I've convinced myself that I need a 308 bolt action for hunting, general plinking fun and who knows. I just can't decide what.

I'm kind of drawn to the Ruger GSR but I don't really like the box magazine. Seems like a pain to carry, and I don't imagine I'll ever need 10+ rounds in a slow cycling bolt action. If I do, I have a semi-auto 308. Also seems a bit heavy. Maybe there's a way to convert it to an internal mag and I could remove the rail and muzzle device but then why not just buy a Hawkeye compact. Although I'd prefer a slightly longer barrel.

I do like Winchester rifles and have a pre 64 model 70 in 30-06. The stainless all weather seems a potentially good option, but not sure how the new model 70 compares and the 1:12 twist seems a bit slow. I'd like to be able to use mil-surp 7.62 ammo and 1:10 seems more the norm there. Also more expensive than the Ruger options and I'd likely have to get it threaded as eventually I like the option to suppress.

I know Savage and others have options too but I'm kind of partial to the Mauser / Mauser-like action.

What would be a good, all weather, light weight 308/7.62 option? Something in the $1000 range. Can the Ruger GSR be modified to be an internal magazine?

Tikka

I really like the Ruger GSR. I had two of the original versions with the laminate stock, but sold them when I saw the new version. It has a synthetic stock, and weighs a whole pound less.

I mostly shoot it iron sights for fun but have a 1-4x ier zeroed for it that I can throw on if I needed some magnification.

I have no use for the steel mag it comes with. Ruger makes great polymer mags in 10, 5, and 3 round sizes which can be loaded from the top. The 3 round mag is basically an internal magazine. It sticks out a little bit but you can carry the rifle at that spot without an issue. Here's a pic from the web of the 3 rd magazine

Yeah, I know these get talked up a lot. I just can't get excited about them. I suppose it's partly my anti-push feed old school brain. I do like the Sako rifles though (but expensive).

https://choose.sako.fi/global/code/SDV2914A193674

And this one has a cool suppressor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyyg_elshUA

I have an older Remington LVSF in .308 that is my go to rifle. I replaced the Bell & Carlson stock for a Alaskan TI B&C stock, replaced the bottom metal with a Badger Ordnance M5, added a Badger bolt knob and recently upgraded the VX3 to a VX5HD. I have hunted everything from Elk to Whitetail and plan on taking it to Africa on an upcoming hunt. I'd recommend that you find what rifle you like and then customize it to be your best rifle.

I have been using Tikka .308s since the early 2000s. Almost 20 years now. Literally thousands of rounds between schools, competition, hunting etc. Now it is mostly just long range steel ringing and hunting. That said, I have yet to see another rifle perform as well as the T3s have for anywhere near the price point. The barrels are outstanding. I have a SAKO TRG .308 and the T3s shoot equally as well.







Best all around .308 I have ever used.

No wonder I can't find any rabbits around here. You got them all.

Did you seriously hunt rabbits with a .308? I guess that proves "all around" but seems seriously overkill.

Ruger Hawkeye?

Thompson Center Compass

The new(ish) Hawkeye Hunter is stainless with a pic rail over the action and treaded 20" barrel

https://ruger.com/products/HawkeyeHunter/specSheets/57107.html

Yeah been eyeing that one. A bit heavy but otherwise I like it. Can't find one locally though.

I've had several Ruger GSR in 308.  Here's a cut and paste comment I made in another thread:

I've owned several Ruger GSR in 308 (16" blued, 18" stainless I bought used, 18" stainless I bought new).

I traded the blued 16" for the used 18" without having ever fired the 16" gun. I really wanted a stainless Scout for field durability but they hadn't be released when I bought the blued gun. About a month after I bought the 16" blue they released 18" stainless. I couldn't find a new one so I worked out a trade on a "like new" used one. I found out why the gun wanted to trade it so fast ... that gun would not shoot well. Three round groups consistently yielded a 4" flyer. I eventually gave up on it and sold it. I still had a bunch of Ruger GSR mags and the Leupold FXII IER Scout scope so I ended up buying another one. Its been sitting in my safe for a long time unfired. I actually meant to take it to the range yesterday, but ended up taking my Sig Max Michel that just came back from Sig's shop for a repair.

After shooting the Max Michel I stopped by my friend's gun shop to visit, and he had a Mossberg MVP Patrol (16" 308) sitting there. I'm a fan of handy bolt actions with fixed sights so I bought it. After much contemplation last night and this morning I think I'm going to leave it open sighted. Hopefully someone will release a receiver sight as I would prefer to a longer sight radius than the barrel mounted Williams sight offers. I really like the way this rifle feels. It should be a treat to carry in the hunting woods. If it shoots well I may add a low power variable Leupold instead of a yet-to-be-found receiver sight.

I've handle near a dozen Savage Scouts (in various generations). I just can't get excited about Savage products (which is saying a lot since I bought a MOSSBERG yesterday). Everyone I know with a Savage SWEAR by their accuracy. I just never liked their "feel" or "aesthetics" .

Having said all of that .... my recommendation is ....

Remington Seven with factory rifle sights

The Remington Seven (with sights ... I've had a few without) was the handiest and most accurate of the lot. I THOROUGHLY regret selling that rifle. If I find another one at a decent price I will buy it. As much as I like 308, I keep thinking the next one might be a 7-08.

As I just posted in another thread ... these kind of posts (which are common on the internet as people seem to absoultely love their Tikkas) is the reason why I ordered a stainless T3X Lite in 308 about five minutes ago.

That and a Leupold VX3i for it.

Now I need to figure out the ring situation as looking at images yielded a surprise as I didn't expect to see the Tikka's receiver grooved.  I've had terrible luck with Marlin grooved receivers in the past, but as long as I research which brand / type of rings are best I'm confident all will be well.

I'm fully expecting the Tikka to outshoot the Remington Seven mentioned in my post above.  I liked the Seven as a "whole package" meaning it shot really well for being a stupid light rifle.  I would trade a little weight for consistent sub-MOA accuracy.  Since I never see Sevens mentioned in these threads I'm guessing my particular rifle was a ringer.

ETA: I had a Remington Seven Predator in 223Rem that wouldn't shoot well.  It was hyper ammo sensitive.  The manufacture dates between the two Sevens was about 10 years apart.  The accurate 308 being the older gun.  Relevant?  I don't know.

The aftermarket parts for short action Remington 700 is huge.  Vast.  And you can take a good used 700 or model 7 and make an incredible hunting rifle.  Better stocks, trigger, three position safeties, free floating the barrel, you name it.  Almost limitless.

For a factory new .308 bolt gun for hunting, consider the Sako Finnlight.  Sako is the parent company of Tikka.  It is more expensive, but build quality and accuracy is amazing.  About $1500-$1700 depending on vendor.

I have an earlier L579 Sako barreled action in a custom build.  It is the smoothest and most accurate factory hunting type bolt gun I’ve ever experienced.  I did have a Douglas Premium barrel installed later to get it down to about 1/2 MOA, but it was already about 3/4 MOA with the Sako barrel.

OP, I'm sort of on the same train of thought.  After my Brownells AR10 failed and was condemned, I still have a lot of .308 sitting around.  So I was going to get a .308 but decided I already had a lot of AR pattern rifles already and wanted something different.

I was interested in the scout rifle concept and started researching them.  I looked at the Ruger (too expensive for what it is IMO), the Compass (meh), Mossberg MVP (another meh), and the Tika (ouch $$$) and had just given up when I found the Savage 110 Scout.  

Seems to get good reviews, and it looks like you get a lot of gun for the money.  They include a half dozen or so comb inserts and some LOP inserts to make it really adjustable and let you find the perfect fit for you.  It had all the features I wanted right out of the box.  You can get five round magazines if the ten round one sticks out too far.  It already has very good iron sights mounted.

https://www.savagearms.com/content?p=firearms&a=product_summary&s=57026

I ordered one through my local FFL yesterday, should come in just a hair over $700 out the door (state 10% sales tax ).

I also ordered Vortex's Crossfire II Scout scope using their super mil discount, and looking for a QD mount for it now.  It'll be a couple weeks before everything gets to the house for assembly.  I am seriously thinking of getting a can for it too some day.

you can take a look at the Howa 1500/weatherby vanguard ii as a good one. my vanguard is pretty nice but now that its in a boyds stock its a tad heavy. could get one of the barreled actions from brownells and choose what stock you like.



also i bought a mossburg mvp lr [thunder ranch edition] in 308 a few weeks back and still waiting for that to show up but its another heavy rifle.

I have a Remington 700 308 that I really like, but I had to make a number of mods to it to get it where I wanted it.

If I were buying a 308 today, I'd buy a Tikka for a good out of the box rifle.  Might put it in a KRG Bravo chassis for more adaptability.

If you want to build a 308 and you really like the Mauser claw extractor, you might go with the American Rifle Company's Mausingfield action for a build.

If I were to build a 308 bolt action, I'd probably go with a Big Horn action.

Sako Black Bear, lighter than a lot of other options. Very accurate.

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I wouldn't compare mine to a Tika, but it will shoot 1moa,  5 shot groups at 100 yards (the farthest I have had a chance to shoot it) with good factory ammo. The only mod to mine is a little trigger work that I found on the web and cost me nothing.  

I have decided it is worthy of a good piece of glass, so I ordered one of the Nikon FX1000 4-16x50 closeouts.   I hope it will be here this week.   I am looking forward to stretching it out some after that.

It has really nice performance and features (especially threaded barrel) for a $300 rifle.

What do you guys think of the Ruger American bolt action?  To be honest my first impression was that it was a cheap rifle but it appears like it's actually a well designed and built rifle.  It also seems to be very accurate too.  I haven't heard anything but good things about it.

The main thing I dislike about it is the stock.  It needs a nice wood stock, IMHO.  However, that's probably one of the ways Ruger keeps the cost down on these rifles.

It has nothing to do with "overkill".

It is about "performance on demand". If you can hit jackrabbits, which are not exactly known to be slow, then elk and deer tend to be chip shots.

99% of hunters, if they practice at all, go to a square range and sit at a bench and shoot at a piece of paper and then go hunt. They never actually shoot from field positions, or use their actual hunting rifle.

Using the same rifle you hunt big game with to hunt small, fast moving game allows me to be a more proficient big game hunter. It also gets me out of the house and into the field after the big game season ends. I get exercise, and am generally all alone. It is a win/win in my book.

The same concept applies to big bore handgun hunting. Use the same handgun you hunt big game with, on small game:

Mossbergs MVP .308 take Remington 700 receiver sights and two piece scope bases.
I installed a Williams Ghost Ring on a MVP Patrol and Weaver Remington 700 bases on a MVP Predator for my neighbor.

I just recently went down this road. I ended up with a Savage 110 Hog Hunter in 308.

My list consisted of

Tikka T3x lite SS
Bergara B-14 Hunter
Savage 110 Scout
Savage 110 Hog Hunter
Savage 110 Storm
Ruger Scout
Ruger Hawkeye Hunter



I really liked how lite and handy the Tikka felt and the 1 moa guarantee. I will probably get one in 6.5cm.

The Bergara just didn't do it for me but has parts in common with the Rem 700.

All the Savages were nice with their AccuFit Stocks (or similar style ones) and AccuTriggers. Though the actions aren't as smooth as the rest.

I really like both of the Rugers smooth actions and controlled feed. The Alaskan in 338 wm is on my short list too.



For me what it come down to was the Savage 110 Hog Hunter had a lot of features I really liked.
Mag fed (10 rounders available)
Threaded barrel for suppressors
Big Bolt Handle
20" Med contour barrel
Iron Sights
Lower price point
Accu-Trigger
Accuracy
I like the Safety location.

The Accu-Style stock is a lot better than the cheaper Savage stocks but still could be improved but will do in the mean time.

I have one with just a vortex pst and it shoots 1/2" moa on 43gr. Of varget,  and its light, but the barrel gets hot easy. Other than that,  No complaints.  And i got it for under 300bucks. I do like the Winchester xpr compact.