looking for a reliable, and tough semi auto preferably under $1500. Because I live in Cuomos communist NY AR’s are out of the picture. Primary use will be hunting whitetails, going to put a red dot on it to make it a brush rifle. Lighter weight rifles are a plus, prefer synthetic stocks as long as they aren’t flimsy like Tupperware. Leaning towards 30-06, no particular reason just wanted something different (already have 6.5, 243, 308).
Best semi Auto rifle for the money
- Thread starter Kramerica
- Start date
You might want to look at the Browning BAR Longtrac - it's available in the .30-'06 chambering. It is very nicely executed - typical for Browning - and it will definitely hold its value better than others. A synthetic stock option is available. They are nice hunting rifles for those that prefer a semi auto.
centerlineseal
Gold $$ Contributor
An older Remington 740 or 742 Woodsmaster comes to mind.
Ruger .44 Carbine would be the “Cat’t Pajamas”!
I never did like Remington’s, even the older ones, my dad had a couple, they just didn’t impress me. Looked into the BAR and that was my top choice until some people were commenting about having issues with operating rod, receiver, and not being able to use some ammo due to pressure concerns. Not sure if that’s a frequent issue or not. I’ll have to look into the Ruger .44 and Benelli because they weren’t even on my radar.
I wish you the best of luck locating one of the Ruger .44s! If one in nice shape happens to appear on a shelf somewhere, there will be fist fights in the parking lot, especially if it's one of the early tubular magazine models.
I've seen my share of the older Remingtons in upstate NY - until very recently I owned and operated a LGS/machine shop in upstate NY - and the vast majority have been USED. I mean really used. One would need to be selective in that part of the world to find a specimen that is mechanically sound, cosmetically acceptable and at a reasonable price.
If you're willing to expand your search and time is not of the essence, you may want to check the auction and classified sites for a Winchester Model 100. You'll have to settle for a .308 (call me immediately if you find one in .284 Win.!), but the 100s are really nice hunting rifles.
I was in the same situation as you, my solution was easy, I moved and now shoot what I want
Don't worry about a Browning they are GTG. And like said earlier Winchester 100 is a good one. The H and R ultra rifle in 308 is supposed to be the best of the bunch. I have owned a Remington 30-06 742, it is not a good choice, it was the older of the Remington semi auto rifles and they don't make parts for them any more. The 7400 is no better. My hunting partner hunted with Browning's for years and he bought and sold them like most people change underwear, never saw him have a hiccup with one. My info on the H&R and Winchester is word of mouth when I was looking for a semi 308 to hunt with. So research it before you buy. I never found one I liked and never did get one, good luck.
You beat me to it. But to add to this, check out the CMP.com. The Civilian Marksmans Program is the best place to purchase an M1 Garand.
Kurz
Silver $$ Contributor
Jalen,
I worked with the R1 for a father/son project because of the flexibility for setting it up. They were really nice rifles in my opinion and the ones I worked with were even more than reasonably accurate. Recoil was manageable and it seemed to be suited to woods-type hunting.
"BENELLI R1 ($1,265-$1,465; 301-283-6981; benelliusa.com)
AVAILABLE CALIBERS: .308 Win., .30/06, .270 WSM, .300 WSM, .300 Win. Mag.
THE SKINNY: This isn't the prettiest gun, but it may well be the softest kicking and most versatile. The R1's ARGO gas system automatically compensates for different cartridge pressures, which lets traveling hunters switch from, say, a .270 WSM to a .30/06 just by swapping barrels, magazines, and bolt heads. No other auto can do that. With the revolutionary ComforTech stock, perceived recoil is reduced by almost 50 percent. My .280 turnbolt, for example, seems to kick harder than the .300 Win. Mag. R1 I tested. New for this year is a Realtree APG finish that almost makes the gun look good."
Good Luck with your search!
I worked with the R1 for a father/son project because of the flexibility for setting it up. They were really nice rifles in my opinion and the ones I worked with were even more than reasonably accurate. Recoil was manageable and it seemed to be suited to woods-type hunting.
"BENELLI R1 ($1,265-$1,465; 301-283-6981; benelliusa.com)
AVAILABLE CALIBERS: .308 Win., .30/06, .270 WSM, .300 WSM, .300 Win. Mag.
THE SKINNY: This isn't the prettiest gun, but it may well be the softest kicking and most versatile. The R1's ARGO gas system automatically compensates for different cartridge pressures, which lets traveling hunters switch from, say, a .270 WSM to a .30/06 just by swapping barrels, magazines, and bolt heads. No other auto can do that. With the revolutionary ComforTech stock, perceived recoil is reduced by almost 50 percent. My .280 turnbolt, for example, seems to kick harder than the .300 Win. Mag. R1 I tested. New for this year is a Realtree APG finish that almost makes the gun look good."
Good Luck with your search!
Prose
Silver $$ Contributor
I've never heard anyone say the Model 100 was good. Not questioning, just surprised. I have one that shoots like an open choke at 60 yards. My grandpa says that's the way they all shot "back then." My brothers are wanting me to refurbish it but I can't wrap my head around working on it. Is it comparable to the Remington or Browning auto's which generally have a "good" reputation?
Semi autos tend to be picky with respect to ammo. It can take a bit of work to find out what they prefer, but I've seen and loaded for Model 100s that produced more than acceptable hunting accuracy. Sub-MOA is unrealistic, but I've seen my share of Model 100s that would reliably group 1.5 - 1.75 MOA with the stuff they preferred and that's better than minute-of-whitetail.
One more thing . . . In my experience, folks tend to clean the bores poorly on semi autos - I've seen the occasional Remington Jam-a-Matic that has never seen a bore brush since new! Cleaning from the muzzle is a bit of a pain and 'hunting rifles don't get shot much', so a patch or two soaked with Hoppe's at the end of the season tends to be what many folks do. Most of the semi autos that I've cleaned in my shop were fouled something terrible with carbon and copper. One of the never-cleaned Remington 742s experienced an amazing transformation, according to the owner. He brought it in complaining that he couldn't hit a gallon milk jug a fifty yards and he wanted me to check it thoroughly. A thorough cleaning (he got a deal on this one!) was all it needed. He came in a few weeks after he picked it up to tell me that it was shooting better than ever and functioning perfectly. I took enough copper out of that barrel to make a few pennies (the old kind).
I'll bet not! Nice rifle. You don't come across those every day.
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