a bolt action not a semi auto which is what you were initially looking for. you can get a semi auto 308 for $600 that being a C308 - I have one and it is fun, reliable and while not real accurate, I have no problem hitting the 8" gong at 200 yds with it pretty consistently with cheap russian steel cased ammo. mags are super cheap (like $4 each)

[39flathead]

I think I may have found something. A friend of a friend is looking to sell an FR8 in .308.
I don't know much about these but I am gonna meet him to check it out this week-end. I'm super stoked!!! I saw pics & the rifle looks great.
The guy is asking $500 for it, I don't know if that's good or not but definitely in my budget.
What do you guys think?

$500 is at the top end of the FR8 scale imo.
It's a bolt action with no magazine.
To unload it requires working the bolt or monkeying with the floorplate.
Scoping it will be difficult.

I would look for a modern bolt action hunting rifle in .308 like the Mossberg MVP in .308 if I was looking for a plinker.

Actually I'd look for an MVP in .223 as it take AR15 mags.
Cheaper to shoot, cheap mags, easy to scope.

Don't get me wrong, I have an FR8 and FR7, they are neat historical pieces since they are recycled parts guns from other weapons, but not what I'd consider a plinker.
.308 is .50 a round on a good day, .75-$1 on others.
.223 is .20-30.

[solrac7]

There are a lot of rifles in that range that would be great. I have always been a cheap bastard, and could never justify one purchase for that kind of money... I would probably buy an AR, 10-22, and a bolt action .22 of some sort (savage ?)and ammo... one Rifle? maybe a Kimber.

Cb