Yes.

 

For what you are looking for I would go with any of the Armalite AR-10 series in .308/7.62. In 16 inch carbine versions the AR-10s weigh in at around 8.5 - 9 pounds and the longer barreled versions around 10 or so. M-14s weigh in at around 11 if I remember correctly. As I said before, to get an M-14 up to the accuracy of an Armalite rifle I would almost guarantee that you would have to spend more money. Just look what Fulton Armory (damn fine rifles I am told) sells 1.2-2 MOA M-14s for retail and compare it to the Armalites.

 

Jerico1: Ruger #1 - good choice for a weapon (just bought the one in my profile in 7MM Rem Mag - stainless and laminated stock) but not my first choice for killin' 'yotes. It may mess up a few over the years, but I'll leave to the 700 BDL in 22-250, for the most part...don't need to many shots with the new weapon, heh, heh...

 

first off, i kind of feel honored to answer a question asked by farmer123. anyway, while serving in the marine corps during the first iraq war (i stayed stateside during that time) i had the privelege of shooting the M-14 along with all the current stuff. since then i have fired & owned many different rifles. the M-14 remains one of the best, most accurate semi auto's that i have fired. like jerico1 mentioned, browning makes a mean semi auto, their lighter & you could choose other calibers. the M1 garand cost half as much & shoots just as accurate as the M-14 but, you cannot use the full potential of the larger case, limiting you to 308 veloceties or lower so why bother. i have never fired the AR-10, but i have never heard anything bad about it. armalite is a very good manufacture. if im' not mistaken, you can get an armalite in .243, just enough for deer & more than enough for varmit. let us know what you buy!

 

The Browning BAR semi auto rifles are excellent rifles. I have found them to be accurate and reliable. Plus, they are not too heavy. They come drilled and tapped for a scope and they are beautifull rifles. But, I'm a Browning fan.

 

I own a Springfield M1A and a Colt AR-15. My take on the matter:

If I had to sell all of my firearms and keep only one rifle, it would be the M1A. Hands down winner as the best all around rifle I've ever owned. Well balanced, very accurate, rugged. The action has been through two major wars with no complaints. I've fired a lot of rounds through it, and it has never failed, never jammed. Maintenance? Not a lot to maintain - it's a simple and rugged action. Accuracy? With the NM barrel, it holds it's own against any stock .308 - was standard fare for high power target shooting until they started adopting high tech barrels to AR15's.

I can't speak for the AR-10, but have owned the AR-15 for a very long time (20 years). It's nice, but just doesn't inspire the same confidence that the M1A does. Not nearly as well balanced, doesn't sit on the shoulder as well, and hasn't held up as well. It's broken a few parts over the years, and to me, just doesn't feel as solid. I suppose you could tweak the Armalite into a better balanced package, but the M1A is like that right out of the box. Sort of like a 1911 - older technology, but rock solid and hard to improve on.

One thing to be wary of: there are some cheap Chinese copies of M14's on the market. Avoid them like the plague - they have had a lot of problems. If it doesn't say Springfield on the receiver, don't buy it.

 

Okay I'll chime in here and give a little additional info.

I have an AR10-T 16" built from JP Enterprises it has a Tasco SS 10X scope mounted on it that happens to be a very high quality scope. It shoots 1 ragged 5 shot groups all day, it is very accurate.

I have a DS Arms FN/FAL 308 16" lightweight barrel with a Leupold 6-18X40mm Vari-XII. It is not quite as accurate as the AR10 but it's alot more fun to shoot due to it's ergonomics.

I also have the DS Arms FN/FAL in 243 19" barrel with a Leupold 4.5-14X50mm and it's a real nice shooter. By the way, DSA also offers them in 260 Remington which is the best round for this type of rifle when it comes to hunting. The 260 Rem is the factory production of the long time wildcat 6.5/08. For the handloader the 6.5 is a real performer and there is a bunch of excellant bullets available.

And last but not least I picked up a SAIGA 308 16" sporter rifle. It is based on the legendary AK47 receiver, don't laugh, for 300 bucks it will simply amaze you and it is the most realiable functioning semi auto I have ever fired in 308 parent case firearm. They only come with one 8 round mag and extra mags are 23.99 from CDNN Investments. They do not have pistol grips but insted come with a standard sporter stock just like a reagular hunting rifle. You can add a replacement top cover that allows you to use a scope without the problems associated with the side rail mount models.

Which one do I prefer? Well I enjoy them all, they all shoot really good and some shoot extremely well, but for the average truck gun that I'm going to carry out in the field and want just one gun for all of my needs, I'll take the SAIGA hands down. Nope it's not a tack driver but in the field I seldom shoot tacks, most of the animals I shoot are much larger and easier to hit, even on the run.
The SAIGA is light, shoulders great, has fast follow up shot ability because it has the least amount of recoil of all the above rifles. It recoils like an AR15 and I have a couple of those also.

The only thing I don't like about the SAIGA is the AK47 safety, it sucks, only because I'm not really used to it. It's not as nice as the AR safety selector and the trigger is a bit weird but easy to get used to.

What I don't like about all the other rifles I have is the weight. The SAIGA is the lightest by far, it has a hammer forged chromelined barrel and will last a life time.

 

As far as accuracy in a auto i like the browning bars, remington 742-7400, i havent fired a ruger mini 14 but i have heard they dont shoot that good unless work on. i dont like auto's myself. Even if you call in two cyotes and hit one chances are your not going to hit the other unless he stands still which i doubt he will. if you dont hand load your limited a little bit on a rifle cal that does all. if i wanted a cal that would take down coyotes-deer i would look into these possibilites .243 .257 roberts .260 25-06 .270.

remember in .243 you can choose from 60gr -100gr bullet weight
.25-06 80gr -120gr bullet weight
( H&R rifles )
I tell you i have been reading a lot on these new sigle shot rifles from New England firearms and like what i hear about them. there cheap, light weight, short and you can change the barrels out to a new caliber totally. you can go from .223 up tp 45-70. I mean im no cheapo when it comes to rifles but i like these standards they are pretty darn accurate. i seen the results from a .223 shoot and it was impressive for a rifle that cost below $200

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]Farm123, O.K. Farmr , After all the interesting posts & knowledgable info, what have you decided to get? Were all ears. Nice post , i enjoyed hearing about some guns i'll never have the chance to use. My son is a S.W.A.T. Sniper & his rifle is a heavy fluted barreled Remington 700
in .308 Cal. I've shot it here on my range. Sure was fun & oh so accurate. But so are my .22 centerfires & rimfires. Regards, Jerico1

 

Still not sure what to get.

I did notice the AR-10 comes with an accuracy guarantee, but then again so does the Armscorp M14.

Oh, decisions, decisions.

It seems I won't go wrong with either one, both seem to have plenty of fans.

I think I'll wait until after X-mas to make my final decision.