What is your favorite bolt-action carbine for plinking?

[Army GI]

Most of the rifles in my collection are bolt-action surplus rifles in .30-ish caliber. Great rifles, but most of them have barrels 24-30" and are kind of a hassle to carry around, and I don't care too much for 30-06 or 7.62x54R recoil.

I'm looking for suggestions on a nice 16-20" bolt action with wide ammo availability and isn't too expensive. I don't need a tack driver, just something to bang steel with at 300 yards.

I love the idea of 7mm-08, and I was looking at one of those Ruger American compact rifles and will probably go with that.



I've also been thinking of something in 6.5mm Swede, although I'm not too familiar with this caliber, and I think most rifles of the American market would probably be in the .260 range. I've looked at the Ruger Gunsite, but that's a little too pricey for me. But I love the concept: .308; 16" bbl; and the box magazine. I had an M44 Mosin that would use for this purpose, but I sold it (stupidly) and now am waiting for if and when they become available again. Although I didn't really care for the kick, and most ranges here won't allow me to use the surplus ammo to bang steel which defeats the major selling point of the Mosin for me.

All that said -- I want to know what bolt action carbine YOU like to use for casual plinking in a 260-30 caliber, and why.

[elk hunter]

I know of only "one" rifle made that could be my favorite for lots of things but it aint made and I cant afford it.

[Kestryll]

Have you looked at the Mossberg MVP Patrol rifles?

The 5.56 version takes AR mags:


The 7.62x51 vesrion takes M1/M14 mags:

[JMP]

Most of the rifles in my collection are bolt-action surplus rifles in .30-ish caliber. Great rifles, but most of them have barrels 24-30" and are kind of a hassle to carry around

I'm looking for suggestions on a nice 16-20" bolt action with wide ammo availability and isn't too expensive. I don't need a tack driver, just something to bang steel with at 300 yards.

All you need to do is to saw off the end of your existing barrel (not less than 16") and have it re-crowned. Alternatively, an economical way to do it is if you have a rifle with a burnt out barrel, set back the chamber and remove a few inches from the muzzle and that will give your old barrel a longer life and gives you what you wanted.

This is the reason that I always get the longest barrel if all else is equal. You can always shorten a barrel, but you cannot lengthen a barrel.

[Canucky]

Not scary black rifle. Cz 527 soooo much fun, and cheap to feed.

[Army GI]

Have you looked at the Mossberg MVP Patrol rifles?

The 5.56 version takes AR mags:


The 7.62x51 vesrion takes M1/M14 mags:

Man, those are sweet! I'm going to check them out right now!

[jeremyro]

Mosin Nagant? K98? 1903?

[357magnum]

Favorite Bolt-Action Carbine

My favorite Bolt-Action Carbines are the Ruger 77/357 and 77/44.
Not really good out to 300yds. as you say, but a heck of a lot of fun to shoot and go plinking with.
If you reload, inexpensive to shoot also.

[TMB 1]

Savage 340 30-30, has a 22" barrel though.

[CodyGT46]

My Savage 111 7mm Rem Mag. Not much of a plinker, but the only real bolt action I own.

Scratch that, I do own a Finn Mosin and a regular Izzy Mosin, but I do shoot the Savage more often.

[toby]

T/C Contender or Encore I can make them what ever I want in less then 2 minutes.

[sd joe]

CZ 527 Carbine-7.62x39

[cumafa]

toss up between cz527 cabine 7.62x39 and Mossberg MVP flex in 556x45....

[cumafa]

i mean carbine!

[Garandimal]

RUGER 77/.357 Magnum.






GR