My new M-14S, to mount a scope or not?

cz52

cz52

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K, so first of all, I am new to the M-14S(I am more into the European military bolt action rifles), but I decided to go for a little change and actually purchased one. I took it out to the range, it shot great; then I went further and took it out deer hunting last week...and again the little rifle proved itself a good shooter... and got me three deer(...with a bit of help from ME:) ).
Now I'll get to the point...I do not own any scoped rifles and I want to have at least one such firearm in my gun cabinet, something with more than just the iron sites. I am looking for something very accurate, but it still has to be a military style weapon/milsurp(and not a Remington 700 or something like that, or some .50 cal. "anti-tank":D rifle). So the choice is down to two candidates, the M-14 or a Mauser K-98, both of which I already own..
I favour the M-14 for a few reasons.
How accurate can an M-14 become? How much would it cost for the whole "sniper package" including the gunsmithing? Opinions?
 
The M14 Rifle can be made VERY accurate, but it will take the following, Tuning,tweaking,load development, patience,practice,and depending what level of accuracy, money.

Peak accuracy usually entails a match barrel and fitted bolt for minimum headspace,shimmed/unitised gas system, reamed flash suppressor, tuned trigger,stiff aftermarket fiberglass stock with the action steel bedded, and a good quality scope mount/rings/optics.

Then you need to work up a good load to feed it.

I added up what I have into my Mark 14 Mod 0 clone at current retail prices (Thank God I have a GREAT parts source) and I am at around $7000.00 with optics.:eek: This is a rifle that will shoot sub MOA out to 600 meters when I do my part.:cool:

So you can see that the sky is the limit.You need to decide what type of accuracy you are after, what you are going to use the rifle for, and how much money you want to spend.

HTH.

SKBY.
 
Young fellow like you, 3 deer with irons, why would you want a scope? There are so many choices. What has worked best for me in the Kootenays is a Leapers rubber armored, mil dot illuminated 3x9x40 on my deer rifle.

M305After.jpg
 
Thanx for the info SKBY, Turf.
I've seen some really mean/hi-tech/upgraded/fancy/etc... looking M-14s on this Forum; and I know that their owners have poured large sums of money into them and I bet most are worth it.
I would like to keep mine looking as original and as military as possible(without changing the stock, without the new and improved rubber buttplate, etc...). I would consider just installing a powerful scope on a reliable mount. An M-21 would be nice, but I don't remember seing any, and even if they are around, they would probably cost an arm and a leg. So yes, cost really is an issue...:(
I like the setup of Turf's rifle. It looks fairly simple but It still has the "sniper" look to it. How accurate is yours and how much would a similar scope and mount cost?
 
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My rifle shoots 1 MOA with iron sights. If cost is an issue don't scope it. A good mount and adjustable cheek piece will run you nearly as much as the rifle itself. If you go cheap then it will probably not hold zero. Then once you bought a decent mount and cheek piece you will not want to stick that on the old stock. New Fibreglass stock freshly bedded and a bit of tuning to the rifle. You are looking at fairly large dollars.

Personally I have decided to leave mine alone However if you look at the picture pages you will notice that more than a few of the folks here have taken the plunge and plowed serious money into thier M-305.

Regards
 
The best bet is to go with an Arm's #18 mount or for a few bucks more the newest Sadlak. I have heard great things about it. I use to have the web address but I can't seem to find it, but you should ckeck it out.

I have had great luck with BSAs, Simmons, Weaver, Leapers and Redfield. I had a $900.00 Leupold on a Browning 375 H&H mag and after 10 rounds wouldn't hold zero. It wasn't the mounts or rings it was the scope. I put a Weaver on it with the same mounts and never had a problem. Luckily the scope was under warranty and I got my money back but I'll never spend that much on glass again.

Scope systems in my opinion are best left to the shooter. I may be able to shoot 1 MOA with my setup at 100 M, but an equally experienced shooter may shoot larger or smaller groups with my rifle. A real nice quality scope for your M14/M305 shouldn't cost more than 2-300 bucks. I'd spend more bucks on a good mount and rings.

You can also check out http://www.m-14forum.com/index.php
there is a wealth of info there as well.

The setup in the above pic was about $350.00US and once tuned shot 1.25 MOA at 100yds on a consistent basis. I have since gone to a Leapers 3x9x40 Rubber Armored Mil Dot and have brought my groups down to about 1MOA. As this is my deer rifle it is more than adequate. Have fun with your build and don't be afraid to experiment. You won't lose any money cuz what you may not end up wanting can always be sold here.

Hope this helps.
 
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cz52 said:
Cost is an issue if I have to put seven Gs into it. I payed $400 for the rifle, I wouldn't mind getting the whole thing done for about $1000(so an extra $600 for a decent scope and mount). Plus a trigger job would be nice.
Click to expand...

Lets, be clear, you DO NOT have to put $7000.00 into a M-14 to make it shoot.

Now I have I spent no where near that building my rifle, but that would be the approximate cost If I had to pay full retail,taxes, and pay some one to build it for me.

I have a GREAT parts source, and myself and GG&FB built the rifle in an afternoon.

On a good day it is a 0.5 MOA to 0.25 MOA rifle.:D

But it is a consistent sub MOA shooter.

When I read this question & see the phrase "sniper package", I am assuming some one wants top accuracy:

How accurate can an M-14 become? How much would it cost for the whole "sniper package" including the gunsmithing? Opinions?
Click to expand...

A serious M-14/M1A match rifle will run you around $4000.00 to $5000.00 without optics.

Have a look on the internet and see what parts are going for.

USGI parts are going up in price & becoming more scarce.McMillan, Sage, & Troy stocks aren't cheap.

A USGI fiberglass stock can work but will need to be reinforced.

I have a Krieger heavy Stainless steel M14 match barrel & New TRW bolt sitting here that GG&FB is selling and they are $1000.00 for the set.

So once you add up all the other parts (trigger, op rod, gas sytem, etc) plus the cost to have the rifle assembled & bedded, you will find $4000.00 and up isn't unrealistic.

Thats why I asked what type of accuracy is being looked for, and what is the main purpose of the rifle is.

Most people will get decent results by some simple tuning, a decent mount & scope.

But others want every little bit of accuracy and consistency out of their rigs..............GUILTY!!!!!;)

SKBY.
 
The M305's I have worked on all shot 1.5 MOA or better (most were MOA and under with handloads). If that is all you want, you have the parts in your hand right now.

Proper bedding and gas shimming is critical to success. That rifle must be 'locked up' with that stock. A tuned trigger is a great aid too. From there, you can work up handloads and have a very decent shooter. My website should be linked to my post and has lots of info on loading for this rifle.

For a scope and mount on a budget, you can get a SA gen 3 clone for around $100. Rings, Burris, for $45. Scope Elite 3200 10X for under $300. PM me for bedding and trigger tuning costs. But you will be under your budget if you use the existing rifle.

Jerry
 
like it says, will work with any weaver rail- i've found that if the mount has see- through capability( co- witnessing) you're limited to a 32mm or so or you need higher rings and of course, you have to buld up the stock with a cheekpiece of some sort- i used a couple of pieces of hot- water pipe insulation- it ain't purdy like a rooster 33, but i'm also wearing a chinese stock, so it;s kind of like putting a roll of masking tape on a club
 
I bought my M305 from Marstar and ordered the Leapers mount with it for $80-$90. I placed a used Bushnell 3200 3-9x40 ($200) in some Burris Zee rings ($15 ebay) and I still have to install the shim kit ($8 mysticplayer) in it. So far it shoots well and holds the zero with about 1.5moa out of it. I know people have had problems with the Leaper mounts but for some reason mine is doing well. Until I can find an ARMS mount it will do. Removable cheek rest cost me $50.00 from a gun club member.

So for $363 above the cost of the rifle I have a good shooter and hunting rifle. Minor trigger and sear polishing to remove some of the grit and it shoots well enough. If I want accurate I'll grab my bolt gun.

Derek
 
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