Light, powerful semi-auto rifles

[Jamisjockey]

If you want to drop the jack on one, but they are 10 pounds.
http://springfield-armory.com/armory.php?version=29

[Fly320s]

Or get a Larue PredatAR in .308, but you'll have to sell a kidney and sacrifice an armadillo to get one.

[Harold Tuttle]

not many big game species need 20 rounds to stop.

My 308 Vepr is a reasonable weight

[drewtam]

The FN SCAR 17 is also 762NATO and ~8lbs in 16in barrell length. The 20in barrell version is ~8.5lb.

[Boomhauer]

The FN SCAR 17 is also 762NATO and ~8lbs in 16in barrell length. The 20in barrell version is ~8.5lb.

Nobody ever developed a modern semi-auto 308-size gun.

What do you call the SCAR-H?

Not to mention the really nice LaRue PredatOBRs and such. (If I was going AR platform .308 LaRue is the only path I would take at this point). S&W M&P-10 is also fairly light.

[roo_ster]

If you talk real nice to Tony Rumore over at Tromix, he'll build you an AK in .444 Marlin from a Saiga .410 donor gun.

I found that much easier to accomplish than my early efforts to build one in .45-70.  

Be still my beating heart!  .45-70 seems the more natural conversion.  Why .444 marlin?

RE: 7-series Remington semi-auto rifles . . .

When I was a member of a large private gun club, I usually worked as a range safety officer during sight-in days before deer season when we opened to the public - during that time, I got to see a LOT of different guns come through the range.

Without a doubt, the most troublesome were Remington 7-series rifles - the percentage of "jammamatics" was into double digits, some with dangerous malfunctions. (How about a loaded round almost in the chamber, but with the bolt frozen so it would neither close nor retract?   )

Sure, most worked fine . . . but Remington must have produced a lot of Monday morning / Friday afternoon rifles to account for all the failures. One guy I talked to had one of these - he fixed it by coating all the interior surfaces with layout blue and finding where it was rubbing, and then carefully stoning & polishing those surfaces; he said it took a LOT of time, working by hand, to remove chatter and other tool marks.

On the other hand, Browning BARs always seemed to work OK, but then again I didn't see nearly as many.

My dad's .30-06 was reliable as the day was long.  Hard on brass, though.  He liked it most because it was easy for a lefty to use, relative to a righty bolt gun.  I am sorely temped to get a .35Whelen bbl for it and cut it to 16-18" inches or so.  I already put Williams aperture sights on it.  With the shorter bbl and in .35Whelen, it would be a mutha of a potent brush rifle.

[dogmush]

Be still my beating heart!  .45-70 seems the more natural conversion.  Why .444 marlin?

Of the top of my head I'd bet .45-70 won't fit in a .410 mag.  The rim diameter is quite a bit larger.

[Harold Tuttle]

http://s98.photobucket.com/user/TonyRumore/media/Rifles/444a.jpg.html

[Gewehr98]

.45-70 is too big in rim diameter for the .410 Saiga's boltface.

I'm not too certain that the .45-70 cartridge OAL fits well in Saiga .410 magazines, either.

Done right, say with 265gr LeverEvolution spire points, a .444 Marlin AK would be something to reckon with.

It would definitely meet Zahc's arbitraty 2000ft/lb energy floor.  (3180ft/lbs per Hornady)

[charby]

.45-70 is too big in rim diameter for the .410 Saiga's boltface.

I'm not too certain that the .45-70 cartridge OAL fits well in Saiga .410 magazines, either.

Done right, say with 265 LeverEvolution spire points, a .444 Marlin AK would be something to reckon with.

It would definitely meet Zahc's arbitraty 2000ft/lb energy floor.  (3180ft/lbs per Hornady)

Being an owner of a 444 Marlin, you feel all those 3180ft pounds in the opposite direction. High muzzle energy in a lightweight rifle does not make for a lengthy enjoyable range experience. 

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

My go-to rifle is now a bolt action.  It's light, handy, powerful, reliable, robust, accurate, and versatile.  It has excellent sights, trigger pull, and stock fit.  It's everything you could want in a rifle, except semi-auto.

Details?

It's a Winchester 70 Featherweight in 308.  I cut the barrel down to 20" and soldered on a front sight base.  I replaced the stock with a McMillan that fits me well, and added a 3rd sling stud for a ching sling.  It weighs 6.75 lbs bare, and about 7.5 lbs with scope, sling, and ammo.  That makes it lighter and handier than most AR15s after you add a loaded mag, scope, and the usual gewgaws.  And it's in 308, so it's more powerful and more versatile. 

[AJ Dual]

Being an owner of a 444 Marlin, you feel all those 3180ft pounds in the opposite direction. High muzzle energy in a lightweight rifle does not make for a lengthy enjoyable range experience.  

The Saiga's all share a common receiver and as many other parts as possible no matter the gauge. And whatever weight the conversion loses in the barrel change it probably gets right back in going to a rifle thickness over shotgun.

I can dump 10 magnum 12ga Brenneke Rottweils out of mine on the low-gas/high-brass setting and feel much less abused than any number of my other common rifle/caliber combos.

Granted, a 12ga 1oz hot-loaded slug is probably still 700 ft/lbs less than a .444 Marlin, but few of us would be dumping them as fast as we could for laughs, or at a bowling pin shoot.

But, I'd think .444 in a Saiga would be more comfortable than many common calibers in a bolt gun.

[Perd Hapley]

Details?
It's a Winchester 70 Featherweight in 308.  I cut the barrel down to 20" and soldered on a front sight base.  I replaced the stock with a McMillan that fits me well, and added a 3rd sling stud for a ching sling.  It weighs 6.75 lbs bare, and about 7.5 lbs with scope, sling, and ammo.  That makes it lighter and handier than most AR15s after you add a loaded mag, scope, and the usual gewgaws.  And it's in 308, so it's more powerful and more versatile. 

Like! I have something kinda not really like that. A .30-'06 in a VZ24 action, and just an aperture sight.

[zahc]

Hornady is making ammo for the .450 Bushmaster, too - rifles for this round are available from (naturally) Bushmaster, the lightest weighing in at 8.1 lbs.   see  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC0f5wvgGew

I had no idea this round existed. I'm glad, this gets close. I would prefer a "real" rifle round with better long-range ballistics, but this really goes a way toward enabling a light semi-auto gun for larger game.

The RFB carbine is 8 pounds, and .308.  Mass is centered better, but you lose something in the trigger compared to an AR-10.  Does that work for you?

Wow; a very interesting rifle chambered in .308. As with most kel-tec long-guns, my first questions are "does it actually exist" and "how many children must I sell to get one".

The answer to your conundrum is this- the advantage of a semi is a quick follow up shot. The heavier the caliber, the more the recoil,and the less advantage a semi action has over a bolt gun, since the gun is off target long enough for a good rifle man to cycle the bolt

Capacity.

You want enough weight to make follow up shots easy, and the shooting experience pleasant.

No I don't. I want enough lack-of-weight to make lugging it up and down a mountain pleasant, and still fend off hoards of mutant hogs, even better if I can also use it as my primary elk-bear-whatever hunting rifle in the first place. Can get lots of 7-pound bolt actions; a semi-auto at the same weight wouldn't be any slower.

[Balog]

They make conversions for .308 bolt guns to take M1A or FAL mags if you're worried about weight. It seems like "long range elk hunting gun" and "needs high capacity" aren't really something you'd want in the same gun.

[mtnbkr]

Details?
It's a Winchester 70 Featherweight in 308.  I cut the barrel down to 20" and soldered on a front sight base.  I replaced the stock with a McMillan that fits me well, and added a 3rd sling stud for a ching sling.  It weighs 6.75 lbs bare, and about 7.5 lbs with scope, sling, and ammo.  That makes it lighter and handier than most AR15s after you add a loaded mag, scope, and the usual gewgaws.  And it's in 308, so it's more powerful and more versatile. 

Got pics?  I'd like to see what the sight arrangement looks like.  I have a Featherweight 6.5x55 and sometimes wish it had iron sights.  What did you do for a rear sight?  How do you like the McMillan stock?  Is it the one that looks like the factory stock (shapewise)?  I still bemoan the fact that I didn't jump in on a group buy at 24hourcampfire years ago.  I could have gotten a McMillan FWT stock for less than $300. :(

My unloaded FWT with scope weighs in at 8lbs. 

Chris

[charby]

Some states have magazine capacity restrictions when hunting, check your game laws to make sure you can have more than five rounds in a magazine.

[Tallpine]

I really don't like a semi-auto for hunting non-dangerous game at all.

I would just as soon that my rifle is not "hot" after taking a shot, since likely there won't be a second shot, or if there is, it will be after some moments of evaluation.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Got pics?  I'd like to see what the sight arrangement looks like.  I have a Featherweight 6.5x55 and sometimes wish it had iron sights.  What did you do for a rear sight?  How do you like the McMillan stock?  Is it the one that looks like the factory stock (shapewise)?  I still bemoan the fact that I didn't jump in on a group buy at 24hourcampfire years ago.  I could have gotten a McMillan FWT stock for less than $300. :(

My unloaded FWT with scope weighs in at 8lbs.  

Chris

Rear sight is the XS Ghost Ring Backup.  The front is just a generic solder on ramp.  I'll try to get some pics later.

The stock is McMillan's Sako Hunter style.  It has a big Monte Carlo cheekpiece, almost too big, but I like getting my face down tight on the stock, so it works.  The factory Featherweight stock was too low for me.  It's a shame, because that walnut and ribbon checkering is awfully pretty.  

[freakazoid]

There is also the Remington Model 8. You can get it in .25 Remington, .30 Remington, .32 Remington, and .35 Remington. There was even one that comes with a magazine. Also the Model 81 in .300 Savage.