I'm about to buy my only rifle, help me out.
- Thread starter targettarget
- Start date
IMO there is no point in getting anything more than a .223 for plinking. What would you gain from the extra cost, muzzle blast and recoil of a larger cartridge? A semi auto is not (generally speaking - I acknowledge the exceptions) the ideal super long range action, and a .223 will do it out past 300 yards.
He wants a semi-automatic. He wants only one rifle.
This is a Mini-14 vs. M-14 that you're talking about.
Cost? (Advantage Norinco.) Muzzle blast? (Advantage 7.62) Recoil?(What recoil?) There are only three advantages to the Mini-14, ammunition is cheaper, it can enter the U.S., and Ruger has good warranty service. That's it. The M-14, on the other hand, is a real rifle, suitable for target shooting, hunting for both large and small game, for competition and for self-defence. The price is unbelievable, the chambering versatile, pleasant, and fun to shoot, and the joy of hearing the bang!...whap! no .223 shooter will hear more than justifies the cost of the ammunition.
I'll vouch for the M14 as well. Some have nice wood on the stocks, I refinished mine and it turned out very nice. Since then I've bedded it, modified the sights, unitized and shimmed to tighten the gas system, and built a stainless national-match style oprod guide from scratch. There are so many cheap ways to mess around with this rifle, you can definitely have a lot of fun with it. You can feed it good ammo and get decent groups, or you can use surplus to plink all day. Shooting these at gongs, etc. is a riot. As was already said, "boom... THWAP!". I could do that all day.
The cost of ammo is going to be the real price for a centerfire plinker. I bought a case of South African surplus for $550, that works out to 44 cents a round. You'll be paying about the same for .223. The only ones that beat this are the SKS or VZ58 at 18 cents/round. I own an SKS too and love it.
The cost of ammo is going to be the real price for a centerfire plinker. I bought a case of South African surplus for $550, that works out to 44 cents a round. You'll be paying about the same for .223. The only ones that beat this are the SKS or VZ58 at 18 cents/round. I own an SKS too and love it.
For cheap plinking a SKS is hard to beat. I put a scope on one and a peep sight on the other and beat a bunch of guys shooting all manner of lee Enfields, Mousers and Mossy Maggots. The match was 300, 200 and 100 yards.
But for better shooting feedback and better stock sights, the M-14 is hard to beat. I have a couple of M-14's and a Norinco. All work well and are nice to shoot. I shoot them and the SKS with milsurp ammo.
But for better shooting feedback and better stock sights, the M-14 is hard to beat. I have a couple of M-14's and a Norinco. All work well and are nice to shoot. I shoot them and the SKS with milsurp ammo.
