Tuner,A rifle ? for ya

[kart racer]

If you were gonna have a military type rifle to plink w/at the range what would it be.I want something relatively cheap to shoot and half way accurate.I have a mosin and an sks-both are a lot of fun but I want something else.Plus I need to get w/ya about the range at tyro...

 

[P95Carry]

I am not Tuner (LOL) - but an Enfield Mk IV would IMO give you a lot of pleasure and also - be pretty darned accurate.

A good K98 also - would be well useful.

 

[9mmepiphany]

another endorsement for the enfield #4...unless you want to move up to the best...swedish mauser. i'm using PMP ammo in the .303 and swiss surplus in the 6.5x55

 

[Dale Taylor]

I shoot a 6.5x55 Swedish M96 Mauser. Very accurate, not much recoil, will kill deer,hogs or bear. Not heavy to carry. Moderate price ammo. [email protected]

 

[kart racer]

Thanks for the suggestions-anything in particular I need to look for on the enfield?

 

[P95Carry]

Ideally with an Enfield, matching parts are good - meaning bolt that is properly matched to receiver - some surplus rifles I think tend to be given any old bolt that ''fits''. Means it is useful to check headspacing anyways.

Bore check is good too - some may have a pretty rough bore. I have not seen any that were ''shot out'' - rifling usually looks still quite generous but actual condition - meaning effects of corrosion can I think vary quite a bit.

If I was going for one now - I think I would almost like to go buy two!! OTOH there are sources where the quality factor is well up, following something akin to re-arsenalling.... more money, of course!

If I could somehow find the old MkIV I was issued back in early 60's ... and that I used for Army competition shooting - I'd expect to pay quite a high price. It had Parker Hale aperture sights.

 

[9mmepiphany]

p95carry - a slightly OT question.

do you think the (T) models, if you can find one, are worth the extra premium in price.

kart racer - i would look for one with the ladder type rear sight rather than the flip up "L" leafs

one of my fantasy rifles would be an "tanker" enfield rechambered to 6.5x55mm...handy, fast action, large mag cap, accurate and low recoil

 

[P95Carry]

9mm ........ to be honest I am not totally sure of the differences with ''T'' versions. Maybe SMLE, Andrew Wyatt or others could fill that gap for you. If ''T'' did in fact mean ''target'' versions (still lusting back to my old target one in 60's!) .... then certainly I'd say they'd command a significantly higher price.

I should mention too - don't forget the MkV ''Jungle Carbine'' ... this is in my experience still a remarkably accurate platform, considering shorter and lighter. More a ''fun'' rifle perhaps but a great pleasure to shoot and own.

 

[ken grant]

FR-8 Spanish 7.62x51----good sights----good rifle

 

[9mmepiphany]

the (T) models were their issued sniper versions. they were issued in a case (well really a wooden box) with a matching scope (i believe they also had matching serial numbers). the (T) models were hand selected off the line when they showed unusual accuracy and had additional hand fitting...much like the original hk g-3 sniper rifles.

the question stems from the fact that most enfields i've handled have been very accurate already...at least at extended ranges. other than the collector value, do the (T) models actually give you your money's worth.

 

[1911Tuner]

Plinkin' Rifles

Hey! Just noticed this one. (Lordy! I need a 30-hour day!)

Military rifles for cheap plink duty? The SKS is a pretty good piece, and some I've handled are surprisingly accurate once ya get'em dialed in...but I don't own one, so I can't really make a call on how good your chances are of not gettin' a dog. I've seen it go both ways. One will do pretty well, and the next one shoots minute of dump truck.

One of my current plinkin' rifles is an issue 03-A3 Springfield built by Smith-Corona. Wicked accurate with 168-grain Hornady Match bullets and IMR 4350, and a 200-yard milk jug buster with my 180-grain gas-checked cast bullets and 4064 loaded to 2300 fps.

The Enfields are also good, but ammo can be a little pricey unless you roll your own...and even then if you use decent jacketed bullets. Not so bad if you can find decent non-corrosive surplus ball...but not as accurate with that stuff.

M-1 carbines are fun, but the rising collector status has driven the prices beyond what you'd probably want to spend on one AND shoot very much. PMC makes very good ball ammo for the "War Baby."

Never could get an FR-8 to shoot unless solidly bedded.

Three of my favorite fun rifles did field duty as deer rifles for a long time, until I found that I'd rather take pictures of Bambi and Company than harvest'em. A scoped Ruger M-77 Ultralight and two M-77 RSI International carbines with the neat New England Custom Guns (NECG) aperture sight...
all .308 Winchester...All glass and pillar bedded and all close to One-Minute
rifles with the right ammo. A third, scoped RSI carbine will shoot under a minute out to 300 yards as long as I don't have a third cuppa turbocoffee
before I head for the range. Yes! That DO make a difference.

An M-77 sporter (.223) in a Bell & Carlson stock is my toy that sometimes doubles as a killer of groundhogs when they get so thick that the dairy farmers start payin' a 2-dollar bounty on'em. They little guys are marked for that big pasture in the sky anyway, and I figger that a quick death beats poison....so I go get'em.

If you've got the bucks to spend on one...The RSI international with the
NECG sight is well-balanced, accurate and pretty with the sleek and sexy Mannlicher full-length stock, and once ya get it bedded and work up a good load, about as good as it gets in a light carbine. Classy little rifles.

Did I mention that I like bolt rifles?