beater rifle?

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hello,

I am looking for a "beater" rifle. I know mauser and russian bolt actions are available for cheaper, but I live in an area where a 100 yard shot is a LONG shot, and i would like a good "truck" rifle. I was sort of leaning towards an sks, but then again, the local shop has a whole rack of winchester 94's for anywhere from 140 to 350 bucks. what would be a better gun for the money? I am almost sort of leaning towards an old beat up winchester, just because of its low profile and classic looks.
 
As much as I love the 30-30, in a Marlin at least, I would go for the SKS. Cheap, plentiful ammo, acceptable to excellent accuracy, infinitle modifiable to the need, super inexpensive.

I just bought a Yugo form Century for the same purpose, as a truck gun, and I couldnt ask for any better.

Stick to the factory 10rnd mag, stripper clips, and some Wolf HP ammo, and it will do anything the 30-30 will, for a lot less.
 
This is true, but you can feel like Ho Chi Minh if thats what floats your boat, I suppose......
 
I don't know where you're from, but a lever action is a darn fine weapon. Some will see an SKS as an evil assault weapon. :rolleyes: With the SKS, though, you could put it in a Monte Carlo stock, and most people wouldn't look twice.
 
I say go with the SKS. My buddy got a new yugo SKS for $150. Beautiful rifle and if he runs out of ammo all he has to do is fold out the bayonette. :D
 
And this matters how? I suppose just because they want to ban them...we should quit using them, to keep then from banning them..hmm..odd logic, IMO.:rolleyes:

BTW, my location is there on the left....damn sure not California.
 
I think an SKS is a good choice, but so is a lever-action.

So instead of making the decision based on politics, how about economics?

If you want to shoot more, the SKS definitely has cheaper ammunition.

Esthetics? I own an SKS, but I think they're ugly guns. Sure, they're serviceable and reliable, but they're also big, heavy, and clunky.

A Winchester or Marlin (my personal favorite) is sleek, classic, and American.

Bottom line, though, is that it's your money.
 
My vote is for the Win 94 in 30-30. Its a classic, its PC:rolleyes: and there are some goodies available for 'em. Youth/short/synthetic stocks, scope rings, scout mounts, peep sights, etc.
Second choice would be a brand new Saiga in 7.62X39 for under $200.
 
Because I own one, I have to agree on putting a Saiga in the mix. However, there's just something about the looks of a Hillbilly Assault Rifle (Lever action 30-30).
 
This may be something to consider...

While I like Lever actions, the Winchester/Marlin types have a major drawback in my opinion. I do NOT like the loading gates on either. I owned one of each (Marlin 336 in .30-30 and a Winchester '94 Trapper in .44) and both had the same problem. This design makes the guns slow to load (not a problem most of the time, but it could be...) and in some cases, it can pinch the fingers.

In addition to this, .30-30 (and .44)ammo is not cheap. Sure you can get it at any store that sells ammo, but you will pay more for it per round than you would for 8mm Mauser or 7.62x54R, which are both much more powerful. If you reload, this is a non issue.

My ideal truck gun is either a Mauser (5 rds) with the action cleaned up a bit and a synthetic stock or an Enfield (10 rds) in a synthetic stock. With either setup you get a powerful round that works great up close but has the ability to reach out should the neede arise. You also get fast actions and quick reloads via stripper clips and an appearance that would not alarm the soccer mommies as bad as would an SKS.

As always, this is JMO
 
I've noticed that used lever guns seem to have gone up quite a bit in price here in Minnesota in the past few years. If you don't have a lever gun yet, I'd suggest a Marlin 336 in 30-30 if you can get one under $200. They just seem more solid than the Winchester, but there's certainly noting wrong with the Win 94.

The Yugo SKS seems a little big for a truck rifle, but certainly a good choice. The ammo will be much cheaper, easier to load if you want to keep it unloaded, and it will be the next class of gun to be banned if the lefty and rinos pull a fast one and inflict a new AWB upon us.
 
If you are not a C&R holder, you can buy the Yugo SKS and modify it to make it an almost perfect trunck gun.

These Yugos are such a good deal right now, you could buy one for less than $150 and spend $50-150 in making it just right for you and still be at about the same cost of a used lever action. Around here a good used lever action goes for about $300. You can shorten the bbl down to about 16", put on a Choate Monte Carlo stock, remove the bayo, grenade lancher, night sights, and ladder sight to save a few pounds of weight. With it shortend and lightened like that, it makes for a handy carbine that shoots 10 rounds much faster and just as accurately as the lever guns. Ammo is much cheap too. It will have less recoil and be 100% reliable if your Yugo is anything like most of them.
 
I'd go for the SKS or Saiga.

My biggest reason is that most states require that a weapon be unloaded and the ammunition seperate while travelling in a vehicle on public roads. With the SKS you can get stripper clips. With the Saiga you have magazines. Both can be stashed somewhere secure until needed. The best thing is that you won't run awry with the law in case you get pulled over.

Trying to load a 30-30 in a hurry is tedious at best.

Another benefit of the Saiga is that it is available in .223 as well as 7.62x29. Both calibers have plinking ammo available for under $3.00 a box.

Good Shooting
Red
 
I just got a rearsenaled M44 mosin from Aztec Int'l for $49.00. It looks beautiful; the bore is good, the rifling clear and sharp. I haven't fired it yet, but I'm going to the first chance I get.

You can get commercial ammo anywhere, and you can get surplus ammo by the case for real cheap... By all reports, they're not tack drivers, but for 100 yards it should be more than fine. And from what I hear, they're loads of fun to shoot!
 
Go with the SKS, but don't use any detachable mags and stay away from soft-primered, commercial ammo. Stick to the fixed mag and the com-bloc ammo it was designed to use.

Frank
 
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