Not sure what to do

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Rossiter93

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Hello all. I have a question that I already know doesn't have a definite answer. What is the general consensus on the RCMP wanting to ban the M305's? I want to build mine up but I work a minimum wage job and can't afford to pour money into the rifle and then have to bury it. I'm trying to decide whether I should build it up or build up a Savage Hog Hunter in .308. I have reloading equipment for .308 and I want a fairly accurate dual purpose rifle, hunting and paper punching. Just wondering what everyone thinks I should do, build the m305 or keep it in the safe and build the bolt gun. I know this is kind of all over the place for the battle rifle forum but I figured it was my best bet. Thank you all in advance!
 
If youre that worried about it you have answered your own question. No one here has a crystal ball. All youre gonna get is a bunch of speculation and ranting.
 
Get the Savage Hog Hunter and have lots of fun hunting and then punching paper. I don't hunt with my Norinco 2007 rig. The M700 Remmy and my Ruger Scout rifle both in .308 get all the field work.

I am sensitive to a minimum wage job so the M305 can potentially pose a drain on your wallet. So that's why I am suggesting you get that Hog Hunter and use it as your dual purpose rig.

If I was me in that position as a struggling undergrad at university I would stick with the bolt fun because that's what I did while studying at the University of Alberta. For the record, I bought a Tikka or Ithaca LSA 55 for $600 and it was oh so worth it.... But 32 years later knowing what I know as an M14 geek I would buy the Norinco but that's ME.

Oh yeah I do work at a minimum wage job NOW since I am a chairlift Operator at Blue Mountain Resorts. So I am kinda telling the truth. Hahaha. LOL And I do make $11.87 an hour! ha ha ha ha :cool:


Hey as a struggling first year teacher in 1986 , I still bought a $400 USGI M14 and began my humble tweaking adventures in the way to becoming who I am today.

It's all about your game and your budget and your comfort level and your job or career and your shooting network of friends and finally your cool factor.

Spend your resources accordingly. All of us were at some point where you are now. Its all good

Now if you do pursue the M305 approach then we are all here to support you. I have your back!!!


Cheers
Barney
 
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If I read the post correctly you already own the 305 but might buy the hog hunter?
If you already own the 305 my opinion is spend a few bucks (less than a new hog hunter) tweaking it. Just the basic crap: spring guide, align the op rod guide, then bed it into an old USGI fiberglass stock. You already reload, so start tuning a load for it.

Having said this you also need to decide what your end goal is. If you are happy with a 2moa gun then run the 305. I know 2 moa sounds huge, but in real life practical stuff it will do almost everyting you ask of it. Deer to 300M, Moose a bit further. Steel gongs it'll do just fine on. If you miss a steel plate does it really matter to you?
The other day I made a 2nd round hit on a 60% IPSC plate at 800M with my 305. It's fun, I was probably a 60% hit rate at the range. But when I miss I don't get butt hurt about it either. I know what the gun is capable of and that is ALL I can expect from it.

Is it as good as my savage with a match barrel? Not even close. But it's a toss up as to which gun I prefer to shoot.
My savage has a Mcgowen heavy barrel in 243AI on it, it's got 1500 rounds down it and IMO it's burned up at about .75-1 MOA. I like accurate rifles, but the 305 is just a ton of fun to shoot.

If you want to chase tiny groups look at a heavy barreled bolt gun. If you want a fun rifle that you don't mind spending a bit of time tinkering with, get the 305.
 
TacticalTeacher said:
Get the Savage Hog Hunter and have lots of fun hunting and then punching paper. I don't hunt with my Norinco 2007 rig. The M700 Remmy and my Ruger Scout rifle both in .308 get all the field work.

I am.sensitive to a minimum wage job so the M305 can potentially pose a drain on your wallet. So that's why I am.suggesting you get that Hog Hunter and use it as your dual purpose rig.

If I was me in that position as a struggling undergrad at university I would stick with the bolt fun because that's what I did while studying at the university of Alberta. But 32 years later knowing what I know as an M14 geek I would buy the Norinco.but that's ME.

Oh yeah I do work at a minimum wage job NOW since I am a chairlift Operator at Blue Mountain Resorts. So I am.kinda telling the truth. Hahaha. LOL

Hey as a struggling first year teacher in 1986 , I still bought a $400 USGI M14 and began my humble tweaking adventures in the way to becoming who I am today.

It's all about your game and your budget and your comfort level and your job or career and your shooting network of friends and finally your cool factor.

Spend your resources accordingly. All of us were at some point where you are now. Its all good

Now if you do pursue the M305 approach then we are all here to support you. I have your back!!!
.

Cheers
Barney
Click to expand...

I second Barney's opinion; and that is with-out the re-classification initiative in the mix!

The M-14 pattern rifle is a real gem IMHO, it is by far one of my favourite rifles, but it is not for the budget minded or someone who isn't into "tinkering", nor is it a dedicated hunting rig.......

Cheers!
 
I'll bite. Are/were there RCMP/Liberal Government grumblings or murmurs about the M14/M305?
I've been wondering the same thing.]I know no crystal balls but was this platform specifically named by someone?
I'm NOT trying to troll. I have been wondering this same thing.
Thanks :)
 
smokestack said:
I'll bite. Are/were there RCMP/Liberal Government grumblings or murmurs about the M14/M305?
I've been wondering the same thing.]I know no crystal balls but was this platform specifically named by someone?
I'm NOT trying to troll. I have been wondering this same thing.
Thanks :)
Click to expand...

I'm in the dark too - is their talk about reclassifying M305's / M1A's? Links/PM's with info welcome.
 
After the nut-bar shot the Mounties in NB, and before C-42 was brought into force in the spring, the RCMP sent a letter to then Minister Blaney (post investigation of said nut-bar) about how there were several currently NR rifles available on the Canadian market that were "very easy to convert to Full Auto"

Mini-14
Mini-30
CZ 858
M-14 (pattern rifles)
Tavor
(And one more I can't remember right now)

Stephen Blaney told the RCMP there will be no re-class of these firearms.

Unlike most politicians, he actually asked reasonable questions and realized there was a very very low chance of these types of rifles being used in such a way, and no one had done it yet even though it was such an "easy" procedure....

The current consensus among gun orgs is that this is now being brought to the attention of the Libs..... And by extension has a much better chance of being implemented as per the RCMPs request.

The "easy conversion" to FA that the RCMP is referring to is in actual fact a deliberate slam-fire condition that is a dangerous condition that will most likely blow the rifle up in your face as opposed to a reliable select fire firearm.....
 
wwell, i'm a retiree on 250 a month cpp- I got 3 in October- that gives me 7- but I have 2 other rifles in 308- so I won't be stuck regardless-and it all depends on HOW you wish to spend your time and resources- I've ALWAYS worked minimum wage partime /fulltime shipper/receiver/warehouse jobs and managed to be in this sport 50 years - so it CAN be done= you just have to like ramen noodles and kraft dinner- barney can afford wieners for his
 
Been in those shoes a year ago. Skipped lunch a few times, to buy Barney his bottle of wine for the cost of admission for a 1on1 clinic in his basement. My tuned-up 305 is still my only .308, and my go to for everything. Coyotes, milk jugs at 400, riding around in the back of old DeHavilland's, in bush camps. It's BTDT.

PS. Barney, I'm back in Southern Ontario and can get this barrel-turned-jigs up to you anytime. I'm sorry it's taken so long, didn't forget, the bush came calling before I could get it back up to you.
 
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I say why spend 600$ plus on a hog hunter then 200-300$ on a usable scope?

Take your m14 staight it out ( thats free) buy a m14. Ca casm alu mount, black arrow op rod spring guide, burris zee ring , a cheap cheak rest , a decent scope and you are of to the races! You will have a 1.5-2.5 moa rifle thatbis a blast to shoot. I got a savage 10tr 308 with a nighforce nxs and a cheap savage axis in 223 both shoot extremely well but wen it comes to fun then dont get as much use as the m14 and rfb.
 
If you were asking which one to buy, that would be easy: the Hog Hunter would simply be a much more practical gun for the use you describe.

But if you already have the 305, I guess I'd say it depends upon what you mean when you say "fairly accurate". Right out of the box, the Savage will probably be more accurate than you could ever get the 305 to be no matter how many mods and tweaks you perform. It's trigger will be better, it will be easier to scope, will weigh less and carry more easily, require less and easier maintenance...really, there is no practical yardstick by which it will not far exceed the 305.

But it will be a plain, ordinary, boring bolt action budget rifle. The 305 will be less accurate, will have an inferior trigger, will be more trouble to scope, will weight much more, will need more intensive maintenance...and will be so much more fun that it might be worth all the negatives. Pretty useless answer, I know...:)
 
I'm really torn as to what to do, I really want to build up the M305 since I already have it, it does already have the S&J Hardware spring guide and main spring switched out, and I do like to tinker and learn as I go. I can't lie, I'm a little nervous to get into peening JB welding the op rod guide in place, or messing with the trigger at all, the former sounds like an expensive fix if I screw it up and the latter dangerous to play with as I have no experience. Where I'd be scoping the rifle I'm not worried about the indexing (unless I'm wrong and that should be dealt with even on a scoped gun) and I have no idea what the headspace is, other then having a general idea from having to do a fair amount of resizing and trimming brass fired in it.

My other main concern in reloading for it. I've read that reloads can be dangerous in this platform due to the floating firing pin, and if the primer isn't seated deep enough it can fire out of battery. That scares the hell out of me and I haven't loaded any ammunition for it yet for just that reason. Is there merit to that? And yes I know this is the wrong forum for this question, but is there a way other then just eyeballing it to tell if a primer is seated deep enough for it? I've got ~100pcs of once fired brass prepped and ready to go, and some CCI 200 primers and IMR 4895 but I've been too hesitant up till now. That's mostly why I wanted a bolt gun to play with, I'm more comfortable reloading for it
 
Also Barney, do you have any plans to come back out towards Nova Scotia any time? I would LOVE to have the opportunity to sit down with you and soak up as much knowledge as I can
 
Glad I was in the mood for some forum reading, I had no idea that this would even be remotely thought of by the RCMP. Thanks for some of the more descriptive and wordy posts now I don't have to ask the "stupid" questions
 
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