Why a battle rifle? Why do you choose to have and shoot them?

For the purposes of having a very good tool that has plenty of practical uses. If I had to pick one centerfire in my gun cabinet it would be it my M14. I hunt, shoot service rifle, 3 gun IPSC, and believe it or not, once, a precision/sniper match. I mastered this battle rifle, mei-belle is her name, because it "is" very useful. The rest of my other guns are for fun :)
 
Well......................... Just look at it

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nuff said
 
The greatest reason for a battle rifle is the same for many military rifles from the Lee Enfields, Swiss, M14s and ARs: being born from the need to work under varied conditions (desert, field, mud, snow and all else) by a large variety of people and be repaired with some ease by armorers with minimal parts and some speed, they work. They work well. You can put some old surplus corrosive through a battle rifle, custom handload for the rifle, modify it with better parts, replace worn parts and in the end you know it will stand up to being a splint and/or a crutch when you need it to be. That is, of course, in that survival scenario if you don't need it to hunt and/or dissuade predators from making you lunch.

I just prefer the quality that was done with the design. That doesn't mean I don't like many other military rifles... just the platform is awesome to me.
 
Well, you can get you one of them plastic and aluminum tinker-toys, or you can get a battle rifle. The former fires a cartridge considered adequate for ground chucks, wood chucks, and other small vermin, but is considered marginal for deer, except with the very best bullets and absolutely precise shot placement, and even then several states in the USA prohibit its use on deer. Or, you can get a battle rifle in 7.62 x 51 mm, which fires a cartridge that, in its commercial guise (.308 Win), is considered adequate for any game in North America with the exception of brown bears. Hmm, poodle shooting cartridge, or big game cartridge? I know what I like.
 
I like the m14 platform because it's a big, bad beefy pig of a rifle. It's a big gun that shots a big bullet (compare to modern infantry rifles) that's robust and reliable. Yet at the same time it looks traditional, but tacticool at the same time. Must be that 20 round mag sticking out of the bottom. Aside from it's military lineage, it's a great civilian rifle as well. Great for hunting, plinking, target shooting, and if you sink the money into it, making them into a decent SAPR. It's just an awesome rifle.
 
For me its partly the history of the M14 (m305). Used from Vietnam to Afghanistan. Its the American version of the FAL but not nearly as good. I'd own a FAL if I could but since I can't the M305 will have to do.

Plus as others have said its readily customizable and NR. I had initially thought of using it for deer hunting but now because I prefer other guns for big game, I'm leaning to use my M305 for varmints. Just have to see if appropriate .30 caliber bullets are available.

Sort of a DMR to shoot gophers and the like. DMR(g)???
 
I've got 2 Garands, 2 SKS and a few other ex-military rifles.

The build quality and solidness of these rifles is hard to beat, and surplus ones are a terrific value. If you look at the offerings like Springfield's M1A, which is a current-production battle rifle it costs somewhere around 2800. A Garand from EE or a dealer will run you anywhere between 1400-1800, and are very useable. That 1000$ different is a whole lot of ammo.

As others mentioned, firing semi auto with a 30 caliber bullet is lots of fun too.

And...

PING!
 
Why not have a battle rifle?

I think everyone should own at least one BR.

I was drawn to the M14 pattern BR because of it's history.

With the lone exception of the Springfield M1903 rifle, the M14 rifle remains the longest serving rifle used by units of the U.S. Armed forces.
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Also, because much like the muscle cars of the 60's & 70's, the M14 can be balanced, blue-printed, and tricked out.

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stormwolf18 said:
Because its better than a sks
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That says it all! The SKS was designed to be used by Russian peasants that could be trained in under 5 minutes so that they could supply a large volume of bullets down range semi accurately under 100 meters while covering the assault of other illiterate peasants. Question, what do you have when you take $500.00 of aftermarket accessories and add it to a $169.00 SKS?










Answer: A $169.00 SKS
 
question, what do you have when you take $500.00 of aftermarket accessories and add it to a $169.00 sks?
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a $100 sks :stirthepot2:

Not that it will stop me from doing it on a "sh!ts and giggles SKS accurising project" (see the red rifle forum). I'm just kinda curious to see what I can get out of one of them.

But back on topic...

"Battle Rifle" also includes the Garands and SVT's, any full powered military semi-auto/select fire. I have some full powered bolt guns that don't quite qualify, so my only real "battle rifle" would be my SVT.

And why do I have and shoot it? Because some problems exist further out than 250-300yards.

Also, it's fun to see the poodle shooters duck for cover when the muzzle blast ripples down the bench line at the range.

And the challenge of it. Trying to connect with a gong or paper at 400+ meters, with open sights, is an entirely different skill from shooting a 200 meters or less, which is realistically what you're stuck with using an intermediate powered rifle. When I'm shooting at under 200meters, I'm shooting for tight groups. Get out to 400+ meters, and you get that:

"Holy crap, I can't believe I hit something at a half kilometre with open sights!" and that's one hell of a feeling.
 
I love my m1a super bc it reminds me of how much men have sacrificed carrying it the past s/t I can carry it in the future.
 
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