Thankfully, no. If that were still true, civvies would be stuck choosing between a lee-enfield or M1 to compete against C7's with scopes.
Now back on topic,
There are two serious drawbacks to the M14/305 and that remington pump rifle. The lack of a long magazine to rest the rifle on is a serious disadvantage compared to just about any rifle that has one. Recoil prevents many if not most .308 shooters I've seen from getting all their shots off in time. Having to pump the action of the remington will also disrupt your prone position.
I'd say anything in semi-auto, with a long, detachable magazine, and in .223 will automatically get you further in service rifle, than the options mentioned above.
I thought the 858 had the potential to be good for service rifle, if only it was in a caliber with better ballistics.
I'm dating myself, but when the Norinco AK's came out in .223, they were about as accurate as the AR's available at the time (both non-restricted back then).
Has the Czech rifle in .223 turned out to be a dud?
Also, if you're a newbie to service rifle, worry about keeping hits on paper, not 1.5" groups and V-bulls @500. If an inexpensive rifle that is non-restricted gets you into the game, go with that.
