M14 hunting

[djmay71]

Ok- I HAD found a thread yesterday about hunting with your M14/ M305s, but it seemingly disappeared on me.
What are most of you guys hunting with your M14s, may I ask? Deer? Elk? Moose?

I ask, 'cause the Norc/Poly M14/M305 is looking real good to me. Lots of helpful reading, availability of mods, and the obvious 'tacticool' appeal, really tempts me, but I'd want this gun to double as a hunting primary for mainly coyotes. (yes...., I know, .308 is a bit of overkill....)

As always, if anyone sees any flaws, reccommend me.

 

[Halger280HVMag]

We don't have an elf season in BC.

If there was, I would think the M14 in .308 might be a bit of overkill (if you'll pardon the pun) elves are not very large.
Just watch a few old Christmas movies, I'm sure you'll be inspired to make the right choice.

Elves, may well be a protected species in your area.
You should consult your local hunting regulations before further consideration of this project.

I must say though, that IMHO, a M14 in .308, would almost certainly do the job, even an elk might fall to that caliber.

A M14 in .308 is a bit like Thor's Hammer Eh!

Ok- I HAD found a thread yesterday about hunting with your M14/ M305s, but it seemingly disappeared on me.
What are most of you guys hunting with your M14s, may I ask? Deer? Elf? Moose?

I ask, 'cause the Norc/Poly M14/M305 is looking real good to me. Lots of helpful reading, availability of mods, and the obvious 'tacticool' appeal, really tempts me, but I'd want this gun to double as a hunting primary for mainly coyotes. (yes...., I know, .308 is a bit of overkill....)

As always, if anyone sees any flaws, reccommend me.

 

[Gideon]

M14s are great gopher guns. A little expensive, but they have a good enough range that you never have to leave the comfort of your lawn chair. I also like the 44-40 for gopher duty, but I wouldn't bother using it unless I was landsharking it. Not to mention 12 guage slugs or buckshot get the job done just as well, if not better.

 

[slushee]

Over the years I've read on here everyone talking about shooting deer, moose and bear with the .308 round. A quick search in google with "What can I shoot with .308" shows that people say deer moose and black bear are okay, but grizzly bears and Alaskan Moose may require a bigger round.

Considering we shouldn't be shooting the 180 grain projectiles through our rifles, if you shoot a 168 or 175 grain projectile, I can't see why you couldn't take Ontario moose or black bears (if you can even hunt these.).

Most complain only about the heavyness of the rifle. Some will say just man up, others will say go with something lighter.

As far as Coyote, I would be more tempted to use something like a new #580 Mini-14 in .223 Rem or #580 Mini-30 in 7.62x39 over the .308 winchester round.

That is all

EDIT

If you handload your own ammo, I don't see why you couldn't load a 110 grain soft point for Coyotes. I bet you could load a 110 grain or 125 grain .308 Win to emulate the 7.62x39 round.

 

[djmay71]

We don't have an elf season in BC.

If there was, I would think the M14 in .308 might be a bit of overkill (if you'll pardon the pun) elves are not very large.
Just watch a few old Christmas movies, I'm sure you'll be inspired to make the right choice.

Elves, may well be a protected species in your area.
You should consult your local hunting regulations before further consideration of this project.

I must say though, that IMHO, a M14 in .308, would almost certainly do the job, even an elk might fall to that caliber.

A M14 in .308 is a bit like Thor's Hammer Eh!

yea...thats it....elk...my bad...

EDIT: Saw that last night! Is .308 really that epic? (coming from a complete .308 newb)

 

[king cobra]

Most complain only about the heavyness of the rifle.

i think that is one of the reason it was phased out of the army... not taking out any of the advantages of the m14 (firepower being one of them)... 20 rounds of 5.56 sure weight a lot less than 20 rounds of 7.62, especially if you carry 8-to 10 clips of it...

 

[fugawi]

Does anyone make poly 5 round mags for the Norc M14 clone? Would there be much if any weight saving over the metal ones? I plan to hunt with my Norc shorty and am trying to shave weight. Thx

 

[djmay71]

Does anyone make poly 5 round mags for the Norc M14 clone? Would there be much if any weight saving over the metal ones? I plan to hunt with my Norc shorty and am trying to shave weight. Thx

check Marstar or Wanstalls. Pretty sure I saw some magazines on one of their websites when pricing the cost of a M14.

 

[RememberTheSomme]

Does anyone make poly 5 round mags for the Norc M14 clone? Would there be much if any weight saving over the metal ones? I plan to hunt with my Norc shorty and am trying to shave weight. Thx

Not worth the expense and reliability issues. Go with the 5/5 steel. Can't beat those for hunting. If you are an Iron sight guy, an extra 5 in a stripper would be a nice addition in your hunting jacket pocket.

The 5/5 mags clean up your shorty M14 like a tanker Garand. When your jamming those strippers in, pretend its a Garands enbloc!

 

[blasted_saber]

If you only want to hunt coyotes, just get a Mini 14.

 

[fugawi]

Nothing at Wanstall's web site and Marstar has 5 rounders but nothing about them being polymer. At the $20 I doubt that they are. Marstar has a sale on Bren gun mags if anyone is interested though.

 

[fugawi]

Not worth the expense and reliability issues. Go with the 5/5 steel. Can't beat those for hunting. If you are an Iron sight guy, an extra 5 in a stripper would be a nice addition in your hunting jacket pocket.

The 5/5 mags clean up your shorty M14 like a tanker Garand. When your jamming those strippers in, pretend its a Garands enbloc!

I'm not sure if a polymer mag is worth the trouble or expense - I already have a metal one. I spot and stalk so I'm trying to shave a few ounces.

 

[klaus enuff]

As has been said weight might be an issue for you. I personally don't find it to be a problem (mind you I have not humped it up mountainsides or anything like that when I have taken it hunting) however I found the length to be unwieldy when truck hunting.

To be honest the last time it went hunting was as a backup gun, I find myself reaching for my savage 99 in .308 more often than not.

 

[fugawi]

As has been said weight might be an issue for you. I personally don't find it to be a problem (mind you I have not humped it up mountainsides or anything like that when I have taken it hunting) however I found the length to be unwieldy when truck hunting.

I know it won't be light, especially with the ARMS 18 mount and a scope. I don't expect it to be too unwieldy as it will have an 18.5" barrel. But then there is a muzzle brake as well. I will definitely bring a good sling.

To be honest the last time it went hunting was as a backup gun, I find myself reaching for my savage 99 in .308 more often than not.

I hear you. My four hunting rigs are a '94 with a 20" barrel, a '99 in .243 - both are light and handy, I can hunt all day with them; a '95 in .303 - heavier and not so handy, and a Tikka T3 Lite in .270 WSM with a big scope - now that gets tiring after a long day.

 

[t-star]

I'm not sure if a polymer mag is worth the trouble or expense - I already have a metal one. I spot and stalk so I'm trying to shave a few ounces.

you ARE aware that a 20 round magazine, fully loaded, weighs 1.5 pounds, and the 20 round mag itself weighs a half-pound- going to a polymer mag is going to be a MINIMAL difference, if at all-your 5 rounds weigh roughly 1/4 pound, so at best you're going to lose 3/4s of a pound- now over the weight of an 11 POUND rifle, you're not going to notice a difference of 3/4s of a pound- you can gain that much by use of a proper sling arrangement

 

[fugawi]

you ARE aware that a 20 round magazine, fully loaded, weighs 1.5 pounds, and the 20 round mag itself weighs a half-pound- going to a polymer mag is going to be a MINIMAL difference, if at all-your 5 rounds weigh roughly 1/4 pound, so at best you're going to lose 3/4s of a pound- now over the weight of an 11 POUND rifle, you're not going to notice a difference of 3/4s of a pound- you can gain that much by use of a proper sling arrangement

That's why I said I don't know if its worth the trouble or expense. But I know that with the ARMS mount and a scope things start to add up. Even changing from the chu wood stock to something better adds to its weight. So if I might be able to pare it down some...

 

[Gideon]

I do agree, weight can be an issue if you want to hump it around for extended amounts of time. My M14 weighs 14.2 pounds, unloaded and no magazine.

The only thing that keeps me going is the kickass feeling I get when I'm with my M14. I swear I could swim across the Atlantic and climb everest when I'm holding mine. These things were born on badassery and raised on awesomesauce. The weight is only a minor drawback when you consider everything else it brings to the table. Just eat your steak and greens for breakfast and you'll be able to hump an M14 around the bush no problem.

 

[sunray]

"...don't have an elf season..." You don't know what you're missing. snicker.
It's a .308. It'll kill any game you care to hunt. Hunting varmints with your deer rifle and load is great practice.
Factory ammo is all about the same price. The cartridge doesn't make a lot of difference. Best if you reload.
"...any weight saving..." Not enough to notice.

 

[Boomer686]

We don't have an elf season in BC.
If there was, I would think the M14 in .308 might be a bit of overkill (if you'll pardon the pun) elves are not very large. Just watch a few old Christmas movies, I'm sure you'll be inspired to make the right choice. Elves, may well be a protected species in your area. You should consult your local hunting regulations before further consideration of this project. I must say though, that IMHO, a M14 in .308, would almost certainly do the job, even an elk might fall to that caliber. A M14 in .308 is a bit like Thor's Hammer Eh!

Sarcasm at it's finest....but funny!

The M14 platform will be more than adequate for anything you want to hunt in NA. Buy it, enjoy it and most importantly shoot it!!!

Regards,