General Purpose Rifle... Bolt or AR?

[LeoX]

I had considered a GP rifle for a long time and though that a Ruger GSR maybe the solution for my needs.
However now I'm questioning if with the prevalence of AR pattern 308s that one would be better of with a AR pattern in 308 rather than a bolt action.
Thoughts?

 

[gwtravis]

I have a scoped “AR10” in 308. I love it but it can be a little unwieldy at times. It’s heavy. I have no experience with the Ruger GSR but I like the idea and think it would be an ideal general purpose rifle.

 

[Desk Jockey]

welcome.

I think you should let your use determine. 308 ARs are great and can make good, Versatile, guns and would be formidable defense weapons. If I only had one rifle it would probably be a 308 AR. Having said that, they aren’t legal for hunting or Legal at all in some places. You also have to consider where politics could shift against semi autos some day.

a 308 bolt gun could be a good option as well. Not as fast shooting as an AR but still a cabal weapon for many tasks. While I admire the notion of those scout rifles, if I were thinking about a bolt gun as my only rifle and in that price zip code, I might look for something that had an AICs magazine pattern so I could use 5 or 10 rounders. I think the irons sights are interesting but less practical if you scope the gun. The SIg cross could be a contender.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I had an AR10 in n 308 and it was great and kids loved the cool factor, but it was unnecessarily heavy. We used it for hogs with night vision but honestly almost never shot more than once so ended up being kinda pointless so I sold it. A bolt 308 would have done the same job for us, been cheaper, easier to carry, and easier to store.

 

[Dust Rider]

If I could only have one it would be a bolt action .30 cal.
Either .300 win mag, .308 or .30-06. They just do everything good and can handle any animal on the planet. If I could only have one it might just be the 300 win mag. For novice and youth the .308 is hard to beat.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Bolt all day long.

 

[bohica17]

What’s your total budget? This will include your rifle, glass, rings and base/1 piece mount, mags, converting bolt gun to mag, sling, bipod/tripod or both, ammo. Anyone can give you there opinion. But you know how that saying goes. No one can help you first until we know budget. Next question is what distances are we talking about for practical shots?

 

[def90]

Yes, an AR will be heavier but the amount of "accessories" you put on it is up to you, you can make a pretty light AR if you know what you are looking for. The advantage of an AR is an adjustable stock which makes it easier for a wide range of people of all sizes to shoot along with the recoil on the semi-auto will be a bit softer than the recoil on the bolt gun.

 

[MJB]

Lever action for me

 

[StuckoYota99]

Get the Ar10 now. Because you may not be able to in a few years.

 

[Rich M]

Just an overall rifle?

I’d probably go with a bolt. Nothing wrong w ARs, im old enough that they weren’t popular/available when i was growing up. Love me a 10/22 for sure.

Finding myself liking the lighter kicking calibers. Shooting 357 mag bolt rifle a lot lately. Doubles as a deer gun and cheap plinker out to 200 yards.

223/556 bolt would be nice.

 

[Z71&Gun]

I had considered a GP rifle for a long time and though that a Ruger GSR maybe the solution for my needs.
However now I'm questioning if with the prevalence of AR pattern 308s that one would be better of with a AR pattern in 308 rather than a bolt action.
Thoughts?

Check out the Browning BAR mark III

 

[Rob960]

Also what distance do you want your GP rifle to shoot out to? I have a R700 Varmint with 20" barrel in 308 Win, that is a fantastic shooter. I agree with the above as well in regards to a levergun if you are looking for closer in.

 

[Wingshooter]

I appreciate bolt action rifles in the field they're more pleasant for me to carry and I am an old fashioned guy at heart. If I could only have 1 rifle there were no rules it would be my PSA10. It is very accurate sub MOA if my job is done well. The availability of 20 to 25 round magazines does make the rifle heavy but if the range is past 300 yards it's far superior to the 5.56 guns. I am however very glad I get to have several rifles.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Bolt gun. They tend to be more accurate. They are lighter. They are legal every where. They are more affordable. They fit in standard cases. Etc….

I just bought a Ruger American 308 bolt youth model. I wanted a capable rifle for the truck. I wanted kids to be able to shoot it. And, I didn’t want to worry about it getting beat up.

After shooting it in, I’m pretty sure I’ll start hunting with it. It’s light. Extremely compact. A kid or an adult van carry and hunt with it. And, it’s superbly accurate.

I put a $400 leupold scope on it. I paid $459 for the gun. I bought 10 boxes of ammo from academy. It’s a bit of money but I’m done spending on it. It’s about as affordable and accurate option for a general purpose rifle out there.

 

[justinspicher]

I would throw out consider what you are comfortable on. There is no need to purchase a rifle with a specific intent if you have little to no training on it, nor intend to have much training on it. I would lean towards a setup/caliber that I am familiar with and able to have as much variety in use as I could possibly have. Just my $0.02, best of luck with your decision.

 

[Daniel15]

I had considered a GP rifle for a long time and though that a Ruger GSR maybe the solution for my needs.
However now I'm questioning if with the prevalence of AR pattern 308s that one would be better of with a AR pattern in 308 rather than a bolt action.
Thoughts?

I put together a couple of the ar10’s in 308 and they’re cool and fun to shoot but man they are pretty heavy. Considering doing one in a 12.5in barrel and putting an lpvo on and trying that.

 

[Weldor]

Look at the Roam 308 AR10 weighs under 6 lbs. All magnesium, super accurate. Made for hunting. 308 and 6.5.

 

[def90]

For those that are complaining about the ar-10 and weight I’ve seen them as light as 7lbs, a Remington 700 in .308 weighs 7.5lbs for comparison.

 

[Terrapin]

I’ve always had a 30-06 bolt gun with a 3-9 scope. Synthetic stock, stainless steel, sighted in 2” high @ 100 yards with the most common factory ammo in the world. 1 inch nylon sling and Butler Creek flip up scope cap on the front (keeps out the dust because if it’s not in my truck, it’s propped in the corner by the door).

I can’t get any N America general purpose than that… only thing I do is throw away the ammo in the magazine when it gets green & shoot it twice @ 100 every couple years. It’s never changed POI.


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