This section has been dead lately and I hope this will pick it up, as this is my favorite sub-forum on the site and I'm constantly checking for more content.

I bring you the topic of the ideal Field Craft rifle?

What is yours?

Important aspects of a Field Craft rifle for me are:

* Light weight
* Accurate
* Sufficient power
* Capable of hits out to 500 yards
* Durable and Serviceable

Starting to sound a little like Coopers Scout Rifle.

Because you will be completely on foot, weight is a big factor. For me being in mountainous terrain, it wears down your body and excess weight is a huge disadvantage.

The rifle needs to be accurate. If you can't hit what your aiming at, what's the point? But it doesn't NEED to be a tac driver, just practical accuracy. I'm thinking sub 2MOA should suffice.

The rifle needs to have enough power to put down common animals, specifically white tail deer for me.

Capable of hits out to 500 yards. For me this isn't as important, as in the wooded Mountain terrain I am in there are very limited spots where 500 yard line of site is even possible. But they do exist, so I figure that is a good # to set the standard.

Durable and serviceable seems to speak for itself. In the wilderness for prolonged periods of time, maintenance must be simple and your weapon must work.


Based on the above criteria, I've come to conclusion that it should be .308, and a thin profile barrel no longer than 20" in length.
I can't decide if a bolt action would suffice, or if it would possible to build a light weight .308 AR10.

Please discuss.

Based on your criteria i have a few options.

One actually is a Ruger scout rifle. I'm planning to put a lpvo on it to get some reach, but it's currently just a fun bum around rifle.

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I also have a short, lightweight 6.5cm with a leupold 2-7x. I haven't taken it to 500 but I'm sure it's capable. Maybe needs more mag though.

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I actually have a similar setup in 300wm but that's probably too much gun.

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As to your question about a lighter weight AR style rifle, I'd throw my 12.5" 308 POF Rogue into the ring. It's 8.5 lbs as pictured with an empty mag. Not much different than a 13" Scar 17 in stock configuration.

The 4x isn't ideal for 500 yards of course. But an ODA i worked with in Afghanistan was apparently smoking guys at 600 with the 6x elcan on their 13" scars.

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I have a 16" version of the Rogue with a 2.5-10x but the weight goes up for the added capability. I haven't weighed it though so I'm not sure how much.

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Maybe an SFAR with a Leupold Mark3HD 3-9x40 (I forget which one has the illum. TMR reticle).

ETA - same idea as the POF above.  Pretty hard to beat 8-8.5lbs. for an outfitted .308 auto-loader IMO.

That 12.5" rogue is really sweet.

I built a few years back a PSA with a 14.5" BA Barrel pinned/welded. I wouldn't call it light weight, and unfortunately it's not the most accurate gun I own.

I've looked for similar 14.5" AR10 barrels and I can't find them!

I've noticed everyone goes from 12.5 up to 16.
Any reason for that?
Everyone says 16 minimum, but I really like my 14.5...

They don't sell the Rogue pistol anymore anyway.

There's a guy in a different thread who got a SFAR and is cutting it down to 12.5 once the form 1 gets approved.

If you want a 14.5, the sfar 16 is a good starting point I'd think. It's the same frame size as the Rogue.

I have my 6.8spc ars for hunting deer, they seem to fit your criteria well. Very practical rifle caliber imo.

I actually just discovered Faxxon makes a .308 pencil profile barrel.
It's advertised in 13.9, 16, 18, etc.
But I can't find the 13.9 in stock anywhere. I'd hate to do it, but I may consider buying the 16 and having it chop down and a muzzle device pinned welded to get it to 16.
Hell maybe it'll be lightweight enough that I'll just leave it at 16.

Any thoughts?

Looks like the 13.9 is a gunner profile, not pencil.

Yes, my mistake, Gunner profile, which I believe is just slightly more robust then a pencil barrel?

pencil means the whole barrel profile before and after the gas block is pencil diameter.

Gunner means before the gas block is gov profile and after is pencil.

Got it. Haven't seen anything thinner or lighter (without going carbon fiber and $$$$)

Grand thumb just posted a photo of a KAC 14.5" 6.5 creedmore.  

Interesting.

Any thoughts?

Find a Barrett Fieldcraft. Checks all the boxes and is very accurate. Mine is an 18” 308 win shooting 168 Berger vld hunters at 2600 fps good out to 600ish in game. Hand loads at .164 moa. Barely any load work up.

This is a good thread, I have been reluctant to post for awhile just to the oddness of the community the last few years. This thread is more of the serious nature and I love that. I have went from a gun collector to a gun practitioner. What I mean by that is I now only have kit that is useful to me and my family to protect or feed ourselves. So when it comes to a field craft gun I believe it needs to be able to do both protect and feed. For some reason LaRue has a different relationship in the tactical community but as a father of 5 I have multiple LaRue rifles for myself and my kids and they are my go to for protecting and feeding. I have killed multiple game with the OBR heavy, and carry it everyday at work and in my personal life. It has never let me down from backpacking with Griz following us, to midnight work jobs in the middle of Wyoming back country, to leaving the state to do family events. If I grab a rifle I grab my OBR heavy for all field craft and family use.


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The LaRue and the LMT 6.5 are amazing guns, I do not have a 14.5 but look forward to purchasing one in the future if God had it in my cards. I bet the short barrel in 6.5 is a bad ass gun.. the Video by Sass 110 in YouTube shows this set up and it looked amazing

Tikka Arctic!
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I think my current grail gun is the Remington Model 7 Kuiu edition in 308.

I rarely buy new guns and I'm incredibly upset with myself I didn't get one when they were being produced.

https://www.all4shooters.com/en/hunting/rifles/remington-model-seven-kuiu-for-tight-spaces/

For this not familiar.