Need advice ! Which rifle ?

[Lineman]

Since we are on the topic of rifles that could be used...what do you think of the M-59 http://www.marstar.ca/m-59.htm ? :mrgreen:

This is the Marstar VS-58 http://www.marstar.ca/VZ-58-S.htm

Just asking since we are on this topic.

 

[Peter]

Good morning:

It's really, really difficult to find one firearm (of whatever type or classification) that can 'do it all' no matter how much one has to spend. When trying to buy 'something to do everything' the law of averages dictates that what you'll end up with will be 'average' at best for whichever purpose you try to use it for.

My recommendation is this: decide what you want to do most/first/foremost. Buy what fits that requirement. If that is not possible try to place the most emphasis on what you expect to do most ie. "I want a cool removeable magazine black rifle that I can compete with but can take a deer with if I have to," "I dig 'actual issued' milsurp most of all but want to try and enter some competitions too," etc. Once you've ranked your priorities from 'most' to 'least' important, buy accordingly.

This way at worst you end up with something that will still be great for what you do or like most and won't become a fifth wheel when - like most of us - you acquire more than one long gun.

Hope this helps,

- Peter

P.S.: VZ-58S carbines have started appearing on the firing line at various matches but I am not a competitor so I'll leave it to those who have competed with one to share their views.

 

[RUPZUK]

No one rifle will fill your needs . IPSC 3-gun/non-restricted and hunting will never favor the same rifle . Sorry .
IPSC competitions are a time / acuracy thing . Getting maximum points will not win if you take to long . Being super quick but having a lot of misses will also not win . It requires a ballanced aproach to win . Time must be minimized where possible as to take advantage of the points you earned .
Enter the pistol carbine . They use pistol magazines and ammo and can load ten rounds in the mag . Eleven to capacity ( one chambered ) when the stage is started . A semiautomatic centerfire rifle can load five (+1 when starting ) . The pistol carbine also has the advantage of using familair magazines in the familair location . The centerfire rifle usually uses a twenty round mag pinned to five . A rather bulky magazine for the rounds available and has to be carried in pouches not normally used for anything else .
So if you have to win in IPSC 3-gun one of these pistol carbines are in your future . They kind of remind me of the delay boxes on drag cars , as long as they are aloud to be used they will be the winners . I have shot a 9mm Storm , very nice !
On the other hand , if winning isn't everything then there is some options .
All restricted rifles are redundant to the pistol carbine - if all you can do is use it at the range you might as well buy the best tool for the job .
As for non- restricted options that you can hunt with there are a few ( depending game size )
M1 Garrand is a good rifle but hunting with it is a PITA . The loading system and 8 round ability isn't an advantage at anything - IMO .
SKS-D is not as good as SKS . Mags are always a problem .
SKS is loaded with a stripper clip , with practice it is ok and it is the cheapest but quality ammo can be difficult to find .
This brings me to the M14 / M305 . .308 calibre will drop anything you would normally hunt . With practice it will work as good as any restricted rifle for 3-gun .
Or ..... change the laws so we can use normal magazine capacities and we will all be happier .

 

[cybershooters]

Re: Storm?

Yeah, and great for those 200m shots.....ummm. wait a second!

You can use 9mm rifles for 200m, but you've got remember it's a rifle you're using, not a pistol. First of all you've got to know what your elevation is at 200m.

However the major mistake I see people making when attempting this sort of thing is using off-the-shelf 9mm FMJ to do it. El cheapo Winchester USA is designed for plinking out to maybe 25 yards out of a pistol. You've got to use something decent or develop a handload for shooting pistol rounds at rifle distances.

Most factory ammo will give you groups stringing vertically quite severely at longer distances in my experience. The only factory load I trust in 9mm at long distances is Geco, although I have found lots of IMI-Samson sometimes are loaded consistently enough to do it. I suspect some of the better loads made by Federal and CCI-Speer will also do it, but their 9mm is quite hard to get here. I did try some CCI-Lawman 124gr TMJ and it was marginal, IIRC.

Frankly the best idea is to handload. You need something with a bit of oompfh, and it needs to be loaded consistently, and there aren't many factory loads that meet that criteria.