[Marlinman]

Originally Posted by Kenney

OK, a large caliber rifle in semi you don't have to sell body parts for.

Doesnt exist for good long range shootin. As stated previously you want to, techically three, impossible things to get in one package-cheapish, semi, long range

God didnt make all men equal colonel Sam Colt did

[Shade]

Originally Posted by Marlinman

Doesnt exist for good long range shootin. As stated previously you want to, techically three, impossible things to get in one package-cheapish, semi, long range.

Marlinman, I was thinking along the same lines.

Cheap, semi, long range. Pick any two.

I personally do not have experience with the Marlin XS7VH. But is gets good
press and should be considered.

The Remington 700 and Winchester 70 are excellent options that you will not
put you in the poor house. I also agree since you are not looking to reload
.308 Winchester is one the better choices on performance vs. value/cost.
Ammo for the big magnums are expense to purchase.

Also the general rule of thumb is for every dollar spent on the gun you should spend the same on the scope so my Rem 700 (cost a few years ago was $318) I just put a 6-18 Nikon Buckmaster ($340) on it.

I reload and cringe everytime I walk down the factory ammo aisles.

If you want to go with .300 Magnum (plenty to choose from) or I would seriously look at a 7mm Magnum also for the ranges you are looking at.

Plenty of power to kill whitetail, mule deer or elk at 800m.

However you can easily pay for a basic reloading set up on what you would
spend on 300-500 factory rounds.

What I mean is:

The cost of 300-500 factory rounds for XYZ Magnum is equal to;

The cost for components 300-500 round plus the basic equipment
to load the 300-500 rounds.

Everything after that is savings.

[axxe55]

excellent information Marlinman and Shade are providing. the SA M1A is probably going to be the cheapest semi auto in 308 that is accurate at longer ranges. there is also H&K, but with their reputation for quality, they aren't going to be cheap. they are also well known for being very well made and accurate. estimated cost for a decent and accurate semi auto in 308 with a scope, probably in the range of $2500-4000, or more. much harder to build an accurate semi auto vs. a bolt action, lots of moving parts.

with the budget you have set for yourself, a bolt action will definately be the best value. if you're not going to reload, there is vast sources of good match ammo that you could find in 308. the Marlin XS7VH in 308 is an excellent rifle at a good price, also well built and accurate as hell. i will endorse this suggestion based on my own that works very well and with handloads is very accurate. another suggestion was the M700 Reminfton and the M70 Winchester, both of these are good choices but new are going to be much higher than the Marlin. both are very accurate and well made. Savage is another good choice and a good rifle. you could do what i do, i check the pawn shops and gun stores for good used Remingtons, Winchesters, and Rugers, and i happen upon a good one from time to time, but if i want to buy new, i go with the Marlin. IMO, they are just an excellent value in bolt action rifles.

[billt]

If the criteria that has to be met is 1.) Long range. 2.) Semi auto. 3.) "Large caliber". Have you considered one of the Les Baer .308 AR's? They can be had in the low $2,000.00 range and come with a 1/2 minute accuracy guarantee. A rifle like that will get you out to 1,000 yards with far more authority than a conventional mouse gun, and with greater accuracy as well. The .308 is not in the same class as a .300 Win. Mag., but that isn't going to matter all that much, unless you are shooting in windy conditions. Then the .300 Win. Mag. offers greater accuracy with it's heavier bullets in the 220 grain range. The .308 can't push anything that heavy out to 1,000 yards. I believe Les Baer also sells this weapon in many of the 6.5 calibers. They are gaining popularity as a 1,000 yard cartridge.

[Kenney]

I only really asked about the semi because I was concerned about the magazine. I never was really set on it. Concerning the 1000 yards rifle, I don't think I'll be finding myself in a situation where I need to hit a target from over a kilometer away. But good to know anyways.

[Model70]

Originally Posted by Marlinman

Semis arent usually used in long distance bc the loss of power it takes to blow open the bolt. Browning BAR in 308, 270, 243, and 30/06 comes to mind. Preferably 308 & 270. They are pretty expensive.

God didnt make all men equal colonel Sam Colt did

My father in law shoots a Browning BAR in 300 win mag. Not as accurate as his bolt action, but with quality ammo it shoots 1.5 minutes. Not as "super accurate" as a lot of advertised rifles, but for a semi auto, if that's your chosen route, it's pretty good.

Good looking rifle by the way. Most semi's weigh more than a bolt action though, I don't know if your a hunter but that could be a consideration. (My favorite hunting rifle weighs 11 pounds, but mostly my horse packs it!)

[billt]

Originally Posted by Kenney

I only really asked about the semi because I was concerned about the magazine. I never was really set on it. Concerning the 1000 yards rifle, I don't think I'll be finding myself in a situation where I need to hit a target from over a kilometer away. But good to know anyways.

Again I don't know if the AR platform rings your bell or not, but I just recently picked up this DPMS AR in .308. It's been a really good performer thus far. Runs like a scalded dog with every type of factory and handload I've stuffed in it. I'm going to keep it with the factory iron sights, so I can't really judge it's overall accuracy at distance. But it shoots as or more accurately than any of my .223 AR-15's do.

The prices depending on model run in the low to mid $1,200.00 range. It uses SR-25 type magazines which Mag-Pul makes a 20 round model for. You can buy them most anywhere for around $22.00 a pop. Anything from Mag-Pul runs well. DPMS supplies 2 of their metal magazines with the rifle. Both of mine ran well.

[Kenney]

Is there much difference between the Savage 11/111 and 10/110? I figured I'd get a base model in .308 and trick it out. I'd get a decent scope, polymer stock, long barrel with muzzle brake, extended magazine, and a bipod. If that can't reach 1000m than I'll give up guns. This way I can pay for it a little at a time. Thanks for pointing towards this model, this site always tells me what I need to know.

[Marlinman]

Originally Posted by Kenney

Is there much difference between the Savage 11/111 and 10/110? I figured I'd get a base model in .308 and trick it out. I'd get a decent scope, polymer stock, long barrel with muzzle brake, extended magazine, and a bipod. If that can't reach 1000m than I'll give up guns. This way I can pay for it a little at a time. Thanks for pointing towards this model, this site always tells me what I need to know.

Sounds like a good plan....except the extended mag part.

God didnt make all men equal colonel Sam Colt did

[Kenney]

The one extended mag holds ten rounds. How can I resist? It's made by savage, but runs about a hundred.